WARNING for *Collectors Edition* users:
After discovering that my belief that Drainlife would work through a magic weapon's magic attack was WRONG (..it now only works through damage spells directly casted at the targets, NOT with something like Divine Strike or Blade of Bhaal), I started questioning a few other things:
1. Is there a "strike bug" anymore? (..which related to the derived strike value being 100 or more.) I *think* yes and no.. Yes the effect is still there. No, there is no bug. Basically opponents become a bit harder to strike after hitting 100 in Strike. Not a lot harder, but just a little now. I think about 1 in 7 strikes were being deflected by my primary weapon (as opposed to never hearing the sound of an opponents "armor" deflecting a blow at 99 in Strike). Just with respect to physical damage it isn't something that I would personally be concerned with. HOWEVER, magical *effects* do seem more "blunted", i.e. freezing was more difficult to achieve and fire/nether/rune strike effects didn't seem to last as long. Note though that others apparently have experienced a much more difficult time with this, so a caveat is in order here.
2. Does an increase in Magic Weapon skill beyond the required skill level for that weapon offer anymore damage? Nope! This means that for most people a magic weapon skill of 9 is likely the max they will need (..unless they import one of the level 10 weapons).
3. Does an increase in a like magic skill increase a like magic weapon damage? Nope!
4. Do you only need 1 skill point in dual weapons (if you have that skill)? No. For full damage the dual weapon skill should be at a level equal to the highest level weapon used so that there is no penalty. (EX. say your primary weapon is a heavy weapon sword (perhaps a Sapphire great sword) and requires the Heavy Weapon skill level to be 7 so that it will work without penalty. Your off-hand weapon is a light sword and requires less than level 7 in the Light Weapon skill. Here you need a Dual Weapon skill of 7 to maximize the damage of both weapons.)
5. Does adding additional points to Dual, Heavy, Medium, or Light Weapon skills beyond what is required to achieve no penalty for a given weapon add to the damage or ability to hit? No. The ONLY melee type skill that progressively adds to damage as higher levels are obtained is Ninjutsu (..specifically in that there is no "penalty" to overcome with this skill).
If you have similar OR differing results - then please share your experiences! Also, if you have something different yet similar to this thread's "theme" - then please share that as well.
A Few Misconceptions for CE users:
Since you're posting about some of your observations on the game, I'll mention one observation that I made.
Either the Giant Crusher Mace (occasionally dropped by the minotaur gladiator)or the Barbtongue blade(available for purchase at the Arms of Argus if you're a fighter's guild member) is an oddity. I said that because the barbtongue blade is so slow to swing compared to the crusher mace and the mace has a higher strength requirement. My character looked as if he were swinging the blade slower and he was getting hit/bitten more often while swinging compared to when using the mace.
Another thing: I wonder if the heavy weapon damage vs. dual weapons damage is really true. I have never done any testing, but it has always seemed to me that a heavy weapon wielded with two hands has always done more damage than when paired up with a second light (or medium) weapon.
Either the Giant Crusher Mace (occasionally dropped by the minotaur gladiator)or the Barbtongue blade(available for purchase at the Arms of Argus if you're a fighter's guild member) is an oddity. I said that because the barbtongue blade is so slow to swing compared to the crusher mace and the mace has a higher strength requirement. My character looked as if he were swinging the blade slower and he was getting hit/bitten more often while swinging compared to when using the mace.
Another thing: I wonder if the heavy weapon damage vs. dual weapons damage is really true. I have never done any testing, but it has always seemed to me that a heavy weapon wielded with two hands has always done more damage than when paired up with a second light (or medium) weapon.
-darkpark Brap on!
All second both comments.darkpark wrote:Since you're posting about some of your observations on the game, I'll mention one observation that I made.
Either the Giant Crusher Mace (occasionally dropped by the minotaur gladiator)or the Barbtongue blade(available for purchase at the Arms of Argus if you're a fighter's guild member) is an oddity. I said that because the barbtongue blade is so slow to swing compared to the crusher mace and the mace has a higher strength requirement. My character looked as if he were swinging the blade slower and he was getting hit/bitten more often while swinging compared to when using the mace.
Another thing: I wonder if the heavy weapon damage vs. dual weapons damage is really true. I have never done any testing, but it has always seemed to me that a heavy weapon wielded with two hands has always done more damage than when paired up with a second light (or medium) weapon.
I'll also add that even though more damage was being represented with single-wield heavy sword, the dual-wield with the same sword almost always resulted in a faster "kill".
Now it *could* be that there is indeed a reason to increase your dual-weapon skill beyond 1. (i.e. it may result in higher damage for the primary weapon in a dual-wield configuration.. but its something I haven't tested.)
I think that the damage produced by the primary weapon is almost always greater when held in two hands than in one. My guess is that the faster kill comes from the fact that you're landing more hits.
Nevertheless, I prefer using a single heavy weapon. A character just doesn't look right to me wielding a giant two-handed weapon in a single hand and second light weapon PLUS a shield. But.... to each their own.
Nevertheless, I prefer using a single heavy weapon. A character just doesn't look right to me wielding a giant two-handed weapon in a single hand and second light weapon PLUS a shield. But.... to each their own.
-darkpark Brap on!
There is no reason to have a shield equipped in this game unless you actually use it to block regularly. None of my characters have used shields in "ages" - though I do use elemental protection spells (fire and ice when necessary). It confers no benefits unless you are blocking with it. As far as "looks" are concerned - yeah, some of the combinations can look lame.darkpark wrote:I think that the damage produced by the primary weapon is almost always greater when held in two hands than in one. My guess is that the faster kill comes from the fact that you're landing more hits.
Nevertheless, I prefer using a single heavy weapon. A character just doesn't look right to me wielding a giant two-handed weapon in a single hand and second light weapon PLUS a shield. But.... to each their own.
Really? I use the shield VERY often. It is especially useful at Ulm where're often surround by the Fathien guards and there isn't a lot of room to maneuver to avoid getting hit. Basically, I use the shield when facing mobs of monsters. Yeah, one could blow them away with a couple of fireballs and/or one of the Nova spells but what is the fun in that? I guess it comes down to play style.
I love the feel of the games melee combat so I often do so even with spellcasters.
I guess it comes down to play style.I love the feel of the games melee combat so I often do so even with spellcasters.
-darkpark Brap on!
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Actually, there is a reason to take dual weapons to higher levels even if the damage does not increase - it grants an extra combo at skill level 5 which does way more damage.
About the thing referred to as "strike bug"... I'm using 1.4, and my current character has it, every once in a while she whiffs at an opponent producing the gray "parry dust cloud" but not too often. One exception, though, was whiffing at bats five times in a row. I was moving backwards, swinging at the bats but not one hit, so the bats all escaped. It doesn't really bug me too much since bats don't give no experience anyway.
About the thing referred to as "strike bug"... I'm using 1.4, and my current character has it, every once in a while she whiffs at an opponent producing the gray "parry dust cloud" but not too often. One exception, though, was whiffing at bats five times in a row. I was moving backwards, swinging at the bats but not one hit, so the bats all escaped. It doesn't really bug me too much since bats don't give no experience anyway.
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misconceptions too
i have noticed that in ce if you raise your arcaine magic skill it not only raises your dmg it also raises your cast rate (shoots spells out faster). i have personally tested this as i accumulated 18 million points and pumped arcaine and intelect(to lower costs) with the point and took arcaine from 10 to 24 and noticed a huge difference when casting blast nova. i have also noticed that fire nova(dont use often cause too slow) speed up a little bit. i will try to raise arcaine to about 38 to see if fire nova actually becomes practicle to use because of the speed.
i have also noticed that +strike jewlry and weps and armor seem to make a bigger difference early on than pumping dex. i found this out in the fargrove catacombs using a zaur. not sure if character matters.
the nether spell summon death lord is bugged. i have had multiple lock ups while i have had them summoned. once fighting big bad mog, twice in the tomb of souls, and again in the vale of ruin. i have not had any such problems with the divine interventions. i have been attacked directly by the divine interventions once int the ulm castle (yes they attacked me as there were no enemies around).
i have noticed that in ce if you raise your arcaine magic skill it not only raises your dmg it also raises your cast rate (shoots spells out faster). i have personally tested this as i accumulated 18 million points and pumped arcaine and intelect(to lower costs) with the point and took arcaine from 10 to 24 and noticed a huge difference when casting blast nova. i have also noticed that fire nova(dont use often cause too slow) speed up a little bit. i will try to raise arcaine to about 38 to see if fire nova actually becomes practicle to use because of the speed.
i have also noticed that +strike jewlry and weps and armor seem to make a bigger difference early on than pumping dex. i found this out in the fargrove catacombs using a zaur. not sure if character matters.
the nether spell summon death lord is bugged. i have had multiple lock ups while i have had them summoned. once fighting big bad mog, twice in the tomb of souls, and again in the vale of ruin. i have not had any such problems with the divine interventions. i have been attacked directly by the divine interventions once int the ulm castle (yes they attacked me as there were no enemies around).
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Deathlords and all other ninjas can cause lock ups (I've mentioned this in another thread). Didn't you ever get a lock up while fighting enemy ninjas in the vale of ruin? That happens to me every other time... and I only once tried the summon deathlord spell, trying to take down a pack of giant serpents, and guess what, my Deathlord swings at a snake, BAM, instant game freeze. Of course I didn't try that again. However, the lockups that happened while fighting enemy ninjas didn't ever happen in Draedoth Temple but always in the wilderness. But enemy ninja lords (only they, not normal ninjas) have another bug: the character can walk right through them like they weren't solid.
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