Parry Mages

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loganloganlo

Expert
As it stands now, this template is hardly ever seen being used. I'd like to suggest that in factions, you can use a chaos/order shield which will allow you to cast while it's equip. (But may not be used, in anything but faction PvP otherwise it will explode. (Just like weapons.) I think this could be a great addition to factions, and bring this old'ish template back into play. Anyone else thoughts?
 
Arch Enemy

Arch Enemy

Grandmaster
I like the idea of making parry mages viable, but I think it should require use of the parrying skill. For anyone to just be able to pick up a faction shield and have the same benefit as everyone else regardless of template removes any strategic diversity, and that's not healthy. I think it would add a little more diversity to character templates and be helpful if you're fighting a lot of dexers. In my opinion, it should be available for everyone. I mean, it would be hard to keep it controlled as faction only. If the shield explodes when you attack or get attacked by someone who is not in factions, you're down an entire 100 skill points that you can't use because of something as simple as being attacked by someone outside of factions. And if we don't make them disappear when fighting non factioners, then factioners will have an advantage when fighting anyone outside of factions.

Maybe we could give some sort of BOD reward for smiths that turns any shield into a spell channeling shield. Then once it's applied anybody could use the shield, but it would still check your parrying skill, and if you have 0 parrying it wouldn't provide any parry chance, only the raw AR of the shield.

But then again, since armor actually matters on this server and the fact that AR for shields here is huuuuuuuuge, (I'm pretty sure an invuln heater shield provides more AR than an entire set of invuln platemail armor, even at 0 parrying, and that's just wacky as shit imo) it might turn PvP into a bit of an item game, and we don't want that.

Idk, seems like a bit of a tough thing to balance, but if it done right I'd like to see it.
 
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Winstonian

Grandmaster
It would absolutely require the Parrying skill. I loved seeing roach mages running around back in the day... always respected the build.
 
halygon

halygon

Grandmaster
There was a reason why parry mages only lived in pre-UOR UO for about two months - because they quickly saw how much it nulled dexxors.

The reason it was around in the first place was because when the Virtue Guards (order/chaos) first came around, they required anyone in it to wear a shield (order or chaos) that was in it to identify who they were - this meant that mages had to be able to cast with a shield equipped. As said above - obviously unbalanced. They quickly changed the name to Order & Chaos, put the faction name above the players name, and made the shields not required (while taking away their spell channelling).

If it were enabled on UOF, it would need to have some serious balancing nerfs built into it.
 
W

Winstonian

Grandmaster
halygon said:
There was a reason why parry mages only lived in pre-UOR UO for about two months - because they quickly saw how much it nulled dexxors.

The reason it was around in the first place was because when the Virtue Guards (order/chaos) first came around, they required anyone in it to wear a shield (order or chaos) that was in it to identify who they were - this meant that mages had to be able to cast with a shield equipped. As said above - obviously unbalanced. They quickly changed the name to Order & Chaos, put the faction name above the players name, and made the shields not required (while taking away their spell channelling).

If it were enabled on UOF, it would need to have some serious balancing nerfs built into it.
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Yeah, I guess that's my take on it. Don't remove it completely, but balance it.

Make it so holding a shield prevents you from using stun punch. Reduce the armor on an O/C shield. If still unbalanced, tweak the block rate/details.

There should be a way to find the balance that 1) adds another build, and 2) prevents it from being overpowered.
 
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