This is a longer version of a post I started to make in the 4.0 thread (full disclosure: I just got my STR HT up to level)
I think most people are generally satisfied with the nerfs to HorseRanged (HR players being the obvious exception). “Douchey delay-cav who circle just out of range firing projectiles with impunity and farming valor while ignoring their own team” are far less effective, so Mission Accomplished.
I would like to present another perspective:
The nerfs did not address the specific problems with HR (the aforementioned playstyle), and in fact re-enforce the idea that the class should be played as passively and selfishly as possible.
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There is nothing inherently wrong/broken/toxic/*gamer jargon* with being Horse Ranged, but there IS something inherently wrong with the play patterns that HR are encouraged to follow. Horse Ranged traditionally excels at Passive, Effortless Non-Interactive Stupidity (henceforth P.E.N.I.S.) play. I describe this playstyle as “when player A can affect player B, and player B has little or no recourse against the action.” The nerfs (wrongly) carpet bombed HR in general, when they should have instead targeted HR's real problem (their incredible capacity for P.E.N.I.S. Play).
How did the recent nerfs affect HR's relationship with P.E.N.I.S. Play? The 15 damage cap (any static cap, for that matter) creates a very specific restriction on how you should build, itemize, and play your HR.
Since any damage over 15 is wasted...
-Players are encouraged to build for mobility: You should build only enough PT/PD/xbow to do 15 real damage, and dump the rest into riding.
-Players are encouraged to itemize for a high volume of low damage shots (eg: If throwing darts @32 ammo do the same damage per hit as throwing lances @6, there's no question of which weapon you must use): Spam out a great quantity of shots, since the hard cap ensures that there are no “quality” shots. If it takes you 6 minutes to blow through your ammo, everyone in *dead*chat will just have to wait.
-Players are encouraged to play as passively as possible: Any bit of speed you have that pushes your damage over 15 is wasted. While you get no benefit from this extra speed, the speed exposes you to significant danger (the risk of coming into the enemy's range, and taking full speed-bonus damage from them). Charging towards the enemy in order to hit them (thus creating an interactive play experience for both parties) is objectively stupid. Work up just enough speed to push your real damage to 15 (perhaps by circling around your opponent?) and proceed with P.E.N.I.S. Play.
In effect, the HR nerfs force HR to play mobility focused delay-spam-bots who have no reason to do anything but casually lope around the outskirts of a fight. The nerfs are successful in their ham-fisted severity, but serve only to re-enforce—rather than correct—Horse Ranged's fundamental problems.
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I need to get back to work, but here's a sketch of what I'd like to see HR become, whenever changes eventually come around: High-risk high-reward driveby/charge specialists whose damage is closely tied to how close and how fast they attack the enemy.
-Lower base damage (the new % reduction seems the right way to go) without an arbitrary static cap.
-Increased speed bonus damage (so charging straight towards the enemy will negate the above damage reduction, which P.E.N.I.S. Players still suffer).
-(I'm a bit fuzzy on the mechanics at play here) HR projectiles lose their speed/speed bonus more quickly over medium/long distance. (Isn't there some kind of effect where projectiles lose speed over distance? Or am I just making that up? Either way, HR wishing to get the most out of their builds would have to charge straight into the teeth of the enemy).
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I'm assuming that further HR changes will be back-burnered until the Revival patch has had enough time to “breathe,” but I think it's worth starting the conversation.
Your thoughts, comments, and nudes are much appreciated.
