cRPG

cRPG => Suggestions Corner => Game Balance Discussion => Topic started by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 05:42:12 pm

Title: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 05:42:12 pm
It seems ever since the patch hit with its rapidly increasing cost of wpf after 100 wpf, there has been a massive influx of hybrid builds, which means in most cases ranged/melee hybrid.  Specialists in one field receive very little increased benefit (20-30 in main class more wpf = 100 in hybrid class) and so even more then pre-patch almost every person playing has some ranged weaponry (mostly throwing nowadays until its nerfed).  The upkeep cost is not a deterrent as to make decent armor viable upkeep is pretty low making it reasonable for a person with medium armor to have both melee and ranged weapons.

The bestw ay to fix this is to make all wpf cost 5 wpf points per 1 effective across the board whether you already have 10 or 140 wpf in a class.  The main reason the escalating wpf was originally in place was a carryover from the single player game.  People would still end up at roughly the same maximum wpf they have now because the first 100 wpf would be significantly more expensive, but the later wpf would be relatively cheaper.  This would without a doubt shift from a hybrid focus to a specialization focus and remove half the ranged in the game.  You would no longer have 2 classes with 100 wpf, but instead 120-140 in one or 100 in one and 20-40 in another class.  Cheap wpf at low levels has made this a hybrid heaven and made everyone have a ranged sub-class.

Also,  hybrid classes have fewer counters, whereas specialized classes each have a counter archers->shielder, shielder->cavalry, cavalry->throwers, etc.  This makes the game far more balanced overall and forces more strategy and teamwork instead of having one-man wrecking crews throwing javelins and then meleeing with an elegant poleaxe with good wpf in each.

Please chadz, give this a try and many of the current imbalances can be fixed. 
Title: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 05:43:34 pm
It seems ever since the patch hit with its rapidly increasing cost of wpf after 100 wpf, there has been a massive influx of hybrid builds, which means in most cases ranged/melee hybrid.  Specialists in one field receive very little increased benefit (20-30 in main class more wpf = 100 in hybrid class) and so even more then pre-patch almost every person playing has some ranged weaponry (mostly throwing nowadays until its nerfed).  The upkeep cost is not a deterrent as to make decent armor viable upkeep is pretty low making it reasonable for a person with medium armor to have both melee and ranged weapons.

The best way to fix this is to make all wpf cost 5 wpf points per 1 effective across the board whether you already have 10 or 140 wpf in a class.  The main reason the escalating wpf was originally in place was a carryover from the single player game.  People would still end up at roughly the same maximum wpf they have now because the first 100 wpf would be significantly more expensive, but the later wpf would be relatively cheaper.  This would without a doubt shift from a hybrid focus to a specialization focus and remove half the ranged in the game.  You would no longer have 2 classes with 100 wpf, but instead 120-140 in one or 100 in one and 20-40 in another class.  Cheap wpf at low levels has made this a hybrid heaven and made everyone have a ranged sub-class.

Also,  hybrid classes have fewer counters, whereas specialized classes each have a counter archers->shielder, shielder->cavalry, cavalry->throwers, etc.  This makes the game far more balanced overall and forces more strategy and teamwork instead of having one-man wrecking crews throwing javelins and then meleeing with an elegant poleaxe with good wpf in each.

Please chadz, give this a try and many of the current imbalances can be fixed. 
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: UrLukur on January 27, 2011, 05:56:33 pm
No, just no. Strict specialization should be choice, not no-brainer.

Hybrids should be strong choices.

Problem lies in fact, that 2h and Polearms and Crossbows don't require many skills.

Hybrids are fine, nerf ranged, perhaps even reduce softcap to lvl 25 to make going hybrid less common (skills scale in this way that the difference between PS 4 and 5 are higher than from lvl 5 to lvl 6, due to the nature of the damage in this game).
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Punisher on January 27, 2011, 06:01:13 pm
Nvm, I didn't read it carefully, was alt-tabbed :)

I totally agree with you Keshian, great idea.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 06:02:49 pm
No, just no. Strict specialization should be choice, not no-brainer.

Hybrids should be strong choices.

Problem lies in fact, that 2h and Polearms and Crossbows don't require many skills.

Hybrids are fine, nerf ranged, perhaps even reduce softcap to lvl 25 to make going hybrid less common (skills scale in this way that the difference between PS 4 and 5 are higher than from lvl 5 to lvl 6, due to the nature of the damage in this game).

Thats exactly the problem, hybrids shouldnt be a no-brainer like now.  This way people will have to go 60 wpf in each class or go more agility build toa ctually make a hybrid.  As of now I went almost pure strength build and had 100 wpf both throwing and polearm, which was obvious choice as otherwise I would have done only 124 specializing in one class.  Hybrids are no-brainers right now and need rebalancing.

Its not just the OP nature of thrower hybrids, its the over-abundance of melee/ranged hybrids.  There is more ranged spamming then pre-patch and its the sheer abundance of ranged thats part of the problem that was created when chadz shifted wpf costs to heavily favor hybrids.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Spawny on January 27, 2011, 06:05:57 pm
No, just no. Strict specialization should be choice, not no-brainer.

Hybrids should be strong choices.

Problem lies in fact, that 2h and Polearms and Crossbows don't require many skills.

Hybrids are fine, nerf ranged, perhaps even reduce softcap to lvl 25 to make going hybrid less common (skills scale in this way that the difference between PS 4 and 5 are higher than from lvl 5 to lvl 6, due to the nature of the damage in this game).

Right.

I agree with Keshian.
Hybrids will still be viable, but they will be what they should've been from the start: Jack of all trades, Master of none.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Centurion on January 27, 2011, 06:15:44 pm
Im a balanced hybrid of shield sword and throwing build. And I deffinitely don't need to be nerfed I do relatively well as it is.  And im not a overpowered guy. Im not a super hero but ill lead the round ocasionally the things that need to be nerfed are all strength hammer spanning builds. Leave us balanced hybrids alone and go pick on people who use great mauls.

Join Lost Legion today.
Send me a message or add me on steam at Kolyskoa
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 06:21:58 pm
Also,  hybrid classes have fewer counters, whereas specialized classes each have a counter archers->shielder, shielder->cavalry, cavalry->throwers, etc.  This makes the game far more balanced overall and forces more strategy and teamwork instead of having one-man wrecking crews throwing javelins and then meleeing with an elegant poleaxe with good wpf in each.

I highly disagree.  There will never be any such thing as a true specialized class unless we implement actual "classes".  As an archer I don't need a single wpf in 2h or polearms to melee.  Not a single point, and I can melee just fine.  You know this to be true as well.  Do we ban archers from picking up melee weapons at all?

As a 2her/polearmer I can pick up an xbow without a single wpf in it and have ranged capability.  Not a single point and I can shoot people fairly reliably.  Do we ban them from picking up an xbow at all?

As a thrower, I don't need to put a single wpf into throwing since it's a crapshoot anyways.  Currently I have 100 wpf in throwing on my 2her that feels wasted anyways, as I have a 1her with throwing but only 1 wpf.  Same PT level (5) and they both are just about as (in)accurate as each other.

So how would you propose we "balance" this?  I have a 1her/polearm character with 130 wpf/100 wpf currently and it doesn't seem like anyone has a complaint about double melee hybrids at all, just anyone that's a ranged/melee hybrid.  So what is the proposal to prevent this, because under your system I'll just make hybrids where I can use one without any wpf at all and still do well (an archer/2her, or a 2h/pole + xbow, or a thrower with 1wpf and the rest of the wpf into melee).

I really don't see how this would create more diversity at all, unless the overall point is to reduce the ranged in the game in which case I still have to ask:  Why don't we just get rid of ranged altogether?  Seems the only thing to do is make ranged more and more worthless until only an idiot would choose to be one because of how nerfed/ineffective it is so why beat around the bush and even have it as an option?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Belatu on January 27, 2011, 06:34:07 pm
How do you dare to tell chadz what to do??
 He is One and Only and our LudoGod
 He is wise and he build the game he/we want to play
.
 That is all about. now please, some admin move this thread to spam section so I can post nonsense pictures about 
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Byrdi on January 27, 2011, 06:58:26 pm
So true, there is a lot of hybrids :(
Your solutions seems pretty fair and simple.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Punisher on January 27, 2011, 07:04:05 pm
This is a great idea, this way hybrids will be balanced (even throwing) while pure builds won't be affected at all. Hybrids are still viable, but you will actually have to invest more in agility and weapon master to be a hybrid, like it should be in the first place. Hybrids should be jack of trades, but master of nothing, not both like they are now.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 07:04:10 pm
I highly disagree.  There will never be any such thing as a true specialized class unless we implement actual "classes".  As an archer I don't need a single wpf in 2h or polearms to melee.  Not a single point, and I can melee just fine.  You know this to be true as well.  Do we ban archers from picking up melee weapons at all?

As a 2her/polearmer I can pick up an xbow without a single wpf in it and have ranged capability.  Not a single point and I can shoot people fairly reliably.  Do we ban them from picking up an xbow at all?

As a thrower, I don't need to put a single wpf into throwing since it's a crapshoot anyways.  Currently I have 100 wpf in throwing on my 2her that feels wasted anyways, as I have a 1her with throwing but only 1 wpf.  Same PT level (5) and they both are just about as (in)accurate as each other.

So how would you propose we "balance" this?  I have a 1her/polearm character with 130 wpf/100 wpf currently and it doesn't seem like anyone has a complaint about double melee hybrids at all, just anyone that's a ranged/melee hybrid.  So what is the proposal to prevent this, because under your system I'll just make hybrids where I can use one without any wpf at all and still do well (an archer/2her, or a 2h/pole + xbow, or a thrower with 1wpf and the rest of the wpf into melee).

I really don't see how this would create more diversity at all, unless the overall point is to reduce the ranged in the game in which case I still have to ask:  Why don't we just get rid of ranged altogether?  Seems the only thing to do is make ranged more and more worthless until only an idiot would choose to be one because of how nerfed/ineffective it is so why beat around the bush and even have it as an option?

When people say jack of all trades, master of none what they really seem to mean is "Gimp at everything."  If that's the case, why bother?  Currently specialists DO have a mathmatical game advantage over real hybrids.  Sorry, your having 150+ wpf and 3+ extra stat points makes a BIG difference mechanics wise over my hybrid who sacrifices those levels of stats in order to be versatile.  If I beat you, it's not because the mechanics are flawed, but because I out played you.  I know that no one likes to hear that, but it's true.  Just like any archer that has 1 wpf and picks up a katana/longsword/whatever and kills you in melee.  The mechanics didn't fail, you did.

TLDR:  If you change WPF we hybrid players will simply go back to making builds that require no WPF to hybrid (Archer + 2h/pole, 2h/pole + xbow, 1h/shield + xbow, Thrower with all WPF in melee weapon and simply rely on PT level for accuracy).  Effectively pre-patch hybrids which were in reality pure builds exploiting mechanics rather than building a real hybrid like currently.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Punisher on January 27, 2011, 07:06:26 pm
TLDR:  If you change WPF we hybrid players will simply go back to making builds that require no WPF to hybrid (Archer + 2h/pole, 2h/pole + xbow, 1h/shield + xbow, Thrower with all WPF in melee weapon and simply rely on PT level for accuracy).

Or you could put more points in agility->weapon master so you actually have to sacrifice something to be a hybrid.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Wiegraf_BRD on January 27, 2011, 07:12:55 pm
I like Hybrids.  games that have set classes are lame.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 07:13:35 pm
Or you could put more points in agility->weapon master so you actually have to sacrifice something to be a hybrid.

I do sacrifice something to be a hybrid.   :rolleyes:  As a pure build you will have higher stats and skill levels than I do.  For my 2h/thrower I have to put skill points into throwing, which requires strength.  I also put points into WM which requires agility.
My 2her / thrower is @30
17/22

PS 5
PT 5
Ath 7
WM 7

2h 140
throwing 100

Whereas YOUR 2her could be

18/23
PS 6
Ath 7
WM 7

2h 187

That's a far more efficient build, especially since once you hit 31 I could grab that 24th agility and pump up ATH and WM again to get into 190 ish range for wpf.

Hybrids do sacrifice, the mechanics say you SHOULD win.  If you're not beating that hybrid in melee with your melee specialized character you are failing your build, not the other way around.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Punisher on January 27, 2011, 07:15:05 pm
I like Hybrids.  games that have set classes are lame.

The problem is currently the benefits of a hybrid build far outweight the cons. This won't remove hybrids, it would balance them, you will need more agility/weapon master skill to be a hybrid, like it should be.

Hybrids do sacrifice, the mechanics say you SHOULD win.  If you're not beating that hybrid in melee with your melee specialized character you are failing your build, not the other way around.

The problem are throwing hybrids, not melee. You can now have a 24/12 2H/thrower that is incredibly efficient in both. But this is part of the fact that throwing can we efficient with low or no WPF.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 07:19:31 pm
The problem is currently the benefits of a hybrid build far outweight the cons. This won't remove hybrids, it would balance them, you will need more agility/weapon master skill to be a hybrid, like it should be.

Like it already is you mean.   :rolleyes:
Any more requirement puts the agility/wm requirement into unreachable levels period (at least for throwers) and thus we will forgo any WPF in the 2nd skill (like pre-patch) and just kick it throwing things in the general direction of your mob of enemies and wait for a lucky hit with high PT skill.  Or use 1wpf in xbow instead of 100.  Or 1 wpf in 2h/pole on our archers rather than 50-100.

If anything what you guys suggest would simply force us back into streamlining like we did pre-patch and nothing would change.  As long as there's a way to build a ranged/melee hybrid it will be made by those of us that want to do it.  Currently we make sacrifices to do so, with the proposed changes I will still make ranged/melee hybrids but do it in such a way that I sacrifice nothing.

The problem are throwing hybrids, not melee. You can now have a 24/12 2H/thrower that is incredibly efficient in both. But this is part of the fact that throwing can we efficient with low or no WPF.

Right, like I said.  I'm willing to bet that 24/12 2h/thrower build doesn't have much wpf in throwing at all, if any.  I wouldn't put any wpf into throwing and would still lob shit in the air in your general direction as you advance.  Other than fucking up most people's builds and forcing a retire/re-roll to reallocate stats how does this suggestion solve the problem?  Just leave throwing at 1 wpf and put all wpf into 2her and still just throw a bunch of shit in the direction of enemies, see if you get a kill, pick up the misses.  Not much different than now.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Matey on January 27, 2011, 08:06:28 pm
heres a couple o suggestions i have.

i dont agree with 5 cost per wpf across the board as it would further handicap lower level chars.
instead, you could reduce the amount of points it costs at higher profs... but i dont think that is necessary either.

the real problem right now is that wpf doesnt mean enough for some weapon sets. possible solutions could be, wpf requirments for some weapons; eg. you could need 100 throwing wpf to use higher end throw weps. or you could need 100wpf in 2hander to use a flamberge... but this isnt my favourite solution either...

the solution i would like to see is to make wpf actually mean more... instead of power throw being the only thing necessary for a thrower... change power throw so that it is ups damage only, and accuracy not at all. make it so wpf was necessary for accuracy. i tried archer out this time around and i found that until i hit 130 wpf in archery... i was mostly useless... this is despite having 7 power draw and a khergit bow.

gorath is correct in saying that you dont NEED any wpf with a wep to use it somewhat effectively... but i dont care if people with 1wpf pick up a bec and swing it around... because somewhat effectively isnt enough to let them beat good players regularily. i tried using 2h and polearm weps with my archer build who is archery/1hander... i could beat down some players with them, but better players had an overwhelming speed advantage on me and just blocked my attack and then spammed me into the ground (and im not complaining that they spammed me... it was the right play on their part). if we are worried though, we could perhaps make wpf mean more... whether speed or damage.

as far as hybrids go though, it is only the thrower hybrids that really seem to be offending everyone.

archer hybrids might be annoying, but generally speaking a melee specialist will shit kick a archer/melee hybrid if he gets close enough.

crossbow hybrids are rare to begin with, and though they dont need much xbow wpf to use an xbow... the xbow is so slow and expensive that most people dont bother with them anymore.

throwers hybrids are the problem because they dont even NEED wpf in throwing. archers will wear lighter armour because their bow is their main wep and they need the mobility... throwers can tin can it up without worry, they dont care if people get close to them... because they are (arbitrary number alert!) 95% as melee specialized as any other melee char... the only thing they dont have that a melee specialsit does... is 4-8 skill points to spend on soething other than power throw.

messing around with wpf might help but overall the only thing that really has to be done... is to make throwing wpf actually mean something... and while fixing that... perhaps making xbow prof actually mean soething would be nice too. maybe then we would see throwers instead of melees who can throw... and crossbowers instead of melees who sometimes shoot people with an xbow.


p.s. gorath. your thing about a 2hander having 187 wpf is a lie.
my last build i put all my points into 1hander. with 8 weapon master i had 172 wpf at level 30.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Matey on January 27, 2011, 08:15:32 pm
why did you make the same thread in 2 sections?! I REFUSE TO SUPPORT YOUR MULTI-THREAD-EL TYRANNY! MY DIVINE WISDOM SHALL ONLY APPEAR IN THE OTHER THREAD FROM THIS POINT ON! GOOD DAY TO YOUR SIR!
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Ishar on January 27, 2011, 08:26:15 pm
Also,  hybrid classes have fewer counters, whereas specialized classes each have a counter archers->shielder, shielder->cavalry, cavalry->throwers, etc.  This makes the game far more balanced overall and forces more strategy and teamwork instead of having one-man wrecking crews throwing javelins and then meleeing with an elegant poleaxe with good wpf in each.

That's not balance. Balance is when you have equal chances. If you have an automatic win for one guy, that's rock-paper-scissors balance. Which is a fun game for 10 seconds, but I'd hardly play that for hours: Oh look, an archer! Easy picking, no challange. Damn, now it's a horsie, why bother, I'm dead anyway.
Hybrids have versatility, you have a fair chance against anyone, but won't crush anyone by default.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 08:34:53 pm
I do sacrifice something to be a hybrid.   :rolleyes: 
My 2her / thrower is @30
17/22

PS 5
PT 5
Ath 7
WM 7

2h 140
throwing 100

18/23
PS 6
Ath 7
WM 7

2h 187


Matey is right about the wpf calculation, with the character planner (which is up to date with the patch):
level 30 7 weaponmaster would give 140 2h, 110 throwing OR 164 2h.  A WHOPPING 24 more wpf in your main class vs. 110 wpf ina  secondary class.  The question isnt about making hybrids viable or that it will solve all the game imbalances and excessive ranged, but we need to rebalance between people that specialize and people that hybridize.  As it is now, overwhelming advantage to hybridizers (why almost everyone is hybrid now) with little disadvantage.  This is entirely due to chadz's rapidly escalating wpf cost after 100 wpf.  By switching it to a flat rate it balances between hyrbidizing and specializing because its an equal 1:1 tradeoff to put wpf into another class.  You can have 160 in one class OR 100 in one with 60 in another OR 80 in each, which is a far more balanced way to do it and fair.  People that hybridize might actually have to put a couple extra points into weaponmastery skill to master more than 1 weapon, which is not the case right now.
 
Why should people that hybridize their characters get a huge wpf discount?
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 08:37:50 pm
That's not balance. Balance is when you have equal chances. If you have an automatic win for one guy, that's rock-paper-scissors balance. Which is a fun game for 10 seconds, but I'd hardly play that for hours: Oh look, an archer! Easy picking, no challange. Damn, now it's a horsie, why bother, I'm dead anyway.
Hybrids have versatility, you have a fair chance against anyone, but won't crush anyone by default.

Thats where strategy and teamwork is involved, you dont get to have your cake and eat it too, but need to rely on allies and teamwork and not just charging like a one-man wrecking crew with a high strength build that still has good wpf in both a  melee and ranged weapon skill.  The balance is that you have to do equal tradeoffs instead of getting huge wpf discounts when hybridizing now comapred to specialists.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 08:38:23 pm
p.s. gorath. your thing about a 2hander having 187 wpf is a lie.
my last build i put all my points into 1hander. with 8 weapon master i had 172 wpf at level 30.

You're right I fucked up my math.  At 9 WM you will have 181 wpf, 8= 172, 7=163.

Either way the problem people have is with throwing.  You could try to make wpf mean more for throwers (I currently have 100 on my 2h/thrower and it sure feels like a waste) but that really doesn't fix the number of ranged weapons in the air at any point.  Even with 1 wpf 0 PT accuracy on every throwing weapon, if I can lob 12 javelins in your direction, random chance will take care of the rest.  Still a worthwhile investment.  Like xbows with 1 wpf.

Currently my xbow/1her hybrid (Vyrus) uses melee far more than the xbow because lets face it, xbows are crap.  They're only really good in siege where you get to pop off multiple shots if you're a defender.  Otherwise the really slow reload time, along with needing more than 1 shot unless it's a headshot just doesn't cut it as a primary weapon.  Xbows pretty much HAVE to hybrid with more of a focus in melee.  He's still fun sure, but overall the xbow is just meh.  Great reticule with 100 wpf (wpf does indeed affect xbows quite a bit as far as reticule accuracy) but the weapon itself is just lackluster.

People that hybridize might actually have to put a couple extra points into weaponmastery skill to master more than 1 weapon, which is not the case right now.

We already do.  There's no way I can put more than 7 points into WM to achieve 140/100 wpf in 1h/xbow without going down to like 12 or less strength.  With the system you propose I would just dump everything into 1her and leave xbow at 1 wpf and call it a day, I'd still put just as many projectiles in the air as before.

With my thrower I'd just dump everything into 2her and leave throwing at 1 and still spam just as many war darts at you as before.

Archers wouldn't change.

Really all this proposal would do is force a re-roll to adjust, the issue people have with the number of hybrids and ranged projectiles in the air wouldn't really change.

but need to rely on allies and teamwork
That's not balance, that's a cop out.  True balance in a PvP game is based around 1v1.  Anything else is admitting your failure and making excuses for it.  "Oh, well we know that (Insert class here) sucks hardcore, but he's good in a group!  Just don't ever be caught alone!  Yeah, that's a fun thing to play".
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 08:39:53 pm
why did you make the same thread in 2 sections?! I REFUSE TO SUPPORT YOUR MULTI-THREAD-EL TYRANNY! MY DIVINE WISDOM SHALL ONLY APPEAR IN THE OTHER THREAD FROM THIS POINT ON! GOOD DAY TO YOUR SIR!

Sorry, matey. lol.  Too many forums now, gets confusing on which one chadz might actually potentially read and make use of a suggestion.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: Keshian on January 27, 2011, 08:53:06 pm
Gorath, it would solve the favoritism toward hyrbids where they get a huge relative wpf discount on their secondary skill because chadz made wpf cost escalate so rapidly after 100 wpf.  Also, that would still reduce number of projectiles in the air somewhat as xbows slow to reload (wpf reduces reload speed), archer hyrbids would shoot slower (wpf affects draw speed), and throwers would be less accurate and their ability to thow accurately while running also require wpf commitment (and hopefully fewer of them once chadz nerfs the damage soon after his exams).  But the main purpose is to rebalance between specializing skills and hybridizing skills.  Not everyone wants to be a hybrid, but post-patch it just make overwhelming sense to do it because of the huge relative wpf discoutn on a secondary skill.

Another idea is to make it 3 wpf from 1-100 wpf and 7 wpf from 101-200 wpf.  With the current exponential system a great number of imbalances were created, maybe going back to the steady increasing wpf cost pre-patch could work, but a flat system is blatantly fair -> nobody gets favored as every wpf you commit costs the same whatever class you put it in.
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: balbaroth on January 27, 2011, 09:03:27 pm
i already said my comment about the way wpf's get scaled , and i think they went overboard with it , to counter the specialized builds
, i was talking to allers and he has a 30 str 3 agi build and he still has 122 in 2h , as you can see who need 50 more in a specific weapon , its barely faster , but with lots of str you 1 shot people , the balance is whack ,
Title: Re: chadz please rebalance wpf costs to reduce hybrids
Post by: EponiCo on January 27, 2011, 09:25:44 pm
Honestly, "pure" builds are a joke anyway. Archer with a few points in melee who fights at a disadvantage (which is very much still there) is way better than archer who can only ever hide on inaccessible roofs. Advantage of making a melee hybrid - well, if I meet a specialised backpeddle polearm spammer who is all reliant on me having a onehander I have polearm skill as well, and that's about it. I could just make a pure polearmer or 1h the versatility in each category is good enough, and I'd be more effective in 90% of all situations. As it is now, you build a character that focuses one on thing and is ok at another, pure specialist will still have an advantage in their field, but not a big one.
Only throwing is problematic, that's just because throwing is too strong (only class that wasn't nerfed in patch, and was already strong before) - and you can just throw them into the crowd randomly without wpf. In EU balance seems to be now ~ 25% archers/xbowers, rest melee ... and loads of thrower hybrids.

And balbaroth, agi build has higher speed especially in movement from agility. Can engage and disengage at will, can use footwork to spam, can dodge arrows, with these stats you don't really need extra wpf to fight efficiently, sometimes I take just shirt and katana at 1 wpf and still kill people with it.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 10:25:51 pm
Well I had a long answer typed up but the thread was moved so I lost it.  The TLDR version:

Throwing is the issue everyone is having.  Fix the problem, don't create a new problem while doing nothing to solve the previous problem.
Building an artificial system where pure builds are given advantages to the point where they trump anything in their chosen field would mean needing to rebalance the entire game as otherwise it's simply imbalanced in the favor of 2h/pole characters while everyone else eats shit.  A pure xbower/thrower is shit, and a game where there's only "pures" leaves 1hers at the bottom of the melee food chain as well (since every 2her/pole can use a shield to advance as well).  Archers would be meh, but still better than every other ranged option by so much it's silly.

*Incoming RL comparison, feel free to ignore*
Pure builds are illogical anyways:  Soldiers don't train to shoot and neglect everything else.  They train in hand to hand/melee combat as well.  It's always been this way. /RL comparison

You (collective, not any single person) say that there's more/too much ranged shit flying through the air.  I say that I notice no difference in the amount, only the type.  Pre-patch is was a million arrows of death + a thousand xbow bolts of death and a few throwing things here and there.  When the patch hit and the sniper xbow (which almost EVERY so called "pure build" carried) was nerfed, most went throwing.  When archery was changed/nerfed alot of them went throwing rather than adapt.  It's simply the type of ranged spam that changed, not the amount.

In native as a 2her even I always grabbed 3 stacks of throwing weapons to spam the air, and people complained there too.  That was with set skills/stats.  I could melee as well as the 2her that chose not to and it was balanced.  It was also easier pre-patch to hybrid compared to now (Gorath was 100+ in 4 different weapons, and my current 2h/thrower was 150-130 rather than 140-100 like currently).

So nerf throwing, or rebalance the entire game.  Don't say rock/paper/scissors bullshit balance either, that's what made WoW and most MMO PVP craptastic.  This is a FPS combat system at heart, and FPS's require 1v1 balance to be taken seriously.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Ganon on January 27, 2011, 11:29:55 pm
Gorath we don't need a pure class system to make it more balanced, we just need to limit the efficiency of hybrids which is imba currently. So i agree with the OP, that's a good idea to start with. I would also suggest to up the requirement of most weapons, which still doesn't make it class based but will force some high agi hybrid to go with balanced stats, same for high str hybrids. Just some small changes to improve game balance, not a complete overhaul. I'm sorry if it nerfs the character you're currently playing, but as you said multiple times, success in this game should be based on player skill not on the power of your build.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 27, 2011, 11:38:56 pm
I'm sorry if it nerfs the character you're currently playing, but as you said multiple times, success in this game should be based on player skill not on the power of your build.

It's not that, I have multiple characters and have no problem rerolling to re-allocate stats/skills.  I'll find another build I can do to achieve the same effective hybrid level in some way (there's always some mechanic exploit if need be I'm sure).  But what you just said about "which still doesn't make it class based but will force some high agi hybrid to go with balanced stats, same for high str hybrids." doesn't make sense to me... So it's not about throwing it's about people not playing balanced stat builds?  What?

I mean, whatever I'll adapt as always, but now it sounds like a bunch of homogenization which takes away from the main point of cRPG - character customization.  If the mechanics are made so that only balanced builds are really feasible, with only pure builds then that gets aweful close to just using native pre-built characters with gear customization.  If that's what we're going for then ok, but I'm surprised that's what you want.

*And to be honest, what you're suggesting doesn't make me change my builds much at all as I'm almost always balanced builds anyways 15/21 or 18/18.  If I can't do 140 in my melee and 100 in throwing under this wpf system with my balanced build, I'll just go with 1 wpf and spam them at people anyways, not much changes there either as I only use them as harrassment/forcing archers to move instead of stand still and shoot.*

While you say it wouldn't require a complete overhaul I can almost guarantee you that an artificial limiting system which gives pure builds overwhelming advantages vs hybrids would require a complete overhaul to retain any semblance of internal balance.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: tankmen on January 28, 2011, 12:04:25 am
Im a balanced hybrid of shield sword and throwing build. And I deffinitely don't need to be nerfed I do relatively well as it is.  And im not a overpowered guy. Im not a super hero but ill lead the round ocasionally the things that need to be nerfed are all strength hammer spanning builds. Leave us balanced hybrids alone and go pick on people who use great mauls.

Join Lost Legion today.
Send me a message or add me on steam at Kolyskoa
i lol'd, great maul is slow as hell... nerf bar mace that craps fast and can crush through block in the hands of a thrower(also so known as pure str in most cases)
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 28, 2011, 12:17:02 am
but as you said multiple times, success in this game should be based on player skill not on the power of your build.

I believe that whole-heartedly.  What I wonder though is do you?  This entire thread is about "My build isn't giving me an auto-win vs this other build, buff me, nerf him".  If you're a pure 2her, I'm a 2h/throwing hybrid with 5-6 skill points spent in throwing and 100 wpf in throwing, then in melee you have a clear mathematical and mechanical advantage over me.  This is undeniable.  So if I win, it's cause my build carried me?  But if you win, you're skilled?  Wouldn't your build have carried you if you win because it's got the numerical advantage over me in melee going by stats/skills?  And if I won, I'm clearly more skilled?  How does it work exactly?

Or is it the fact that we engage in melee, and I maneuver out of range and swap weapons to lawn dart you in the face?  That's my build carrying me?  What if it was a sniper x-bow and a lucky shotgunned headshot in that situation, where I didn't have any wpf or skill points into it?  Is it still the build then?  Wouldn't that be tactical intelligence, another often overlooked skill?

I mean, this sounds just a tad hypocritical here considering the thread is based around "Nerf their build, mine isn't carrying me".
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: UrLukur on January 28, 2011, 12:18:49 am
Hybrids are fine, if you don't feel those 20+ wpf points, and higher armor or better weapons (you don't have to pay upkeep for secondary weapon, ranged weapons are costly) then i can't help you. Going pure build give some edge in that field, don't tell me it's meaningless, it counts.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on January 28, 2011, 12:23:00 am
I'm inclined to agree with Gorath.

If a hybrid of X+Y (let's not name concrete classes) is "too powerful" (or, for that matter, too popular) , then maybe we should consider X & Y individually, and how they play together (regarding upkeep/etc) rather then the issue of hybrids in general (which is definitely not a problem).

In fact, I would rather say that some degree of hybridization is good overall (for instance, archers having powerstrike and a melee weapon, so they don't have to run away from everyone).

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: DrKronic on January 28, 2011, 12:29:00 am
I thinks its balanced, I don't go hybrid and if I'm wearing wortwhile gear and trying to fight instead of being attacked by my baby(both big maybes with me lol) I do well against hybrids, and I've made throwing/polearm hybrid pre-bigpatch and I was good with that, but not so much more than I can be with anything really given luck, effort and gear

and I guess what I mean even though I may be only slightly faster than a hybrid, I think that  definitely does count for something, if you made what specialists stronger, it wouldn't be good for the masses imo
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Havoco on January 28, 2011, 03:22:01 am
I agree with both to gorath and kesh to a point. It doesn't take any wpf to use any weapon In the game. But to use them effectively you DO need wpf. Wpf for the reload speed on xbows, wpf for the reload speed and accuracy on bows, wpf for speed on melée. what is it used for on throwing? Speed? Yes because you know throwers want to release their 8 javs or axes as quickly as possible. Maybe damage? Why? An extra 1% or 2% damage per 10 wpf? I'd use that for speed and the little dmg increase in my melée. Plus throwers can use shields. The only ranged class that can use an anti ranged item while being ranges themselves. The only disadvantage they have-ammo. And, with so many throwers running around, all they have to do is pick the weapon off the ground. You could argue that another disadvantage is shoot speed. But, In most scenarios the throwers are close, which almost negates shoot speed. All they need is 1 nerf ( IMO  the Only 2 possible nerfs should be the inability to pick up shot/thrown projectiles or a small dmg nerf)
in the end this IS chadzRPG, and he will do with it as he wishes. 

Edit: btw this isn't a rage post. The only factor that needs to be considered is that there are MORE of them.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on January 28, 2011, 10:10:19 am
Quote
We already do.  There's no way I can put more than 7 points into WM to achieve 140/100 wpf in 1h/xbow without going down to like 12 or less strength.  With the system you propose I would just dump everything into 1her and leave xbow at 1 wpf and call it a day, I'd still put just as many projectiles in the air as before.

Really?

ok. with a little help of your friends...

Level 31 (8 892 403 xp)
Strength: 15
Agility: 24
Hit points: 50
Converted: 6
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 5
Athletics: 8
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 8
One Handed: 145
Two Handed: 1
Polearm: 1
Archery: 1
Crossbow: 120
Throwing: 1


Or even better, if you choose 2H\xbow

Level 31 (8 892 403 xp)
Strength: 15
Agility: 27
Hit points: 50
Converted: 12
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 0
Athletics: 6
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 9
One Handed: 1
Two Handed: 157
Polearm: 1
Archery: 120
Crossbow: 1
Throwing: 1


Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 28, 2011, 06:30:12 pm
Really?

ok. with a little help of your friends...

Shield: 5

Or even better, if you choose 2H\xbow

Athletics: 6

Is this using the proposed wpf system or the current system?

Not maxing out primary skills of the build seems rather icky to me, especially shields since everything but the huscarl needs as many shield points as possible in order to not break in 1 hit (which is a huge tradeoff in ability to melee in order to use the craptastic xbow).  The 2h build seems good except not maxing out athletics, but overall much more doable however 2h+xbow is pretty retarded vs throwing imo.

Still you're correct, going full agi heavy and converting a bunch of primary skills into stats will let you achieve a higher wm.  Good show.
I'd like to see how you would do this with a throwing build.  For the one hander build the only thing I can see would be to steal those 5 points from athletics, which for a 1her is tantamount to suicide.

The 2her is more possible by dropping down to 24 agi and stealing a point from athletics to hit 5 PT.  Still, these are pretty inefficient builds and it would make much more sense to simply leave 1 wpf in xbow-throwing and save yourself the need of having a higher WM.  The trade-off for getting that 100 wpf in xbow/throwing simply isn't worth it for what you sacrifice in those builds you posted.  Just my opinion though.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Rumblood on January 28, 2011, 07:26:32 pm
Kesh, the problem is that we HAD a game where PURE devoted types could be devastating in their arena. But YOU had to go and ruin it by being SO effective as a PURE Archer, that archers in general got nerfed so hard that a PURE Archer build is no longer a viable option. You used to be able to kite and not HAVE to have a melee weapon. Run, spin jump, shoot, run, spin jump, shoot. Can't do that anymore because of the longer delays and reticule going Full Screen Mode if you move.

Congrats Kesh, you made this a game of hybrids.


What should happen is this: Increase overall WPF points it takes to go up 1 skill point, and Increase the amount of WPF gained from Weapon Mastery.


What is NOT being discussed here is that Balanced Hybrids ARE making a sacrifice. We can't 1 hit anyone. Why? We can only put a minimum into strength. A Pure build can have both the Str (DAMAGE) and the WPF speed/accuracy. Hybrids can't. So yes, hybrids have a ranged weapon to plink you with. You have superior strength and health! All it means is that by time you reach that hybrid, they might have taken enough health off you to make it a fair fight, because if not, it goes like this:
Hybrid hits you, You hit Hybrid, Hybrid dies  :|
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Rumblood on January 28, 2011, 07:31:35 pm
Really?

ok. with a little help of your friends...


Modified to display my actual build, running with it now:

Level 31 (8 961 000 xp)
Strength: 15
Agility: 24
Hit points: 50
Converted: 6
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 0
Athletics: 8
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 5
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 8
One Handed: 1
Two Handed: 1
Polearm: 126
Archery: 140
Crossbow: 1
Throwing: 1

P.S. - At Range, Dedicated Archers own me. I have to move up to mid-range to duel against them. Dedicated 2H'ers own me if I don't put some arrows into them first. It works out.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on January 28, 2011, 08:52:14 pm
Quote
Is this using the proposed wpf system or the current system?

Invaluable tool. Thank to Vargas.
http://infinitum.dyndns.org/crpg/calc.htm


Quote
however 2h+xbow is pretty retarded vs throwing imo

I've seen good 2H+xbow players on eu. Upkeep balancing on the edge, but with effective 6-1 K/D they do money for team.




Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Noble Crassius on January 28, 2011, 09:23:22 pm

Not maxing out primary skills of the build seems rather icky to me, especially shields since everything but the huscarl needs as many shield points as possible in order to not break in 1 hit (which is a huge tradeoff in ability to melee in order to use the craptastic xbow).  The 2h build seems good except not maxing out athletics, but overall much more doable however 2h+xbow is pretty retarded vs throwing imo.


I respectfully disagree. I use a heavy round shield with only 3 shield skill...it rarely breaks and when it does its cuz some one  hit it with an axe 3-4 times..they usually don't get that many strikes =D.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 28, 2011, 10:04:57 pm
I dont know if I mentioned it or not, but I just did a 27 str, 9 agi hybrid and got a 100 in throwing and 100 in polearm.  Yes there is a tradeoff of strength to get the extra 30 more in each skill or just go pure 1 skill and get 150 in one skill.  But the difference betweena  player with 130 vs. 150 in a skill is negligible, but the difference betweena  person with 1 vs. 130 is huge.  For fairness sake, wpf should be standardized at a fixed rate so that massive benefits dont accrue only to those doing hybrids.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: ShinySpoons on January 29, 2011, 08:29:50 am
I have a two characters as a 3 weapon hybrid. There's at least 100 wpf in each category. It really is a bit silly when I can use nearly every weapon the the field to a competent degree.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Balton on January 29, 2011, 08:39:12 am
I believe the idea with the whole 2.00 patch was to establish hybrids. Prior to hybrids one person on a battlefield generally didn't have much influence over the battle, post-hybrid each player has a chance to have a really dramatic effect. It's exactly the way it was intended to be, as victory has become very important post 2.0.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Leshma on January 29, 2011, 12:57:40 pm
Hybrids are fun, so called pure classes are boring to play. People who went "pure" before the patch and now (using clearly broken str barmace and 10-12 PT thrower builds) are minmaxers or powergamers. Whole point of .200 patch was to reduce those and force them to play for fun like everyone else does. If you want to PWN based only on your build please find another game/mod to play.

On minmaxing:
Quote
   
A role-playing game player who forgoes making a well-rounded character to make an uber-powerful combat monster. Frequently a player with low self-esteem who is intent on making their character 'better' than the others.

Just don't forget that before the big patch, person who started this thread played the god given archer class (there was never anything more broken than archery before 0.2 patch) and after patch farmed XP and gold for hours on EU servers :wink:
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on January 29, 2011, 03:34:01 pm
Level 31 (8 892 403 xp)
Strength: 15
Agility: 27
Hit points: 50
Converted: 12
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 0
Athletics: 0
Riding: 6
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 9
One Handed: 1
Two Handed: 120
Polearm: 120
Archery: 1
Crossbow: 120
Throwing: 1

equip
palfrey 10201
or courser - 9900
Light Crossbow - 5112
Bolts - 161
Light Lance - 1910
Studded Warclub - 2854
or Shortened Military Scythe - 1563
Scale Armor - 4527
_____________________
23374

Three way hybrid for open map dominance. upkeepable with X1 modifier.
Damn fast coucher. Can use any horse on battlefield. Still fast enough on foot (27 agi boost). Killer of enemy horses (crossbow reloadable on horse\light lance) Crowd shooter (crossbow). Crushtrough\knockdown twohander usable on horse. Crushtrough\knockdown 96 speed twohander with real 110 speed (27 agi boost - not bad for spamming only or for dedicated killing) on foot.

paper\stone\scissor system damager.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: EponiCo on January 29, 2011, 07:59:30 pm
Hmm, you pretty much describe my last build prepatch, except that I was lower in level.

Let's go through this:
Studded Warclub is no spam weapon, especially with split wpf. Compare to 102 speed katana with 182 wpf. The katana will do more damage to medium armor. A little longer, usuable with shield on horseback, and affordable by just dropping your crossbow. Oh, when you meet someone in full plate the warclub won't bounce where the katana does, but that's a rare occurance nowadays.
Studded Warclub is no crushthrough weapon. Never had any crushthrough with it neither on horse nor on foot. Why not go with the barmace and 182 wpf (regarding damage that's about 1.5 ps, and should neatly cover the speed difference) instead? Dropping the light lance should cover the difference. I don't know though, on foot this might not be enough to crushthrough often.
 
Still maybe focussing on pole is better, since short weapon bumpslash without shield from a weak horse...
Let's see, couched lance without wpf ... oneshot kill. Or why not take heavy lance for way better chances in a joust, 182 pole wpf, and a hafted blade for foot combat and bumpslashing? Heck, leave the crossbow away and you can even squeeze in a shield when there's archers around.

Lastly, I think a horse crossbowman wastes wpf when he doesn't take horse archery. I could be wrong on that, though.
    * Strength: 15
    * Agility: 24
    * Hit points: 50

    * Converted: 8
    * Power Strike: 5
    * Riding: 6
    * Horse Archery: 4
    * Weapon Master: 8

    * Polearm: 120
    * Crossbow: 145

So all in all, imo that's several options to get a way more effective build, by not hybridizing all over the place. Heirlooming also favors taking a pure build with a good weapon, instead of having to split modifiers over weaker weapons in several fields. Sure, a well made hybrid gets a lot from his versatility, but given the constraints of skill points, wpf and upkeep, he always pays a price.
If there is too much incentive to pick up a weapon as secondary, then maybe there is something wrong with the weapon?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 29, 2011, 08:02:53 pm
It really is a bit silly when I can use nearly every weapon the the field to a competent degree.

lol, I dunno I like that.  Hell I did run that 4 weapon hybrid pre-patch.  It's part of why I have so many alts now.  I hate being pigeon holed.  Sometimes I wanna swing my man cleaver and 2h it up ez style.  Other times I want to polearm, 1her, throw, shoot, ride, hoplite, etc.  I guess it really depends on if you like hybrids or not in the end.  To me "pures" seem silly and illogical, not how a serious soldier would ever be trained.  Versatility is key;  Learn to shoot, and utilize hand to hand.  Learn a standing AND ground game (MMA). 
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Rumblood on January 29, 2011, 09:01:41 pm
The reason there are hybrids is cavalry (and HA). You don't otherwise need a ranged item, as archers can no longer kite. But with horses everywhere that won't get within pikes range, you have to have something to throw at them, plain and simple.  :idea:
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 30, 2011, 12:02:27 am
Hybrids are fun, so called pure classes are boring to play. Whole point of .200 patch was to reduce those and force them to play for fun like everyone else does.

On minmaxing:
Just don't forget that before the big patch, person who started this thread played the god given archer class (there was never anything more broken than archery before 0.2 patch) and after patch farmed XP and gold for hours on EU servers :wink:

Wow, that is short-sighted.  Only people that like playing hybrids like to play for fun.  Come on.  Many of us enjoy specializing, but post-patch get a sever penalty (or hyrbids get huge bonus depending on perspective) to wpf.  Just trying to make it fair to all people who play for fun.  Reallya rrogant to say that people who dont like playing hybrids dont play for fun.

Where are you coming up with this, I have not been farming.  I have played EU servers to keep my strategus skills intact as most battles are still EU, which requires totally different sense of timing with high ping.  Stop making random accusations like that.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on January 30, 2011, 12:04:01 am
Ehem.

Boosting pure builds leads to returning many of the imbalances of the pre-patch CRPG.

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 30, 2011, 12:08:33 am
Ehem.

Boosting pure builds leads to returning many of the imbalances of the pre-patch CRPG.

Its not boosting pure builds as they still would end up amxing out at 140-150 wpf like now.  But it would be rebalancing hyrbids so that real tradeoffs would have to be made to be a hybrid rather than just an easy no-brainer choice as you get 120 wpf in separate class for the price of 20 wpf in your main class.  Not  apure class bonus, but a removal of a game imbalance favoring melee/ranged hybrids.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Rumblood on January 30, 2011, 12:29:32 am
Its not boosting pure builds as they still would end up amxing out at 140-150 wpf like now.  But it would be rebalancing hyrbids so that real tradeoffs would have to be made to be a hybrid rather than just an easy no-brainer choice as you get 120 wpf in separate class for the price of 20 wpf in your main class.  Not  apure class bonus, but a removal of a game imbalance favoring melee/ranged hybrids.

Now, now. You can only say it favors hybrids when you cheat. When a pure 2H comes up against a hybrid 2H'er, the balance is completely in favor of the Pure build. The hybrid is gimp in comparison for a number of reasons, and for more than just a speed difference. You just don't feel like the difference is great enough compensation for that weapon with a different range of weapon than your primary. How about this fix?

IF count(collection) (select where WPF > 1) = 1, then effective WPF = WPF + 25 where WPF > 1
ELSE nothing happens.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: owens on January 30, 2011, 01:53:31 am
I retired a character before the new patch it was a 2H character, i found it frustrating as a new player to be quickly beaten down, cut down or shot. This was a specialized character since the mod i now use a polearm character with around 130 wpf is polearm 56 in 2H and 17 in throwing which is more than enough (no accuracy anyway :mrgreen:). Polearms are intimidating and come with all sorts of damage and throwing is easy and effective until throwing is nerfed a "specialized" character isnt really neccesary.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Thomek on January 31, 2011, 05:24:52 am
I think the discussion is a bit too polarized.

Should not be flat rate vs aggressive escalation like we have now.

* Flat rate is bad, because levels have too hard impact, and it would leave hybrids useless
* Too aggressive wpf "cap" leads to hybrids that become way more economical wpf-wise than pure chars

Solution:

* Soften the wpf penalty a little. It's too aggressive atm. (Don't make it near-flat however! Just the right amount. Perhaps nerf the amount of wpf gained accordingly so we don't have physics-bending 200 wpf 2 handers. Currently my AGI 27 char can get exactly 180wpf in 1 weapontype. I think that's enough, since I've played with a 210 wpf char.. it's just unfair and insane, approaching the limit of netcode. )

* Remove accuracy gain from Powerthrow. Something is wrong with the fact that in order to gain accuracy i.ex with throwing knives, you need 6-7 pthrow, not invest 120 or even 160 wpf in it.

Powerthrow adds:
1. Unlocks new and more powerful weapons
2. Adds weapon speed
3. Adds accuracy for all throwing weapons (under the required pthrow)
4. Adds damage

It's way way too powerful. Imagine powerstrike adding speed + damage + handling..

* Make throwing wpf more effective. (It doesn't add much accuracy atm.. Pthrow adds loads and loads more. Throwing wpf is a near-waste of wpf.)

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Mouse on January 31, 2011, 07:00:01 am
People are complaining because their 20-30 extra WPF for specializing in one weapon is not an "I Win" button. Sorry, but Warband is based on skill, not character stats. 50 WPF and an awlpike used with skill can obliterate anything in melee. Having higher stats doesn't give you a right to win against a better player and that's how it should be  It gives you a minor edge in damage and speed. That's all. If you think that you deserve to win even though you suck, go play EVE or WoW or Aion or something and grind until you've got three Titans and all the purples.

The legitimate complaints here are not related to melee combat. If you're losing in melee it is because you are bad at melee and you should feel bad and you need to go practice more melee combat in melee duels on the duel server. MELEE MELEE MELEE until you STOP SUCKING at MELEE. My archer gets tons of melee kills with exactly the setup I described above not because I'm great at the game or because the game is imbalanced, but because most people still fail to understand the basic mechanics of the game that got drilled into my head the hard way back in Native, back before you could blame your personal failings on some stats imbalance or on Goretooth's obnoxious black armor.

There are issues with ranged combat, but please don't punish hybrid builds or this mod will go back down the tubes. You only lose if you fail to block.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Ganon on January 31, 2011, 07:54:05 am
People are complaining because their 20-30 extra WPF for specializing in one weapon is not an "I Win" button. Sorry, but Warband is based on skill, not character stats. 50 WPF and an awlpike used with skill can obliterate anything in melee. Having higher stats doesn't give you a right to win against a better player and that's how it should be  It gives you a minor edge in damage and speed. That's all. If you think that you deserve to win even though you suck, go play EVE or WoW or Aion or something and grind until you've got three Titans and all the purples.

The legitimate complaints here are not related to melee combat. If you're losing in melee it is because you are bad at melee and you should feel bad and you need to go practice more melee combat in melee duels on the duel server. MELEE MELEE MELEE until you STOP SUCKING at MELEE. My archer gets tons of melee kills with exactly the setup I described above not because I'm great at the game or because the game is imbalanced, but because most people still fail to understand the basic mechanics of the game that got drilled into my head the hard way back in Native, back before you could blame your personal failings on some stats imbalance or on Goretooth's obnoxious black armor.

There are issues with ranged combat, but please don't punish hybrid builds or this mod will go back down the tubes. You only lose if you fail to block.

Player skill has nothing to do with game balance. Always assume the hybrid and the specialized character you compare are of equal player skill, or you're not talking about balance at all but about the possibility that a hybrid can kill a specialized melee character in melee, if the player is better. Of course that's possible, that's not the topic being discussed.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Mouse on January 31, 2011, 09:02:48 am
Player skill has nothing to do with game balance. Always assume the hybrid and the specialized character you compare are of equal player skill, or you're not talking about balance at all but about the possibility that a hybrid can kill a specialized melee character in melee, if the player is better. Of course that's possible, that's not the topic being discussed.

And don't assume I haven't thought things through. Warband works in such a way that a specialized character (200 wpf) and a peasant character (1 wpf) which exhibit perfect play in melee combat will be locked in an eternal struggle. Only imperfect play will ever allow for an outcome to be reached.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Brutal on January 31, 2011, 09:46:39 am
Quote
It seems ever since the patch hit with its rapidly increasing cost of wpf after 100 wpf, there has been a massive influx of hybrid builds, which means in most cases ranged/melee hybrid.  Specialists in one field receive very little increased benefit (20-30 in main class more wpf = 100 in hybrid class) and so even more then pre-patch almost every person playing has some ranged weaponry (mostly throwing nowadays until its nerfed).

Perfect lets keep it that way.

Quote
But the main purpose is to rebalance between specializing skills and hybridizing skills

Why should everybody specialize in only one class to be competitive, why ???

You still get an advantage from being specialized you're just not goldlike anymore compared to hybrid.
A lot of people still specialized but there is now more hybrid than pre-patch.
Sound a lot more balanced than pre-patch were almost every melee was specialized and had a xbow with 0 wpf.

Also I think it greatly contributed at reducing cav efficiency as you can't ride in the middle of enemy crowd anymore without being shot down.

OP seem to dislike hybrid thrower for some reason but those guys are not the one with 10-12 PT, they 're not Overpowered.(even if im not so sure str thrower are overpowered)
Of course hybrid thrower are not defenseless against archer and HA like pure melee, wait do i see some sort of a pattern here...
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on January 31, 2011, 09:58:35 am
I think they should just put WPF costs back to what they were before the patch. The main problem prior to the patch wasn't with people who got high WM and invested a lot of points in WPF. The problem before was generation 15 people at level 42, with 6+ powerstrike and 250 wpf from retirement wpf bonus.

Since they took the retirement wpf exploit away, and created a softcap/hardcap for levels, I think making wpf more expensive was unnecessary overkill, and only serves to make specializing much less attractive. When the difference is only 20-30 additional wpf for being a specialist, it doesn't make sense to NOT be a hybrid.

I apologize if I repeated anything in this thread already. I could only be bothered to read the first page of replies.

ADHD Version: I think simply reverting wpf costs back to pre-patch levels would assist in cutting down on the hybrid builds, and make specialists worth considering again.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 31, 2011, 10:03:32 am
People are complaining because their 20-30 extra WPF for specializing in one weapon is not an "I Win" button. Sorry, but Warband is based on skill, not character stats. 50 WPF and an awlpike used with skill can obliterate anything in melee. Having higher stats doesn't give you a right to win against a better player and that's how it should be  It gives you a minor edge in damage and speed. That's all. If you think that you deserve to win even though you suck, go play EVE or WoW or Aion or something and grind until you've got three Titans and all the purples.

The legitimate complaints here are not related to melee combat. If you're losing in melee it is because you are bad at melee and you should feel bad and you need to go practice more melee combat in melee duels on the duel server. MELEE MELEE MELEE until you STOP SUCKING at MELEE. My archer gets tons of melee kills with exactly the setup I described above not because I'm great at the game or because the game is imbalanced, but because most people still fail to understand the basic mechanics of the game that got drilled into my head the hard way back in Native, back before you could blame your personal failings on some stats imbalance or on Goretooth's obnoxious black armor.

There are issues with ranged combat, but please don't punish hybrid builds or this mod will go back down the tubes. You only lose if you fail to block.

I take it your hybrid ;).  Its not punishing hybrids, but recognizing they got the biggest bonus of any class with the patch and it was a bit excessive.  Balancing the game more will not make it go down the tubes but require more skill.  As of now those hybrids get the benfit of first hitting you with a throwing axe (bolt, arrow, etc.) and then having nearly the same wpf for damage and speed when they move in to duel.  There is no tradeoff for hybridizing and so you win not because you are more skilled but because you have better stats, which is exactly what you are complaining about.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 31, 2011, 10:05:58 am
I think they should just put WPF costs back to what they were before the patch. The main problem prior to the patch wasn't with people who got high WM and invested a lot of points in WPF. The problem before was generation 15 people at level 42, with 6+ powerstrike and 250 wpf from retirement wpf bonus.

Since they took the retirement wpf exploit away, and created a softcap/hardcap for levels, I think making wpf more expensive was unnecessary overkill, and only serves to make specializing much less attractive. When the difference is only 20-30 additional wpf for being a specialist, it doesn't make sense to NOT be a hybrid.

I apologize if I repeated anything in this thread already. I could only be bothered to read the first page of replies.

ADHD Version: I think simply reverting wpf costs back to pre-patch levels would assist in cutting down on the hybrid builds, and make specialists worth considering again.

+1 :).  Level cap and retirement wpf removal solved all the problems with excessive wpf.  Wpf soft cap has created more problems then its solved.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Punisher on January 31, 2011, 05:21:05 pm
I think they should just put WPF costs back to what they were before the patch. The main problem prior to the patch wasn't with people who got high WM and invested a lot of points in WPF. The problem before was generation 15 people at level 42, with 6+ powerstrike and 250 wpf from retirement wpf bonus.

Since they took the retirement wpf exploit away, and created a softcap/hardcap for levels, I think making wpf more expensive was unnecessary overkill, and only serves to make specializing much less attractive. When the difference is only 20-30 additional wpf for being a specialist, it doesn't make sense to NOT be a hybrid.

I apologize if I repeated anything in this thread already. I could only be bothered to read the first page of replies.

ADHD Version: I think simply reverting wpf costs back to pre-patch levels would assist in cutting down on the hybrid builds, and make specialists worth considering again.

I agree, with lvl 31 cap and no more retirement WPF people who want high WPF will have to trade it for low strenght, and we will have competitive specialists builds (today there is no point to go above 150 WPF) and not everyone will be a str/throwing build.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Camaris on January 31, 2011, 06:04:14 pm
The easiest solution would be:

Add to every ranged weapon added as secondary weapon:  -1 powerstrike
Add to every 2h/polearm added as secondary weapon: -1 athletics
Add to every shield not used with 1h as primary: -1 athletics

You got 4 slots to equip:
1 Primary slots
2-4 Slot: Secondary slots

=> If you only cary few things you stay as you are, if you carry a lot (and different things) you will get penaltys.
You only get nerfed if you equip it.

Perhaps its hard to understand but i tried my best to explain my idea ;)
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on January 31, 2011, 07:15:43 pm
The easiest solution would be:

Add to every ranged weapon added as secondary weapon:  -1 powerstrike
Add to every 2h/polearm added as secondary weapon: -1 athletics
Add to every shield not used with 1h as primary: -1 athletics

You got 4 slots to equip:
1 Primary slots
2-4 Slot: Secondary slots

=> If you only cary few things you stay as you are, if you carry a lot (and different things) you will get penaltys.
You only get nerfed if you equip it.

Perhaps its hard to understand but i tried my best to explain my idea ;)

I don't support this. I don't support penalizing hybrids. Going hybrid should be a valid option with no penalties, only tradeoffs. Currently, there is no tradeoff at all. 20 wpf is laughable, and not even noticeable in combat.

Again, I think many of our current issues will be solved simply by making specialists worth considering again, by reverting wpf costs back to what they used to be.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on January 31, 2011, 07:54:26 pm
I don't support this. I don't support penalizing hybrids. Going hybrid should be a valid option with no penalties, only tradeoffs. Currently, there is no tradeoff at all. 20 wpf is laughable, and not even noticeable in combat.

Having X points less and Y cheaper gear is noticeable in combat. Perhaps if some things are too popular to hybridize into, it might be because they're too good in themselves, or too cheap.

For instance, did you notice how the popularity of crossbow hybrids went down then crossbow prices rose to more or less ensure that anyone with a sniper won't be rolling around with a top notch melee weapon and good armour, too?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: EponiCo on January 31, 2011, 08:35:15 pm
I think they should just put WPF costs back to what they were before the patch. The main problem prior to the patch wasn't with people who got high WM and invested a lot of points in WPF. The problem before was generation 15 people at level 42, with 6+ powerstrike and 250 wpf from retirement wpf bonus.

Since they took the retirement wpf exploit away, and created a softcap/hardcap for levels, I think making wpf more expensive was unnecessary overkill, and only serves to make specializing much less attractive. When the difference is only 20-30 additional wpf for being a specialist, it doesn't make sense to NOT be a hybrid.

I apologize if I repeated anything in this thread already. I could only be bothered to read the first page of replies.

ADHD Version: I think simply reverting wpf costs back to pre-patch levels would assist in cutting down on the hybrid builds, and make specialists worth considering again.

Once again, 20-30 additional wpf isn't the only difference. If you see no reason to NOT pick up bow wpf, go ahead. Try to shoot without power draw.
Btw. WPF splitting was perfectly possible in the old system, too. If you don't believe my values go search for Poul2's character builder on the taleworlds forum for the old system, Vargas' char builder for the new system can be found at http://infinitum.dyndns.org/crpg/calc.htm.

Pure 2h old system:
(click to show/hide)

2h/Crossbow hybrid old system
(click to show/hide)

Pure 2h new system:
(click to show/hide)

2h/crossbow hybrid new system:
(click to show/hide)

Comparison:
In the old system the hybrid looses 35 wpf from his main and is at 82%, from his secondary he looses 80 wpf and is at 60% of max wpf.
In the new system he looses 28wpf from his main and is at 83%, from his secondary he looses 53 wpf and is at 69% of max wpf.
So, ok, that's the difference of 7, respectively 27 wpf, which according to your own statement is laughable.

But like bruce says, in the new system you also have to look at the price tag. In the old system the hybrid would just stack 2 snipers, steel bolts, tears and plate. (Eh, most people took sniper with them at 1 wpf...  :lol: )
In the new system the hybrid would just take one sniper and normal bolts, and will still have 18k less to spend on his melee gear.
This translates into weaker armor and/or heavier armor (armor wpf penalty...) and/or worse weapons (if you can find a weapon that is cheaper yet more effective, that's entire a problem of balance inside the category). Tradeoff is very much there (and I don't see anyone picking up a crossbow just for a few cheap shots).
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: EponiCo on January 31, 2011, 08:36:49 pm
*Deleted*
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 31, 2011, 08:43:44 pm
Currently, there is no tradeoff at all. 20 wpf is laughable, and not even noticeable in combat.

Well I suppose everyone is entitled to their feelings.  20 wpf is fucking huge man.  That's another 2 ranks in WM just to get those 20 points.  Specialists shouldn't recieve overwhelming advantages to specializing, sorry.  I don't agree with that.  I feel it's fine now.  Specialists have an advantage in their chosen field (cheaper gear loadout, more WPF, greater speed/damage, more available skill and stat points).  That's quite a bit and asking for more is just a case of wanting your build to carry you.  Sorry that you made a poor tactical error by limiting your options in combat.  Ideally the smartest player would have melee, ranged AND cav capability.  You can pick up an xbow without any cost investment and be a hybrid too.  Specialists have always been a poor tactical decision for the battlefield, except that pre-patch they were capable of breaking mechanics/animations and utilizing a 1-shot kill sniper x-bow with 0 investment.  Now the sniper might take 2 hits.  Wah, poor specialists...

Seriously if less gear, higher attainable wpf for less investment, greater speed/damage potential from build, and more available skill and stat points aren't enough of a benefit to specialists then something is seriously wrong with specialists players.  Sorry that it isn't an I-win button I guess.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on January 31, 2011, 08:59:15 pm
Well I suppose everyone is entitled to their feelings.  20 wpf is fucking huge man.  That's another 2 ranks in WM just to get those 20 points.  Specialists shouldn't recieve overwhelming advantages to specializing, sorry.  I don't agree with that.  I feel it's fine now.  Specialists have an advantage in their chosen field (cheaper gear loadout, more WPF, greater speed/damage, more available skill and stat points).  That's quite a bit and asking for more is just a case of wanting your build to carry you.  Sorry that you made a poor tactical error by limiting your options in combat.  Ideally the smartest player would have melee, ranged AND cav capability.  You can pick up an xbow without any cost investment and be a hybrid too.  Specialists have always been a poor tactical decision for the battlefield, except that pre-patch they were capable of breaking mechanics/animations and utilizing a 1-shot kill sniper x-bow with 0 investment.  Now the sniper might take 2 hits.  Wah, poor specialists...

Seriously if less gear, higher attainable wpf for less investment, greater speed/damage potential from build, and more available skill and stat points aren't enough of a benefit to specialists then something is seriously wrong with specialists players.  Sorry that it isn't an I-win button I guess.

But thats exactly the point, hybrids have become an I-win button, we are asking for more game balance through having real tradeoffs like before to be a hyrbid.  As it is now you just put 120 points into throwing or archery or xbow and you have accuracy almost as good as a pure ranged at the cost of only 20 wpf in your main class so you still have almost the exact same speed and damage as a pure meleeist as well.  How is that not an overwhelming advantage without tradeoffs.  The proof is in the pudding, 80-90% of people on servers now are hybrids with a crapload of melee/ranged hybrids.  Why?  Because the system has become imbalanced toward a particular character setup and to remain competitive most people have to emulate or lose to the people who took the I-win class.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 31, 2011, 09:38:24 pm
But thats exactly the point, hybrids have become an I-win button
How is it an I-win button?  They have to be good at melee and ranged, and they're sub-par to both of those respective "pure" builds when fighting in those specific roles.
we are asking for more game balance through having real tradeoffs like before to be a hyrbid. 
What tradeoffs were there before?  I was a 4 weapon hybrid before, all of them over 100 wpf.  Pre-patch it was MUCH easier to be a hybrid.  The only thing that's changed from before is that a "pure" character can't achieve game-breaking levels of wpf/agi combinations.  Hell, before the game was a matter of 40% archers with rediculous sniper-like accuracy, machine gun rates of fire, railgun deadly arrows with a cookies sword, 40% tin-can wearing lolsword user with animation breaking attack speed and a 1 wpf sniper x-bow or two that one shot everyone, and 10% other people.
As it is now you just put 120 points into throwing or archery or xbow and you have accuracy almost as good as a pure ranged at the cost of only 20 wpf in your main class so you still have almost the exact same speed and damage as a pure meleeist as well. 
Almost as good, and almost the same.  That's the tradeoff.  You have to compensate through better gameplay.  The benefit is versatility on the field.  Which makes more logical sense than someone specializing in only one field.  Look at the melee classes in Native for example.  Equip 2her/polearm in slot 1, equip 3x whatever thrown weapon was available in slots 2-4.  Hybrid, with no drawbacks at all compared to someone that only equipped the 2her but not the throwing weapons.  That's how I played in Native as well;  2h + 3x thrown weapons.  It's silly to limit yourself to only one type of combat and isn't realistic at all (yes I know everyone hates realism arguments)
How is that not an overwhelming advantage without tradeoffs. 
There are tradeoffs, you mentioned them you're just ignoring them or writing them off as insignificant.  Which I disagree with.  The ability to get 150 wpf in my weapon while using less points in WM (why put more points in there beyond 150 when I can spend them elsewhere) have a cheaper loadout, have 3-6 MORE stat points is fucking huge and I definately notice it when fighting pure builders.  They're faster, hit harder and typically have better armor than I do.
The proof is in the pudding, 80-90% of people on servers now are hybrids with a crapload of melee/ranged hybrids.  Why?  Because the system has become imbalanced toward a particular character setup and to remain competitive most people have to emulate or lose to the people who took the I-win class.
All I notice are more throwers instead of archers.  Otherwise I see it exactly the same as before.  I'm sorry but every archer pre-patch who was supposedly "pure" had either a 2her or polearm with the benefit of high str and high agility.  They were hybrids.  Every "pure" melee had a sniper x-bow with 1 wpf which was highly accurate and 1-shot everyone.  They were hybrids with no drawback.  The current system is much better in that you actually see a benefit for being a "real" hybrid instead of a supposed "pure" build which was really just a hybrid that exploited crappy mechanics because they could break the system in some manner.

For example:  Pre patch my 2her had
150/120  2h/throwing wpf respectively.
I would fight against "pures" who had 200+ wpf, higher agi because of a lessened point cost than I had and could break animations in melee or pull out their sniper x-bow and 1-shot me if they felt like it.
Now he has
140/100 2h/throwing wpf respectively.  He actually got WORSE because of the patch.  However those "pures" can no longer break animations in melee and have stopped carrying 1-shot sniper xbows with 1 wpf (by their own choice, you can still carry a sniper x-bow with 1 wpf and 2 shot people, or 1-shot an injured person).  Now I can actually have a fight with them purely because they aren't capable of breaking parts of the game.  They still have higher wpf and stats than I do, but it's in the realm of sanity instead of being flat out broken.  Perhaps "pure" builds just need to adapt and re-learn how to build their character within the realm of reason rather than pigning for the days of having an "I-win cause I broke the game" character stats to back up their play.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: IG_Saint on January 31, 2011, 09:59:16 pm
It's silly to limit yourself to only one type of combat and isn't realistic at all (yes I know everyone hates realism arguments)

For example:  Pre patch my 2her had
150/120  2h/throwing wpf respectively.
I would fight against "pures" who had 200+ wpf, higher agi because of a lessened point cost than I had and could break animations in melee or pull out their sniper x-bow and 1-shot me if they felt like it.
Now he has
140/100 2h/throwing wpf respectively.  He actually got WORSE because of the patch.  However those "pures" can no longer break animations in melee and have stopped carrying 1-shot sniper xbows with 1 wpf (by their own choice, you can still carry a sniper x-bow with 1 wpf and 2 shot people, or 1-shot an injured person).  Now I can actually have a fight with them purely because they aren't capable of breaking parts of the game.  They still have higher wpf and stats than I do, but it's in the realm of sanity instead of being flat out broken.  Perhaps "pure" builds just need to adapt and re-learn how to build their character within the realm of reason rather than pigning for the days of having an "I-win cause I broke the game" character stats to back up their play.

Wait how are hybrids more realistic? Yes an archer or crossbow man would carry a melee weapon, but they weren't trained in them. And the men at arms weren't trained in ranged weapons, because they weren't noble weapons, they could probably shoot a bow just from hunting experience but they wouldnt use them in combat.

On topic the problem isn't really hybrids, its just that hybrids are far beter than pures. A pure melee has 165 wpf, a minor bonus over the 140 that a hybrid might have. The pure will also have a stat bonus in PS or ath, but again 1 point doesn't make that huge a difference. A hybrid on the other hand has a ranged weapon while only being slightly worse off in melee. Really that handful of wpf and a point or 2 more in a skill makes little difference. This is based on my dueling experience. I start dueling my characters at lvl15, and really once you have 110 wpf and 5 ath you have a decent chance against anyone. Anything above that makes it easier, but isn't needed.

In short: The (capable) ranged/melee weapon a hybrid gains is far more useful than the minor stat bonus you get as a pure.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Centurion on January 31, 2011, 10:53:25 pm
Back in the middle ages the only specialty classes were archers. All infantry were expected to use shield spear and 1h. And it wasn't hard to chuck random weapons at eachother in battle stop being retards
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: EponiCo on January 31, 2011, 11:39:10 pm
Saint, just try it in battle.
My pure melee char is just doing fine (yeh, throwing spam is annoying sometimes but I use a shield :P), I see no reason personally to take an extra crossbow or bow. While I'm shooting I'm not fighting and heh, my budget is spread thinly enough between sword, armor, shield, and sometimes horse. I'd have to go naked for the heavy crossbow.
My archer still has no wpf in melee, simply see no reason to stop improving the weapon I use 90% of the time to 140/150 wpf, but yeah, sometimes I kill 3 melees with my backup weapon, no wpf needed.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on January 31, 2011, 11:41:11 pm
Wait how are hybrids more realistic? Yes an archer or crossbow man would carry a melee weapon, but they weren't trained in them.

That's completely false.  Do you really believe that soldiers, military personel didn't train in every weapon they were expected to use on the field?  While they may not have had some direct tutelage from some grand master sword diety shang fung or other silliness but every professional soldier throughout history worth his salt has trained in any weaponry he could expect to use on a regular basis.  Do modern day soldiers only train to shoot OR engage in hand to hand/close quarters combat?  No, they train in both and in a diversity of weaponry.  Soldiers in history would have trained (be it with wooden swords or live weapon training) constantly.  In some cultures this was even required (England during a period of time expected every able man to practice with the bow regularly).  In fact your perception of such specialized "fodder"; for any professional soldier, or any man expecting to engage in martial combat for that matter, who would train in a single weapon to the exlusion of all others could be considered fodder on the battlefield; leads me to believe that you've played far too many bad RPG's.

Even going so far back as the greeks/romans for example the warrior had trained in multiple weapons.  Throwing of spears/javelins, use in their spear, sword and shield. 
Back in the middle ages the only specialty classes were archers. All infantry were expected to use shield spear and 1h. And it wasn't hard to chuck random weapons at eachother in battle stop being retards

This, minus the retard thrown in for lulz, is pretty accurate.  Only archers were really "specialists" and even then they would have spent time learning to use a melee weapon in times of hand to hand combat if it came to that on the field.  Would you, put in the place of a medieval warrior (with no forms of entertainment beyond throwing knives/axes at targets, sparring, hunting, wrestling/boxing, riding, etc) simply spend all of your practice time devoted to ONLY a single method of combat?  If so you would be a fool.

Melee = Meat and potatoes of warfare (in this time-frame)
Ranged = side dish, choose your flavor (bow, xbow, throwing shit)
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on January 31, 2011, 11:48:03 pm
Back in the middle ages the only specialty classes were archers.

Archers were expected to fight in melee just like every other man, and often did so reasonably effectively.

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 01, 2011, 01:02:07 am
Well I suppose everyone is entitled to their feelings.  20 wpf is fucking huge man.

20 WPF = 3% More speed/dmg.

And about it taking 2 more ranks of WM to get that? That is my point. Paying for WPF over 130 or so is somewhat redundant. You're just losing points and wasting skills/wpf. You're much better off now saving 2-3 skill points in WM, using those on PT, and getting some throwing prof.

Or alternatively, you could be an xbowman with PS:5, ATH:8, WM:8, and have 150 2h proficiency, with 115 xbow proficiency.

In this particular case, with fairly high WM, the difference between the xbow/2h build and a pure 2h build is only 24 wpf. To me, that is very little tradeoff at all.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on February 01, 2011, 01:10:05 am
On the other hand, a sniper crossbow plus steel bolts costs a bit more then transitional armor. The only crossbows which aren't a significant drain on your wallet are those below regular - which are more or less useless. So it's far from a "no-brainer" to make a crossbow hybrid.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: IG_Saint on February 01, 2011, 01:16:49 am
That's completely false.  Do you really believe that soldiers, military personel didn't train in every weapon they were expected to use on the field?  While they may not have had some direct tutelage from some grand master sword diety shang fung or other silliness but every professional soldier throughout history worth his salt has trained in any weaponry he could expect to use on a regular basis.  Do modern day soldiers only train to shoot OR engage in hand to hand/close quarters combat?  No, they train in both and in a diversity of weaponry.  Soldiers in history would have trained (be it with wooden swords or live weapon training) constantly.  In some cultures this was even required (England during a period of time expected every able man to practice with the bow regularly).  In fact your perception of such specialized "fodder"; for any professional soldier, or any man expecting to engage in martial combat for that matter, who would train in a single weapon to the exlusion of all others could be considered fodder on the battlefield; leads me to believe that you've played far too many bad RPG's.

You're partially right, but you're oversimplifying things and ignoring other major details. Anyway this is not the place for that discussion. And you ignored the most important part of my post: "In short: The (capable) ranged/melee weapon a hybrid gains is far more useful than the minor stat bonus you get as a pure."

In this particular case, with fairly high WM, the difference between the xbow/2h build and a pure 2h build is only 24 wpf. To me, that is very little tradeoff at all.

Anyone that claims that the 24 wpf and a couple of skill points is worth losing the xbow is just kidding themselves.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 01, 2011, 02:36:53 am
20 WPF = 3% More speed/dmg. 
That's pretty significant.  Equivalent to an extra 6 agility.  Not to mention the extra 3 stat points you can have for not putting skill points into PD or PT.

And about it taking 2 more ranks of WM to get that? That is my point. Paying for WPF over 130 or so is somewhat redundant. You're just losing points and wasting skills/wpf. You're much better off now saving 2-3 skill points in WM, using those on PT, and getting some throwing prof. 
Indeed, versatility does seem to be a better investment from a logical standpoint.  This makes sense and I see no issue with it.  The other option as a pure build is to stop at 130 wpf (and only as much WM as needed) and take those extra skill points you were going to use trying to break the speed barrier and instead put some into shield (so the ranged weapon whine will stop), riding, or convert to even more stats and get an even higher str/agi setup.  Benefits all around.

Or alternatively, you could be an xbowman with PS:5, ATH:8, WM:8, and have 150 2h proficiency, with 115 xbow proficiency.

In this particular case, with fairly high WM, the difference between the xbow/2h build and a pure 2h build is only 24 wpf. To me, that is very little tradeoff at all.

Why are you trying to go for the extra 24 wpf in the first place when you said yourself it's redundant as the pure 2her?  Why not save yourself 2-3 points from un-needed WM and put those into shield or convert to another stat point?  Or grab 3 PT for some war dart fun?  Point is, you're leaving yourself vunerable to other scenarios by choosing to go "pure".  And this is good, because it is a choice.  You're taking a logical limitation in order to gain as you said 3% extra speed and damage (which in any RPG is pretty significant).  However as a warrior you're being illogical and so you're going to suffer from that decision by not having the versatility wiser warriors have who took the time to sacrifice a bit of raw power in one aspect in order to grab a bit of power in another area.  The mechanics are in place that show a net gain for a specialist vs a hybrid in their chosen area.  I guess it's just a matter that you think it should be far greater which I disagree with.  Either way if it gets changed the only thing I will do is adapt, as I've done with every patch, still making all of my toons some ranged/melee hybrid in the most effective way possible.  Biggest drawback is having to re-roll to re-arrange some stats and skills.

Under your proposed changes any smart hybrid will simply forgo any WPF in throwing or x-bow and still use them with 1wpf while putting all of their wpf into melee so that pures gain nothing except a few stat points and the hybrid can still put ranged spam into the air around the pure at will.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 01, 2011, 07:36:35 am
Under your proposed changes any smart hybrid will simply forgo any WPF in throwing or x-bow and still use them with 1wpf while putting all of their wpf into melee so that pures gain nothing except a few stat points and the hybrid can still put ranged spam into the air around the pure at will.

I'm ok with this. And I played/play hybrids as well. Your point that "the wiser warrior will become a hybrid" is true, and I agree with it in this patch. However, where our opinions differ is whether or not that SHOULD be the case. In my opinion, both hybrids and pures should be equally attractive, so that all emphasis is on CHOICE.

Under the old system, you and I both know that hybrids were still valid builds. The difference between then and now is that under the old wpf costs, a hybrid would have about 50 less wpf than a pure, whereas now, they only have 20-30 less, depending on their build.

I think 50 less than a pure is a good distinction between a "warrior" who focuses entirely on one weapon, and one who divides his training between two weapons to attain more versatility.

The only thing that "broke the system" before was the wpf bonus exploit from retirement, and the fact that there was no level cap. With both of those flaws fixed, the previous wpf costs would work as originally intended, and create a desirable distinction between a "pure" and a "hybrid".
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on February 01, 2011, 09:05:38 am
I would argue that if you wanted to further differentiate hybrids from pures you could start raising wpf prices earlier but make the price somewhat lower in the 120-140 region, so the total for a built char is more or less the same but the hybrid is, well, penalized more.

What I really don't want to see again are 200 wpf archers, etc.

Edit: yes throwing is a problem, but its got nothing to do with wpf. you can use it just fine with 0 wpf if you want.

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Matey on February 01, 2011, 09:26:48 am
nerf throwing. problem solved.

archer melee hybrids arent a problem.

xbow melee hybrids arent a problem.

throw melee hybrids are a problem.
They lose out on 3 str and 1 ps.. in exchange for 6 or so power throw... and they dont have any need to put any wpf into throwing. therefore the difference between a thrower melee hybrid and a pure melee in regards to melee capabilities, is minuscule... change power throw to affect damage only and not accuracy and everything will be wonderful. yes some people will still random throw shit everywhere, but at least more people will either be forced to get wpf for accuracy or give up throwing. i know you said you will throw shit anyway gorath, and im cool with that, at least you would be less likely to pin point headshot me.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Ganon on February 01, 2011, 11:19:48 am
Xbow with 1wpf isn't a problem, it's not accurate at all and doesn't really make someone a hybrid. The problem with xbows is that even after putting alof of wpf they're still not accurate enough, so the xbowman currently is the only build that requires specialization to do reasonably well. That explains also why there so few xbowman.

Archer melee hybrids are still a problem, although most famous archers have switched build to melee, not because of hybrids being good or bad but because currently specializing in archery doesn't make much sense. The nerf to higher wpf has hit them as well.

So as proposed solutions we have (correct me if i'm wrong)
1) nerf throwing
2) redo the wpf formula
3) up the requirements for most weapons, which will also fix those hated spammer builds. Want to spam with 27-30 agi ? use a knife (there's even a good spammer build involving a knife)
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Brutal on February 01, 2011, 01:04:08 pm
Xbow with 1wpf isn't a problem, it's not accurate at all and doesn't really make someone a hybrid. The problem with xbows is that even after putting alof of wpf they're still not accurate enough, so the xbowman currently is the only build that requires specialization to do reasonably well. That explains also why there so few xbowman.

Xbow unlike throwing and bow doesn't required PT or PD. Saying it's the only build that require specialization is biased to say the least.
If thrower had the accuracy of xbow with 100 wpf you would already had GTXed the game a long time ago.
With 1wpf in xbow you're still more accurate than a thrower with 11PT and 100 wpf using javelin...
There are still some xbower out there that do well and top the scorechart.

Throwing is just way more fun and entertaining than using an xbow, and since it's now competitive a lot of people use it.
But saying hybrid thrower are OP is just mehh, there the guy that take 1/3 of your health with javelin.

I've a build with 11PT and 100wpf in throwing and i mostly use javelin because even with jarrid 1 shooting is rare against an opponent with full hp.
Since i need 2 hits anyway why should i use expensive and innacurate weapon like jarrids ?
I could use throwing lance and i would 1 hit almost everybody but it's not durable with the upkeep.
although i saw a guy using plate with only throwing lance but i guess he spend a lot of time naked.

I've to admit is easier to get good K/D ratio with my thrower than with my polearm guy but the difference is not that great.
There should be some kind of nerf for powerthrower but it shouldn't render strengh build useless cuz everybody want diversity , right ?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: IG_Saint on February 01, 2011, 05:01:11 pm
That's pretty significant.  Equivalent to an extra 6 agility.  Not to mention the extra 3 stat points you can have for not putting skill points into PD or PT.

And this is good, because it is a choice.  You're taking a logical limitation in order to gain as you said 3% extra speed and damage (which in any RPG is pretty significant).

You're completely ignoring the skill factor. Those minor increases aren't going to help you much in a fight against someone that outskills you. And if you outskill your opponent, you won't need those stat points anyway. Throwing or a crossbow for instance are far more useful than 3% extra speed and damage. You talk about choice, but currently the choice is between a minor stat bonus that is only usefull against someone of equal skill as you VS a secondary weapon that is useful in every situation. Not much of a choice.

Bruce and heroin have the right idea. Oh and do something about 1 wpf throwing.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: UrLukur on February 01, 2011, 05:43:26 pm
You're completely ignoring the skill factor. Those minor increases aren't going to help you much in a fight against someone that outskills you. And if you outskill your opponent, you won't need those stat points anyway. Throwing or a crossbow for instance are far more useful than 3% extra speed and damage. You talk about choice, but currently the choice is between a minor stat bonus that is only usefull against someone of equal skill as you VS a secondary weapon that is useful in every situation. Not much of a choice.

Bruce and heroin have the right idea. Oh and do something about 1 wpf throwing.

If you are on the same level, you are more likely to lose with less speed and damage. Main tradeoff of hybrids is less gold on equipment (it can be non-issue if said hybrid own and lead his team to victory). I play pure build and i feel it's ok, i'll try 21/15 1h/throwing hybrid in the future, but i'll do more or less just as fine currently.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 01, 2011, 07:14:32 pm
You're completely ignoring the skill factor.

That's because when you are balancing you assume equal skill for all parties involved.  You never balance around a presumed skill difference.

@Matey:  :)  You realize how many of my war darts miss when I try to pinpoint headshot you right?  It's not nearly as accurate as most people think, I just happen to carry war darts for the ammo count and aim for the head to make that one hit out of 4 throws count.

@Heroin:  I don't know man, we apparently have different memories about the viability of hybrids pre-patch.  I was told constantly in duels pre-patch that the whole hybrid thing makes me far too slow and weak to be effective 1v1 by quite a few good "pure" players (ManOfWar for instance in our 1h duels).  Currently hybrids have 30-ish less wpf than a pure if they actually build like a hybrid (100+ in the secondary wpf).  I feel that's about right.  Pure's are distinctly faster than me when dueling, but I can keep up as long as I'm Johnny on the spot with my blocking and chambers.  I don't get the option to attempt spam like they do. 

Throwing is the issue, and I can get behind that movement.  Overall hybrids and the wpf costs are not the issue.  No-one has yet to bring up something like my 1h/polearm hybrid as being broken or OP.  Or my 1h/2h hybrid.  It's always something ranged which shows the real issue people have is range, not hybrids themselves.  Matey has the right idea: 
Quote from: Matey
  change power throw to affect damage only and not accuracy and everything will be wonderful. 
  If people have to build a proper hybrid, IE:  Putting 100+ wpf into the secondary weapon, then you will see far less of these 11PT 1-shot throwers who poop out a bar-mace and crush you when you get too close.  Or some other melee weapon because they were able to put all of their wpf into their melee weapon without requiring a hefty agi investment for extra wpf.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on February 01, 2011, 08:14:03 pm
I would argue that if you wanted to further differentiate hybrids from pures you could start raising wpf prices earlier but make the price somewhat lower in the 120-140 region, so the total for a built char is more or less the same but the hybrid is, well, penalized more.

What I really don't want to see again are 200 wpf archers, etc.

Edit: yes throwing is a problem, but its got nothing to do with wpf. you can use it just fine with 0 wpf if you want.

+1, :) I dont want wpf to be boosted for pure classes, just not so cheap at low levels comparatively now that hybrid becomes no-brainer for everyone.  Just a rebalancing, not a boost for specialization.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: IG_Saint on February 01, 2011, 09:07:36 pm
Crap, wrong thread.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Mouse on February 01, 2011, 10:34:51 pm
I take it your hybrid ;).  Its not punishing hybrids, but recognizing they got the biggest bonus of any class with the patch and it was a bit excessive.  Balancing the game more will not make it go down the tubes but require more skill.  As of now those hybrids get the benfit of first hitting you with a throwing axe (bolt, arrow, etc.) and then having nearly the same wpf for damage and speed when they move in to duel.  There is no tradeoff for hybridizing and so you win not because you are more skilled but because you have better stats, which is exactly what you are complaining about.

If sliding 50 wpf into polearms with 4PS makes my archer a hybrid, whatever. If you can't win at 150 wpf vs 50 wpf then you need more practice. It sounds to me like people want 200 melee wpf specialists vs 1 melee wpf archers/throwers so they can just spam spam like n00bs without having to block.

My other character is a 1h/shield character with only about 70 wpf into polearms for cav stopping. None of my characters use throwing weapons or crossbows, and I don't have any particular difficulty with people who use ranged weapons against me.

Like I pointed out originally, your real problem is with ranged weapons, so get a shield.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on February 02, 2011, 07:56:29 pm
If sliding 50 wpf into polearms with 4PS makes my archer a hybrid, whatever. If you can't win at 150 wpf vs 50 wpf then you need more practice. It sounds to me like people want 200 melee wpf specialists vs 1 melee wpf archers/throwers so they can just spam spam like n00bs without having to block.

My other character is a 1h/shield character with only about 70 wpf into polearms for cav stopping. None of my characters use throwing weapons or crossbows, and I don't have any particular difficulty with people who use ranged weapons against me.

Like I pointed out originally, your real problem is with ranged weapons, so get a shield.

Just because youa re not taking advantage of the hybrid bonus to make a decent hybrid doeant mean most other people are not.  You could easily have 120 not 50 and it would only have cost you 10-15 more wpf from your main class archery.  So you can shoot people to death and then go melee with almost exacts ame speed/damagea s a pure meleeist.  Or duel pure archers witha lmost exact same damage/draw speed, maybe slower if they use a bow even one power draw level higher then yours.  you get the best of both worlds with no tradeoff.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 02, 2011, 09:19:23 pm
Just because youa re not taking advantage of the hybrid bonus to make a decent hybrid doeant mean most other people are not.  You could easily have 120 not 50 and it would only have cost you 10-15 more wpf from your main class archery.  So you can shoot people to death and then go melee with almost exacts ame speed/damagea s a pure meleeist.  Or duel pure archers witha lmost exact same damage/draw speed, maybe slower if they use a bow even one power draw level higher then yours.  you get the best of both worlds with no tradeoff.

Um, no.  The difference between an archer with 150+ wpf and 120 wpf is HUGE.  Rediculously huge.  Almost 150% as fast as the guy with 120.  The big issue here, that you and other nerf-mongers conveniently keep avoiding, is the fact that it's THROWING you have the problem with, not hybrids.  Seriously, you're saying a 1h/2h hybrid (120/130 wpf respectively) is OP?   Really?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 02, 2011, 11:16:44 pm
Um, no.  The difference between an archer with 150+ wpf and 120 wpf is HUGE.  Rediculously huge.  Almost 150% as fast as the guy with 120.  The big issue here, that you and other nerf-mongers conveniently keep avoiding, is the fact that it's THROWING you have the problem with, not hybrids.  Seriously, you're saying a 1h/2h hybrid (120/130 wpf respectively) is OP?   Really?

No, it's not OP. And I haven't been fighting to eliminate the ability to go hybrid. I'm arguing for a return of the old wpf costs to make specialists worth doing. You've pointed out several times that I am a specialist, when that isn't the case. Pretty much all of my characters are hybrids, and mostly because being a specialist doesn't really carry any/enough advantage.

With the old wpf costs, hybrids will still be able to have 120/130 wpf. The only difference will be, that instead of 150 wpf, a specialist will have 180. Which is a significant advantage in their chosen field, yes, but it is far from an "I win" button, as people have stated previously.

In this case, they are "buying" a significant advantage at the cost of versatility. As opposed to the current system, where a specialist also gives up versatility, but in exchange gets a relatively insignificant advantage.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: UrLukur on February 02, 2011, 11:39:41 pm
No, it's not OP. And I haven't been fighting to eliminate the ability to go hybrid. I'm arguing for a return of the old wpf costs to make specialists worth doing. You've pointed out several times that I am a specialist, when that isn't the case. Pretty much all of my characters are hybrids, and mostly because being a specialist doesn't really carry any/enough advantage.

With the old wpf costs, hybrids will still be able to have 120/130 wpf. The only difference will be, that instead of 150 wpf, a specialist will have 180. Which is a significant advantage in their chosen field, yes, but it is far from an "I win" button, as people have stated previously.

In this case, they are "buying" a significant advantage at the cost of versatility. As opposed to the current system, where a specialist also gives up versatility, but in exchange gets a relatively insignificant advantage.

It is 'I win button', as long as crush exist.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on February 02, 2011, 11:47:08 pm
Bullshit, Heroin.

The buff pures is crap, because pures don't need a buff, and the super-wpf got nerfed for (good) reason.

And anyway it'd do NOTHING to combat hybrids, because you can still use eg. throwing weapons with 0 wpf, while having essentially the wpf of a pure char.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 02, 2011, 11:54:03 pm
No, it's not OP. And I haven't been fighting to eliminate the ability to go hybrid. I'm arguing for a return of the old wpf costs to make specialists worth doing. You've pointed out several times that I am a specialist, when that isn't the case. Pretty much all of my characters are hybrids, and mostly because being a specialist doesn't really carry any/enough advantage. 

I never said you were a specialist, but a nerf-monger ( I like that word ).   :wink:  Most of the time if there's a random "you" in my post it's a generic "you" meant to group everyone on the other side of the debate rather than specific people.  In the last post the you was simply to apply the nerf-monger term.   :mrgreen:  (Debated between nerf-meister, nerf-warrior, and nerfinator but felt nerf-monger was the least lame)

With the old wpf costs, hybrids will still be able to have 120/130 wpf. The only difference will be, that instead of 150 wpf, a specialist will have 180. Which is a significant advantage in their chosen field, yes, but it is far from an "I win" button, as people have stated previously.   

Well that's quite a bit different than the previous suggestions where hybrids would only end up with like 90 in each profession, or 100 in one and 70 in the other.  I wouldn't mind the old system either as it would actually buff my hybrid quite a bit where instead of 150/100 at 31 I could have 150/120+ ish like pre-patch, or 130/130, etc.  I'm all for that.  Pre-patch values would be quite nice as previously my 2h/thrower was at 150/130 by level 31 using the same skill-point allocation.

In this case, they are "buying" a significant advantage at the cost of versatility. As opposed to the current system, where a specialist also gives up versatility, but in exchange gets a relatively insignificant advantage.

Using the pre-patch system I'm fine with this idea, as long as 200+wpf isn't obtainable as that is where a good many issues started to occur.  Though I have to say that currently a 'pure'/'specialist' character can achieve 173 wpf by level 30 already, which is already close to your target goal of 180.

Level 30 (4 420 577 xp)
Strength: 16
Agility: 24
Hit points: 51

Converted: 10
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 0
Athletics: 8
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 8

One Handed: 1
Two Handed: 173
Polearm: 1
Archery: 1
Crossbow: 1
Throwing: 1

That's already a decent advantage for the points.  Much faster, both in movement AND swing speed while still being able to use all of the most common deadly weapons and armors.

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on February 03, 2011, 12:00:33 am
Dont work with high tier bows.

Yes, you can do char with 3 athletic, but it hopeless in any archer duel
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 03, 2011, 12:03:01 am
1 - the super-wpf got nerfed for (good) reason.

2 -And anyway it'd do NOTHING to combat hybrids

1 - Yes, you're right. "Super" wpf got nerfed with good reason. It was nerfed in 3 different ways, in fact. I'm only asking to revert ONE of the ways it got nerfed, not all 3.

2 - It would combat hybrids by giving people a CHOICE in which going specialist was attractive. Specialist builds currently are NOT attractive.

I understand you don't want a return to the old days when people were lightning fast, and one-shotted everything they touched. That won't happen, Bruce. As long as you understand how small the change I'm promoting really is, you will see that.

Here are a couple facts for you:

#1, pre-patch, most big-name players were levelled into the late 30's or early 40's. Won't happen any more.
#2, pre-patch, many who were NOT incredibly high level had a HUGE wpf bonus from retirement. No longer possible.

With the above-listed changes, the old wpf system would work fine. Take some time, and think about it clearly. I'm sure you'll see my point.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 03, 2011, 12:11:53 am
Dont work with high tier bows.

Yes, you can do char with 3 athletic, but it hopeless in any archer duel

wut?
That wasn't an archer build, and archers are hybrids anyways by nature.  Until you remove the ability for them to pick up and swing a melee weapon they are, and always will be, hybrids.  Regardless of build design.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 03, 2011, 12:13:16 am
Using the pre-patch system I'm fine with this idea, as long as 200+wpf isn't obtainable as that is where a good many issues started to occur.

Using the old costs, 200 wpf IS attainable, but you give up a LOT to get there, since you won't have much STR/PS. If I recall correctly, the specific number where your attack speed actually became faster than the animation was at approximately 260 wpf. Since that is the point at which the game becomes "broken", it would make sense to simply not allow wpf to reach to, or beyond that number.

Under the old system, you needed 13 WM at level 32 in order to get to that point(nearly unattainable on any character that isn't a joke). I wouldn't be opposed to a tweak that stopped that from happening, though. Perhaps cap WM at 10 or something.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on February 03, 2011, 12:30:55 am
Quote
wut?
That wasn't an archer build, and archers are hybrids anyways by nature.  Until you remove the ability for them to pick up and swing a melee weapon they are, and always will be, hybrids.  Regardless of build design.


You can use all weapon with str requirement without investing wpf. 2h, 1h, pole, xbows. Does it mean you are hybrid in all this proficiences?
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 03, 2011, 01:23:40 am

You can use all weapon with str requirement without investing wpf. 2h, 1h, pole, xbows. Does it mean you are hybrid in all this proficiences?

Technically.  However for the sake of what everyone is cryi... I mean discussing about, hybrids are anyone with ranged AND melee capability... nevermind the fact that any 'pure' build can just tack on an x-bow with 0 wpf and achieve the same thing.  As I've pointed out, not a single person has made any mention to "OMG, 1h/polearm hybrids are SO OP".  It's all about "Fucking hell, he can use a ranged attack AND fight in melee?  NERF!".  So for the sake of this new whine trend, a hybrid is classified as anyone that can make use of melee + ranged, and more specifically throwing.

Logically this would say that throwing itself is the problem, but hey we're all going to keep ignoring that fact too.   :wink:
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on February 03, 2011, 09:31:23 am
Actually the point of the thread is hybrids have skills committed to more then 1 class, being able to use soemthing at 1 wpf does not make you an effective hybrid.  Buta s it is currently the only real choice is hybrids because wpf is so cheap at low levels compared to high levels.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on February 03, 2011, 10:21:00 am
Technically we have too many oneshot ranged weapons. Throwing without wpf and crossbows without skillpoints. Also, this oneshot weapon have low requirements. You need only 12 str to use heavy throwing axes and 15 str for siege crossbow (highest tier weapon in category). This conditions too attractive for making all-trades characters.

example - Mr Oneshot

Strength: 21
Agility: 18
Hit points: 56
Converted: 6
Ironflesh: 0
Power Strike: 7
Shield: 0
Athletics: 6
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 7
Weapon Master: 6
One Handed: 1
Two Handed: 1
Polearm: 120
Archery: 1
Crossbow: 120
Throwing: 1

long-mid range - crossbow. close range - axes, javelins or jarids. Melee - any pole with 7 ps = devastating weapon. Even shortened spear. Even jarid.

Quote
It's all about "Fucking hell, he can use a ranged attack AND fight in melee?  NERF!".

No. it's all about "Fucking hell, he can ONESHOT me with ranged attack AND fight in melee.
IMHO oneshot ranged weapon must be property of dedicated build.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Ganon on February 03, 2011, 11:21:55 am
No, oneshot should only be possible with a headshot.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on February 03, 2011, 11:31:15 am
Well, cupid, truth be told upkeep sortof limits this (at least, limits doing this sustainably). For instance a sniper crossbow (anything lower, and only a peasant in a peasant shirt will get oneshot) and a melee weapon plus leather armour is more or less what you can upkeep if you use it every round, with throwing weapons of the oneshot type you'd be overstretching upkeep, at least if you pack multiple stacks.

In general, it's the terrifying damage of throwing which is why there are so many whines (or legitimate complaints, rather), combined with the spammability of the weapons (as long as you have ammo, of course, but given more or less everyone is throwing something, you can often pick it up from the floor anyway). And the worst bit is that it prompts more people to take throwing or another ranged weapon, because the best counter to ranged weapons are exactly ranged weapons, and people feel necessary to have one, after you die for the 1000th time from a throwing something while you're trying to melee and someone just backpedals behind his mates then onehits you while you're engaged. And if he misses, he can fire 1sec after.

Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Cup1d on February 03, 2011, 01:39:56 pm
well bruce, my equipments cost -  roughly 36000. warbow, 2xbodkin, german greatsword, tunic over mail + mail gauntlets. I make money with this equip. Slow, but profitable.

with Mr Oneshot you can equip - siege xbow + steel bolts, 2xthrowing spears. = 34000. And cheap armor.
Or, you can use heavy axes. Just invest wpp in onehanded and discipline himself not to throw last axe. Even better scenario.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 03, 2011, 06:26:40 pm
No. it's all about "Fucking hell, he can ONESHOT me with ranged attack AND fight in melee.
IMHO oneshot ranged weapon must be property of dedicated build.

The only ranged weapons which have ever one-shot me, and I don't use IF at all in any build, are throwing lances (which I've always thought were retarded).  Everything else takes at least 2-shots to bring me from 100%-0%.  This of course doesn't count headshots, but when it comes to headshots it's a damned headshot and should 1-shot you.  I mean, it's a headshot that's what they do.  Boom, headshot.  Railgun to the body, 70% hp loss, headshot to the face, dead.  Pistol to the body, 10%.  Pistol to the face, dead.  That's how headshots work, and how they should continue to work.

Quote from: Kesh
Actually the point of the thread is hybrids have skills committed to more then 1 class, being able to use soemthing at 1 wpf does not make you an effective hybrid.  Buta s it is currently the only real choice is hybrids because wpf is so cheap at low levels compared to high levels. 
Well currently it's a viable choice.  With changes, it would be a retarded choice to ever hybrid instead of simply using the ranged weapon at 1wpf (other than bows).  Hell even currently the payoff for investing 100wpf into throwing or x-bow is negligable compared to just using it at 1 wpf.  Throwing for instance feels like using the force no matter what and willing it to hit the target.  If my 100 wpf in throwing worked like with bows then my war darts would go in the middle of my reticule every shot and the reticule itself would be ALOT tighter (since war darts is = to lower tier bow by comparison).  However this isn't the case.

And still you haven't talked about a double melee hybrid at all.  Everyone keeps skimming over this fact.  Where's the outcries that 1h+polearm hybrids are OP.  Or 1h+2h hybrids.  Or 2h+polearms?  They're still making use of the ability to hybrid, but it keeps getting glossed over.  Or is it people don't care if those guys get fucked as long as ranged hybrids get the shaft?  *punny*
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Heroin on February 03, 2011, 08:18:53 pm
The only ranged weapons which have ever one-shot me, and I don't use IF at all in any build, are throwing lances.  Everything else takes at least 2-shots to bring me from 100%-0%.

I got one-shotted in the torso by a heavy throwing axe on a character with full health. I had 21 strength, and was wearing gothic plate with bevor.

For the record, this isn't the norm, but it happened once.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Engine on February 03, 2011, 08:27:49 pm
Didn't read the whole thread.

I do think making a hybrid build now is a no-brainer, since as Kesh said, there's virtually no additional benefit to specializing.

Hmmm, Do I want 6 more 1h WPF, or 100 WPF in my hybrid weapon?

HMMMMM.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on February 03, 2011, 08:29:09 pm
And still you haven't talked about a double melee hybrid at all.  Everyone keeps skimming over this fact.  Where's the outcries that 1h+polearm hybrids are OP.  Or 1h+2h hybrids.  Or 2h+polearms?  They're still making use of the ability to hybrid, but it keeps getting glossed over.  Or is it people don't care if those guys get fucked as long as ranged hybrids get the shaft?  *punny*

Its like the double ranged hyrbid, kind of pointless but fun.  If you want to do it go ahead, but it doesnt really make your character anywhere near as versatile and boosted as having high skills in both general classes of ranged and melee.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Engine on February 03, 2011, 11:11:15 pm
I'm a dual melee spec, Gorath. Primarily 1h but have about 80 WPF in poles (for lancing and polearm experimenting)... Again, I think the problem isn't that you CAN dual spec, it's that there's no reason to NOT dual spec.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Michael on February 03, 2011, 11:21:24 pm
People are complaining because their 20-30 extra WPF for specializing in one weapon is not an "I Win" button. Sorry, but Warband is based on skill,

hahahahahaha that sentence alone shows that you are either 11 years old or totally retarded. Skill, lawl. Its a video game where all you have to do is push a button faster than the other guy, what is a lot easier when you have better ping and computer.
Skill, get a life, study medicine or build a house or something, there you need skill, not in this arcade game.


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not character stats.
 50 WPF and an awlpike used with skill can obliterate anything in melee. Having higher stats doesn't give you a right to win against a better player and that's how it should be

Why do you little sucker think you have the right to tell us what is "right"?

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It gives you a minor edge in damage and speed. That's all. If you think that you deserve to win even though you suck, go play EVE or WoW or Aion or something and grind until you've got three Titans and all the purples.

This game is called crpg.
A dedicated melee warrior should have a bit more than a "minor" advantage in melee over a ranged coward noob-spamming his poleaxe/2h.


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The legitimate complaints here are not related to melee combat. If you're losing in melee it is because you are bad at melee and you should feel bad and you need to go practice more melee combat in melee duels on the duel server. MELEE MELEE MELEE until you STOP SUCKING at MELEE.

Okay, now its clear, you are 11 years old and retarded. Stupid stupid stupid.
You have no clue. Not at all.


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My archer gets tons of melee kills with exactly the setup I described above not because I'm great at the game or because the game is imbalanced,

When a dedicated melee loses against a ranger in melee, there are only two options: The ranger is extremly skilled, or the game is not balanced very well. One cant be it, cos if the ranger had some skill in melee, he wouldnt have to play a melee combat game as ranged my old friend, he would play as a melee warrior. So it has to be two.


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but because most people still fail to understand the basic mechanics of the game that got drilled into my head

That happens when lazy parents place their 4-year-old in front of the computer.
Dude, get a life you worthless piece of shit.

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the hard way back in Native, back before you could blame your personal failings on some stats imbalance or on Goretooth's obnoxious black armor.

In native you cant spawn with bow and poleaxe/2h, and thats for a reason.
In hundreds of hours in native I have not lost once, not once, against an archer in melee.
In crpg, every idiot can build an archer who can outspam melee warriors with his huge 2h/polearm plus back-pedal with his high ath, and that all together shouldnt be possible.

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There are issues with ranged combat, but please don't punish hybrid builds

Hybrid builds already have a huge advantage. They can get kills at every map. Dedicated builds have some maps they can shine, others they suck.
In 1 vs 1, on his own ground, the dedicated build should have no problems with defeating the hybrid sucker.
Hybrids are easy-mode.
Especially archery|throwing-2h|polearm-spamming-noobs that dont use their right mouse button on a whole map.

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or this mod will go back down the tubes. You only lose if you fail to block.

In real life I could block throwing lances with my teeth, and your arrows would simply bounce off my iron flesh.
In this arcade game its not possible, unfortunately, so we need to find a balance.

That understanding, there are only two options:

1) The ranged my old friends/ hybrids are only allowed to use a 1h in melee. Lets see how many kills you will get in melee then, when you cant noob-spam your 2h/polearm. Every idiot can be on top of the scoreboard with a 2h/polearm. I cant remember a k d of worse than 3 since my 2h had reached level 20.

2) There must be a major difference in combat between dedicated melees and ranged hybrids.

 


Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Gorath on February 03, 2011, 11:35:20 pm
As usual Finished your troll attempt is blatantly obvious, doggedly predictable and lacking any truths whatsoever to make it more engaging.
0/10
Feels like you simply copypastad one of your million copypasta rants from the TW forums yet again.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: bruce on February 03, 2011, 11:40:13 pm
Nice rant finished, except you don't get it.

When a dedicated melee loses against a ranger in melee, there are only two options: The ranger is extremly skilled, or the game is not balanced very well. One cant be it, cos if the ranger had some skill in melee, he wouldnt have to play a melee combat game as ranged my old friend, he would play as a melee warrior. So it has to be two.

BS, because many good meleers are playing ranged (hybrids), or have started playing ranged. Zotte, Chimp, Sawa,... hell, Khorin has an archer. Half of the strategos clans had archer alts.

Because nomatter how good you are at melee, having, say, 75% melee capability and 90% ranged capability beats having 100% melee capability and 0% ranged, or 0% melee and 100% ranged in concept. The biggest issue isn't really how effective are hybrids (because, excuse me, it's far more infuriating to have 3 archers scatter from you and shoot you in the back whenever you turn your back to them, and let's not mention backpedalling throwers, then them pulling out weapons and fighting), but how effective ranged itself is (especially some forms of ranged, and we know what we're talking about here).

Nobody whines about 1h+polearm hybrids, or other melee hybrids. Think about it.
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Keshian on February 08, 2011, 05:46:39 pm
Bump
Title: Re: Rebalance ranged, hybrids, and specialization
Post by: Templar_Ratigan on February 15, 2011, 10:52:08 am
I get more annoyed with hybrid throwers than anything else, especially those cowering from behind a shield and inch thick armour.

However im mature enought to admit the real problem is really just the popularity of throwing, it's annoying because there is more of it.
Noone really minded that much in patches gone past, even though throwing weapons were actually more powerful by way of being more accurate and could be thrown futher.
After this big patch the weapons are actually a lot slower through the air and are very dodgeable, unless you are a big heavy strength guy then I sympathise.

This was mainly because only a handful ever dedicated themselves to it and they were dedicated throwers, not hybrids. You did get the odd complaint as I recall when I used to play as Templar_Dastikka about how much damage i could do to some people with a jarid, but then again most were fair enough to realise than since id stacked up to 14 powerthrow augmented by strength and using a 40 pierce weapon, not to mention my lack of speed or armour, it balanced out.

However now I do see lots of people using them and ive always been a fair player as I enjoy melee as much as throwing, and im probably a better a melee player than thrower. I will say I can understand the frustrations at being spammed by tons of these things at once, afterall most of us will remember the age of the archer previously and how unbearable that could be.

However the problem is how to balance it without destroying an option for players who wish for something different. I remember sometimes raging at mass archers before, but I also never condoned removing them as an option in terms of playstyle.

Possibly you could lower the damage and accuracy of the heavier throwing weapons like: jarids/spears/lances and especially heavy axes. But would that really stop anyone unless you were to massively reduce the damage to about 1/4 of it's original damage?

Some of the suggestions here have been good, but please remember that this isnt melee and blade anymore than it is bow and throw, so at least, if something is changed, leave it a viable option for those who wish to try it out or enjoy doing it already. This goes for both hybrids and pure throwers.