Pikeman Archive

I apologize for starting another "Where to solo exp" thread, but I feel it's important now that we've been beat over the head with the nerf bat.

Has anyone figured out a decent way to solo now? I can vouch and say it's basically impossible to solo giant baz nitches now without lots of stims + armor, or a decent pet to tank FOR you (Sad huh?). I've gone back to doing imperial missions for the time being.

From personal experience, the knockdown doesn't even seem to last 5 seconds, more like 2-3. I have a reinforced combat staff with a 2.9 atk rate, knocked down a rebel NPC, it was on its feet hitting me before I could swing again (5 seconds), well before actually.

Seems like we can't tank, and now we can't solo. But I may just be doomsaying because I've gotten my ass kicked 9 times in a row trying.

My question is what are you doing with your other skill points that should support your desires to solo? And what is wrong with having a pet tank for you? If you like to solo as a melee, and don't like to run around in circles while the mob nips at your heels while you shoot at him, I would recommend a pet tank. Even being a 2/2/1/1 CH will allow you more than enough pet tank power and leave enough skill points to put elsewhere. I'm mostly a solo pikeman with intent on becoming Master Pikem, 4/4/1/4 in CH and the remaining points going into the medical profession (which will allow me to still use Stim D's to heal it).

I would never stand toe to toe with a red con plains hunter alone (even without the knock down nerf). But with my trusty GSP and knowing I can land a 1000 point heal with any given notice it becomes a walk in the park. I don't see the knock down nerf making any difference in my current solo tactics.

I used the "keep the mob off his feet" routine on yellow con mobs before I picked some pet skills. Keeping a pocket full of Stims was necessary for times the knock down failed. I gotta say it's way easier and faster to solo with a pet tank.

Sirboo

if this game resorts to making a pure melee require a pet this jus pure stupid

You can be pure melee all day long with out a pet. It's the solo melee that I was referring to which would benefit greatly. If the game was intended to allow one choice for profession there would be about100 skill points allowed vs. 250

SirBoo, the problem with your semantics is that, NO OTHER PROFESSION OTHER THEN BRAWLERS HAVE TO TAKE OTHER PROFESSIONS TO SOLO. It helps- but they don't have to.

So what your insinuating is that, because we're melee, we should be forced to take other professions just to solo- while everyone else doesn't have to? That's idiotic, at best.

I have medic skills AND CH skills, 2/2/1/2, and I lose half to three fourths the exp using a taking pet, even one that does little to no damage. It almost makes it not worth it, and also greatly reduces the rate at which I even gain exp.

This thread is about finding new ways to solo, not making stupid attempts to debunk solo'ing at all.
FYI- Prenerf I was able to solo red plains cats just fine. Don't know what you did wrong.

Metroid is right, as a melee class we are supposed to be able to get right up in to the mobs face, mix it up, and hold our own, it's not like we take less damage or anything, so the only way we could accomplish this was through our tactics, and our main way of doing this has been taken from us. We should be able to actually engage in melee fighting with our profession in a stand alone manner, we shouldn't be forced to take a support profession just to make our current one feasible. It would appear that now we have gone back to being liabilities in big groups instead of having any use. Pets can do what we do 10 times better, and they dont have to be healed from an incapped state every other mob.

Good point about the purpose of melee. We should be badmuthers that can charge in with heavy armor, nasty weapons, take abuse, and deal out punshiment. Just like other elite classes get to be cool, we should be to. Having an axe wielding maniac charging your face should ruin anyone's day. Being bested in this by mere pets is so demeaning.

However, I have to disagree about this support class business. It takes 92 skill points to become a master pikeman. That leaves 158 points. Easily enough for another double mastery. Medic, Doctor, Marksmen, Creature Handler, Ranger, Riflemen, etc... Almost everything but artisan or enterainer will make for a better warrior character. Just pikeman is too simple, too narrow, too limiting.

The ranged folk suffer worse than we do for melee mobs. Anti-kiting code makes it impossible to kite an NPC or critter. Carbine and Rifle have a damage-suffered mulitplier when they are being held. LOL, I had a Nuna hit me for 150 damage once when my rifle was out. (darn partial armor) another time, I hit a rebel brigader general for 2300 damage using my Vibro Lance; cause his rifle was out.

I highly recommend that all brawlers spend a day and try to climb up the marksman tree a ways. You can alway surrendur the skills, and it only takes about 2 hours with a good weapon to hit expert in any ranged tree. You'll quickly learn the problems that they face. Mwaahahaa! -> all the better to know how to kill them.

Look - You guys can sit in here and cry all day. Let's see what that will get you. The guy who started the post wanted alternative ways to solo so I suggested one. To call me idiotic for suggesting he pick up a pet is getting defensive and looking my way to vent. Go ahead.

The fact is that I still enjoy my game while most of you prefer to whine about it. Every single nerf they have thrown at us I have been able to overcome, make the best of and move on. Makin more money, getting more experience, meeting more people and having more fun with each passing day.

I witnessed the 30 sec knock down nerf last night and it took some adjusting to my strategy to take on the same mobs.

Did it slow me down? Nope.

Will it affect my enthusiasm for the game? Nope.

Will it prevent me from becoming Master Pikeman at my own comfortable pace? Nope.

Will I cry and moan here in these forums day in and day out begging for changes? Nope.

Will I read and respond to anymore insults you throw my way in this thread? Nope.

Everyone seems to have their own opinion of how they should be the best class.

Adapt. Overcome. Move on.

Sirboo

Sirboo

Your post is about as helpful as a kick in the nuts. Doesnt even sound like your a melee. Pets werent necessary pre-patch and thats how alot of us like it. Im going to be the second one to call your post idiotic.

I don't like it either, but for the moment I can't see any other way to survive. Become a zoologist, be the pity case for some nice ranged/tkpeople,or just drop the staff altogether.

Sirboo, yes I will 3rd it. Yourstatements areidiotic. We play pikeman to get in there and mix it up with the creatures hand-to-hand. We don't play pikeman to let our pets do all the damage. I was given a pet and a CDEF Pistol today. My guild gave them to me thinking I might becontribute more damage for the group. They were tired of seeing me run straight into battle to see me lying on my back 10 seconds later. The fact that I'm almost a Master Pikeman and having to rely on a pet to solo is ----"like a good kick in the nuts." NowSirboo, youcan go play your little rifle guy all u want, but don't come to our board and tell us how great we have it. Go away. ---Bohunker

Well I said I wasn't going to reply to you whiny little rug rats again. But I am. You all want to be one swipe Rancor killers but guess what? It ain't happening! You ever play EQ? Ever see any solo warriors? I'm sure you have (NOT).

To the guy who said he solo'ed red con plains hunters, do you think that was ever intended? With only one profession? Anyone can do it when the mobcan't get off their feet. Ever duel another pikeman or TKA? First one down loses. Always. What kind of skill is in that?

And to the guy that said a pet consumes too much of his experience, what kind of crap is that? Oh, I know, you want it all right now! Served on a plate and fed to you with a silver spoon. This game is not a race. I played EQ for 3 years before I got to 65. But I bet I had more money, more AA exp, better armor/weapons and had been to more high lvl dungeons than 95% of the others when they hit 65.

Even if they gave us back our pre-patch knock down none of you whiners could take on me and my pet. I would more than welcome the challenge. I'm not hard to find. Sirboo Gambino Bria server. If any of you are on Bria and feel froggy don't hesitate to look me up. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up your pike, stop crying in your wheaties and get a grip.

On a brighter note. Check out this post about a new melee tank move in the works: http://swg.crgaming.com/viewarticle.asp?Article=747

Tensalis, i used to be a smuggler, pistoleer, and have been a bh. i actually still have pistoleer and smuggler skills. and when ever i get in trouble now i have to whip out my pistol which SHOULDNT happen.