26-02-2012, 08:20 PM
Alright, so I knew the second option would seem off.
I'll put some more clarity on this again. Infantry would retain a specific role as the shield-bearing one-hander class, with a throwing weapon proficiency. Their presence is still a necessity, and it's a role I fill myself after I realized how garbage hybrids were going to be in the long run (If they were to be effective bow users, they still would have had to have two quivers so they could maintain a presence in the back before cleaning up in melee), and this is especially true in hard mode, with the aimbot rangers and the hail of throwing axes and javelins.
The "new" second class wouldn't be able to stand in the front with the shield wall, as they'd get riddled with holes in the chest and head. Their role would be that of a melee damage dealer, while using crossbows as a can opener against heavily armored foes before engaging in melee. Crossbows don't have the crowd clearing power of bows, so they'd take on higher value targets in a wave before it crashes into the front line (Shock Troopers are a good example); they would then have to engage in melee seeing as how shield infantry don't exactly have a lot of killing power against a swarm.
I can't emphasize enough about how easy it is to be killed by ranged weapons without a shield. Without any skill in it, it would be a waste to pick one up in the first place - we've all seen snipers headshot Troopers through the top of their shields on the 12th wave.
I'll put some more clarity on this again. Infantry would retain a specific role as the shield-bearing one-hander class, with a throwing weapon proficiency. Their presence is still a necessity, and it's a role I fill myself after I realized how garbage hybrids were going to be in the long run (If they were to be effective bow users, they still would have had to have two quivers so they could maintain a presence in the back before cleaning up in melee), and this is especially true in hard mode, with the aimbot rangers and the hail of throwing axes and javelins.
The "new" second class wouldn't be able to stand in the front with the shield wall, as they'd get riddled with holes in the chest and head. Their role would be that of a melee damage dealer, while using crossbows as a can opener against heavily armored foes before engaging in melee. Crossbows don't have the crowd clearing power of bows, so they'd take on higher value targets in a wave before it crashes into the front line (Shock Troopers are a good example); they would then have to engage in melee seeing as how shield infantry don't exactly have a lot of killing power against a swarm.
I can't emphasize enough about how easy it is to be killed by ranged weapons without a shield. Without any skill in it, it would be a waste to pick one up in the first place - we've all seen snipers headshot Troopers through the top of their shields on the 12th wave.
Captain_Stoogey