08-06-2012, 05:00 PM
I'm not sure your calculations are a reliable way to judge performance based on the following:
1) Most of your comparisons are based on a craftable vs. a legendary, and/or ignore reach. One handed weapons are laughable in hard mode for this reason, and the difference between the Butcher (effective overhead reach of 110) and the Swadian Halberd (effective overhead reach of 155) is simply immense.
2) You use "Raw Damage Rate" as a way of representing effectiveness, yet I can tell you right away that if you made the same calculations with an Aurora Blade (Still much more expensive/rarer than Swadian Halberd), the damage output will be about equal with the numbers favoring the Swadian Halberd, yet the Aurora Blade will still kill much more quickly due to the difference in attack times, and the abundance of enemies that die in the same number of hits.
3) Most of the problems that make Pikeman an unattractive class are not due to raw DPS, they are due to:
I) Awkward swinging animations
II) Prevalence of projectile threat, which is already lethal to Commando Slashers who have much higher armor
III) Both being inflexible and lacking a useful, unique role in shield walls at the same time
IV) Frontloading their damage which makes pikemen much less effective against weaker enemies, while in theory making them more effective against heavier armor. However, since they still do cut damage, they still do piddly squat damage to heavier armor in comparison to Snipers or Sharpshooters.
V) Not looking anywhere near as cool as Commandos
VI) In general, being designed for kiting in a mod that discourages kiting as a tactic
I would suggest:
1) Messing with the animations or active swing time so that you don't lolbackswing with polearm overheads and/or hit walls/deployables that are slightly to your left.
2) Implementing overhead stab that can go over shielders for pike-type polearms, giving them a unique spot in the shield wall which also makes them safe® against ranged spam.
3) Increase swing speed, decrease damage, with overall dps remaining the same, or slightly higher
4) Adding a helmet that gives you sunglasses and a cigar
4) Decrease athletics and increase armor/pstrike/pthrow as a last resort after doing the above, since we're not supposed to kite anyway
Comments on your suggestions:
1) Would do nothing, my Commando was specced as a Skirmisher for a while for the athletics, and killed in the same number of hits as he does now. The only difference I actually see is in shielding. As for the Foot Knight I'm just going to pretend that you were kidding about that being a viable level 52 build for anyone who isn't just screwing around in normal.
2) It seems to make more sense to keep the proficiencies about the same as 2H Commando and just adjust weapon speed instead, so that it's less of a pain in the ass to compare weapons.
1) Most of your comparisons are based on a craftable vs. a legendary, and/or ignore reach. One handed weapons are laughable in hard mode for this reason, and the difference between the Butcher (effective overhead reach of 110) and the Swadian Halberd (effective overhead reach of 155) is simply immense.
2) You use "Raw Damage Rate" as a way of representing effectiveness, yet I can tell you right away that if you made the same calculations with an Aurora Blade (Still much more expensive/rarer than Swadian Halberd), the damage output will be about equal with the numbers favoring the Swadian Halberd, yet the Aurora Blade will still kill much more quickly due to the difference in attack times, and the abundance of enemies that die in the same number of hits.
3) Most of the problems that make Pikeman an unattractive class are not due to raw DPS, they are due to:
I) Awkward swinging animations
II) Prevalence of projectile threat, which is already lethal to Commando Slashers who have much higher armor
III) Both being inflexible and lacking a useful, unique role in shield walls at the same time
IV) Frontloading their damage which makes pikemen much less effective against weaker enemies, while in theory making them more effective against heavier armor. However, since they still do cut damage, they still do piddly squat damage to heavier armor in comparison to Snipers or Sharpshooters.
V) Not looking anywhere near as cool as Commandos
VI) In general, being designed for kiting in a mod that discourages kiting as a tactic
I would suggest:
1) Messing with the animations or active swing time so that you don't lolbackswing with polearm overheads and/or hit walls/deployables that are slightly to your left.
2) Implementing overhead stab that can go over shielders for pike-type polearms, giving them a unique spot in the shield wall which also makes them safe® against ranged spam.
3) Increase swing speed, decrease damage, with overall dps remaining the same, or slightly higher
4) Adding a helmet that gives you sunglasses and a cigar
4) Decrease athletics and increase armor/pstrike/pthrow as a last resort after doing the above, since we're not supposed to kite anyway
Comments on your suggestions:
1) Would do nothing, my Commando was specced as a Skirmisher for a while for the athletics, and killed in the same number of hits as he does now. The only difference I actually see is in shielding. As for the Foot Knight I'm just going to pretend that you were kidding about that being a viable level 52 build for anyone who isn't just screwing around in normal.
2) It seems to make more sense to keep the proficiencies about the same as 2H Commando and just adjust weapon speed instead, so that it's less of a pain in the ass to compare weapons.