Quick Combat Questions

Antonius · December 2016

If he's leaning away from Serpent because of "complexity" he's apparently not intending to fully explore Depthswalker.

Ahmet · December 2016

Antonius said:

If he's leaning away from Serpent because of "complexity" he's apparently not intending to fully explore Depthswalker.

I said complexity. I moreso meant the whole 'two skill trees devoted to literally nothing but pvp afflictions' that I don't currently have learned and don't feel like re-learning, as well as the fact that I utterly flopped the few times I tried to pull it off in the past. Though, I guess that's gonna happen no matter what class I get working on, at least a few hundred times, before I start getting it down

Aerek · December 2016

If you're just learning combat as a self-defense thing, I'd vote Dragon, as well. Very strong defensively, very easy to get the hang of the offense, SvoF includes the Dragon limbcounter by default, and basic Breathstorm/Bite x2 kills a very high percentage of the game population if their Tumble game is not on point. (I'm assuming you won't be -looking- for fights at the Mark tier.) If you take the time to peg sensitive Bites and the new Devour tricks, you'd have a chance to kill pretty much anyone.

After that, Depthswalker. I don't know much about the fancier tactics, but even the basic Degen and Dictate setups are not weak, and you get to use the fact that a lot of the world still doesn't know what to watch out for. Seems a little weak to damage, though.

Mathilda · December 2016

Can confirm, Dragon is easy but can still kill. It's like biking with 3 training wheels!

Shirszae · December 2016

Fighting defensively as a Dragon only works if you spend all your time in Dragon or can dragon-form quickly with the elder talisman set, though.

Ahmet · December 2016

Shirszae said:

can dragon-form quickly with the elder talisman set

6% of the way there

Krypton · December 2016

More progress than you've made on Caer Witrin

Ahmet · December 2016

Krypton said:

More progress than you've made on Caer Witrin

Kenway · December 2016

Krypton here demonstrating the Crushing Mock instakill which while it does not outright finish your foe it does cripple their will to live.

Aerek · December 2016

Shirszae said:

Fighting defensively as a Dragon only works if you spend all your time in Dragon or can dragon-form quickly with the elder talisman set, though.

Ahmet isn't usually one to attract the hunt-me-24/7 sort of attention, so I'd wager that he'd probably know when someone was gunning for him, and that it would probably occur while hunting or during some big event, which are both pretty good times to be Dragon anyway. I prefer dueling in lesserform, but the only time I get jumped is while I'm bashing, so I'm almost -always- in Dragon when someone comes knocking.

Kiskan · December 2016

Krypton said:

More progress than you've made on Caer Witrin

Heh. I mean, it's a joke, but surely one of those jokes barbed with truth. If you're not one of the top combatants, or one of the top questers, or top whatever (and by definition very few people can be at/near the top) do you even belong in an IRE game at all, I wonder sometimes?

I think if you aren't at or near the top in these games, most people will struggle mightily to sort of stay in the mindset of "well, I will just keep doing my best, and use my own progress as a benchmark", just because the whole atmosphere is so hypercompetitive and literally goes out of its way to shame and make miserable any player who isn't incredibly talented. And does it day in and day out.

I remember this conversation two people had about some quest on Aetolia, and they were basically bragging back and forth about how long the quest should take, with the insinuation being that you're an idiot if you can't do it in X amount of time. It really, really, really put me off doing quests even more. It feels like there is so much of that attitude everywhere. I guess it is great if you are also hypercompetitive and super talented at everything.

Shirszae · December 2016

Aerek said:

Shirszae said:

Fighting defensively as a Dragon only works if you spend all your time in Dragon or can dragon-form quickly with the elder talisman set, though.

Ahmet isn't usually one to attract the hunt-me-24/7 sort of attention, so I'd wager that he'd probably know when someone was gunning for him, and that it would probably occur while hunting or during some big event, which are both pretty good times to be Dragon anyway. I prefer dueling in lesserform, but the only time I get jumped is while I'm bashing, so I'm almost -always- in Dragon when someone comes knocking.

Fair enough. I suppose I was speaking more as someone who spends most of her time (and hunts, if she can at all help it) in Lesserform. If someone wanted to attack me while I was in Dragon I'd either lesserform or just plain escape.

@Kiskan Not sure why being in any kind of top matters to that point. As far as I see it, you make your own goals and such in this game. Sure, it might be a little much if being a top combatant is the reason why you play the game and you are not really good at it, but I for one know am nowhere near the top, but I still enjoy going at it and improving a little at a time, even if it does get incredibly frustrating now and then.

Atalkez · December 2016

Kiskan said:

Krypton said:

More progress than you've made on Caer Witrin

Heh. I mean, it's a joke, but surely one of those jokes barbed with truth. If you're not one of the top combatants, or one of the top questers, or top whatever (and by definition very few people can be at/near the top) do you even belong in an IRE game at all, I wonder sometimes?

I think if you aren't at or near the top in these games, most people will struggle mightily to sort of stay in the mindset of "well, I will just keep doing my best, and use my own progress as a benchmark", just because the whole atmosphere is so hypercompetitive and literally goes out of its way to shame and make miserable any player who isn't incredibly talented. And does it day in and day out.

I remember this conversation two people had about some quest on Aetolia, and they were basically bragging back and forth about how long the quest should take, with the insinuation being that you're an idiot if you can't do it in X amount of time. It really, really, really put me off doing quests even more. It feels like there is so much of that attitude everywhere. I guess it is great if you are also hypercompetitive and super talented at everything.

No one is good at something without practicing it over and over and over. You have to temper your expectations in comparison to whoever you're trying to compare to, or comparing to you.

A 10 year vet should know quests etc way better than someone that just started.

Everyone has their own pace, and Achaea is definitely a game you can do your own thing.

Kiskan · December 2016

Well, it's a bit finer point than that. Improving is a process in and of itself sure, which is what I am getting at with my "most people will struggle mightily to sort of stay in the mindset of 'well, I will just keep doing my best, and use my own progress as a benchmark'" comment. But that comment also encapsulates the idea that if you feel like you're constantly being measured and coming up short, it makes that process even harder.

Basically, if you are at or near the top (or have well-founded confidence that you can get there), you don't have to deal with all of the direct and indirect "haha, you are not good enough to play this game" stuff. For example, the two people blathering on about quests weren't talking to or about ME, but they made it super clear that they felt very strongly that anyone who couldn't figure it out in X amount of time was a real idiot. And that attitude is super prevalent in these games. So the trick of course is to not let it get to you, which can be, well, hard.

The "at or near the top" group of players gets to be above all of that, and it's going to be a LOT more comfortable up there. No struggling with self doubt, no "what if I really AM an idiot", and so forth. So it's less about "rawr, I want to be the best that ever was" and more about how different people will experience trying to "get gud" (or at least better) in a hypercompetitive atmosphere where there is near constant judgment/shit-talking/bragging etc...

Atalkez · December 2016

I dunno, maybe it's a mind state difference.

When I started, about 4 years ago with serious playing, I couldn't code or fight or even navigate for crap. My interest was in combat, so I did things to fight. I got destroyed. A lot.

Lots of people talked crap after I'd lose, so when things finally started all clicking and I started actually winning, it felt even better to be doing it. There was a time when Jinsun and I would wind up in Dun as level 70s duking it out, and he used to shit on me back then, talked so much smack. The first time I got that kill was a cheer fest.

Setting your goal and staying true to that goal is all it takes. Ignore the shitstorm people, focus on doing the thing you want to be good at, and do it.

Things other people say is only going to bother you as much as you let it. Who cares if X and Y thought you were slow for that quest, did you do it? Did you finish it? Did finishing it make you feel good? Those are the things that matters.

Nicola · December 2016

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” – Lao Tzu

Krypton · December 2016

“What other people think of me is none of my business.” – RuPaul

Driden · December 2016

Quotes are dumb - driden

Kiskan · December 2016

Well, if nothing else, I am going to find a way to incorporate "shitstorm people" into my vocabulary tho. Might even be my favorite new word since cunthammer.