Rifleman Archive

Just an idea.

HAM targeting is an important issue in combat, one that has seen many flames and complaints. Separating the HAM by weapon type; rifle-mind, carbine-action, pistol-health; just doesn't make sense. How about something like this:

Blast: Health, Action and Mind, the damage divided equally
Energy: Health only
Kinetic: Health only
Restraint: Action only, loss of action pool slows movement speed
Heat: Health and Action, damage split
Cold:Action and Mind, damage split
Acid: Health and Action, damage split
Electricity: Health and Mind, damage split
Stun: Mind only, loss causes unconsiousness but not death

The Teras Kasi ability to target specific HAM pools would remain. They are a special case.

not sure i would agree, i like the way it is at the moment if you were to do that, in a big battle if everyone gets cold weapons, what would happen? carbines leg shot is going to mind damage pistols flame shot would do mind? don't really think it would work.

While this isn't necessarily a bad idea, I think we're too far along in the game for such a fundamental change to the combat system. This would require a lot of changes with many, many balance implications.

An addendum:

Health is the killing pool. You can only kill someone incapacitated by Health

Action affects attack speed and movement speed.

Mind determines use of special. All specials would drain the Mind pool. Mind would remain unhealable.

Specials like LegShot or HealthShot would be changed to a simple damage increase and a bleed targeted by the damage type. Multiple pool weapons would not be able to bleed.

I don't think everyone would equip cold weapons exclusively. I also don't think it would offset the balance much. Everyone is already familiar with the concept of draining a HAM pool. That doesn't change. It would also solve many problems. Riflemen would be someone good with a rifle, not someone good at shooting Mind. It ends the EyeShot debate without removing the attack. It balances many of the Commando weapons by splitting theirdamage between multiple pools. Blast becomes a general softening attack designed to assist all other attacks, which is far more logical. It definately aids grouping. It makes the weapons more distinct. Damage type is no longer looked at just for vulnerabilities.

On the downside, PvE would be seriously screwed up. That would take a lot of work to get right. Many players might find it difficult to adapt.Some balance implications (not many, many). It is probably too late in the game to implement. That is unfortunate. I think it would work.

Ah, well. Back to the grind.