Rifleman Archive

Hi. This is my first time posting here, but I just have a few (I think) questions about the rifleman profession that I'm hoping some of you can clear up. I'm currently a Novice Rifleman with Head shot 3, flurry shot 1, and conceal shot.

When I first created ..well, heard about the rifleman profession, I thought it would be really nice. Ranged profession, sort of like those rifleman in the cowboy movies. Quigley Down Under comes to mind. Even though on the surface, the rifleman seems to be this way, when I actually get into PvE and PvP combat, it becomes really skewed..in a few ways.

First, the 2x damage penalty we get when hit by melee. At first, I sort of understood this and accepted it, since riflemen were supposed to be the ones to do great damage at a distanced, but after seeing friends of mine, who are smugglers, pistoleers, carbineers, etc..it makes me wonder, what advantage do I really have over them? I see my friends attacking at the same range I do, at least initiating attacks from that range, and then when the mob gets near them, they promptly knock it down. Not asking that skill to be nerfed, but again, I wonder what abilities do rifleman get/have that compare with that.

I've been using a Laser rifle a while. It has medium armor piercing, compared to no armor piercing ..on the scout blasters my friends use. Yet, today, while we fought creatures on dantooine that had medium armor, the pistol users were outdamaging by far, not only with single shot damage, but they had higher refire speed and also damage from Knockdown. Another friend with a DX2 knocked a critter down for 2000 damage.

I've noticed that none of my rifles have a max range over 64 meters. Sometimes I'm able to shoot from 65, but I'm beginning to think that's because the server hasn't updated my position or the distance is just a few feet off...or..the creature's model is large, causing mem to hit it from what appears to be farther away. Anyways, 60m is the ideal range of my rifle, anywhere closer..save 5 to 10 feet, and the bonus goes down. But..yet again, pistol users are getting aiming bonuses it seems, anywhere.

Now for the questions.

Is this how the rifleman is supposed to be? I was eventually expecting to be able to shoot a critter from 100 yards or more, but again, that doesn't seem to be the case. What's with a Rifle..a LONG range weapon, having a max range of a pistol?

Wetwork damage against us I no longer understand. A rifle user should have MORE defense against a melee attacker than a pistol user. Either that, or pistol users get 2x damage also. I'd hate to see that because a change of that nature would be really unsettling to them, but seriously, how many times have we seen a rifle used as a melee weapon in movies? How many times have we seen a pistol? I've seen a pistol used as a melee weapon in Goodfellas(pistolwhip), and in a score of movies where the person hits someone on the back of the neck , knocking them out. However, when someone attempts to attack a rifle user, the rifle becomes a pretty harmful weapon. Again this is just from the movies, but folks get their faces broken with rifle butts, bayonettes emboweled people, and sometimes folks were even clubbed with them.

I read a post by a dev saying rifleman are specialized at damaging the mind pool. I don't think thats true. We damage it, but so do others. Sure, headshot can do great damage, every 5 seconds or so, but so do pistols, AND melee. I've been fighting NPCs lately, and animals that seem to go for my mind more than anything else. I'm shooting at Imperial NPCs, pistol users..I mind shot them for 1000 dmg, ok...wait 6 seconds or so..and in that time, they've shot me for 300, plus the 100ish I used to initiate the mind attack. So basically the more mind attacks I use, the more vulnerable I am to my own types of attacks? On paper this makes sense, but in battle it doesnt. I'm a zabrak, with a high willpower and focus, yet still, pistol users and melee devestate my mind. I don't get how Riflemen are the ones who "specialize" in it.

Last but not least. What's up with the spraystick? It looks like a lightsabre/canister of mace, and I thought to myself, "well, I'll atttack at range, and when critter comes up close, about to do 2x dmg to me, I'll switch out to the spraystick!". Since it's a rifle, but doesn't look like one, I figured I wouldn't get the 2x dmg penalty. Boy was I wrong. Not only do creatures and melee NPCs own me with it, even in PvP, where damage is supposedly nerfed, a melee user popped me for 900+ damage. I was hoping to be able to free up the Marksman Pistol skills I have, so I could get more skills in the rifleman tree, but that may not be possible with the way things currently are. When a critter gets close to me, the only chance I have...that I'm aware of, is switching to a pistol and running, or switching and firing warning shot, then flurry, then suppression,etc.

OH well. I see my questions may not have been clear cut, so..here's the gist of it...

Why is our range so short?

What justifies us taking 2x damage vs melee? Seriously

Why do mindshots/headhots use the Mind pool?

Why do we take 2x damage with a spraystick? Is there some inherent "I like melee beatings" flaw in rifleman?

I was in med center the other night and someone walks up to me, laughs, then ask,"what is the point of any weaponother then pistol, we can kill someone using another weapon easy?" I really had no responce.

Anyway, back to your post. Curious to the damage you are seeing though. I hunt with pistol users and my damage is generally a lot high AFTER armor pierce is calcualted in. Makes me wonder what damage you are looking at (the damage in combat window is pre armor pierce, damage over the monster/players head is post).

Range crap. Well, i thought we should shoot from father away too, but, what do I know:] Still, with normal shots, the mods on our weapons are a lot better at longer range (60 meters:] ) then other weapons. Basically, we are more accurate at long range. Problem is, pvp, people just wont stay at 60 meters for us. Also, with special moves, our advantage goes away since pistol gets better accuracy at any range when using special moves.

As for the spray stick, it generally has best accuracy at close range for us. I tend to only use it in pvp though. Its lack of armor pierce makes it a horrible choice for me in pve. Yes, the speed is great for getting off dizzy, warning shot, etc, but, often it shoots a second shot before I can be sure the first warning shot lands. So, I usually use a Jawa for my defensives shots in pve (think the stats on my Jawa are 111-202, 4.7 without power ups. Got a bad slice, but, since it is only to keep them away while bleed works, does not really bother me).

As for the melee damage (although for some reason I thought it was 3 or 2.5x), personally I think all ranged weapons should get that negative. **edit** melee fighters have it bad enough with people shooting through walls, rocks, running, etc.

As for mindpool hams, well, the 75% damage reduction in pvp was dumb. Oh, i get the need for it as most pvp was one hit wonders, but, I think they should have thought out an option rather then applying duct tape. They seem happy with the 75% rate now and pvp is a pet/faction petfeast. Maybe someday, in a few years, they might lower ham cost in pvp. Problem is, they are trying to fix kd with ham duct tape.

Guess I was not much help:]