Pikeman Archive
Thread: Maybe we're not loud enough
Pikemen used to be something special, we had the highest hits around...but now, post-patches, our dmg is lower than it was, while other classes (BH/commandos) have the large dmg numbers with more regularity and less risk. Again, less risk. I used to rationalize the lower defense/toughness/accuracy with the fact that we were the heavy hitters, so it seemed like a compromise.
Now, not only are our defenses weaker than any melee class or ranged class, but our defensive moves are weaker and our offensive moves are weaker. I personally see myself being incapped/dying significantly more than pre-patches, even more so if I didn't pick up pistoleer just to get by. And as much as I dearly love being a pikeman (I'll not give it up despite), I see myself being less and less useful, even in groups.
Granted, I still hit for large numbers (though lower post-patch), but only in good circumstances and only when using specials which have high HAM costs and poor accuracy. Even if you don't use KD at all (I loved sweep2 in PvE situations, was a killer move - made me valuable to a group), it's still difficult due to all the issues. Pre-patch I had a pretty good vision of the pikeman profession, I'm unclear on it now. It's tough enough for PvE, and if you want to do a lot of PvP (which I don't), it sounds like the advice is: don't bother at all.
And as another current thread mentions, most of our area attacks seem to not be working like they used to, our specialty moves. I have noticed this myself, using an area attack often misses many or most of them and simply aggros more MOBs on to me, hastening my departure from combat due to my apparent total lack of defensive skills despite having master defensive (I saw no difference really from having no defensive polearm to master...).
As much as I would like to, I cannot really recommend anyone picking up pikeman, and I love my class. It's currently just too broken/questionably useful/out-defensed/out-offensed/sometimes frustrating/utterly ignored by the devs...
Kauri has only 2 masters, 1 of whom is giving it up this week. I'll be up there very soon, but the total void of masters gives clear evidence that this is a difficult profession.
I'm sad about all this because 2-3 weeks ago, I had such high hopes and dreams for my profession and I was so excited about it, but now...well, those hopes have waned a little. It's not all bad, we still do quite well, I think. I hope. And personally, I'm still greatly enjoying this game - looking forward to playing it every chance I can get.
I'll be a pikeman always.
antares
Just think about why every general melee change gets posted on the tka boards, nothing comes this way, I doubt devs even look here, they just click tka if they want some melee changes
Ivi wrote:
Antatres there are almost 3 Master pikeman(women) now including me =).. and i'm proud to say i have bought every single one of my skills.. and i totally agree with you...except i will not give up Pike only because i love it so much ..and maybe..JUST MAYBE the devs will fix us...crosses fingers
ah! great to know. I guess I haven't seen you around, I wondered if there were others. I'll be joining the ranks soon, been playing since 2 weeks after release and nearing master steadily.
The state that pikeman are currently is very sad. I can't use my LVA and do many special attacks, or I will kill myself. I usually have to stun useing a RCS, then pull my LVA out, and try to land an action shot. Of course for some reason, I miss nearly 1/2 the time. I have no clue how, I'm useing a staff that should weigh close to 20 lbs, and is nearly 6ft long. Yet i can't make contact with anything. Yeah, the defense is nice, but not hardley good enough to tank any mobs, that gain helpfull exp(only lowers dmg done by about 1/4 compaired to haveing a pistol equiped).
I currently have 2/0/4/2 as my tree, and I have long downtimes against most white mobs now, if i can even win (before the patch on sept 4 i could solo white mobs with little downtime, and even stood a chance against yellow mobs). Now, if i want to be for sure that I will win the fight, I will have to kite the mob around with my scout pistol, land a good heath shot, and then a few body shots, before I can have the mob on me. Then when the mob does get on me, I stun with my RCS, and try to warcry / intemidate the mob. (the warcry costing 120, and the inteimade costing 108 of HAM) If the inteimdate doesnt' stick on the first or second try, i'm as good as dead. Also, as of the last major patch (thursday September 4) the warcry, never sticks (you target resisted the effect) and the Intemidate only lasts a few combat rounds. Before I had any skill in the defensive line, the inteidate effect let me kill mobs much easier, unless i had to inteimadte more than 2 times.
I can understand the knockdown being to strong, and the devs' wanitng to 'tone it down', but There are not many mobs that dont' either bring a friend, or have a ranged attack once you get into the advanced line of professions that con white, or above. (in fact, off the top of my head, i can't think of any) In any case, with the way that mobs act, if I was lucky I was at 3/4 health, before the mob would finally get to me. I would or course, try to kock it down. There were many times when it fail, and the mob would continue to beat on me every 2 seconds, untill I could land a successfull KD, or I would get incaped. Granted, most of the time I would win, but there were quite a few times, when I would get owned. To be honest, I feel that ranged attacks should have the short lasting KD effect, while all advanced melee types should be able to KD something, and keep it down. NOW, mobs should be more reistant to the KD as the 'con' gets higher. Say a white has a 50% chance to resist the KD, while a yellow will have a 75% chance to resist, and a red will have a 95% chance (this will help with crowd control when grouped, sense mobs 'con' lowers as you group). I personally think this would even the odds quite a bit, and allow for more fun, and excitment for the melee classes... (with longer KD time, and no 30 second timer) As is, the ranged classes get quite the advantage, wich they should in most cases, but if they are ignorant enough to get close enough to let said melee player in there range, they should go down hard.. and fast. (mobs, and PC's alike)
I also know that for the most part, the devs don't listen / read the thought out posts, like antares_Kauri's, and usually go for the loud / all caps / no comma / period useing rants that appear all over the disscussion boards. My other gripe is what is the point to the proffession boards, if the only time the devs post something in them, is if the programmer for that class wants holo to post something? Sure Q-3PO posted here a month ago (8-12-03) and a few of the issues that he said they 'will look into' still haven't been changed, ecept the KD issue, that is pretty apparent.
We still dont' have +10 polearm toughness. (yeah, we have lots of fights against other pikemen, dont' we?)
The weapon certs are still in the wrong places. (not that it really matters to a current pikeman, but its still wrong)
The HAM costs are still to high (like my first comment above) Knockdown fix. (yup, nerfed the heck outta that puppy, its worthless now.) mobs slide at you even if you KD, and run.. WEEE..
'Final vehicle design is still being talked about' To me, this means that they haven't even started to design the **edit** vehicles, besides the planning stage. Vehicles, and mounts are promiced on the box, are the not? please correct me if i'm wrong on this. If that is the case, (still being talked about) we will be lucky to see mounts, and vehicles in game before the first expansion. HELL Planetside had vehicles when the game came out! Why not sue some of the same **edit** ideas! I beta's both SWG, and Planetside. The **edit** hovercrafts in PS are very simalar to the vehicles that should be in SWG.....
I can understand the fact that SOE is very worried about how fast people are going through the game, lvling, and master classes. Hense the many nerfs. What suprises me, is the fact that alot of these nerfs will drive quite a few people away form the game, and in effect those people will tell other people not to 'waste there time'. I personally told 4 of my friends from college that SWG was **edit** good game.. Then after a the inital patch, I told them to hold up. This weekend when we all got together, (another one of my buddies plays) we both told them not to waste there time. I will probably keep playing, for the time being. But sense they have slowed down the progression of the game so much, I would not want any of my friends pulling there hair out, from all the troubles that have been placed in game. (lack of medics, lack of entertainers, lack of groups.) For anyone that is buying this game, I hope they have friends already in game, or else it will be a very trying time for them.
I have used up all my points, and I am very happy with my character.. He is still fun to play, I usually group up with a few friends and we go on killing sprees. On the nights when they can't play, or are busy doing missions, I will just head out to my house, and start crafting weapons, or go hunting for resouces.
Well, my umm.. tirade? is over, for now.
Banin
Corbantis,
Master Artisan, Master Weaponsmith, (0/4/0/4 marksman), (2/0/4/2 pikeman)