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B9000 -> Physical Staff Discussion (3/4/2011 17:05:43)
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Regarding mages using a sword if they want to have phys primary strikes (though this is somewhat of a balance issue that affects mages using energy swords as well). There is a pretty big issue with the number of skills that become unusable when a sword is equipped. It isn't just that mages can't use 6 of their skills, but due to the layout of the skill tree mages must waste a lot of skill points with a sword. Typically sword wielding mages will have both reroute and deadly aim. This requires 4 wasted skill points: bludgeon, plasma bolt, overload, and plasma rain must be selected but are still unusable. This is very different from mercs, which waste 0 skill points if they use a sword (maul and atom smasher are conveniently out of the way). BHs must waste 1 skill point (cheapshot) when using a sword, as massacre and poison are also conveniently out of the way. Mages really get a bad deal on this one.
To rectify this I would recommend connecting deadly aim to reroute (with a diagonal line) rather than have plasma rain as the prerequisite. Alternatively switching the location of deadly aim and supercharge would also work. This would make bludgeon the only wasted skill point for a sword wielding mage.
Just to throw this out there as well, it might be a good idea to alter bludgeon to become bludgeon/pommel-strike (usable by sword wielding mages). I understand 'spells' requiring a staff, but does smashing someone with the bottom of your weapon really require a staff? :D. This would help cut down on the extreme number of skills that are unusable for a mage with a sword. Currently swords benefit mercs way more than any other class, which shouldn't be the case for a non class-specific weapon. Mages with a sword lose their only % boosted attack and defense ignoring move (bludgeon and supercharge). BHs lose their only ones as well (cheapshot, and massacre). While mercs do lose maul, they still have two defense ignoring moves (bunker & mult - though not primary related), and two % boosted attacks (double strike and berzerker). I think making a club required for either double strike (making a wasted skill point when using a sword as other classes must have - cheapshot and plasma bolt), or berzerker. However making a club required for both would probably be going too far.
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