Pikeman Archive

I find some of the current issues with pikeman incredibly disturbing from a game designing point of the view, and the one that sticks out most is accuracy. For the sake of laughs, I pulled out my carbine to test how accurate I am vs blue creatures with a meager Carbine 2 skill. The accuracy modifier was -29, which is great compared to my big -50 on my Long Vibro Axe with Polearm 4 skill. How does this make any sense at all? The current system seems to be, or should be, Melee are proficient in close quarters, while blaster users are efficient from a distance. Apparently the Devs think that blaster users should be more efficient in close quarters and from a distance when you compare them to pikeman. Why are things like knock down being nerfed, when the class clearly doesn't function well in the first place. As it stands now Blaster users can kite a melee easily, so anyone but the most reckless will beat a melee class even if they get cought off guard due to the KD timer. So basically the blaster users are going to win from a distance, if you catch them in close combat they are going to win because of no way to keep a blaster user withing fighting range, and of all things a pikeman is less accurate with his weapon at point blank range than a blaster user. If this was the intended formula for Pikeman accuracy, then I'm baffled at what the SOE idea is of balance. It isn't like we could have gone around knocking down people as we please. Before the HAM cost was big enough to prevent someone from spamming it from one person to the other over and over again, and even if they did they could still be kited. Now it may not take as much HAM, but it doesn't allow a Pikeman to keep the blaster user within range nearly long enough to do any significant damage before the kiting begins.

I would greatly appreciate an answer on this issue from someone at SOE. This system is clearly fundamentally flawed between Ranged Weapons and Melee Weapons from a game design point and a realistic point of view. If I beat someone over the head with a polearm they are going to be knocked unconscious. They shouldn't get back up and start shooting at me without any fear of my catching up despite the fact that they are running forward whiling shooting behind them. Yes I know game design can be based on realism for balance reasons, but even the Devs. can't fall back on this because from a balance point of view it is still flawed. When is this going to change. When will Pikeman be a viable class? This isn't an issue of slight imbalance or slight tweaks necessary to the class, it requires major tweaks, and that is why I believe many are so angry.

I couldn't find an edit button, so I would like to apologize for the excessive use of commas in some areas. I also meant to say, "Yes, I know game design can't be based on realism for balance reasons, but even the Devs. can't fall back on this because from a balance point of view it is still flawed."

WellI was just going to make a post on this... but seeing how it has been doneI will just add to it. If you wouldnt mined checking out this pic it would be great.

http://mail.chartermi.net/Session/428429-bhlKcPec0Fl6Iv7yA2k2-jizmjui/WebSite/screenShot0019.jpg

This shows how unbalanced we are now, I mean I am no master pikeman but come on give me a brake. kd was the only defenceI hadagainst this happening!!!

Silver its is y so many people are starting to quit the pikeman profection because some lots of people like me that dont get a lot of time to play and it takes us a week or so just to move up a lvl on the tree! Now after the patch seeing how we dont have a defence against getting hit so much. It will take us two times as long now.

Just to let the masters out there know that lots of people don't have the accuracy mod's that you do and this is what happens (pic above). This is why KD was so important to us!

sorry about broken link here is new one

http://mail.chartermi.net/Session/4999-N8PbcQyK2SJ8kaaxOGN3-jizmjuj/WebSite/screenShot0019.jpg

Typically I miss about 50% or more against creatures I fight. I don't understand how I'm supposed to function as a melee fighter if this is the case.

when you get master you won't miss so often, it doesn't need changed.

Any other professions best weapon miss horribly until you become near-Master?

I did most my xp with a normal lance. A good basic lance has good accuracy and decent speed.