Squad Leader Archive
Thread: Discussion: Damage/Weapon Types
I don't know if this has been discussed, but the different damage types is something I don't know how to work around. The pistol users want to hit health (which I am mostly), the rifles can sap mind very quickly, and carbines either hit action with leg shot, or hits one randomly with full auto.
Having everone attacking different pools slows down the kills dramatically, because I've frequently seen mobs with both health and mind near zero before they fall.
So how do we focus to one pool, while still placating those who can not use their specials? I have tried asking rifles to attack health, but of course they are not very willing to do it, and pistol users don't really have any way of hitting mind (unless you have several bounty hunters with eyeshot of course).
What strategies can I use to help overcome this, as it is one of the biggest downfalls with grouping I have seen?
What's best for the group:
Everyone should let it be known what their weapon skills are. If you have 3 pistolers, 2 carbiners, and 1 rifleman, then Pistolers should do body shots, and the other two weapon types should attack random pools. If carbiners or rifleman can switch to pistol, at this point, they should. This will be the quickest way to bring down the one pool.
The reality of it:
People generally pick one weapon type as the kind they want to go with. They get more exp for doing more damage, and as long as the monster drops, the damage amount is all that matters to them. Often people are reluctant to do less damage, even though it will benefit the group best. Expect this and, according to your whim/style, boot them or accept it.
I have found that this was a major issue when my groups were all still in their Marksman tree, but now that we've all moved a few boxes into the advanced professions, no one really complains about pools anymore.
We normally due Health, since there's those darn 60-125/1.6 Scout Blasters out there, and thus tons of Pistol users, and I can do great Health damage with my Carbine and BurstShot2, and the riflemen have such awesome guns, they can do decent damage as well... I haven't had anyone complain about focusing on one pool for a week or more now.
Last night, we had four riflemen and two bounty hunters with Eye Shot (allows Pistol user to hit Mind), and needless to say, we switched to Mind and stuff fell SO fast.
Can't see us ever focusing on Action though...
But for the most part, in a few months, this should almost become a non-issue.
Thats an intereting point Volatris. Also, for some reason I had forgotten that everyone can use overcharge to increase damage to random pools. There is of course the inherent cost associated to this, but weapons can be replaced or repaired, and it is the player's choice.
I hope you are right that this goes away, because the benefit of the group is more important than the xp of individuals. And certainly higher level moves will allow people to be more flexible.
Yeah, let me say that I am not fond of the different-focus-pools thing myself...its a stupid stupid idea and discourages diversity...
That said, its not as big of a deal anymore in my groups...
So its not optimal, but its tolerable 
I'm in the works of developing some sort of "focus fire" for squad leaders that will resolve this problem.