Pikeman Archive

As I read it, Pikeman won't be able to master as many melee professions as other brawler based classes based on the new requirements.

Comments?

Yup. You are correct sir.

If the skill point distribution doesn't change in some way, this is correct.

Pikeman is the only profession to require the polearms line of brawler. What this means is that a pikeman/swordsman is the only 2-melee combination that requires all four branches of brawler as prerequisites.

If you wish to master 3 melees, it is only possible with TKA/fencer/swordsman. Replacing any of those with pikeman takes you over 250 skill points, as you will require all four branches of brawler, while the TKA/fencer/swords combo only needs 3.


Before freaking out though, keep in mind that any of this can change at any time. Skill points could be changed around, etc. It's hard to know how things will work out in practice at the moment, but personally I think the prerequisites appear unbalanced at this point.

It also struck me as odd that Pike needs the unarmed line.

Wouldn't it make sense for Pike to use the 2H line? Or the Fencer line, even?

Unarmed to pike is the biggest combat style leap possible.

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Abob wrote:
It also struck me as odd that Pike needs the unarmed line.

Wouldn't it make sense for Pike to use the 2H line? Or the Fencer line, even?

Unarmed to pike is the biggest combat style leap possible.

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The way I'd have set it up:

Swordsman: 2h + 1h
Fencer: 1h + unarmed
TKA: unarmed + polearm
Pike: polearm + 2h

The TKA prereqs make no sense of course, but they're not really any worse than unarmed + 2h. This sort of circular system would equalize the skill point requirements between melees.

You never know, they devs might have a reason why they limited your choices on multiple professions for a reason, you still have had a chance to look at your profession specifics, you never know, you might be boosted up in strenght in terms against other professions.

Also, considering prereqs, your prereqs will help your profession out, so don't think them as a burden, but as a gift. From what i have heard around the forums, the novice professions won't be a stepping block, but viable professions them selfs, and from what I have heard, you will get benefits from all the combat skills you learn in regards to your main profession. For example, a 250pt pikeman will be more powerful than a normal pt pikeman, because from what i can tell, all your combat skills will be helpful to one another.

I'm not part of the Alpha team or anything, but they keep on saying:

"Unlearn what you have learned"

I have faith enough in them to assume that they're not going to unbalance one single elite combat prof during their so-called "re-balance" It just wouldn't make sense.

In what way they're going to achieve balance, I don't know, though...

...i wonder how high HAM costs on pikes will effect this new system of specials (eq2 styel) of if they are gonna change HAM costs all together

...also is mitigation being removed? cuz if it is that is great for us...mitigation kills me in duels

Message Edited by Kaukiji on 03-19-2005 08:56 AM

As far as HAM costs go, I'm pretty sure the thread said something about having those come from the newly unattackable Action and Mind Pools, or their secondaries.

I'm also liking the new idea of stims for everyone, so that I can drop medic and not only get the new pre reqs for pike and carbineer, but perhaps dabble in say, TK, for the meditation line.

Everyone relax, really. The CU isn't even out yet. We don't know how skill points will work, we don't know if having more than one melee profession mastered will even be beneficial anymore, we don't know what they have or haven't unbalanced in the process. Look at the post by that dev, every melee profession requires two trees. Not just us.

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Iridescence wrote:
Look at the post by that dev, every melee profession requires two trees. Not just us.

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The issue is not that we require two trees, it's that this change was intended to balance skill point costs but no other melee profession requires the polearm line.

It doesn't make sense for a pikeman/swordsman to have a higher skill point cost than every other double melee.

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annelid0 wrote:

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Iridescence wrote:
Look at the post by that dev, every melee profession requires two trees. Not just us.

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The issue is not that we require two trees, it's that this change was intended to balance skill point costs but no other melee profession requires the polearm line.

It doesn't make sense for a pikeman/swordsman to have a higher skill point cost than every other double melee.

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For all we know, multiple elite combat mastery might not even be a desirable thing. For all we know, every single melee and/or ranged profession mastery might be as to make a second combat mastery more of a hindrance. As it looks, def stacking will be done with, so people won't NEED multiple elite masters. And as far as damge types and different attackable pools go, everything we know as it is now won't be true after the CU. If, as a pikeman, you will (hypothetically) be able to use the same damage types as other professions, and attack the same pool as others, it'll be all about the "role" different professions have (whatever the devs mean by that). So, as far as i see it, the only choice you'll have to do is what role you want to play in combat. You just don't mix/match a template for maximum defense or offense, as they will roughly be the same for every profession.

Now sit back and wait what the devs have in store for us...