Spiral Knights - Polearms... and they aren't flourish reskins, either!

Polearms... and they aren't flourish reskins, either!

5 replies [Last post]

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 12:35

Destroyerofthenort

I am aware that this has been suggested many times before... trust me, i wouldn't suggest something that already has a thread unless:
a. they just asked with no specifics
b. it sucked hard with the details they did provide
figured i would get that out BEFORE i am publicly burned as "an example to the rest"
now... let's get right on to statistics, shall we? The spears classify as "swords" in terms of their weapon class (obviously). The weapon is interesting stat-wise. It does low levels of mixed normal-pierce, and has a 5 attack combo with speed just a bit faster than, say, a gran faust. One attack in the combo is an omnidirectional one, and one attacks in the direction of a random enemy in front of you (defaults to hitting rightward if no foe present). Animation-wise, the character stabs twice in front, twisting the spear after the second, then spins around with the spear, and then hits a foe with the butt of it. That said, it is still low damage, and low speed; i am hearing a few ask "why?". This is where we start to get our answer.

The charge throws the spear javelin-style. The spear will then do one of two things based on wether or not it has a status tagged to it.
If status: the spear travels forward until it impales a foe, and sticks in. Beeps are heard, and it detonates, with a short-range (about 2/3 that of a proto bomb) status explosion (not cloud... ya hear me OOO? we don't need long range mist bombs.)
No status: The spear travels fourth and impales foes... but it doesn't simply "stick" to one like the other, no: This one hits and keeps going. It can impale many enemies, dragging them with as it hits, each time it hits one, damage is done to ALL who are skewered which increases as the number of foes does. Imagine the potential... now, if only wolvers and devilites stood in STRAIGHT LINES (basically, good.. when you get it to work)

Sounds fun, huh? but we aren't there yet. Equipping the spear does something else: it instantly edits shielded mechanics while in active use, triggering something i refer to as "Phalanx Mode" (OOO, you are welcome now to cry over the amount of coding required.). When Phalanx mode is active:
+Shield can take 4x the hits
+Knocks away foes who charge the shield when shield bash button is pressed
+Can attack while shielded
*Shielded attacks move at the speed of a standard brandish attack (not able to be affected by ASI
*Shielded attacks occur as front thrusts
*All attacked while shielded take THE NEXT LEVEL OF DAMAGE (IE: Zombies=full crit, slimes=crit-normal)
*Attack does not move player
*Player cannot move while attacking
*No combo limit (feel free to spam frontward-facing stabs while shielded the entire time traveling a level if you wish it)
-Shielded walk speed decreased (almost immobile)
-Shield only defends in front
-Shield only regens when FULLY depleted
-Cannot shield bash (passive change: cannot bash WHATSOEVER while spear is in use)

Now... wouldn't this be just the greatest? if you party up, it would be: you can grab aggro to tank for the party and block off narrow passages as they shoot into them. great for large hordes in areas like, say; the end of a shadow lair, or the ghostmanes in OCH, heck, maybe even red roarmulus if you really feel brave, and have a good elemental shield. Soloers would not get too short an end of the stick from this either: the extra shield endurance, if you can compensate for the directional factor, may see you entirely avoiding trojan charge level damage... and you might as well laugh at greavers. But, as mentioned, do remember this is no invincibility or uberbuff: you are still vulnerable. In fact, you are entirely open at the sides and rear. Also: the best way to use this, above all, is neither of the above, though... one will find the most effect in this by joining a party where, rather than being a tank for the party, you all jump in on the fun and form a phalanx, or circle; and allow your combined efforts to act as a shield wall, or one really big, really strong circular shield for the whole party. Gives those with a tactical approach to the battlefield a bit more feet to stand on, and encourages teamwork to find efficient application.

Oh, yeah... LD guardians... they can use it too! the direction of the group shielding changes to protect anyone behind the guardian in the front as well, in this case. I do believe this should make a few more people look at that guardian class before dashing out as a striker... which is good... a little variety in the debaucherous pool of skolver clone bandwagons. Grab a fuill team of guardian spearmen and show them what for. do watch for the rare recon, though: you and all of your buddies are dead if they make it behind you.

I believe i have made a point in balancing this, but if you see issues, do let me know. I would love to see this to freshen up gameplay a bit, how about all you?

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 13:12

Iamwierd

errr

Slightly OP... just sayin

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 14:54

Destroyerofthenort

@iamwierd

not rejecting you there, but you were a bit unspecific... can't fix if you aren't specific. Maybe if i try to more clearly put fourth how that works

Base damage is comparable to that of cutter

the actual shield basically moves the protection on 3 of 4 sides to the front with this equipped. NOTE: because it defends in front, traps CANNOT be blocked
o= your knight
l/_= shields
x= opening

Normal:
____
| O |
____

+Spear:
____
____
____
____
x O x
x X x

trying to shield dash results in whacking foes away with no damage or stun while equipped with the spear. This only occurs while shielded, whereas when not shielded, absolutely nothing happens.

moving while shielding is basically impossible... or at least impractical... to get an idea, go fight apocrea... stand right in front of him when he grapples you. The speed he moves away at to engage his soul sap: half of that is the shielded walking speed

shielded attacking enabled, but ONLY occurs in a straight line in front of the shielded knight, and movement while attacking does not work period while shielded (no redirecting your attack if they move): you must wait for the attack to finish a full thrust and pullback to even slightly shift direction. This attack has a moderate speed and cannot be affected by ASI. It will improve the damage done by attacks to use this method of attacking. The thrusts do not move the player. Note also that charge attacking is not possible shielded, and attempting to do so will leave you depressingly unshielded at heprhaps the worst possible time.

any hits your shield may take are permanent until the shield breaks altogether. You can't regen unless the entire thing breaks, and once it breaks, you cannot use it again untill it is at full charge

I took care to be careful doing this: it is intended not to be OP, it is just different. THe reason you think this OP is likely because you depict it being able to be incorporated into existing playstyles: it cant be. Hugging the shield is required by this, and gives you strength at great price. If you feel it doesn't do that, please point to a specific area. Use a sniper, not a mortar, to shoot down the problem

Tue, 10/29/2013 - 01:54

Hexzyle

When you're this swag this world just bows at your knees.

A directional shield has always been on the list of things I'd really like to see in Spiral Knights, but tying it down to a single weapon is silly.

Tue, 10/29/2013 - 01:55

Hexzyle

When you're this swag this world just bows at your knees.

A directional shield has always been on the list of things I'd really like to see in Spiral Knights, but tying it down to a single weapon is silly.

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 23:40

Destroyerofthenort

@hexzyle

thank you for your thought-involved post. now then...

1. LOLDOUBLEPOSTASDFGHJKL
2. Indeed, i too have thought we needed a solid directional shield... one which requires work to use, but defends better when you get it right... part of the cause for suggestion (the other parts being that i figured we needed something a bit... "different" from the traditional swordie playstyle... some new combat tactic that one can't simply spam about that encourages people to try other skillsets... as well as the fact that guardian is underused... and that spartans won wars... for more reasons than because they were cool, hence the usage of "phalanx mode" to describe it). I just felt that equally level as well as just as dubious a request was the option to make a new weapon was to change/add a shield... we couldn't change them all... people woud whine hard with the need to direct their shield, so it would have to be ONE item. And making a new shield with these properties is doable (probably moreso), but imagine, if you will.... that, and gran faust in one set (yes, listed attack speed included, for the sake of argument). I felt we needed one, single weapon balanced for the purpose for this reason(not that balance matters anymore)... not only does it historically fit (not that anyone cares), but game-wise, it fit the bill as well (not that anyone knows why).

Let's not forget that this lets it defend with any shield. People who like to adapt defense to the foe(s) faced will find themselves not only doing better, but seeing their shield dent as if a t1 chroma were attacking it, only ever stopping to bite their nails to trojans (or traps, which directional shields just don't block by nature). All without changing all shields across all weapons.

It just seemed to work out...

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Polearms... and they aren't flourish reskins, either!