...why we need 4 Parry ranks per circle? Why can't we choose either Shield or Parry? I know, Shield is classified as an armor skill and Parry is classified as a weapon skill, but Parry is terrible for defense and Shield is god. I don't even know where to train Parry at around 140 ranks, because anything that teaches it either A)swarms too badly and gets around the parry or B)doesn't use a weapon and therefore is much harder to parry effectively.

For example, in bloodvines I can dance 3 bloodvines with my shield without being touched. I switch to parry stance, with a forged, 31 stone Drevid scim, I get hammered by two. Shield/parry are within one rank of each other.

It would be really nice if we could choose which to train (Shield/Parry) for our circle requirement... Hell even a lower Parry requirement and a total overall (2 Parry per circle always, and either 2 more Parry or 2 Shield) would be great.

Here's a grand idea! Just train parry and shield.


Vinjince

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"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."

- Sima Yi

As discussed in an earlier folder: Parry is the least penalized defense in MO situations.

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-TG, TG, & GL, et al.

Maybe some sort of "offensive parry", that either had a chance to break enemy weapons or case limb damage if they're natural critters (Or attacking unarmed etc).

Not a major source of damage, but enough to give it a little zip.



-- The Omen Speaker

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Caelumia whispers to Amelilu, "OOC: that would be awesome. I'd get cael a sorcery brand on her butt or something."
Amelilu whispers to Caelumia, "OOC: HAHA."
Amelilu whispers to Caelumia, "OOC: PROPERTY OF EALUIK."

I think the problem is related to the critter ladder you are following and possibly your weapon choices (you only mentioned one melee weapon). For the most part I rarely bother to dance with critters and even training only a couple melee skills my character has never had a problem with learning parry.

BTW, at your level, I had Ludi bouncing between Leucs (for parry, brawling, and ME) and vipers (shield, short bow, lx, and HT).

Showing Weapon skills at or above rank 130.

SKILL: Rank/Percent towards next rank/Amount learning
Parry Ability: 215 22% clear Multi Opponent: 189 02% clear
Medium Edged: 209 09% clear Short Bow: 210 40% clear
Light Crossbow: 210 64% clear Heavy Thrown: 180 58% clear
Brawling: 139 45% clear

Every critter has advantages and dissadvantages for training. You seem to be picking critters that don't help you much for learning parry.

>>Eventually you will more than likely have all other skills well above your current circle except primary weapon and parry, so you will ALWAYS be forced to train parry to advance.

Yep, though I'm the opposite. Parry is my third highest skill behind Perception and LT.

There's even been a few times when survivals were the only skills holding me back from circling multiple times. Weird, I know... it just depends on the mood I'm in. Whenever I'm lazy my survivals + perception shoots up. Whenever I feel like training endlessly it's the combats.


Vinjince

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"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."

- Sima Yi

>I don't even know where to train Parry at around 140 ranks, because anything that teaches it either A)swarms too badly and gets around the parry or B)doesn't use a weapon and therefore is much harder to parry effectively.

Try small peccs in lang. Parrying non weapon using critters shouldnt be a problem and be certain to use a fairly balanced weapon or better.

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Magic is not a crutch. Its just something Mages need to get through life.

I suppose it really depends on how you train your character and what your focus is. A circle chasing character will eventually run into road blocks with primary weapon and parry reqs.

I'm training a commoner right now that will be joining the barbarian guild tonight or tomorrow that has all lores and survivals out of the way for 150th circle. Basically two skills to 350+ (foraging and perception) and 3 skills to 230+ (FA, climbing, and swimming) which leaves nothing but combat from 0-150 where the survivals will be evasion, skinning, hiding, and stalking. I'm at 229 in climbing as of this posting, so when that ranks, I'll join the guild and do nothing but combat forever... well, i'll work some other stuff in there, but you get the idea.


Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

Reqs won't be changing. The only change I can see happening at all is the possibility of allowing stealing as one of the survival reqs.


~GM Aurdun
Barbarians' Guild Advocate
Gor'Tog Co-Champion
History Guru

"Don't use logic on scientists. That's just mean." ~ GM Zeyurn

>>I'm curious about what made you decide to keep the character a commoner until you met those goals?<<

Several reasons, and a lot of them have to do with a personal experiment or goals if you will.

Yes, this character was started July 4th, 2008 as a gnome commoner. I've played a 150th rakash barbarian (that I did not train) and a 100th kaldar barbarian that was all mine.

Looking at the racial bonuses/penalties, I thought gnome offered a really good choice for barbarian (not planning to be a weapon forger), but only at higher levels once the strength/stamina has been overcome, so tdp's would be critical in the early going.

Scholarship: 370 04% pondering
Mechanical Lore: 336 92% mind lock
Appraisal: 203 50% pondering
Teaching: 285 67% thoughtful
Vocals: 458 03% dazed

I wanted vocals over 200 ranks, and mech lore over 300 ranks before joining so I would have a huge head start on a tertiary skill.

Evasion: 110 80% clear
Climbing: 231 08% dazed
Perception: 365 16% concentrating
Hiding: 114 38% clear
Lockpicking: 187 16% perplexing
Disarm Traps: 170 18% dazed
Stalking: 110 63% clear
Stealing: 113 56% clear
First Aid: 276 83% clear
Foraging: 360 48% learning
Escaping: 113 95% clear
Skinning: 121 70% clear
Swimming: 230 80% clear

I also started a moonie on the same day to serve as a teacher and eventual moongater. The idea was... as long as I was going to train lores to much higher ranks than the first 100 or so, why not train survivals as well. This evolved into training the 5, 6, 7, and 8th survivals to 150th reqs, leaving Evasion, Skinning, Hiding, and Stalking as the top 4 which would be trained in combat. In this way, once I started combat, I would never need to leave combat... from 0 all the way to 150th.

As a side note, I wanted to do some testing on when characters gain 100 tdp's per circle, so I've been hoarding tdp's, and my plan is to keep my stat average below my current circle so as to gain 100 tdp's per circle as soon as possible, and only train the 8 cheapest stats per circle until the excess tdp's are all gone. Again, this is in large part because I chose to be a gnome. I did train strength and stamina to 12 and discipline to 11 for climbing/swimming purposes, but other than that, I've retained all tdp's, bringing my stat total/average to 95/11.875 so I hope to get 100 tdp's per circle at 12th circle.

Strength : 12 Reflex : 14
Agility : 12 Charisma : 10
Discipline : 11 Wisdom : 10
Intelligence : 14 Stamina : 12

Favors: 5
Concentration: 66 Max: 66
TDPs: 3038

I'm not convinced that I can train a gnome without spending the tdp's first, but I'm going to give it a try, because I think the end result will be worth it, and in the long run, by never leaving combat, I hope to be highly efficient getting to 150th circle. I took my kaldar barb from 0 to 100th in 11 months, I'd like to see what I can do with a gnome.

Ya, I know, this is probably the most ridiculous thing you or anyone else has ever heard, but I'm doing it to satisfy my curiosity, and I'm doing it because I think it will present a tremendous challenge.

Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

I'll be posting my results on the tdp's per circle thing, as well as any other observations I think worthwhile. I think normally characters start gaining 100 tdp's per circle around 17th circle if they're spending their tdp's along the way. With the amount of tdp's I've amassed, I'd be interested to see when I run out. I'm thinking almost 30th circle.


Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

>>What I meant was that if (as I was thinking for whatever reason) you couldn't use stealing now, you should be able to. Barbarians ain't paladins. We're better than that {G}

You ain't just whistling dixie! Thanks for clarifying that for me.

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"Now won't you tell me if you like what you've just heard?
And if you think the point I'm driving at absurd,
Well there's no need to tell me how or tell me why,
But I need to know the reason not to try."
- John Popper, Onslaught

I was. Nostalgia and Nyquil don't mix well.


~GM Aurdun
Barbarians' Guild Advocate
Gor'Tog Co-Champion
History Guru

"Don't use logic on scientists. That's just mean." ~ GM Zeyurn

While standing around twiddling your thumbs to train parry at low levels might work it would be considered suicide after a point on the critter ladder. If you'd like to test this theory out might I suggest standing knee deep in Celpz, Malachata or worse.

Denz

<<While standing around twiddling your thumbs to train parry at low levels might work it would be considered suicide after a point on the critter ladder. If you'd like to test this theory out might I suggest standing knee deep in Celpz, Malachata or worse.

I would suggest using parry is the best way to train in Celps. Many a new weapon was/is learned that way.


Madigan

When soldiers have been baptized in the fire of a battle-field, they have all one rank in my eyes.
Napoleon Bonaparte

>I was. Nostalgia and Nyquil don't mix well.

Are you kidding? I had some of my fondest blackouts with Nyquil...

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Magic is not a crutch. Its just something Mages need to get through life.