Increase shield force field

[Rumblood]

Shields should be a more effective counter to ranged than they are currently.

[San]

Do you think the forcefield is currently too poor for shields? Interesting to see an archer's perspective.

I only have a problem when an archer shoots from a heightened elevation because the way your character holds a shield is awkward for such high angles, especially off center. Maybe something can be done for shield skill 6 and above. Even at 2 shield skill I can already block with a decent area in front of me (and don't really notice the difference in forcefield between 2 and 5).

I think shields should have more realistic weights so they could catch archers. 3.5kg for a buckler is ridiculous, for instance. That small weight difference matters a lot for their acceleration.

[Ellie]

I don't really think the force field needs a buff. It's already pretty decent, and as a thrower I'm constantly hitting shields even if i aim over at their heads, or below at their feet. Only way I can hit a shielder is to get a large height advantage, or to get behind them.

That being said, I haven't touched my shielder in a while. Maybe I should see if I find the force field as useful when I'm using it rather than having it in my way.

[Grumbs]

A shield overhaul would be nice, but I think increasing force field is more of a sloppy way to combat the problem. It comes with its own inherent problems as well, like protecting players from hits from behind or hits on the horse. As long as the shield protects from head to foot and a bit to the sides thats ok. Maybe increase the Length on some.

Main thing for me is giving more players access to shields that don't gimp them in some way. Often the shear weight of the things make them unattractive to take as a backup unless your main role includes holding a shield. Its often a lot better to simply judge when players will release a shot and dodge to the side, and you need movement speed for that. Deploying the shield makes you a sitting duck if there are ranged on more than one side, they get destroyed too fast (especially if you have 1-2 skill shield, but still with better ones too), and there is a good chance a xbower will simply crush straight through it. If players take points away from their main role for a support item they should really get better protection from ranged with it rather than simply weaken their main role. Shields become more useful towards the end of the round though when you are forced to engaged ranged. Thats when i'll take a shield usually if i find one on the floor. Before then its just too much of a detraction from you fulfilling your main role imo.

Not sure of the best solution..I still think simply having fewer ranged would be better than forcing everyone to becoming like a turtle. Reducing ammo counts would help, or make it so you can't loot more ammo from the field

[Rumblood]

Not sure of the best solution..I still think simply having fewer ranged would be better than forcing everyone to becoming like a turtle. Reducing ammo counts would help, or make it so you can't loot more ammo from the field

Really? Well I think we have too many 2 handers and polearms in game. I think ranged is an excellent method of thinning their numbers, but there are still too many of them. How about we put in a stamina bar so they can only swing and block for so long before having to stop for awhile? Or maybe their weapons could have a chance of breaking, forcing them to pick up new weapons? That would give us fewer of them! 

/sarcasm off

Buffing the forcefield for shields is a great way to address the problems people have with ranged. It is a well known fact that shields just aren't as effective against it as it should be. However, if you touch any other aspect of the shielder, it will make them more effective against melee as well. That isn't what we are after. Keep the weight issue and speed issues it has against other types of melee. That is the price you pay for not needing to directional block. Even if a buff to the forcefield does block some attacks from the side that it didn't previously, nudge was introduced to counter such a situation. You can kick them. It won't make them suddenly overpowered. But it will help make them more effective at blocking ranged attacks.

[korppis]

Buff heavy towershields maybe? Smaller shields already have ridicilous force field compared to their size (especially the palm sized buckler).

[Tzar]

Just lower the ammo count on Archers and Xbaws to that of throwers.

Forcefield is fine.

[Zlisch_The_Butcher]

Forcefield is fine, people just needs to use kite/board shields if they don't want to invest heavily in shield skill OR have to turn the shield up or down depending on where the enemy is aiming, the issue with shields is bolts passing through them.

[Ronin]

If someone's having problems with the force field I'd say to him to just invest more into shield skill, it's not like it requires a huge amount. 1-2 extra points are not that much to spend into something that increases the force field, durability and speed of the shields.

[Mala]

even with shield skill 12 or 13 archers are able to hit you with frontal attacks.

[Phew]

If someone's having problems with the force field I'd say to him to just invest more into shield skill, it's not like it requires a huge amount. 1-2 extra points are not that much to spend into something that increases the force field, durability and speed of the shields.

I've seen no evidence that shield skill affects forcefield size anymore. I have 7 skill and a +3 Knightly Heater, and coveraged against ranged is awful. Archers shoot over/under/around my shield more often than it catches arrows.

That said, I think shield weight is a much bigger issue than coverage against ranged. Dedicated shielders are severely gimped by the weight, and 2h/pole players don't bother with a cheap shield for use against archers because of the huge weight penalty.

[MURDERTRON]

I'm pretty sure phantasmal found a spot to shoot at shields where it will almost always penetrate.

[CrazyCracka420]

I like force field as it is (as a shielder with 5 shield using knightly heater shield).  If anything, I think shields should weigh less than they currently do.  I think all the current 2 slot shields should stay the same, but weights should be much closer to native shield weights.

[Ronin]

Weight is indeed a problem. Maybe if shields also increase the armor value when equipped, well that would be another story

[Grumbs]

Shields need to be buffed against ranged while at the same time not buffed in melee. A blanket weight reduction without nerfs to 1 handers would present its own problems.