TLDR - Sorry, but pirates gotta learn how to read, so get started! 😈
He called no-scoping (at point-blank range) a skill? 🤣
I like where the EoR is now. It may not be realistic, but it IS balanced, and it does fit its intended role.
As for the BB, it's largely fine where it is now, but I like the idea of improving its effectiveness against GPBs (except when in the BB is in the hands of the skeletons) . They should make it so any successful shot to a GPB from any firearm makes it immediately explode, IMO. This will of course buff the BB, and make it slightly harder to run GPBs to other ships, but let's face it - if you're spotted carrying 1 of those, you deserve to get blown up.
The flintlock is fine where it is in virtually every respect as the perfect middleman.
Finally, the sword - don't get me started! It never needed the speed-boost to begin with. The devs added it in so it could compete with the guns, but let's face it - if you were chasing enemies that were running away while swinging your sword instead of just switching to your guns and shooting them, then you deserve to get laughed at.
There were 4 sword mechanics all ruined due to the combat changes. That's right! 4!
First, due to how they fixed the DGE, you can no longer quickdraw a firearm and instantly ADS when blocking with your sword (to do it, you had to have your sword out, and while holding block, you simply switched weapons) - this was perfectly balanced and was SoT's only true counter-attack option, since you could use it to shoot pirates once they bounced off of your block, which made it a great punish.
Second was the running sword slash - this made you move faster and further than a regular sword attack (and could be done simply by moving while blocking with your sword, and then tapping your attack button) until your 1st attack came out. This allowed you to circle around skeletons and pirates, do advancing or retreating strikes, and easily get around blocks for a split-second. You could even combo into it like the regular attack, but you would slow back down to your normal speed for the 2nd and 3rd attacks. Technically, this is still in the game, but the speed boost it gives you has now been matched with the speed changes to the regular sword attacks, essentially making it pointless. What kills me is that this was balanced against blocking prior to the combat changes because it was temporary and forced you to block first, which took time to do. This made it useful for skilled or intuitive pirates, and was essentially an advanced manuever that added the now missing nuance to sword combat - this is where the dance and real footwork came into play.
Third was the sword dodge - like with the previously mentioned sword mechanic, this is still in the game, but due to the combat changes, it's been turned upside down. It essentially allowed you to do a defensive version of the running sword slash - you could quickly move while defending (and was done simply by moving while blocking with your sword and then jumping). The best part though was that it allowed you to pass through an opponent - it's still the only mechanic that allows you to do this, and was great for getting out of corners or past someone blocking a doorway or even for backstabbing people, for example. Prior to the the combat changes, you could do this at any time, without penalty - as long as you could block with your sword, you were golden. However, after the changes, it can only be used at specific times - you can no longer use it when successfully blocking an attack (due to the blocking changes I'll mention below), where it was most useful, but you can still do it when you're not blocking and getting hit, which is self-defeating since you have to block 1st to do it! This gives all of the power to the offense.
Finally, blocking is the last mechanic ruined by the sword changes. For whatever reason, you can now no longer move while successfully blocking an attack. This, compounded with the changes to the sword dodge and sword speed boost changes mentioned above makes it all but useless and pointless to use. The speed boost to the sword allows pirates to move faster than you can turn in place (at least on console), even at the highest sensitivity settings. Even if you do manage to successfully block, they're still more likely to get follow-up hits since you're stuck in place with the block window being so small and only towards the front of you. You might be able to jump out (I haven't personally tested this), but even then, you're opening yourself up to further attack mid-jump, since the block area is essentially horizontal. This leaves you with only 2 choices: 1) hope you somehow get lucky, and block all 3 strikes, so you and your opponent both bounce back into neutral (remember, you can no longer quickdraw your firearm, as mentioned above to shoot and punish them), where the already offensive player still technically has the advantage - but let's face it, you're not even going to get that far, especially if you're outnumbered; or 2) you can let them hit you in the hopes that when attempting the sword dodge, you don't accidentally block 1 of their follow-up attacks and root yourself in place as a result. Again, this puts all of the power in the hands of the offense - those who attack 1st, win.
So yes, sword combat has become completely broken in every conceivable way possible. It's like Rare decided to start from the bottom up! Well, with that in mind, Rare - since you're evidently trying to hit rock bottom, here's to you! Bottom's up! 🍺
I sincerely hope you don't suddenly decide go belly up, Rare. 🙄
So, with my wall of complaints regarding sword combat out of the way, here are my suggestions for fixing it:
- Remove or significantly reduce sword speed boost, OR improve block radius and height AND increase speed boost on the running sword slash, OR slow down movement when shooting firearms.
- Bring back the ability to quickdraw a firearm (only) while blocking with the sword.
- Allow for movement while blocking attacks.
- Reduce movement when taking damage from opponents' sword swings rather than stopping it altogether, but still allow for switching weapons and blocking.
- Sword dodge should always work, regardless of the situation you're in.
- Advanced sword charge (with increased movement and ability to jump) should become the standard charge.
These changes, IMO, help bring back balance to both offense and defense by offering a give and take or back and forth mentality, and helps maintain the little-known advanced tactics that SoT used to have cleverly hidden from the majority of pirates, as well as increasing the overall mobility of melee combat.
I sincerely apologize for the wall of text, but if that doesn't show my passion for SoT, then I don't know what does. 😅
