Teras Kasi Archive

"I'll tell you that ourtake as far as TKAs go is that you have some balance issues, but overall you are overpowered, not under. Can you explain to me why that is incorrect? What are you measuring against, exactly. (Pistoleers in PvP? PvE when compared against a comparably advanced carbineer or pikeman? What, exactly, are you using as your baseline?)

-Raph Koster, Creative Director

You want to know what I'm measuring against Raph?

http://www.subliminate.com/galaxies/screenShot0031.jpg

THAT is what I'm measuring against.

29 Knockdown hits at RANGE, is one hell of an overbalance compared to my what, 2 or 3? Even when I am buffed up on spicein additionto doctor buffs, I cannot perform 29 knockdown hits in a row. I cannot close the distance, I cannot stop someone from running effectively, lunge BARELY WORKS. Even when you are right on top of the creature or player it's always "out or range". 1/2/5m it makes no difference the result is the same.

Whilst running away from me, players and Mobs accuracy does NOT decrease. They shoot and hit as constantly running the same as if they were standing, kneeling or prone. I have no problem with the fact that yes, I have to close the distance. But if there is no disadvantage for them running about taking pot shots at me, why should I bother even trying?

Granted, when I close the distance to someone then yes I can and often do kill them. But this is made such a chore by the fact that I have to keep unequipping and re-equipping my knuckles every time I perform a special. Do swordsmen have to do this? Do Pikemen have to do this? No

Pistol Whip another knockdown move that can bechained indefinately. The Ham costs for this move are ridiculously low.

THE KNOCKDOWN TIMERS STACK. If I am hit 10 times in a row by a knockdown move (which should not be possible for ANY class), even if I get up Icannot perform ANY action for 150 Seconds. That is 15 seconds per knockdown. I cannot heal myself, I cannot attack back, nothing. I stand and die or I try to run if I am not dead already.

What are you measuring against, exactly. (Pistoleers in PvP? PvE when compared against a comparably advanced carbineer or pikeman? What, exactly, are you using as your baseline?)

Comparably advanced? I am a Master of TWO Elite professions, as well as having the ability to heal myself (First aid 4) and level 4 in terrain knowledge from scout. The mobs /con blue, dark blue and white to me.

IF the defensive skills worked as they should, I am Master Teras Kasi as well as Master Fencer I have +60 defence vs knockdown, I have +70 Defence vs Posture Change. Do these make the slightest bit of difference when I am fighting? PVP or PVE it makes NO difference. This is a question you have never answered.

Great post, Opiium.

how a bout a "vibro claw"?

Gawd. I'm quitting. My love for Star Wars was enough to keep me going the first few weeks, but now I'm realizing how little fun I've had. I hope for myself, the players, and the developers that this game gets better somewhere down the line.

Holocron,

Well I was going to suggest a slight reduction in KD cost, but since you stated that KD will not be changed I will move along...

Defense:

Holocron,

Well I was going to suggest a slight reduction in KD cost, but since you stated that KD will not be changed I will move along... well not without saying... if it is going to cost so much more, could the accuracy on it be modified? It really hurts when a couple of these miss in a row, not only are you doing pretty good damage to yourself, but the mob is hitting you the entire time you wait for it to clear your combat queue...

Defense:

I don't think our defenses are working as intended, asI raise melee defense / unarmed toughness I notice insignificant gains in attack avoidance...

As far as our uber weakness in the PvP aspect of the game, I think our PvE should be enhanced, seems like a fair tradeoff. But if you balance us in PvE with everyoneelse, but keep us gimped in PvP, really what is the point of being a TKA?

Thanks, Hope this is constructive hehe.

Sorry for the triple post, I'm an idiot.

I like the changes Raph is proposing.

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Holocron wrote:

• Across the board action cost reduction (Not changing knockdowns)


• Improved chance of a defensive move firing (General Combat change)


• Vibroknucklers




• Increasing max range on vibroknucklers to 5 meters


• Changing Health Cost from 32..59 to 18..36 (better)


• Changing Action Cost from 29..46 to 30..54 (different)


• Changing Mind Cost from 15..29 to 18..36 (different)


• These values are modified to be slightly higher than the default unarmed move costs as this is a damage increasing weapon. Because the move costs are being decreased significantly, this should be a much smoother transition.

Thoughts?

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The range increase is cool.. this will allow me to actually fight some of the more wily monsters in the game (i.e. try to attack a spitting rawl, you lose about half the damage output because half the time they are out of range).

Health/Action costs... really not an issue for me, I can heal those.. although decreased health costs are nice..

Mind cost increase: Currently in PvP, all they do is attack mind, since it can't be healed. Although this is a small change, I'm viewing it as slight PvP/Overall nerf.

Not changing knockdown huh? Think about this: A pistoleer/medic can spam KD all day because they can heal the damage it causes. NERF THAT, and all other KD's that use minute/no amounts of mind, and I think you can call that move fair and balanced.

Defensive move % change, yep it can help.

I still say that to fix PvP, you should only be a "red dot" while overt when you get within 20m of another overt. In the current system there is no sneaking up on someone, no running away, no hiding.

Lets hear Holo out on this one....

Lets try this new ham proposal out....I dont agree on more mind loss but lets give it a whirl..

KD, never got to use it so dunno the loss that people are stating but 600ham loss is a touch much...

I dont agree on the KD spam effect nor any kind of spam effect...Yes, it waseffective but look where it got us..

PvP & PvE are too seperate kinds of battles....Fixing one just might make the other one useless..

Raph Koster I have 2 words for you.....BULL ****

My number one irk is the Knockdown cost. You have obviously stated that you are not going to change it. WELL CHANGE IT. I'm sorry I have a hard time dealing with the fact that a pistol defense knockdown (with pistol equipped, and HAM cost depending on Pistol equipped) is cheaper than with Vibroknuckles. You are being completely against the Brawling profession and you just need to say so. Let's make a visual for you as I have REALLY trained in the martial arts for many years.

VibroKnuckles are like brass knuckles. They are only an extension and help with damage. They cost no more fatigue on your body than if you did not have them on. The realization behind this.....we have a 200 HAM cost when vibroknuckles are not equipped.....so make it 200 HAM cost when Vibroknuckles are equipped. It is that simple. That is how much the NEVER FAILING Pistol Defense charges......and us TKA's do fail with our knockdown. Yes there are ways around it and believe me EVEN in the face of YOUR adversity I am diligently working to get TKA master. That is my only gripe as I understand the rest of what is going on. This is the only thing that doesn't make sense to me.....so now I ask you.......have YOU ever taken a martial arts?

For crying out loud, make the game fun for melee professions! Why is that so hard to do?

I take issue with the whole "you don't take a knife to a blaster fight" philosophy. In real life, a sword can potentially decapitate, sever limbs, split someone from stem to stern and disembowel...actually do more damage than a handgun can in close quarters. I imagine a vibro knuckler is something like an armor-piercing turkey slicer; imagine what such a weapon could do in the hands of someone like Bruce Lee - he would be able to carve opponents into giblets of quivering sushi!

I think there is fundamental flaw in the design philosophy of melee professions vs. ranged profession in this game. In SWG melee classes are marginally tougher but do less damage and greatly limited by greater HAM costs, while ranged professions are less tough but do more damage and have less HAM costs. That's some tired hold-over from the Dungeons & Dragons school of game balance of warriors vs wizards. Anarchy Online had a more appropriate approach to game balance design in a sci-fi setting: melee professions were tougher and did more damage; ranged professions had the advantages of range and speed. It was good game balance and it was fun and viable. SWG would do well to emulate AO's philosophy of game balance between melee and ranged professions.

Ditch the inherent bias against melee professions in this game. Make TKA, fencers, swordsmen and pikemen as fun and as viable to play as BH, pistoleers, carbineers and riflemen. Bottom line, this is a game! The SW movies didn't strive for hard-core realism; people couldshoot lightning from their fingers and levitate starfighters. And the SW movies didn't attempt any "guns are superior than melee"concept; as I recall the greatest fighters in the story were guys who didn't even use guns.

No, lets not give the new mind costs a go. remove mind cost and add it to health. At least we can self heal those.

Defensive bonus needs to be pretty big if its going to be even noticable.

Range on knucklers needs to be 8m or above, i've been in situation where I just couldn't get close enough to big mobs to hit them.

Lets not fool anybody by trying to say those proposed cost for Action and Mind on VK are different, they are worse, maybe not a lot, but they are worse.

Give us some examples of costs under this new model Raph saying we're going to do this, that and the other is one thing showing us is another, give us some figures and then we can decide if they're worth testing.

Thoughts? You've lost the plot, lets hope you get it back.

As for KD I'd leave it as it is but reduce its failure rate by a HUGE percentage.