Swordsman Archive

Hi guys. I'm nota normal dweller on your board, so thanks in advance for tolerating this post.

I want to write a reasonably comprehensive post for the Developer's attention dealing with this last patch's disproportional alterations to Knockdowns (melee AND ranged) Posture Changes, and Status Effects. I only have the most general of ideas on how it's affected classes other than mine, and I want to get the classes affected, and which skills have been rendered irrelevant and/or highly ineffective giving the 30 second timer.

As a ranged combatant, I have noticed thatknockdowns, posture change via suppression, and the confusion/dizzy status effect have been affected in4 ways:

1) Significantly lowered % chance to HIT with these specials

2) When the special DOES hit, a significantly lowered % chance to LAND that special successfully

3) Decreased duration/effect of confusion/dizzy

4) Decreased duration of the knockdown and posture change - approximately 2-4 seconds (that's 1 - possibly 2 player moves, essentially)

I truly want this post to remain as informative and cordial as possible, and would like to request the following:

1) Name of special(s) affected by the last patch

2) Way in which the special has been affected, either anecdotally, with a combat log, etc.

Post to this thread or feel free to email me.

Such changes, although they might fall within the "Grand Design" of SOE, are taking away far more than is being left behind. Although such changes might ultimately work to prevent us from taking on reds, yellows, and whites (as per Holocron's own words), is it truly fair to cripple and gut any number of class's lines in such a disproportional manner? Ultimately, if these changes stay as they are, I'd prefer to have the skills taken away, rather than have something that sounds nice... but does nothing.

Hope you can help me with this, folks. It affects MANY combat classes across the board, and that's how it should be represented.

Thanks in advance,

Kathul, Eclipse Server

What actually happened was two things.

First, they installed the 30 second immunity timer on knockdowns and posture changes.

Then what they did that I think many people don't realize is made defensive skills work again, and that is why you are seeing a lot of your special effect attacks failing.

The net effect of both these changes is a lot of people are going 'whoa what the hell they nerfed the crap out of KD and posture change'.

The reality is they really should have halved how long that timer is since resists actually work now.

-Shi

Actually, although I'd considered that, Shi, I don't see how it can actually be in terms of pve. I'm seeing the % reduction in posture change and knockdowns across the board in pve - whether the /con is blue or /red. If resistances were imp'd, wouldn't it have made sense to have placed those resistances on a sliding scale, from small to large as the /con increased?

That being said, does anyone in this community have any special moves that they'd like to detail in order to determine the changes, post-patch?

Well, aside from our standard attacks that we share with most other combat professions(i.e. pool attack, pool bleed, extra damage) just about all of them. Swordsmen do posture down attacks, its more or less our signature. The 30 second timer makes a significant number of our skills - which were all very similar to start with - barely useable.

I'm definately seeing mob defensive skills working as well- things dodge, block, and counterattack much more often now.

"If resistances were imp'd, wouldn't it have made sense to have placed those resistances on a sliding scale, from small to large as the /con increased?"

That would make sense but I don't think that's how it works. Because I will hit for the same sort of damage on a deep red creature (assuming it's not resistant to my damage type) as I do on a blue or green creature, which in most other games higher con has it's own built in damage reduction in addition to whatever defenses such creatures have along with more hitpoints.

-Shi

The problem we're facing (well, one of them, anyway) is the the nebulous combat system that SWG possesses. We just don't KNOW that certain things are imp'd or working. All we can work with is observations. Do we _know_ that resistances are implemented for combat NPC's and working? I don't think we do, though it would make sense.

That being said, I'm sure that I'll get corrected by the Devs for any incorrect observations. The premise that I am going to maintain is that, rather something as simplistic (and acceptable) as resistances being implemented, something different is going on that is causing % to hit, % to land, and time of effect to fall through the floor. Again, if I'm wrong, I'm sure that I'll get called on it.

If possible, can I get the names of the moves in your lines that affects posture, knockdowns, and adds effects such as blind, dizzy, etc?Anecdotes or data on how these moves have been affected post-patch are going to be appreciated.

Well to back up my theory on defensive skills for mobs now working, I'm talking normal hits. Pre-patch, I never saw a rebel dissident "+dodge+" my powerhammer. I missed, but was never dodged. Now they do quite often.

Kathul, one thing is I don't think the chance of hitting with a knockdown attack (ranged or melee) is any different than the odds of hitting with any other special attack, given the same circumstances.

Of course, when you talk about whether the knockdown actually works, and if the reason it doesn't work is because of a specific resistance to KD, or just dumb luck, or what, you're right, we really don't know.

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EasyMcRhinopants wrote:
Ch

Kathul, one thing is I don't think the chance of hitting with a knockdown attack (ranged or melee) is any different than the odds of hitting with any other special attack, given the same circumstances.

Of course, when you talk about whether the knockdown actually works, and if the reason it doesn't work is because of a specific resistance to KD, or just dumb luck, or what, you're right, we really don't know.

---

I'm going to have to take your word for this, as I am primarily a ranged weaponry class. All I can say is that from my end, the %chance to hit with these shots has been significantly reduced.

One last thing, as I intend to be writing this post tomorrow morning: could someone supply me with a list of your profession's moves that have been affected by this patch?

I promise that I will mention the possibilities brought up here, in that these observations might well be the result of new resistances being implemented. I leave you with one final question for the night: if these resistances have been implemented for NPCs... why haven't we seen them in PCs?

The attacks effected sure.

Swordsman

Areahit1, Areahit2, Areahit3, Sweep,2handhit3

TKA

Knockdown1,knockdown2 <-----maybe change the name of these now to worthless crap1 and 2

Pikeman

Sweep1 and Sweep2

Brawler

lunge1, lunge2 <------ whcih apply to all the above and below

and probaly some fencver ones which im not high enough yet to notice.