Registered Member #934
Joined: 2:56:50 am GMT 12/13/06
Posts: 46
so i've been poking around IG and in the downloadable Mod and i can't find anyone anywhere on Thain that sells or drops any thing looking like a Long Sword + 3 (not that i'm looking in the right places)
is there a reason for this or is it a simple oversight?
it's not a huge issue for me, but it seems to me if a fighting type wants to RP a Knight or even a Fighter with a penchant for the clasic longsword they'll be hard pressed to find anything above + 2
the only problem i can see is if said Knight or Fighter was walking along and got ambushed by some "mega-monster" that needed a + 3 or above weapon to deal with it.
i've been in my shair of DM events and had it not been for GMW i wouldn't have survived, in fact i've been in a few DM events and had to flee to live another day because i could so much as give the critter a paper cut.
i've got a character concept for a Fighting type but won't make him on Thain because he could so easily get whammied at an unoppertune time. he'd use the clasic Longsword/ Short Sword combo but i'd have to be able to get him + 3 of both at some point to consider him 'viable'. that being said i know of at least one short sword that is + 3.
the same question occurs for Rapiers, if i wre to play a "swashbuckler" i'd want to use Rapiers but iv'e seen nothing above +2
so just wondering why some weapons only make it to + 2 and no further.
Registered Member #294
Joined: 7:00:31 am GMT 10/06/04
Posts: 101
+3 is actually considered EXTREMELY powerful on Thain from what I'm remembering. Most weapons don't approach that point. And the few I have seen that do are rather expensive. It's not a bad thing, you just need to save up and pick and choose.
That said, I do believe we need a couple of fighter-centric weapons that can bring their top end of enchanted weapons a little more variety. But I also haven't seen it as the hugest problem either.
It would be nice to know though, if the most common character build's (i.e. STR-fighter, DEX-fighter and magic-user) can damage the most powerful enemies at some point in their development using the available weapons.
Registered Member #294
Joined: 7:00:31 am GMT 10/06/04
Posts: 101
From my experience if you're looking for power you have to go with magic user, rogue, or AA for physical damage. The others end up being underpowered... And to be honest, I DO think that a few fighter specific weapons would be good to balance out the lack of benefits for the fighter class. (and not a 1 level of fighter set of weapons either) It would be nice to see, or even know that there exists, a set of weapons, armor, shield etc that would allow a fighter to at least compare to the other classes on an even keel.
! Registered Member #20
Joined: 8:30:40 am GMT 02/25/04
Posts: 7123
For all my complaining about class balance, I wouldn't call melee characters unviable on Thain at all. You'll have a tougher time leveling at some points and there are some areas you won't ever solo, but a pure melee type can hold his own and contribute significantly to a party. If building the most powerful character is what you're after, fighters aren't the way to go, but it's not as if you'll be useless.
There are a couple weapons that are kept low-magic to shut down cheese builds (scythes come to mind), but for the most part, weapons aren't balanced because they take time to make. The Staff wants to add weapons that are interesting and unique to Thain, rather than a bunch of standard +3 gear out of the toolset. It's nothing to do with wanting to gimp longswords specifically.
Certainly though, most item types on Thain do clock in well below +3 Enhancement. How far below will vary with the item, but items with an actual +3-equivilant version are the exception, not the rule.
Registered Member #1029
Joined: 11:45:04 am GMT 04/18/07
Posts: 732
This is something I've noticed too. I haven't been on the server that long, but have explored quite a bit of Thain and have been specifically looking out for longswords and making a collection of what is available. I even posted an in character request to see if other people knew of drops I was unaware of without a single response.
Registered Member #636
Joined: 1:42:07 am GMT 10/26/05
Posts: 505
I actually like things as they are.
A Fighter can have GMW cast on his weapon by a Mage, or take some rogue levels and use a scroll.
A Paladin can cast Holy Sword on his, and a Ranger can cast Bloodthirst.
I think that alleviates the need to have +3 weapons.
Besides, what we are really talking about here is DR. Without the necessary "+" to penetrate it, the DR subtracts from the damage done. Most DR is not all *that* high that a blow from a strength based fighter cannot damage it (with WS, turn on Power Attack, etc).
Add in some Flameweapon or Darkfire, and DR is irrelevant, anyway.
Registered Member #934
Joined: 2:56:50 am GMT 12/13/06
Posts: 46
Squidget wrote ... For all my complaining about class balance, I wouldn't call melee characters unviable on Thain at all. You'll have a tougher time leveling at some points and there are some areas you won't ever solo, but a pure melee type can hold his own and contribute significantly to a party. If building the most powerful character is what you're after, fighters aren't the way to go, but it's not as if you'll be useless.
There are a couple weapons that are kept low-magic to shut down cheese builds (scythes come to mind), but for the most part, weapons aren't balanced because they take time to make. The Staff wants to add weapons that are interesting and unique to Thain, rather than a bunch of standard +3 gear out of the toolset. It's nothing to do with wanting to gimp longswords specifically.
Certainly though, most item types on Thain do clock in well below +3 Enhancement. How far below will vary with the item, but items with an actual +3-equivilant version are the exception, not the rule.
a pure fighter is not a "power build" low saves ensure that. that is also true with Fighter/WM builds. i made a level 20 ftr/wm in a offline mod, his 'good' save was 9 (fort) Ref was 7 and Will 6
his only hope against a caster would be an interupt attack.
i also didn't say it was about "melee" characters, it was about Knights and Paladins and classes that prefer certian weapons. neither did i say anything as condecending as "gimp" certian weapons, i never implyed that, you did. and i never ment to accuse the Staff of anything like you make it sound.
i don't recall saying anything about soloing or having the most powerful character, or being useless, i happened to have been thinking of RPing warriors. but Paladins get to have a spell that eventually gives them a temperary +5 weapon, Fighters don't.
the times i've been "jumped on the road" there were other characters around... but they weren't haning out GMW's like they were candy or anything. so my character /was/ very much unviaable, if it weren't for his own equipment he had no other resources.
and while he /could/ use something like a Ghiperous sword or Bagnorn long knife, that wouldn't fit the character, so are you suggesting i PG it and ignore RP?
a character using a Rapier or even Firenze (yes i spell it the right way ) style is compleaty unviaable if they are in a DM event or even if they go up against something like an Elder Air Elemental or Wyrm Beetle. in the Wastes they are worse than useless, unless someone has an extra GMW.
i never said i had a problem with 'cheese' weapons like the Scythe (at x4 crit that is a bit much) not going to +3
but i hardly think a Longsword would be deemed "cheese"
and if there's a +3 Greatsword i don't honestly see a Longsword being /that/ much of a strech.
frankly i'd prefer to see a unique weapon as opposed to a 'standard' +3 but it baffels me as to why there's a +3 equivelent Greatsword, Bastard Sword, Katana, and Scimitar, but no Longsword in sight.
sorry for daring to ask such a provocitive question that is obvously so controversial that you feel the need to flame me.
i was under the mistaken belief that Free Speach resided on the forums so long as it was respectful and that i could ask a question and get a decently respectful answer if i asked in a respectful manner.
Tempting as it was, I decided not to go round hitting people with a crowbar. Registered Member #650
Joined: 1:17:12 pm GMT 11/20/05
Posts: 8758
Long swords, when compared to say daggers or short swords do have little diversity for such a common weapon. But a certain human smith's blades are currently the best buyable.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Longswords and such
) style is compleaty unviaable if they are in a DM event or even if they go up against something like an Elder Air Elemental or Wyrm Beetle. in the Wastes they are worse than useless, unless someone has an extra GMW.