Pistoleer Archive
Thread: A simple Dabbler fix.
Take the Pistoleer Special Abilities tree. Each level in that tree gives +2 defense and +6 speed, yet the Combat Exp costs increase (60k. 85k. 120k. and 160k). It seems more logical that the lower levels give you smaller bonuses, and the higher levels give you larger bonuses. For example, in this tree level 1 might give you a +3 speed bonus and no defense bonus. Level 2, +4 speed and +1 defense. Level 3, +5 speed and +2 defense. Level 4, +7 speed and +3 defense. The rest of the bonuses (in this example, +5 speed and +2 defense) could be moved to the master level.
You don't understand that the current distribution already favors people who stick through to Stances IV and Master Pistoleer. The +6 at Stances IV nets you more DPS increase than you got on any of the previous Stances boxes, and Master Pistoleer nets you even more. +6 at one is not the same as +6 at another. It is already the way you're hoping for, just you haven't done the math to see that it is.
I would again state that it is backwards to want to make people slog through useless trees because you're unhappy that they focus on the ones that work rather thanmaking the trees that people avoid more desireable by having them actually work. If BS3 was valuable, people would flock to use it (I know I would). If Techniques offered useful specials, people would want to use it. Surprised that people use the Stances tree only? It's just about the only one with tangible benefits.
Let's say you convince them to move all speed bonuses to the fourth tier of every tree. What you've done is weaken every single Novice Pistoleer, because they will be lacking the speed bonuses they would normally need to compete with the other Elite Marksman classes. Sure the Masters won't mind because they've already gotten those covered, but for the new Novice who is trying to climb to Master, he'll be firing as fast as the did at the beginning for the majority of the xp climb. As it is now, our speed tree is combat xp, which is the slowest to gain. For the same amount of time as it takes to get Stances IV, you could have maxed all the other three trees. The xp just goes to waste, while the same time has been invested. And if you think the 0-0-4-0 is just as powerful as the 0-0-0-4, I think you may have mistaken the benefits of speed and overestimated the value of random HAM.
But hey, go ahead and call for a nerf to dabblers like myself. All it does is further weaken a broken profession, expending effort to break things further rather than improve the class.
ive been all the melee professions and pikeman is definitely the most broken, but than comes swordsman, then fencers, and tka.
fencers dont really have a problem, and tka was awesome, but in the end i went swordsman because it was rare.
i agree with you when it comes to dabblers.
I think the solution would be if the bh pistol and carbine skills AND specials only worked with their specific weapons, and that pistoleer mods and specials only worked with guns from the marksman and pistoleer line.
same goes for carbineer,which is what i am.
Rather than spread the bonuses all over the tree to discourage dabblers, they could change the tree to give greater benefits at higher skill levels.
Take the Pistoleer Special Abilities tree. Each level in that tree gives +2 defense and +6 speed, yet the Combat Exp costs increase (60k. 85k. 120k. and 160k). It seems more logical that the lower levels give you smaller bonuses, and the higher levels give you larger bonuses. For example, in this tree level 1 might give you a +3 speed bonus and no defense bonus. Level 2, +4 speed and +1 defense. Level 3, +5 speed and +2 defense. Level 4, +7 speed and +3 defense. The rest of the bonuses (in this example, +5 speed and +2 defense) could be moved to the master level.
The idea is to give increasing bonuses to people who climb higher in the tree.
Antag
Sorry I left any classout but I don't really know much about the melee classes as there are not manyplayers who are stirctly melee.
But the point is that Dabblers...dabble and masters...well they master something, no dabbler should be able to do anything near what a master can do within his/her profession.
Fayden Way
Why would some one want to prevent "dabbling"? The whole profession system in swg is based on the concept of "dabbling". **edit**?
I just don't understand the hatred people have for dabblers.
I like dabbling, and I have no problem with that.
The one problem we have right now, though, is that often the best skills in a class are placed near the bottom of a tree or are placed in a single line. That means that someone can get 90% of the benefits of a class just by getting a few boxes, and penalizes the people who advance further.
A balance needs to be struck that rewards the dabblers by giving them diverse skills but also rewards the people who focus to give them a lot more strength in a single area of specialty.
i didn't read through the entire thread but I think the main post is missing the point of a skill tree based game. Dabbling is the key to this game much like it was with UO. Dabbling allows diversity, if i want to be locked into a class I would of bought EQ. Dabbling allows a character to specialize to meet specific challenges and such.
The problem we have now is much like the early days of uo where one kind of hybrid ruled all others in a few areas. The BH pistol, and Master Pistoleer; BH carbine, Master Carbineer; Master Rifleman Master doc Zabrak. Not much diversity when every pvperfalls into one of these categories more often than not.
What we need is more dabbling, the strengthening of the masters of each profession, such as having all professions (except BH) get a +90 speed mod at master level, the BH would get +60 for Carbine, LLC and pistol. This would increase diversity because people wouldn't be taking the BH lines for the speed boost and it would allow for newer combinations to show up.
But guys you must remember that in the early days of any MMORPG things are broken, things get nerfed, and there are always a lot of voices that say <insert new game here> is going to kill SWG. I cant count the number of posts i have seen that claimed that EQ, then AC, then AO, then Shadow bane were going to Kill UO. Last time I checked that game was still running and adding new content, it is also (in my opinion) one of the best games out there I just got bored after 4+ years playing it.
But I have gotten a little off topic, basically I think that we don't have enough dabbling, And remember being master in a prof doesn't necessarily mean that you will be the best in combat, it might just mean that you will be the most flexible with a larger amount of specials available to you it is up to you learn how to best use these skills to your ever changing combat situation. I also think that all skill trees should have the 5 skill point skills at the tier 4, this would encourage more dabbling among the starting profs.
Well that is all
Aliester