Pistoleer Archive

Thread: How I would fix Pistoleer (and a couple of other profs)

Nifty
Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:30 pm
#1


Disclaimer: this is, of course, my opinion. I know for a fact not many people will agree with me, but that's ok. I just like to talk and spark discussion from time to time. Anyways, here goes.


Before I'd even get into the pistoleer trees, I'd do something that's bothered me since day one. To be the best pistol user in the game you can be, you don't just need Master Pistoleer/Master Marksman. You need to either pick up some BH or some Smuggler to go with the Pistoleer. Low Blow and Last Ditch are both better than PMD1 and Stopping Shot. The extra speed/accuracy and eye shotfrom BH are better than just master pistoleer/master marksman. Now, before I continue, let me explain by saying "the best X user you can be" I mean based on special attacks gained, speed and accuracy. Obviously a TKA who dabbles in other professions to max out their defenses is better than a TKA who does not, however, they both have the exact same speed, accuracy, special moves and damage dealingcapacity. To be the best rifle, unarmed, 1handed sword , 2handed sword, and polearm user you can be, you only have to master the specific profession and the according basic profession. Carbineers have to go play in the BH tree to be the best they can be with their weapon, so they are in the same boat as us (more so considering they get what, 60 speed at master carbines, and 65 added with master Marksman?). So we have to spend all these extra skill points to get better at using pistols while other combat professions get to spend extra skill points to beef up their defense templates, or do completely different professions like scout, medic, etc. To get more speed/accuracy for example, we have to spend 77 points in scout to unlock BH (assuming we're master Pistoleers/Marksmen) then drop 11 more points to get Pistol 1 in the BH profession. On the same token, a Master TKA/Master Brawler can spend those 88 points in advanced brawler professions and get some spiffy extra defenses while already being maxed out on unarmed speed/accuracy/damage/specials. In my opinion, this needs to be changed.


First, "fix" bounty hunters. BH's keep their LC and scatter pistol (electrical and acid) and they'd get new carbines and pistols that would allow them to do all the damage types (it's their strength since they have to spend gobs of skill points.) Their carbine and pistol skills would be changed so they'd only be able to use these BH weapons with their skills and special attacks (they could still use regular carbines and pistols, but only with the marksman skills and specials.) That way pistoleers, carbineers and BH's couldn't get more accuracy, speed and special moves by dabbling. BH's still have advantages as they can do EVERY damage type and are still nearly as fast and accurate and have spiffy specials we don't have.

Smugglers would work the same way. They'd either get new weapons or they'd "jury-rig" existing pistols so that they'd only work with Dirty Fighting moves. Also, they'd get some accuracy and speed bonuses in the DF line, but not a lot asI do not think Smuggler is meant to be a combat profession per se. Again, no cross special moves with Smuggler and Pistoleer.


Alright, now that Master Pistoleer/Master Marksman makes us the best gunfighter in the game, we can actually fix Pistoleer! First, fix the moves. (a lot will be similar to Randon's state of the specials because he's pretty much right, IMO.



  • PMD1, extend to 10m like other melee attacks.

  • PMD2, make it knockdown everyaggro target in 10m and do more damage than PMD1 (alternatively, have it knockdown and stun or blind one target.) The multiple knockdown combined with fan or MTPS would be VERY nice.

  • Disarm1 and 2... I dunno. Either make it actually disarm/delay the target or make it do something totally different and rename it. Maybe rename them to piercing shot and have Pierce 1 add 1 AP to your shot and Pierce 2 add 2 AP to your shot. Random HAM, a low damage mod (1.5x)and a 2x or so speed mod. Alternatively, Randon's ideas of intimidates are good.

  • Double Tap. I liked the idea of two random HAM pools at 1.5x each. Kudos to whoever came up with that.

  • Stopping Shot - Add posture change to it or Intimidate (if disarm isn't given intim).

  • Fan Shot - pretty ok as is aside from general AOE bugs.

  • Health Shot 2 - Give us a higher bleed damage % of our initial hit into the health pool vs what other weapons to balace the AP issue. Does same initial damage as body shot 2, but at a higher HAM and Speed cost.

  • Body Shot 3 - Make this more useful by either increasing the damage or decreasing the speed so it sees a benefit over Body Shot 2 at lower than master pistol speed

  • PB Single/Auto. Agree with Randon 100%. We already have good PB accuracy. Make it the other way, give us good midrange accuracy with the moves (and make the auto a true AOE move)

  • MTPS - 64m range, all targets that are engaged with you (otherwise, you'd end up with some weird results like shooting, for example, CorSec NPCs that are "helping" you.) I wouldn't mess with damage/speed, because, IMO, Fan Shot should do more DPS because FS is a cone effect while MTPS is a 360deg effect. Fan Shot doesn't help when someone is behind you, but MTPS would help.

Next, accuracy would be increased a bit to accommodate no longer being able to steal from the BH pistol tree. Accuracy while moving maybe should be increased slightly as carbines have a 30 mod as well. Speed should be gained +5/+10/+10/+15 in the Stances line and +5 at master for a total of 75 (80 with Master Marksman.) Dodge and State defenses are fine. Melee defense is fine, but bump up ranged defense to 20. I'd possibly throw out Ranged Mitigation2 and replace with melee mitigation 1 since we're expected to be in close a lot. Then ranged mit 2 would be achieved at master instead of ranged mit 3.


Of course... Master Pistoleers should be able to dual wield. When using two pistols, speed and accuracy are decreased by 25%. Example, say you're firing a single pistol at 1 second. The duals would fire at 1.25 seconds, but alternate so you get a shot off every 0.625 seconds, but at 75% of your accuracy. Special moves are queued regulary so you could PMD1 with the right gun and follow with stopping shot with the left gun. HAM costs would be increased 10%. Dual Wield under these conditions would still out DPS a single pistol, but the single pistol would still be a decent option. It's also possible to lower the dodge, melee and ranged defenses while dual wielding. You do more damage, but you don't dodge as much incoming damage.


Anyways, that's just what I'd do to Pistoleer (and BH and Smuggler.) Unfortunately (or fortunately if you disagree with me!) I'm not a designer on this game, so my changes (except the special moves being fixed) won't see the light of day.


edit: because I can't frickin' spell.

Message Edited by Nifty on 03-06-2004 12:35 AM



Starsider: Abici Sselof, Master Entertainer, Musician and Pistoleer; Master Pilot
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