Berserkers

I really think that zerkers are the most gimped class out of all the mele classes and even hybrids. Actually I think zerkers are the most gimped class at all. This comes because of a few factors some of which are - they are the only mele class that doesn't have ranged weapons and they lose one of their major defences when they rage. They also do not have counter.

I've read a lot of complicated suggestions how to imrpove them, but I think there is a much easier answer. A raged zerker should be a menace that everyone would fear. I think that a raged zerker should be something like a "vamp during the night".

And here is my suggestion - give them forth (atleast) AND fifth (a possibility) attack when they rage. They will only be able to use those skills when they are affected by rage. They should also gain them at rank 49 and 50, so they would be harder to train.

Opinions?

I honestly feel like that might be kind of OP.

Why in God's name would a raged Berserker be something similar to a vamp during the night?

First of all, giving them at rank 49 and 50 doesn't do a whole lot - "Oh noez, my twentieth attack skill iz not mastered!" Let's be realistic, mastery of those skills isn't going to make or break their usage.

Also, the reason there are lots of complicated solutions to making berserkers better is because they are a complex class, and balancing them is tough. I would hate to be the coder who has to provide a fix for a class that can automatically give themselves +300 hp and +25/25 hit/dam.

I would say that berserkers have been altered recently enough to make them playable. They are accomplishing their goal of being good against casters/communers AND rogues, which is not something that say, a warrior, can boast. However, this does come at a price of fighting other melees, which I think the berserker is a little gimped on. I would suggest giving them something to help in that arena.

But just tacking on attacks is not the way to go, because then they're going to end up stomping c/cs in to the ground without them having any chance whatosever, and they'll still be totally lame versus other melees.

I have to say no matter how gimped they seem, I love them to death. It's not all about being a pk powerhouse, sometimes it's just fun to play a crazy giant who doesnt really have the skills but enough ego and junk downstairs to keep going for it.

That's exactly how I see zerks, and why I tend to stay out of zerk skill threads. I will never play anything but a devastation zerk, if I do. I'm terrible at melee, but that could be fun. I don't see a berserker that is able to calm down as a berserker at all. More like a warrior having a temper tantrum. Real zerks go devastation. No fleeing, no running. Your as$ is dead, or else mine is.

They seem balanced to me...Just like most of the classes they can pound some combos and get pounded by others.

I like the idea of giving Zerks the "fast" flag while they are raged but if they gained that, 4th attack would be over the top.

I remember seeing in the changes that roar was altered to give the fear affect. How is that working out?

I distinctly remember Berserkers gaining a "rake" ability. What happened to that?

Take your vamp during the night and fight Ototh during the day. You'll see how gimped they are.

Or don't ever try to do that if you've thought about how you like life.

I have to say no matter how gimped they seem' date=' I love them to death. It's not all about being a pk powerhouse, sometimes it's just fun to play a crazy giant who doesnt really have the skills but enough ego and junk downstairs to keep going for it.[/quote']

So you're saying that a (male) Berserker's strength comes primarily from the size of their member, literally?

"Yeah, I'm packing some serious meat. I reckon I've got this fight on lock-down.."

Dey

Dey - I laughed good there.

HB - Is that a good or bad thing?

The thing that annoys me the most about berserkers is that when they rage, they still miss attacks. They don't get blocked, or parries or dodged, they just plain miss.. How do you miss an attack on someone when you've got like 80 hitroll after raging?

You're going nuts, swinging like a mad man (try typing swing while raged, you'll see it says something about already fighting with reckless abandon), so you're not really aiming so much as flailing about. Anyways, Berserkers are supposed to be crazy, balls to the wall nutso fighters that throw their whole body at people instead of bashing or grappling, just cleave through weapons with no finesse instead of disarming, roaring like madmen, right? What I'm thinking might be interesting...

Berserkers getting more attacks and auto swing while unraged (they're always moody pricks, and crazy sumbitches! Why not fight just a little crazier to begin with?). However... when they rage they swing a lot more but... have a chance to hit themselves with their own attacks, or group mates.

Things to account are dexterity of the groupmates/enemies along with the weapon the zerk is using; two flails being swung with reckless abandon? Yeah, I can see that smacking the sumbitch right in his own head. A higher intelligence or wisdom might make it harder to rage, due to a greater understanding of life in general. A FG Zerk might go nuts because he doesn't realize "Hey, just f-it man, whatevah, that root I keep stubbing my toe on is no big deal, just walk around it." and thinks, "Why does that god damned thing always grow THERE?! I distinctly remember putting that **** in back of the cave last week!" Where a human with 20 int and wis might figure "Yeah... I know it's there, it never moves, gonna step around it."

But, also, maybe Zerk's getting a skill called numb, which reduces damage until a certain amount is met. Like an extra layer of HP, but it doesn't totally deplete damage until it's totally used. Where if the zerk is hit for 20 damage, he numbs 5 of the damage. But, when he's used up his 200 numbness he takes regular HP damage. But... his own attacks can rip his numbness up.

Or, when things continue failing to go their way... they go crazier? They start losing by more and they start getting angier and angrier. So, if they are at 30% health and their opponent is at 75%... they might get more pissed cause they're still losing and get more Hitroll and Damroll added on, and more HP, but when they snap out of it... they lose all that hp with the regular rage.

Make paths more selectable?

Where, anger, fury, and devastation can pick from a pool of skills, but the skills have varying "labels"?

Anger: Numbness, Skull Crusher, Chilax

Fury: Auto Swing, Power Grip, Double Grip

Devastation: Enhanced Swing, Fearsome Roar, Bloodhaze

So a path get's all of his, along with one from each of the other paths? Devastation would not be allowed to take Chilax (combat relax) or double grip, while Anger couldn't take Bloodhaze or double grip, and Fury might not be allowed chilax or bloodhaze, as those are the specifics.

a-g

http://www.theforsakenlands.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13682

http://www.theforsakenlands.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13508

http://www.theforsakenlands.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13366

These are all my last ogre zerk - anger path. Mostly average eq with my zerks and I could fight back. Big plus. Some absolutely tragic losses though (not shown here) really robbed me of the will to keep playing the character.

Less need for eq. In all the above logs I'm above 60/60 hit dam. You need to get high avg dam and high lvl weapons to compliment this as wellas making the right weapon choices. This is first and foremost where most berserker players get it wrong. You have all but one weapon - pretend you're a warrior and select weapons accordingly.

Basically zerks are great fun but hard to play to extreme PK sucess. You'll get a better win/loss with a cleric. I've had five to pinnacle and I only broke even (15/15 for/against) last time. My wins were really close - look at the 4hp one. One almost as close vs a sader where I bit the bullet and said it was go hard or go home. I did get sick of having to use everything including rage hp bonus to beat up a character with normal hp. It just seemed really, really hard where it shouldn't be. Since hit/dam is so high better eq is really only going to have to focus on high avg dam/lvl weapons and saves (if you're prepared to use rage).

Zerks are great fun and its a kick to use the skills and see people get hurt Its not always that easy to finish people.

L-A

The thing that annoys me the most about berserkers is that when they rage' date=' they still miss attacks. They don't get blocked, or parries or dodged, they just plain miss.. How do you miss an attack on someone when you've got like 80 hitroll after raging?[/quote']

Why i miss attacks with 80 hitroll ?

Simple, just like in D&D when you have a roll to bypass the AC of your oponent.

But roll a Natural 1 (1D20) and the action automatically fails.

I did not notice this as much in the past years. I think this is something Malch, the current Coder, added or changed.

I find this feature to be quite strange sometimes...

Simple, you roll a Natural 1 on the AC check, and fail.

I in the past this did not happen, and that Malch changed added it. (Or not.)

This feature is quite strange sometimes...

You either had a seizure while writing that, or I while reading it...

a-g

Undead may as well be a choose-able race on creation nowadays. what's it really gonna hurt in this day and age. random thought and middle finger in the mix.

You either had a seizure while writing that' date=' or I while reading it...[/quote']

:confused: , Dam you, for you are correct. I shall edit it.

Lmao... Oh Mya, what would these forums be without you.

:confused: ' date=' Dam you, for you are correct. I shall edit it.[/quote']

I love you, Mya. You make me giggle like an idiot.

a-g