Nice effort, Leshma, +1 for that!
Introduction is over. Time to go to programme Back to the Roots. It involves:
- Changes to xbow class and weapons. First, some sort of stat depency for xbowmen. I've mentioned something similar to lack of wpf for other ranged classes. Depending on type of Crossbow there should be lower limit of wpf needed to actually perform well. It should be set quite high so that xbowmen have very few wpf left for melee proficiency. Also raise STR requirement for all Xbows in this order: Hunting 9 STR, Light 12 STR, Crossbow 15, Heavy Crossbow 17 SRT, Arbalest 18 STR. Also make Arbalest 3 slot so that dedicated Arbalesters can use only 13 projectiles per round and one handed zero slot weapon of choice.
I think that's not a bad balance suggestion in general, but I doubt it will help the problem of ranged spam on EU.
- Implement synergy for ranged classes. Based on points put in ranged proficiency, ranged players will get free wpf in 3 melee proficiencies. Up to 80 melee wpf if put amount of ranged wpf equal to 8 WM. Scale accordingly to higher and lower levels of WM. But this must be a trade-off. Which means wpf function for ranged must be steeper, steepest for archers, bit less for xbow and very few changes for throwing.
I don't agree. First of all I don't agree to make archers stronger in melee, since it moves all the classes closer to each other and the game becomes less interesting. When I reach an archer in melee I want him to be significantly weaker than me, since during all the time I approached him I was significantly weaker than him (in ranged combat).
Secondly, making archers stronger in melee doesn't make them suddenly engage in melee as well. There is a reason people choose ranged over melee, and it has most likely to do with the gameplay and the fighting mechanics of those classes. Increasing a few stats doesn't change anything on the gameplay or mechanics, which means most ranged players would run away from infantry even if their stats were BETTER than those of the infantry player.
- Changes to archery weapon values, which is why I call it Back to the Roots. Bows get cut damage, except Longbow. Arrows deal cut damage by default, unless combined with Longbow. New damage value for Longbow should be the same as Yumi or 28 pierce. Rus Bow go one point lower to 32 cut. Arrow damage is, starting from 3 for Arrows to 6 for Bodkins (cut). Quiver weight should be lighter, 50 percent for all arrows (5 instead of 10 for Bodkins). Arrow quiver should contain 21 arrows at 7 weight per quiver, Barbed 19 at 6.5 weight per quiver. Tatar 17 at 6 weight per quiver. Bodkins 13 arrows at 5 weight per quiver. Also change weight and price of bows. Longbow should stay at this price but other bows should be quite a lot cheaper. Longbow should be also heavier, instead of 4 kg it should weight 5 kg. Also heirlooms for arrows should change. Masterwork arrows should get +1 damage and +2 ammo. On +1 just +1 damage. In +2 just +2 ammo. On +3 combined as I said. Bow looms should stay the same, no buff for damage.
The problem of ranged combat compared to melee lies in the
mechanics and the
gameplay, which has no connection to the
balance. I wrote it many times already, battle game mode is a hunting mode, since yu have to hunt down all enemy players in order to win. Cavalry and archers are well suited to hunt other players, while infantry is not, it's a rather defensive class whose only offensive capabilities lie in attacking a certain area, not mobile targets. This renders them the only passive class in the game mode, who can only react, while the other, active classes can more or less act to their likes. This very reason causes infantry to feel at a constant disadvantage, never mind how superior their stats are compared to the other classes (and they are). This leads to an "exodus" from infantry to the other classes, and there you are.
No stat change will change something on the fact that a ranged player can engage into combat a few moments after he spawned, while an infantryplayer has to run after his targets. You can't change the fact that archers can put themselves into an advantageous position where they can have good cover from enemy fire and where horses can't approach them, while infantry has to be on the move constantly, thus always being less aware of their surroundings and usually being located in the thick of the things. You can't change the fact that when a target is blocking with his shield or trying to dodge your arrows, you more often than not can pick another target which is not aware of you, and the success of your attack mainly relies on your ability to aim, whereas every infantry player who attacks in melee has to hope for his enemy to make a mistake and not block his attacks for ages.
This is why people should stop proposing balance suggestions to get the upper hand on the ranged problem.
- Increase weight threshold for all ranged to 15. But after that point, loss of wpf should be drastic with every 0.1 kg overhead.
This point gets a combination of my previous two answers.
