Pistoleer Archive
Thread: ALL NEW Status Update (12/7/03)
1) UPCOMING COMBAT BALANCE: Thunderheart has just announced the Devs' new four-part revamp of the SWG combat system in this post. Thunderheart's post is extremely important to read, and everyone should go take a look at it. It sounds really good to me. I don't know what it means for us specifically, but it sounds like big changes are on the horizon. I'll keep you guys up-to-date with the latest.
2) DAMAGE MITIGATION: Damage Mitigation is IN. A week or so ago, Thunderheart said that it was being scrapped, but as it turns out he made a mistake and it's in for good. The new HAM system has still been delayed, but we'll be getting Ranged Damage Mitigation 1, 2, and 3 in the next patch. I explain how damage mitigation works and how it will affect us in this post.
3) DEFENSES: The TKA Correspondent and I have both asked the Devs to give us info on whether defenses stack, and we haven't received a response from them. With some help from the melee Correspondents, I do have some info to share, however:
- Dodge from Pistoleer DOES stack with Dodge from Fencer, but it does NOT WORK UNLESS you have a pistol or one-handed sword equipped. So Pistoleer Dodge stacks with Fencer Dodge, but it does not work if you have a vibroaxe or rifle equipped. So if you're going Pistoleer + a melee, Fencer looks attractive. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Devs are looking at this. There is no promise that it will continue to stack, so proceed at your own risk.
- Ranged Defense and Melee Defense from multiple professions does stack
- I still have no definitive answer on the state defenses (e.g. Defense v. Knockdown)
I want to run more tests on defenses myself, since the Devs aren't giving us any new info, and I'll do that when I have the time.
4) ARMOR PIERCING RUMORS: If you've taken a look at the Rifleman forum lately, you might have read about rumors that armor piercing is going to be changed in the next patch in a way that nerfs Riflemen. Those rumors are NOT true. The Devs ARE NOT nerfing armor piercing, reviewing armor piercing, or anything of the sort. There is NO CHANGE to armor piercing planned in the next patch or being proposed by the Devs. There was just some miscommunication from the Correspondents. That said, maybe there ARE some problems with armor piercing -- if you want to test and run data, post your stuff here and I'll re-post it on Correspondent Forum. The Devs are open to looking at armor piercing at some point, so if it's not working correctly we should get them data so it's fixed. If anyone has questions about how AR is supposed to work, I can answer those in a separate thread -- the "Armor Guide" equations are wrong, but the right equations have been public for a while now.
5) COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEVS: As I mentioned in my last Update post, before Thanksgiving I received an initial response from Thunderheart to the "Top 5 Issues" list he asked me to prepare a month ago. He also responded to the other professions, and the Correspondents have all responded back to him. I posted a very long and detailed response to him shortly after his initial answers were posted, and supposedly he's going to respond back to me at some point and we'll have a back-and-forth about our issues before coming up with a final conclusion. This looks like it's going to take a while for him to do, so don't hold your breath waiting for answers. *shrug*
6) FAN SHOT NERF (OR LACK THEREOF): There have been a couple of recent posts asking about a future FanShot nerf. As far as I know, FanShot is *not* going to be changed or nerfed in the future. Prior to the *last* patch, the AOE was taken off of FanShot on TestCenter. I was concerned about it, made a bunch of posts on Correspondent Forum, but received no reply. Then magically the AOE was back in before the patch went Live. The AOE is still on FanShot on Live and on TestCenter, so I think the removal of AOE was just a bug. We can breathe easy about that.
7) REPUBLIC BLASTER: Just because people still ask about this, here's the lowdown on the Republic Blaster. The Republic Blaster is now usable by ANYONE, even non-Marksman, without needing a certification. Now that many pistols have been nerfed it's probably the best pistol in the game. It has similar damage to a pre-nerf FWG5 but it's AR1 and spits out energy damage. IMPORTANT NOTE: Only new Republic Blasters work. Republic Blasters made before the latest patch still tell you that you're not certified to use them. I've asked the Devs to A) tell us how you get the certification, B) move the certification to the Pistoleer tree, and C) hotfix the old Republic Blasters so they work. No response.
8) NEW VERSION OF FAQ: We really need to update our FAQ, since it's out-of-date. Is anyone interested in helping me with this? I'll try to do it this week if I have time ... I've just been really busy at work. Let me know if you have facts that you want to add ... I know there's a bunch of stuff we need to update.
Request: Could you post or point out those "correct AP equations"?
Thanks muchly.
Jadawin Wolff
Pistoleers can use pistols to... gain pistol xp.
MarcBulger wrote:
sounds avout the same except for the mitigation
Defenses changed too -- I posted info about whether they stack. But you're right ... I just put the "ALL NEW" in there to make sure people read about mitigation and defenses. I don't want anyone to be surprised when the next patch goes live.
JadawinWolff wrote:
Request: Could you post or point out those "correct AP equations"?
Thanks muchly.
Here's the bottom line. In the "Armor Guide" the Devs said that an armor piercing weapon gets a 25% damage boost per level of armorpiercing ratingthat exceeds the level of the armor itself. This is the WRONG equation, but let me explain how that equation would work:
Let's say that a T21 (Armor Piercing: Heavy, which is AP3) attacks composite (Light armor, which is level 1). That means that the T21 gets a 56.25% damage bonus (125% multiplied by 125% = 156.25%).
If the armor piercing weapon is less than the armor rating of the armor, it gets a 50% damage decrease. So let's say a FWG5 (Armor Piercing: None, which is AP0) attacks composite (Light armor, level 1), it gets a 50% damage penalty.
These armor bonuses worked for UNARMORED opponents as well, according to the armor guide. So a T21 would get a 95.3% damage bonus (125% * 125% * 125%) against unarmored opponents based on armor piercing.
But apparently the "Armor Guide" was wrong. You aren't supposed to get a bonus against unarmored opponents. Plus the "Armor Guide" version doesn't take into account the armor's resists. The actual equation, according to the Devs, is that the 50% penalty and 25% bonus APPLY TO THE RESISTS. So here's how it works:
Opponent = 50% Composite Armor (light armor)
If the attacker uses a T21 (AP 3), 78.125 percent of the damage will not be blocked by the armor. (That's 50%multiplied by125% multiplied by 125%, because AP 3 is two greater than AR 1.)
If the attacker uses a FWG5 (AP 0), only 25 percent of the damage will get through. (50% multiplied by 50% because AP 0 is one worse than AR 1).
The armor piercing still has a huge effect, but only on ARMORED opponents ... and its effect depends on the resists of the armor itself. If the armor is really strong, the armor piercing has a greater effect.
A lot of players have noticed that the combat spam in the game looks a lot more like the "Armor Guide" version than the "correct" equation and this has been reported to the Devs. The Devs' answer is that the "correct" equation is working and that our combat spam is wrong and that the incorrect spam is a known issue. I don't know which side is really correct, but now you have both equations and can make up your mind for yourself. 
Ok, so now we have all the new information about our profession and an out of date FAQ, can someone tell me simply: Which is the best branch for me to START down?
(Pistoleering seems so full of stats that it's very confusing when you just want a simple answer )
Thanks!
~ John
"The Republic Blaster is now usable by ANYONE, even non-Marksman, without needing a certification."
And this is pretty crazy. I gave a 50-250 damage Republic Blaster to a newbie Novice Marksman and he went around shooting stuff well beyond his skill range. With all the complaints over the FWG5 it's odd that there is now a FWG5-equivalent that you don't even need Pistols IV to use.
I can't always decide whether to use a Republic or DX2 - I end up using both fairly regulary. Why a Novice Marksman can use something equivalent to my Profession "special" weapon, I dunno.
You probably want to ask this in another thread, and give us info on the rest of your template ... because that matters. If you're a Smuggler, for instance, the Marksmanship line is more important because you already have great specials from the Dirty Fighting line. If you're a Fencer, you definitely want Grips.
Neutral wrote:
Ok, so now we have all the new information about our profession and an out of date FAQ, can someone tell me simply: Which is the best branch for me to START down?
(Pistoleering seems so full of stats that it's very confusing when you just want a simple answer
LOL I'm also a Master Weaponsmith and on Intrepid Iget tells by the hundreds asking for Krayt Republic Blasters...now this is the irony here...the Dev's Nerfed the FWG5 because it was too powerful (or so the whining wimps that complained said anyway). Now we have a pistol with AP1, Krayt enchanced that anyone can use! even a newbie who just created a character 10 minutes ago! Anyone see something worng with this picture? gives a new meaning to double standards! sheesh
/shakeshead
Thunderheart wrote:I’ll be away from the boards over Friday and the weekend...
So I guess still no profession updates this week?
Wow, is it just me or is this just taking too long? I KNOW there are a lot of other professions and other correspondents, I KNOW they are busy getting vehicles and the patch in, but come on!
Im a really patient person, but there only 5 from each Corr. Why do they wait to release them all at once? I know for a fact that some are just bug fixes, it's not like we(Pistoleers) are asking for a total revamp, or are even in need of one(Squad Leaders, DE's, Chefs).
I dont care whether Pistoleers get "talked to" first. I'd just as much like to see a report about the GCW, Star Warsiness, Droids, ANYTHING!! I enjoy seeing improvements in any area of the game because we get to see them working, and caring. I know there are some crybabys who say "WAAAAAA, WHY DID YOU DO THEM FIRST AND NOT [INSERT HERE]!!"
Seriously...at this point I wouldn't even mind seeing **edit** Bounty Hunters get their issues answered
I was just wondering if dodge is working as a defensive modification. I was reading on a post about all Pistoleer information (although dated July of 2003) that the dodge wasn't working. If I was Master Pistoleer and dodge is, I believe +95, is it that you will dodge 95% of attacks? Does this include melee attacks / knockdowns from TKAs? Thanks!
Kenickie LaTierri
Dodge is now working -- it just got fixed a month ago. You don't dodge anything close to 95% of attacks as a Master Pistoleer, although the percent you dodge is affected by the accuracy of your opponent. Take a look at my "Defense Mods Tests" sticky post for more details.
NairbNeddam wrote:
I was just wondering if dodge is working as a defensive modification. I was reading on a post about all Pistoleer information (although dated July of 2003) that the dodge wasn't working. If I was Master Pistoleer and dodge is, I believe +95, is it that you will dodge 95% of attacks? Does this include melee attacks / knockdowns from TKAs? Thanks!
Kenickie LaTierri