Players, chars 'n stuff

This is a section where the forums games and forum rpg's reside.

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Shade
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Shade »

Because apparently, a party without a tank cannot be functional. :?
(It can.)
Furthermore, a tank can't protect the glass cannons from all damage. Not all enemies are specialized in physical melee combat. That's something that some people seem to keep forgetting.
A more balanced durability spread also helps the group in case one of the combatants does end up getting KO'd. In the tank/glass/glass/glass setup, if the tank ever gets KO'd for whatever reason, the three glass characters are completely and utterly screwed. Likewise, if a powerful spell KOs all three glass characters at once, the tank can't really do much anymore.
In a party of 4 JoATs, on the other hand, the loss of one fighter still damages the team, but can be coped with more easily overall, especially if the entire group knows healing techniques.

Oh, and roleplaying. I dunno about you, but occassionally, I like having something in between "lol, did you just try to tickle me" and "OMG, I got impaled by a sewing needle! I'm gonna die!". :teach:
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Ditto »

Eh, was that a new use for anvil head fencer guy? Anvil head jerk with a sewing needle guy? I'm totally on board, I hope you realize that.

At any rate, yeah, a party without tanks can be functional, possibly even more functional, but personally, I find it more boring. Having balanced jacks-of-all-trades ultimately leads to four characters who don't really have that much cooperation in a party and reason to group up other than strength in numbers - perhaps they're more powerful with each one in the group, but it doesn't really feel like there's cooperation, just manpower. On top of that, its hard to achieve, and if one person deviates their strengths too far in one direction (healing, tanking, damage, etc,) then the rest of the group either has to not compensate and get hurt for it or compensate and end up with a group with glass cannons and tanks. With different classes, yeah, you're screwed if someone goes down, but it gives more reason to take care of the entire group and puts more weight on a given player's actions.
"It only hurts when my squad won't f***ing heal me."

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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Shade »

... xD

Fair enough - to each their own. :)

Now, obviously, 4 JoATs is exaggerated - they don't need to all be completely balanced. However, you can also specialize a bit in one or two areas while still being passable in all others.
For example, you could have this setup:
- A: Good durability, good melee, bad magic, okay healing, okay support
- B: Okay durability, okay melee, good magic, bad healing, good support
- C: Good durability, okay melee, okay magic, good healing, bad support
- D: Okay durability, bad melee, okay magic, good healing, good support
Everyone would be capable of covering all but one area when necessary (because admittedly, you have to draw your stat points from somewhere, or may just not have enough AP to cover everything), but all these example characters have their two specific areas that they're especially good in, and would spend the most time doing. A would be responsible for melee combat, but could also heal and buff when necessary. B would provide buffs and debuffs as well as deal multi-target magical damage to the enemies, but could also hold his own on the front when necessary. C would heal injuries and double as a tank, but could also provide some damage output when not busy patching up the rest of the group...
You get the idea. :)

Obviously, it also depends on the ruleset how effective a JoAT is. Sometimes you just don't have enough stat points to be even just passable in everything, and must specialize in one or two areas to be effective. Sometimes, some areas are easier to combine than others, like durability & melee or magic & healing & support.
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Agent of Dread »

You know, characters who are designed to work together (Ariel and Leira from 2222's PnP much?) can be pretty awesome. I'm not sure why we haven't done more of those.
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Ditto »

"It only hurts when my squad won't f***ing heal me."

http://guildedage.net/
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Agent of Dread »

Shush you.
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Ditto »

So, whatever happened to unliketea? He sorta just vanished when I was starting to get to like him on the forum. Not to mention he was pretty decent at these PnP stuffs.
"It only hurts when my squad won't f***ing heal me."

http://guildedage.net/
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Re: Players, chars 'n stuff

Post by Shade »

I have no idea, and there's no email adress shown on his profile, so I have no way to check.
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