Shattered Kingdoms

I'm sorry, I have to point out one thing out that you've all forgotten.

Even if you give swashies all these awesome new skills...

They still have the shittest damage, and don't riposte/parry/dodge enough. Not at all. Even if you give them nice skills, they sill have this glaring weakness for a fighter class. And Riposte is -CRAP-. Utter -CRAP-. I've seen mercs parry more.

By comparison...

Scouts have Ambush, a nice high damage attack, not to mention camouflage, tame,- and herbalism for rounding them out as a formidable opponent.

Rogues have double backstab and scrolls and hide and hamstring and all this other nice stuff.

Shamans have all kinds of maledicitions and spirit aura to protect them in a fight, and voodoo cannon . Also, as Syndal showed, the call lightning is epic at times.

Swashies need three things to balance out with the other light armor classes, and be redeemed from being -worst sk class-.

1)One high damage ability, to put them on par with ambush, voodoo, double back-stab... Or a few intricate damaging techniques and some modification of their normal weapon damage which is -terrible- if you use a weapon accurate enough to riposte.

2)A much better all around defensive ability or two. Something to match shamans and scouts, etc, so they can actually tank and also get away and hide or something.

This defensive upgrade -should- include the inability to attack someone behind them, honestly... if you're striking someone beind a goood swordsman, he should land every cut on your neck until you're decapitated.

I like the body part attack thing gilgon suggested too for this reason.

3)A unique skill that means something. What the heck is riposte? Honestly? No one's scared.

Voodoo can really reach out and touch you, as can Double backstab.

Ambush is the weakest, but the scouts have compensating damage factors.

Mercs and barbs have nothing comparable to voodoo and backstab either. Swashes are a warrior class, it isn't necessary to give them any kind of focused damage spell; they deal significant damage hitting 5 times a round + any ripostes (hasted).

I do like the idea of parrying weapons that are reaching over you. It would be a small tweak though, and doesn't have much to do with making them more fun.

The chief problem to me seems to be that they could use more skills which show off their class distinctnes. Dual wield and riposte don't really cut it for that.

Mercs and Barbs are compensated by not having voodoo or backstab because they have heavy armor and can use weapons that do lots of damage with no affect to their skillset.

The problem is that if you want to riposte, you need a low damage but highly accurate weapon to use any of their parry/riposte stuff.

So no...

Swashies are not compensated the way you're saying -at all-. Not even a little.

A griffon scout with no pet and just a few herbs should take down an armed swashi with no cabal skills or special weapons, just claws and brawling. First go the swashie's arms and with some dirt kicking, his riposte will die off.

They need more class-specific spells. The light armor "warriors" are sacrificing brute strength and such for having special cool skills.

Right now, the merc has more class-unique stuff, or just about as much class-unique stuff, as the swashie.

The merc is supposed to be some of every fighting class, not more unique then a specialized warrior type.

This is almost blasphemy.

I think swashies should be totally revamped. The whole skillset. But if you're not going to put in that effort...

They need three things I listed. You need to make them do something, at all.

In their concept, swashies are my favorite class. I just don't wanna play an underpowered class.

In fact, I'm going to work on putting together what I think they need to match scouts/shamans/rogues. And post it on this thread soon as I'm done with it, by pointing out exactly where they don't have something.

Since when did swashis become the sux?

I remember raping face with mine at mentor easy.

I would think when the weapon subtypes thing happened...

Let's get too this...



Pardon the "xxx." Those are are Ezeant's superpowers. Shh don't tell.

Awesome skills I get that are useful but not unique:

Disguise: -Awesome- way to avoid the quick scroll kill, always good to have.

Sneak: -Awesome- and -very useful- for getting around.

Dirt Kick: Dirt kick + dex = owned.

Butcher: -Free- food, how awesome is that?

haggle: $$$$.

Awesome unique skills that make this class one of the best, that I actually use:

Tame: -Free awesome tank- This is not a warlock's elemental by any stretch of the imagination, but who doesn't love one of those giant primates, seriously?

camouflage: Best hiding skill in the game, you can't beat it, the ultimate anti-pk.

herbalism: Herbs are -heinously- pimp, this is the reason ambush is not better. herbs are our high power attack. THIS IS ALSO WHY I DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT RAPID SHOT BEING EQUAL TO A MERC SPEC'ING IN BOW. WHATEVER.

Ambush: Camouflage, shoot, what's not to love? It's a whimped wilderness backstab with -range-.

Rapid shot: Let's be serious, the bow has no position requirements, and is a ranged attack that does plenty damage. Bows rock. That's why today we have these things called -GUNS-.

Scout's Skin and Herbalism to make them a great support class...



My next char will be a rogue if you don't revamp swashies. Let's begin with my love for these skills...

Awesome stuff:

Circle stab: High damage attack between rounds if you're not being directly attacked, this freaking HURTS to be on the recieving end of.

Scrolls: Uh, let me ask you after I whip out the trip petrification or the trip acid blast on you after a double backstab.

Backstab: owned.

Double Backstab: Double owned.

Dirt Kick: owned.

Pick lock: So freaking useful, saves so much time.

Steal: MONEY MACHINE, Ca-Ching.

Plant: Rp heaven. I would frame everyone with this given the opportunity.

Parry: Just to boot, they get parry, freebie.

Hide: A nice little hide skill.

Sneak: Goes with hide.

Haggle: $$$

This class has tons of awesome sneakthief stuff to make them great support. Pick lock anyone?



If this class actually did melee damage I would demand whimping. Look at all that leetness.

Heal, Voodoo, Spirit Horde, Word of Recall, Dispel magic, Call Lightning, Control Weather...

Cure Poison, Cure blindness, Frenzy, Spirit Doll...

BLINDNESS, SLEEP, IDENTIFY, DEAFNESS...

-BREW-. Nuff said. This class is full of win.

Healers, fighters, ranged spells, wow. Power Overwhelming.




That's it?

Unique skills: Dual Wield. Taunt. Finesse. Riposte.

That's it? Seriously? Wait...

Do they have some -really really awesome- dodging skill or defensive technique that's unique. JUST LIKE THE ABOVE?
No.

Do they have some kind of awesome offense?
With the [REDACTED] weapons they have to use? Riposte? Pfft. No.

Do they have some kind of special skill to make them useful beyond combat.
Not at all.

Do they have heavy armor then?
No.

Do they have any ability to hide or something?
Are you paying attention? No.

Wait, wait, let's look at a merc... This must be balanced somehow...



Specialize. Heavy Armor? Blitzkrieg isn't much but.. Retreat?!

So... More skills. Just as many specials. And with specialize and heavy armor, 1000x better.

-----------------------

I think my point is made. Just read the code. You need to revamp the entire class.

Swashbuckler's lose.

My new skillset proposal for them to follow. I want to give it really serious thought first.

I forgot bards. They're as full of win as a shaman.

Why not give em something like advanced haggle, peek, hide and something like

Flank Attack - Just like circle stab, except you don't have to be the one hiding in the back or to the side or however that works, but also increase the chance to dodge for the swashi the next round, since the merc is having to turn to hit them.

Ie... merc hits you four times, flank merc, extra damage

Swashbucklers are excellent tanks and do gnarly damage with the correct subtypes. I think you're forgetting their ability to bypass the heavy armor bonus.

I wouldn't mind them having some non-combat related skills to make them more fun in that regard, but combat wise, they are still awesome.

I agree. Swashbucklers are bad [REDACTED] given the right tools.