Weapon Balance

[Korwin]

It's not a large issue, but anyone who claims combat is a negligible part of the game is joking themselves. Every hour in game there's at least one armed conflict, or risk of one occurring. Furthermore, there's hunting pigs, and all that other combat related activity.

I'm certain it's always a consideration for the development team, but a post never killed anyone, and it may just send people in a direction they haven't considered yet.

This is a summary of ideas.

The current system has a combination of factors that leads to certain weapon being chosen, but the others are put right out, except by die-hard fans.

Some factors that I believe could be included, and makes certain weapons feasible choices for warriors;
-An increased difference in speed.
(It's negligible for most weapons)
-Different Efficiencies when dual-wielding, or while using a shield .
(Probably already being implemented.)
-Different ranges with melee weapons.
(Unfeasible with the current client, but who knows.)
-Different critical hit ratios.
(Critical hits as an idea are sort of cheesy, but the concept behind them is sound. The location you're stabbed with a sword will make more difference than the location you're struck with a hammer)
-Damage multiplication after armour damage resistance
(A spear will do little damage if it bounces off plate armour, but if it penetrates it, it will do a lot more damage than the flat rate of being hit with a concussion weapon)
-Parry Efficiency
(Again, probably already implemented. A staff is much better for parrying with than a war hammer)
-Something needs to be done to make ranged weapons useful
(The isometric client makes only close-range fire possible)
-Knockdown/Disarm Chance
(Large weapons can do either to an opponent)

These are just some of the myriad of ideas that can be considered.

[Bloodhearte]

These same ideas were poroposed before on the fighting system forum, but the major problem is creating algorithms for such changes.

[Moirear Sian]

It's a matter of a long time, mind you, but I think these things will fall into place slowly, one by one.

Some thoughts that arose while reading, on such that might come into change earlier than others:

The current system has a combination of factors that leads to certain weapon being chosen, but the others are put right out, except by die-hard fans.

I've actually figured out that the Double-axe is overrated, and there are some weapons that are severely underestimated. As opposed to leaking what works better, and of all things, under which circumstances, I won't leak it, and say: Find it out and use commmon sense; we've all seen tons of movies with fighting in them and played just as many games. All I know is that from now on I'm going to be laughing a bit more about people wielding double-axes in Illarion, because I only recently realized a big weakness about them.

-An increased difference in speed.

I think especially one-handed weapons need the overhaul, their efficiency in speed over two-handed weapons is ridiculous. As for the above-mentioned double-axe, the double-axe definitely needs to be slowed down, a bit, while something like a longsword needs to be sped up. It just shouldn't be that newbie characters slash twice with a double-axe when entering melee while someone with a dagger or a short sword slashes once AND deals less damage. Unless of course we want to defeat the purpose of having no magic items (à la Diablo) and drive blind masses into wielding double-axes in order to feel like they'd have a chance in winning combat, that is.

-Different critical hit ratios.

I say "hit zones" rather than "critical hits". Both are random, but the former allows strategizing better defense with specific parts of equipment rather than relying on pure randomness, and if they came into place, people couldn't just switch their main body of armor on and off during battle to gain maximum efficiency (I say this because the lack of individual character graphics allows certain people to cheat, as it is now).

-Something needs to be done to make ranged weapons useful

More damage, extending range to the end of the entire screen.

[Nilo]

Wait and complain in a few days when the new client comes out.

Anyway, from what I understand, the weapons & armour will indeed be much more balanced, and two handed weapons won't be as good... and shields will be better, as well as archery!

This will bring 'life' back into the game I hope!

[Thalodos Artemetus]

Yay archery! Can't wait to see what they've done.

[Athian]

So long as leather armor isn't complete crap anymore i'll be happy. i live in that stuff ya know.

[Aristeaus]

Yes your smell should be written as a new weapon class.

And as to the balance, a happy medium between single handed and two handed weapons would go down nicely, it is so hard to hide a double axe in your pjamas

[Bloodhearte]

i live in that stuff ya know.

As do all of my characters.

[Pendar]

@athian,,,,more truth to the socks than intially meets the eye??
#me draws a sock, and brandishes under the orcs nose..

Indeed the future looks bright
Brian