Shattered Kingdoms

Actually it made it both harder and easier. Before the changes your saves were based solely on the wisdom stat (meaning that mages in general had better saving throws than melee classes because of the importance of different stats in those different classes).

It wasn't even hard to get a really good kit back then either. One enchantment was universally seen as useless (saves versus breath weapons), which left 5 different types. You also needed only about 15 in any particular save to claim 95% immunity to most spells.

On the flip side saving throws were spread out amongst three different stats with the change of the system. This at the same time made it a little harder to get the right saves.

The advent of art just changed all that. I've had to double the number of enchants that I carry around just to keep myself safe from nasty spell effects. It's a shame that the armor system isn't that technical versus melee weapons. I'd love to see a breastplate offering complete protection against slash and pierce but none against bludgeoning damage (face it, bludgeon is a superior word to bash). That would go a long way to making the weapon subtype system far more effective. But I digress.

Concussive weapons should ZOMGPWN plate mail. The implementation of a more creative armor system would give tons of useless weapons a chance to see the light. I wanted a mercenary that specs staffs, damn it.

A set of tonfas for the win!

I used to play a mud that had an option for players to give rp bonuses to each other every couple of rl days or so. I do know it was somewhat abused but overall I thought it worked out well. I don't talk ooc to anyone outside of my roleplaying games and I would still get them from time to time.

People with the PAR flag can do this(though rarely, since I think you can get in trouble for enlighting someone multiple times). Assuming they bother stepping away from their clique to interact with other people, of course.

To my understanding, PARs are allowed to enlighten people for interactions with their own multis. As such, just because you aren't interacting with the "clique" doesn't mean you have no chance of getting one from them.

Yes. You can even suggest people who deserve an enlight to the non a-hole PARs. Email them logs if you want. I've made a habit out of this recently.

I think Achernar has even said he doesn't mind getting logs. I've only ever sent him once though, myself.

I've sent logs to PARs and IMMs as well as sending up prayers about particularly outstanding RP in case anyone was around that was interested in snooping.

A staff mercenary could actually work very well. An Ajatang is roughly equivalent to an Ahlspiess without reach, and a Blade Staff is about the same as a Falchion, sort of. I remember working out that a Bo Staff would be nice for accuracy/defense, too, but since it's two-handed that would be risky. The whole thing would basically revolve around the fact that nobody ever bothers to train the Staff skill, so you'd have a nice comfy advantage.

That's all assuming that having a weapon skill mastered increases your skill versus that weapon as well as wielding it. I don't know if anyone's ever verified that.

Well, the problem also lies within the fact that reach weapons are less accurate/damaging/fast as other weapons (overall) and two handed weapons are more accurate/damaging fast than one handers (overall).
What I mean when I say this is that a front row weapon should be better in some way than a reaching weapon, and a two hander should be better in some way than a one-hander. Case in point: Why would anyone spec in ajatang over ahlspiess, if ahlspiess is exactly the same, only it reaches?

The problem with staves is that, like polearms, they are not as good as swords and spears simply because they are granted less points to distribute amongst the three weapon attributes. Axes are the same way: There's always some sword or spear equivalent to an axe, but better, so you'll never see a good non-dwarf player using an axe unless the equivalent weapon isn't available.

While a staff mercenary may "work very well," a merc specced in ahlspiess will work just as well, but better. When it comes down to it, almost all mercs, when faced with the choice of using a staff or being more deadly in combat, will choose the latter, because the fact that there's always a better option will bug the crap out of them forever. I'm saying this from personal experience, as one who rolled a gnome merc.