[dev1032] Reducing class affinity across the board

[Dargoth_Draconia]

You ain't hitting no 1k+ per arrow unless you are fighting weak crap, I get your point but Archer are supposed to be powerful.

I still feel fairly unique, but it does definitely need some tweeking to make it feel even more like how an archer should feel. Should be able to shoot from far, should be able to shoot from above the enemy or below (like archer in FF Tactics).

[Abriael]

So what your saying is that if I want to be a good Archer... I lvl lancer to 20 then TRASH it because all I need is feint and invegerate. Then I lvl conj to 20 OR the next lvl of cure because it is extremely lame how I can heal just as much as a conj putting CURE 1-4 on a lvl 1-50 job, then I TRASH conj. Now I lvl pug to 16 for second wind and sneak attack then TRASH that class. I have no need to lvl glad and then I lvl Marauder to lvl 6 just for blood bath just for the hell of it and then i TRASH that class... (might has well toss raise on my archer too)

Now I have the most over powered melee class in the game atm combined with every single ability that makes every other class unique thus making all other classes pointless to lvl up any further. Now I can heal myself for 400-600HP and never miss while spamming weapon skills as much as my stamina will let me combined with every single class attack buff and accuracy buff further enhancing my WTF OVERPOWERED KNOCK ARROW THREE TIMES for 1k+ damage per arrow on the initial burst in which I can reknock ASAP thus giving me around 1.5-3k (I forgot that I have comrade in arms too) TP allowing me to toss out 2-6 weapon skills. Rinse and Repeat in a matter of seconds.

How is any of this fair let alone making the affinity system balanced?

That's exactly what reducing affinity is for. Reducing the potency of skills In order to make sure that you're NOT the most overpowered melee class ever, simply because the abilities are a nice have, but not all-powerful.

You CANNOT heal yourself for 400-600, because the class affinity is low, and you will be able to heal yourself for 200-300 tops. The damage dealt by feint will be lower, invigorate will be less effective regenerating less TP, second wind will heal you much less and so forth.

About trashing classes, where's the problem? It's your time, your experience and your game. If you want to level up a class for a single ability and then trash it, it's your choice.

[Spuffin]

That's exactly what reducing affinity is for. Reducing the potency of skills In order to make sure that you're NOT the most overpowered melee class ever, simply because the abilities are a nice have, but not all-powerful.

You CANNOT heal yourself for 400-600, because the class affinity is low, and you will be able to heal yourself for 200-300 tops. The damage dealt by feint will be lower, invigorate will be less effective regenerating less TP, second wind will heal you much less and so forth.

About trashing classes, where's the problem? It's your time, your experience and your game. If you want to level up a class for a single ability and then trash it, it's your choice.

All you need to do is stack 200 mind... which can you can at will.

[Abriael]

All you need to do is stack 200 mind... which can you can at will.

Oh really? Weird, since there are caps. And if the caps aren't sufficent to avoid overpowering, they simply need to be tweaked.

You might want to inform yourself on how the game works before arguing sience-fiction-like scenarios to try and demonstrate a false point

[Dargoth_Draconia]

I think caps should be stated in the attribute page, say if you hit base cap then it should turn red or some other color to let you know that you can't go over that cap unless you have armor that takes you above it.

[Abriael]

I think caps should be stated in the attribute page, say if you hit base cap then it should turn red or some other color to let you know that you can't go over that cap unless you have armor that takes you above it.

Most definitely. Caps need to become visible.

[Ursok]

I believe this can be controlled if the base stats mattered more, mages will have more INT, MND, PIE, than meele, so that mages will heal for an apropiate amount while meele will have a drastically reduced effect. this could work for buffs, deffus and nukes too.

Make defensive skills work with VIT, so damage dealers have reduced effects from defensive skills.

Weapon skills can be affiliated with weapon type. you can't expect the same behavior from a dagger than from a spear. but you might get better affinity to hand to hand weapons because they are small close combat tools too. you might also limit the usefullness acording to damage type, blunt, slashing, piercing. or you can have some types scale their effectiveness from DEX and some scale their effectiveness from STR thus creating a sepparate feel for each class while retaining some versatility.

Armor types could also be used to create the feeling of uniqueness in each class, for example you need a certain amount of STR to equip a piece of armor, or you will have and encumbered debuff that reduced movement and spell efectiveness. armored classes would have more DEF but reduced EVA. The idea is yeah a mage can put on a suit of armor, but he won't have the STR to move effectivelly in it or cast a spell comfortably.

DEX classes that use leather armor or cloth have more freedom of movement so have increased evasion but not as good DEF as metal amor.

And robe wearing mages will be squishier but they have their magic tools, better heals, binds, gravity, hard hitting spells. or other survival mechanisims.

In a nutshell an archer would not be able to heal himself as effectivelly as a main healer and woth be able to use STR based attacks effectivelly but he will be amazing with DEX based attacks, have increased EVA if he's wearing light armor that's not that heavy.

[Abriael]

That's also a good idea Ursok. The only problem I see with that is that stats can be reallocated, allowing people to pretty much raise the potency of a certain skill at will.
On the other hand, if you exclude the limited help of traits, class affinity cannot be influenced.

[Ursok]

Yes but if you have a limited number of stat points you might get a marauder that stacks MND to get more MP and better heals but he will lack the points to put into STR to wear his amor or swing his AXE effectivelly.. or the DEX to have acurracy to actually hit stuff most of the time. Effectivelly removing the jack of all trades.

also his weapons skills will have only affinity to high STR skills and skills that can be done only with 2 handers.

you might be able to stack points to raise your affinity to a certain skill but that limits the effectiveness of others.

[Abriael]

Yeah. I get that. It really depends on how it's implemented, both ways could work, or even a combination of them.