Pistoleer Archive
Thread: In Defense of the Dabbler
(Note: I'm 2 boxes away from Master Pistoleer so am in no way a dabbler, but read on).
The Dabbler gets a bad rap. Like the Tax Man, he is reviled for not commiting to the class like the rest of us. We yell at him, accuse him of going against the spirit of our noble profession and villify him for only getting that one box he needs. We pity the poor dabbler, master of nothing, destined to keep his Apprentice Tag for eternity.
When I look at the dabbler, Instead of pity, I feel admiration. Instead of feeling bound to the parameters of the profession like us tried and true Pure-Pistoleers, he instead feels the freedom that his mix and matching gives him. The hours spent tweaking his profession, building up the character he envisioned into a reality. While he may never be a Gunslinger or a Trick Shot, he instead will gain something a lot more valuable: individuality.
So please stop hating the dabbler, instead enjoy the fresh perspective they can bring into debates and the joy the can take in that +5 to pistol accuracy...
SWG was built as a skill based game, not a profession based. It's unique in that it allows you the total freedom to be what you want. Don't hate on that concept.
And I got a 1 Starred....
There is no love in the Pistoleer forum. 
I do not believe that anyone is against the dabbler or accusing them or ruining the profession. I personally do believe that the reason Pistoleer's have not been fixed since day one and the reason why Pistoleer's receive a nerf on every patch instead of a fix is because the dabbling is making US look overpowering when in fact we are broken. We are only overpowering once dabbled, in our true form we are broken and underpowered. I am one for pausing the dabbling till the professions are fixed, then once the professions are as they should be, working, then allow the dabbling. If they want to invest more points to become more powerful then more power to them, but one profession should not have to pay the price because of dabbler's. It's not blaming them for it, it's blaming SOE for thinking that dabbler's are only in one profession.
There is love, I just 5 stared you
Inhocmark wrote:
And I got a 1 Starred....
There is no love in the Pistoleer forum.
When the classes were originally created I don't think SoE intended on people to just master that class. Sure the benefits were there. Rather they said, here are the skills, build as you see fit.
I don't think dabblers are to blame either for the fixes that are coming around. If dabbling was the simple problem, they all SoE needed to do was move those skills that were causing the issue up to a higher box (ala the Bounty Hunters, Creature Handlers). Instead I think the fixes are coming to bring us more into line.
The only problem I do have is that the fixes coming are based on stuff we currently do not have (like working defense modifiers). If those are fixed on Test (and we'll find that out soon) then a Master Pistoleer should be pretty tough to hit (which works quite well with the template). If they aren't fixed, then 'nerfs' coming down the pipe just gimp the class more.
Nothing that should be blamed on people dabbling. Heck if I was a Smuggler or a BH you bet your arse I'd move up a line that gave me some more pistol speed or better aiming.
It's narrow of us to think of stuff that just benefits us. The entire combat system needs to be fixed
Well put. I think that SOE's intent was to make a population of characters as diverse as the people who play it.
Yay dabblers
If I was stuck to a small template of what I was forced to play, I would quit but I can change, sacrifice and experiment to my little heart's content to play the char that I want to play
I like the Wild West mysticism that a master pistoleer should be. Deadly accurate shoot the wings off a fly, it's the only reason I haven't dabbled.
But yeah, seriously, kudos to the guys and girls who took the effort to make their own concepts. I'd love to hear about them. You see enough of the BH w/Pistoleer or Smuggler or even Medical profession.
The only thing that does spring from this is that if Dabblers are getting way too powerful, maybe then instead of nerfs, we have to look at the redistribution of where specials are given and bonuses. This should be done as much for balance, ensuring that the Under Ground Covert Ops Cook doesn't completely RULE the game.
I mean it appears their stats are capable of handling that and seeing trends in what groups of skills are being played together.
No way should out of class mods stack up to be more than in class mods stack up to, or be added to in class mods. Specials I have no problem with, you spent the points you can do the snazzy stuff.
It's stuff like insane speed and accy above and beyond anything offered in the pistol tree that gives dabblers a bad name. Also we as pistoleers are a lil sensitive to dabblers, they are the ones runnin around bein uber and the rest of us are the ones catching the nerfs.
I should have a working class, and not be forced to dabble. Dabble if you want, just realize that you are NOT helping your class when you last ditch every second, stoppingshot with a launcher or fanshot with a scatter. If you dabble, throw up no title so folks will stop thinking we can all do whatever it is your doing as it is part of our skill tree.