Concern about Brawl and upcoming changes in patch #3

[Jezekie]

Currently there's a mechanics change on the test server where Combat Arts has reduced effectiveness if you have a Green/Grey con weapon equipped. As it is with our lvl 36 skill Brawl it adds 20 points to our fist skill, this potentially changes the con color of the weapon. At least the damage & con color updates if you examine your weapon after buffing with Brawl. So rather then giving us a boost in raw melee DPS from Brawl, we take a negative hit to Combat Arts if weapons turn Green/Grey.From the patch notes on test:- Melee combat arts will decrease in effectiveness when equipping a weapon that is green to the character. They will decrease even further if a grey weapon is equipped.

[Opa]

I hope this is not an issue. I have faith however, that it won't be, for the following reason.Even if you have Brawl on, you can't, for example, equip a weapon above your "real" fist skill. Thus, it's relatively clear that your real skill is still built into the mechanics someplace. As long as Sony had the good judgment to use that "base" skill, it should be fine.

[Raidi Sovin'faile]

<DIV>Really.. it should be the level of the weapon vs the level of the creature (or it's respective defensive skill) that counts. If a grey conning weapon (without buffs) is less ineffective against a creature that will grant you xp (anything green or higher), then I'm okay with that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If they literally mean that you've become "too good" with a weapon and actually <EM>decrease</EM> in ability, then they've broken a cardinal rule in game balance: never make a bonus a bad thing to have. Especially since there's literally no way to avoid it, short of <STRONG>not using your given abilities</STRONG>.</DIV>

[OgApostrap]

<DIV>Maybe they go on both abilities? So you get the increase in dmg from fists.. but it wont fool the system because your fists only went up and not your slashing or piercing. (whether you sue cestii's or cestus ;p)</DIV>

[Dahlrek]

Isn't this mechanic already in the game? Equip a low-skill weapon and you can see your CA damage drop. Doesn't appear to have anything to do with the damage of the weapon, since CA damage won't change when you switch from good fast DW to good slow 2H that hits far harder per-hit. Just seems to limit your effective skill for CAs to the max skill of the weapons you're using. I noticed it a long time ago when I was doing some early testing, didn't feel the need to investigate further.

[Southe]

</FONT><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Jezekiell wrote:<BR>Currently there's a mechanics change on the test server where Combat Arts has reduced effectiveness if you have a Green/Grey con weapon equipped. As it is with our lvl 36 skill Brawl it adds 20 points to our fist skill, this potentially changes the con color of the weapon. At least the damage & con color updates if you examine your weapon after buffing with Brawl. So rather then giving us a boost in raw melee DPS from Brawl, we take a negative hit to Combat Arts if weapons turn Green/Grey.<BR><BR>From the patch notes on test:<BR><BR>- Melee combat arts will decrease in effectiveness when equipping a weapon that is green to the character. They will decrease even further if a grey weapon is equipped.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>At lvl 50 with Brawl, with a 250 skill weapon, does it green out? Cause if it does, looks like brawl becomes useless at  49/50 =(</P> <P></FONT> </P> <P>Krace</FONT></P> <P><BR></P> <BLOCKQUOTE><BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>

[Jezekie]

<blockquote><hr>Southern wrote:</FONT><BR>>At lvl 50 with Brawl, with a 250 skill weapon, does it green out? Cause if it does, looks like brawl becomes useless at 49/50 =(</P><P></FONT> </P><P>Krace</FONT></P><P><BR></P><BLOCKQUOTE><BR> </BLOCKQUOTE><hr></blockquote>Weapons that maxes at 245 (lvl 49) becomes green with Brawl(Cestii of the Master from RE forexample), as it puts our fist skill at 270. I'm uncertain wether 250 max skill is enough to make it blue though.

[psubull]

<DIV>It might just be possible that it only looks at what the weapon cons unbuffed.  Similar to equipping it.  So say you're fighting an even at 50, with even weapons.  If you had brawl on, your hit % would increase as if you had the higher skill, but the weapon penalty would not occur.  Hopefully, that is the case.</DIV>

[Miyu-Lega]

I'm fairly certian the math would be kept simple server side. I belive it will check current weaponskill vs the max level on the weapon, so yes this ability would be affected, but it would be considered a unintentional side effect and would be corrected. Also in most cases a 4 level difference would be green, so 250 mastery weapons would be green if I am correct.

[Danan]

<DIV>*** Mechanics ***<BR><BR>- The damage bonus given by extremely high amounts of strength has been reduced. For example, having a strength of 400 previously gave a 200% damage bonus; after this change, the damage bonus is 155%. There is no change to the damage bonus at a STR of 100, and only a slight reduction at 200 STR.<BR>- Heavy armor now mitigates 11% more damage. Light armor now mitigates 35% more damage. <BR>- Having stamina greater than 200 will now increase the character's maximum health pool.<BR>- Maximum power will increase when the stats used to determine it (strength, agility, intelligence, or wisdom) go above 200.<BR><STRONG><FONT color=#ffff00>- Melee combat arts no longer decrease in effectiveness when equipping a weapon that is blue, green, or grey to the user.<BR></FONT></STRONG>- If an epic opponent can only be hit by a certain quality of weapon, that weapon's level must be within 75% or 5 levels of the target's level.<BR>- A bug that was giving some characters extra points in certain skills has been corrected. For example, Artisans will no longer receive 5 extra points in the skills they stop advancing when they choose a class or subclass, and Brawlers no longer gain extra Deflection at lower levels.<BR>- Players will no longer receive a "mini-ding" at reaching 100% of a level if they are unable to gain a level due to a milestone requirement (such as the citizenship quest, class quest, etc.).<BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href="http://patch.everquest2.com:7010/patch/eq2/motd/en/updates_live.html" target=_blank>http://patch.everquest2.com:7010/patch/eq2/motd/en/updates_live.html</A></DIV><p>Message Edited by Dananeb on <span class=date_text>02-17-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:52 AM</span>

[Opa]

<DIV>Nice find D, I skimmed right over that, thinking it said the opposite.</DIV>