Kaelin -> RE: PSA: Dexterity (1/28/2019 0:57:35)
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Again, part of what makes INT so complicated is its cubic effect, and it's unique in fussing over whether players have full INT or not. This is why I had tossed out some alternatives so players don't have to be punished for all three of MP, accuracy, and damage. If we do go the "give everyone full MP, but make it useless for 0 INT characters" route, this will entail substantial inventory revamps, and we'll have to come down very hard on players who skimp on INT for "0 turn" uses (quickcast spells and misc items) -- 0 INT characters in particular would be able to abuse the MP too easily with 0-turn moves if they just miss out on stat damage or aren't tested on INT at all. But we hope it'd mean that suboptimal levels of INT will do just as well as suboptimal levels of STR. Obviously players are looking for different things in the game. Before the stat cap raise, if you wanted to be a "pure mage," realistically the only build available to you was 200 INT/DEX/LUK and 150 END. Unless you saw yourself using 200 END, there was no way to style your character beyond that. A similar thing is true for "pure warrior," and a "pure ranger" was effectively just a pure warrior. A 250 cap helps these builds out to a degree; players will still tend to take 250 INT/DEX/LUK or 250 STR/DEX/LUK, but sacrificing DEX or LUK for END isn't pointless. With a 275 or 300 cap, then a character is simply unable to have perfect weapon stats, and then a player has to decide whether to sacrifice what DEX offers (accuracy, not to mention blocking) or what LUK offers (Lucky Strike damage). The idea of having a build that's more-geared for power-per-hit or for accuracy gives pure builds flavor, and if there's something regrettable about removing DEX's effect on accuracy, it's losing the possibility of having pure builds stylzed for power or accuracy should the cap go over 250 (although this consideration will still exist for Ranged weapons -- it's the price for DEX giving a player blocking). But it's true not everyone wants builds made for one thing. If you want to specialize in two different things (Magic and Companions), then a high INT + CHA build is the way to go, and you'll still have points to throw into a third stat for some flavor (even if it's as little as 150). If you want to specialize in three things (Melee, Magic, and Companions), then if the cap is 250, your build is pretty much locked in, and if the cap is higher, then you have to start making sacrifices (although if you're not getting hounded into using DEX for accuracy, it'll probably balance out), and that's probably how it's supposed to work -- you can't be perfect at something splitting your attention three ways, but you can still be very respectable at them. If you want everything (Melee, Ranged, Magic, and Companion damage), then I don't know what to tell you. We know some of you want to train stats to mid levels for more personal or aesthetic reasons. There aren't many people running about massive intelligence and charisma but totally lacking in strength, dexterity, or endurance, so having medium levels can be more satisfying. From my perspective (and this is a perspective of at least one other knight from some time ago), 0 in an AQ stat is supposed to mean you're average at a thing rather than bad. Someone with 0 END in AQ can still take hits pretty well, but obviously the results won't compare with 250 END. Someone who still has 0 in a stat can still attack with a Melee weapon, or fire a bow, or command a pet in battle (thankfully training difficulty is gone). Maybe changing INT's role for MP is sort of the last pillar to validate this idea, but I'll have to run it by the other Knights (it'll be a lot more work for them than for me). Of course, just because someone *can* do those things doesn't mean the person *should*, but you shouldn't see the 0 as a cartoonish weakness. And there are ways to make your character behave in a manner more versatile than stereotype for their stats: warriors can still power strength-based "spells" with their SP, mages can still effectively bash enemies with (magic) clubs, and both can still command a pet to aide them in battle. It's more that your stats are telling you what you're better at, with the understanding that you can't have it all. I can also try to build monster standards around a build that is suboptimal in their stats, even for something as severe as 150 STR + DEX + INT + CHA + LUK. With the current draft I'm looking at, it'll be worse than all the focused builds (at least with how INT currently works), but it's a lot more competitive than you'd probably expect. So assuming players are using pretty flat stats shouldn't make things too easy for everyone else (especially not with some of the other plans we have in mind~~~).
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