Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

[Vyuru]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

I wouldn't mind if something like the Two Handed ability from FFT was given to all of the jobs who mainly use two handed weapons, drk, drg, sam, maybe war, but only if SE were to make it so that it would boost per hit damage, and you would not get the added damage when you used a weaponskill.

I'm fine with warriors dual wielding everything to oblivion, but I do not think that everyone else should get a major boost to their WS damage to bring them up to the warrior's level.

Besides, drk and sam have some really damaging WS, and while dragoon's weapon skills tend to not be as powerful, I tend to be only 100-300damage behind the other WS that aren't SATA'd, and then my wyvern does a breath attack for about 150ish+ damage, so we really aren't as far behind in the damage department, and that's another reason I would like a boost to my damage, but not a boost to my WS damage.

[kiffkin]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

I am not sure about BST, but at level 75 WAR's Axe skill is A- (capped 269 w/o merit) and DRG's spear is A+ (capped 276 w/o merit).

BST also has A- Axe skill, but then you have to consider the differences in abilities, stats, equipment, subs, pets, and so on, between it and WAR.

The OP didn't exactly use the best example by comparing polearms with axes, given the comparative popularity of DRGs and BSTs in parties. Wrath Tabar is useful for three levels (and can't be dual wielded) until it is superseded by Kabrakan's Axe; Rune Axes are generally dual wielded and used for the Regen effect (when used with Gaudy Harness/Sanction Refresh). They are also both very, very cheap.

Without parsing, I have no way of knowing how much damage a DRG does compared with the other melee DDs. However I do know that as a BST, most of my damage is done by my pet rather than my axe.

[LadyKiKi]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

Best examples would be Scythes, since equally only 4 jobs (not including any of the Rune Type Weapons) can equip it.

WAR/DRK/BST/BLM

and Polearm being DRG/WAR/PLD/SAM

BLM and PLD both have an E rating in their respective equippable weapons.

BST and SAM both have B- in their respective equippable weapons.

WAR has B in Polearm and B+ Scythe.

DRG and DRK both have A+ in their skill for their respective weapons. All the DRK only scythes surpass the multi-equippable scythes' DMG by a bit, a bit like lance. But with lance the DMG ratings are on a very "spikey" value, with it going up and down frequently, even on some DRG only weapons.

Both Martial Type weapons are equippable to the respective job only also.

[Omni]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

you cant compare base dmg -_- you have to take into account delay.

if you take a look at comparable lvl 2h weapons, polearms are actually pretty strong in terms of base dmg. most notably in the lower levels, it tends to even out more 60+

in addition, the base dmg of polearms is not the real problem at hand. its the weak weapon skills. only more recently with the introduction of toua that polearms have plenty of mobs to be strong against.

[Macht]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

Well the way a group of designers fixed this on a MUD I played (was part of the designer group), was that we gave the weapons weights. The weights were calculated to the players STR and then Offhand potentails were factored from that.

Basically it was designed to do this:

Two-Handed at full possible STR would give you +50% Damage and if you had full DEX +50% Acc. In most part the players average were around 35%-40% Damage bonus and 10%-20% Acc bonus. If you were to Dual Wield and Off-hand was different weight you'd suffer loss to Acc and Damage, depending on how far apart the weight difference.

It makes the dual wielding part more strategical because if you were wield a weapon that you are allowed only 1 of then you had to adjust the other weapon to be something to compliment it. With how we adjusted the weightings or I guess better term would be values of the weapons it made it were you could wield two High damage weapons with one having a +acc to it but that +acc only helped you so far, you'd still take a full damage pentaly.

[Lmnop]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

It just so happens that the only job with A polearm also has jumps that benefit from high DMG while not being hurt by high DLY, so that's why the fast spears don't see much use.

To elaborate poinltessly: Technically, the higher the delay on a lance the better. This is why I wish there was a Gae Bolg 2. All weapons gain tp at the same rate, but the slower the weapon, the more tp you can abuse from Barrage or Jump/High Jump. That aside...

2 handed weapons suck, but it's not too terrible at this point. As Armando pointed out once, it's actually a subjob that breaks one-handed weapons (NIN). SAM has attempted to do the same for 2-handers. The problem is that no one will give it a chance...

I agree with OP, though. I guess maybe this isn't a "power level" thing as much as a flavor thing. S-E often releases a group of weapons. Typically one of every weapon type with same/similar stats. And every time they do these groups (with exception of Platoon, sure), the Drg one sucks. Destroyers, Maneater, Wrath Tabar.... Thanks, S-E... though I don't think the Gondo-Shizunori is too terrible.

Why they made Rampage capable of doing more damage (Single-wielded) than Penta-Thrust is beyond me...

[LadyKiKi]

Re: Why polearm weapons are so screwed?

Sorry, I wasn't comparing base DMG, but rather the variety and availability of both types of weapons due to how they are laid out in a similar fashion and how only certain jobs can equip them. In a way I was also comparing the inconsistency of base DMG across the weapons, how scythes are high with similar delay but also how polearms that have low delay have low base DMG.

*LadyKiKi shrugs.