Shattered Kingdoms

I'm playing a human merc (1st level master) and have come across a couple of bugs/questions.

1. If I don't initiate a fight, usually when I blitz, it doesn't say anything. However, it does check for the skill, as far as I can tell (it takes away 2% PE and I once got better at it). However, I can never actually get a blitz off. Any thoughts? I did bug this one in the game.

2. Also sometimes if I initiate an attack, I only get one attack. This doesn't make sense to me. I've mastered sword, first attack, second attack, third attack, specialize, am superb at fourth attack, and am specialized with the wakizashi. However, I've noticed that when I only get one hit, I have the initiative in each round (I swing first). So I'm not sure that this is a bug or not, but I figured I'd list it anyways.

3. On the specialization point, I'm specialized with the wakizashi. Before I specialized, I could easily get three attacks and often four, and now it's still the same thing. Isn't specialization supposed to essentially yield an extra attack (I know it increases speed and accuracy)? But I haven't really noticed an increase in speed. Did specialize get wimped or did I happen to choose a weapon that is fast enough to get four but not fast enough to get five attacks specialized?

Thanks!

1. Blitzkrieg is supposed to (per the helpfile) hit everyone in the front row of the party you are attacking. I am unsure if this works against actual formations, but I know for certain that when you use it against ungrouped NPCs, it instead only hits those who are attacking you. The nice thing about this is that there's no limit on how many people it can hit: On the flip side, if you use it in combat when no one is attacking you specifically, then you still blitzkrieg, and it hits no one. That's why you're still losing PE and getting lagged but also not doing any damage, and ironically enough, you can even improve at blitzkrieg without hitting anyone as you've noticed.

2. When you start a fight with the kill command, you either get one attack, or your full complement of attacks. What determines this, you ask? The answer is who logged in first: In the case of PCs, the person higher on the who list gets their full complement of attacks when initiating a fight, and in the case of NPCs, if you logged in before that particular NPC spawned (Due to a repop) then you'll get your full complement of attacks. Why is it like this? Who knows. You'll notice this often if you typically clear leveling areas.

3. Specialization is probably making you get four attacks more reliably with your wakizashi, and not having mastered fourth attack probably isn't helping your perspective. But more importantly is that specialize is largely affected by level as well: Once you get nearer to grandmaster, you'll probably be getting five attacks every round with a wakizashi.

Most likely a bug.



Any number of things could factor in. Despite having 4th attack mastered, weapon speed could only allow one attack. However, since it sounds like you're using a wak, I would likely say agree this is a bug. Combat initiation was supposed to get fix, but I'm still noticing times where I'll get 2x the number of attacks on an opening around, and times where I'll only get one. To confirm that you do only get one, ensure nospam is off (nospam none) and check to make sure your attacks are not getting dodged/blocked/etc.



Spec isn't guaranteed to give you an extra attack. Most times, you'll find that with spec, the best you'll do with four, however there are ways you can ensure 4 consistent attacks, and maybe even 5, depending on the weapon used.

sleeps

Thanks for explaining those things, both of you.

So who is right?

Turon, on all accounts, with the exception of regularly capping five attacks at GM with a specced waki. The principle is correct, though.

Specialize allows you to land an extra attack than ordinarily (the same applies to haste), that means five with the waki, in theory, and six with haste. I doubt specialize alone will let you reliably land five attacks with it, though - although a GM haste will probably haul you up to six more often than not.

Actually, I just hit second level master and am now frequently doing five attacks. Sweet.

Thanks for helping me understand all that.

Strange. The pivotal change usually occurs at level 40. But good for you!

Don't think of it as only getting one attack. Think of it as getting an EXTRA attack. If you are higher in the NPC list, you should get the "extra attack" plus your full round of attacks, before your victim gets to retaliate.

i land five attacks constantly at master 3, at Gm, you can almost count on five every round all the time. Any weapon spec, you get a extra attack at master 2, thats the advanced stage of specialize.