Patch #7 and shield buffs

[Platfing]

<DIV>Will #7 make our shield buffs useless?  Any comments?  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[prisoner]

<div></div>The patch notes are worded strangely.  It sounds like either A) shield buffs will no longer affect block % (which I don't think it ever did anyway) or 2) they wont do anything period and will thus be useless.  For some reason,  I doubt its option A.  17 <div></div>

[Troodon]

Time to start thinking up suggestions for a new ability line? <div></div>

[Boli32]

<div></div>Thankfully, the combat changes won't make it into LU#7... Moorguard said (somewhere) that these combat changes will remain on the test server when LU#7 goes live and won't become live content untill it had been "throughrally tested"... what this means for the furture of our buffs and indeed the furure of our ability to tank still remains unanswered.<div></div><p>Message Edited by boli on <span class=date_text>04-15-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:53 PM</span>

[ChuMann]

<P>I just hope this isn't SoE's answer to the other fighter classes that like to rant about how Pallie's are better (less broke) than they are.  It's almost as if some other fighter types are saying we are TOO balanced.</P> <P> </P> <P>PLEASE DON'T TAKE AWAY MY AEGIS OF HOPE, SoE !!!!!!!!</P><p>Message Edited by ChuMann on <span class=date_text>04-15-2005</span> <span class=time_text>01:13 PM</span>

[Boli32]

Yeah belive me it gets to me to... I snapped earlier and posted off a two page rant in one of the test threads. its not as if we are overpowered... the /con system works perfecly for us, and the colours are more than decoration. <div></div>

[prisoner]

<div></div><span><blockquote><hr>ChuMann wrote:<div></div> <div>PLEASE DON'T TAKE AWAY MY AEGIS OF HOPE, SoE !!!!!!!!</div> <hr></blockquote>When they introduced the ability to look at mitigation and avoidance,  our aegis of hope line doesn't really seem all that stellar.  I wouldn't mind it too terribly if they did away with it,  but I would like something in return,  something useful.  Getting extra ac a few levels early from shields is nice,  but nothing I'd really worry about if lost,  plus the avoidance buff on the target doesn't seem to work.  I unno.  Sounds like a great buff,  but by the numbers,  it really isn't.  17</span><div></div>

[Vaelorn]

<P>Aegis of Hope does improve the avoidance of the target, by virtue of the fact that you will still see messages that the tank takes a hit but YOU block it.  It may not show on the avoidance rating, or anywhere else in the game, but I have seen the message stating that I have blocked an incoming attack on the person whom I buffed with Aegis of Hope.  Since it doesn't hurt you in any way to use this buff, and it no longer has the issue of rebuffing it every few minutes, then it does still serve a useful purpose, even without the shield skill buff.</P> <P>If you look through the Crusader and Paladin skills, however, you will see a few major ones that buff the shield skills of the Crusader, presumeably for the purpose of getting a higher shield factor from shields that are still yellow or orange to you (with untapped shield factor due to the Crusader being below the maximum skill level on the shield).  Knight's Stance was the first of these buffs; it buffs your defense to make you more difficult to hit and it buffs your shield skills to make it easier to block incoming attacks by way of a higher shield factor on your shield.  Brawler's Stance gives them increased defense and increased deflection, while Soldier's Stance gives them increased defense and increased parry.  All three of the mid-teens fighter defense buffs do basically the same thing; they increase your defense to make you harder to hit, and they increase some supporting factor of your ability to avoid hits.  Obviously, it was originally by design that Crusaders would be able to use their defensive buffs to increase their ability to avoid damage, by way of improving their ability to block with their shields.</P>

[prisoner]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Vaelorn wrote:<BR> <P>Aegis of Hope does improve the avoidance of the target, <FONT color=#ffff00>by virtue of the fact that you will still see messages that the tank takes a hit but YOU block it</FONT>.  It may not show on the avoidance rating, or anywhere else in the game, but I have seen the message stating that I have blocked an incoming attack on the person whom I buffed with Aegis of Hope.  Since it doesn't hurt you in any way to use this buff, and it no longer has the issue of rebuffing it every few minutes, then it does still serve a useful purpose, even without the shield skill buff.</P> <P>If you look through the Crusader and Paladin skills, however, you will see a few major ones that buff the shield skills of the Crusader, presumeably for the purpose of getting a higher shield factor from shields that are still yellow or orange to you (with untapped shield factor due to the Crusader being below the maximum skill level on the shield).  Knight's Stance was the first of these buffs; it buffs your defense to make you more difficult to hit and it buffs your shield skills to make it easier to block incoming attacks by way of a higher shield factor on your shield.  Brawler's Stance gives them increased defense and increased deflection, while Soldier's Stance gives them increased defense and increased parry.  All three of the mid-teens fighter defense buffs do basically the same thing; they increase your defense to make you harder to hit, and they increase some supporting factor of your ability to avoid hits.  Obviously, it was originally by design that Crusaders would be able to use their defensive buffs to increase their ability to avoid damage, by way of improving their ability to block with their shields.</P><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Thank you for reminding me of the highlighted point.  Sadly I never noticed because I am generally always MT or when I'm not,  perhaps I have a filter setting where I do not notice it.  For that part of the buff,  it is quite nice,  I'm just curious of the numbers behind it.  However if they are going to remove the shield buff part,  I'd prefer they either increase the effectiveness of the block for others part,  or give us a new side effect benefit.  </P> <P>17<BR></P>