Rifleman Archive

Since my general impression from what I've read in Dev postings is a need to rebalance a great deal of combat, how about some changes to how the system works in general? Here are a few ideas that spring to my mind, for what **edit** worth.

#1 Let me target a single damage type with my normal attacks.

As a rifleman it I find it very hard tostay in prolonged firefights, mainly because if I drain my mindpool spamming HS and am not able to kill the target doing that, I'm stuck starting over on a different bar. This seems less of an issue with weapons that have low special costs, but I think most everyone would like to be able to focus on a particular bar, especially in groups. Why can't a carbineer aim for the head, or a rifleman for the body, or a brawler pick on any damned part of the body he/she wants?

#2 Make special attacks special

Want to keep people from spending only their first couple rounds of combat off their back? Set a timer on how often a person can be knocked down or dizzy, or even better make it a decaying immunity. For example the first 5 seconds after being knocked down (just pulling numbers out of a hat) but the following 5 tics you're only 80% resistant and so forth. I don't mean to pick on KD either, if #1 is instituted spamming your special to hit a particular pool isn't needed quite as much, timers can be put on moves like overcharge or headshot as well. These are, after all, supposed to be special combat moves, are they not?

#3 DPS

I'm sure this is supposed to be the case, but I think ranged weapons should be dealing the same DPS under optimum conditions, all things being equal. Rifles should shoot slower, snipers deal damage by being precise and putting a nice whole in just the right spot, carbineers are more in the put a lot of wholes in the right area type, and pistols are more put a few holes in a good spot at close quarters type (in my mind at least) but the dps from a master at ideal range should pretty well equal out. I can't imagine anyone thinking different there, but from what I've seen and what I've gathered on the boards, this isn't really the case, and should be a big priority.

#4 Melee

I'm thinking someone who has taken the time to master a sword, pike, their own body etc. as a weapon probably didn't do so using the 1800's method of boxing. In fact I'm willing to bet they probably know how to dodge and deflect hand to hand attacks pretty well. These poor SOB's should be hard to hit hand to hand, especially by some brute critter that's ticked off and thinking "must gore, kick or bite". It's simply not feasable that they can stand toe to toe with a rancor and see who's tougher, so how 'bout letting them tank by not getting hit as often especially at the higher skill levels. I'd sure like it if someone could keep things from charging me. Also, I think these guys should get a bonus towards beating down any non melee professions, weighted down by the skill the victim has with the weapon they have equiped and toned down for carbineers as opposed to riflemen and pistoleers as opposed to carbineers.

I'm sure there are pieces of the puzzle that I'm just not seeing, or am missing, and these ideas are kind rough around the edges. But it's more productive to contribute than to just sit back and shoot down others ideas.