Class Balance (Proposal 3 Page 10, Updated 288.22)
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:26 am
Here's a little math I did this morning:
Level / HP & Shields Together / Force Pool / Total / Difference:
Sentinel
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 170 / 92 / 262 / +32
12 / 204 / 106 / 310 / +48
13 / 252 / 122 / 374 / +64
14 / 300 / 138 / 438 / +64
15 / 320 / 150 / 470 / +32
16 / 324 / 153 / 477 / +7
17 / 328 / 156 / 484 / +7
18 / 334 / 160 / 494 / +10
19 / 340 / 164 / 504 / +10
20 / 348 / 169 / 517 / +13
21 / 360 / 176 / 536 / +19
22 / 370 / 182 / 552 / +16
23 / 382 / 189 / 571 / +19
24 / 392 / 195 / 587 / +17
25 / 400 / 200 / 600 / +13
Guardian
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 190 / 83 / 273 / +43
12 / 240 / 87 / 327 / +54
13 / 300 / 92 / 392 / +65
14 / 360 / 97 / 457 / +65
15 / 400 / 100 / 500 / +43
16 / 406 / 100 / 506 / +6
17 / 412 / 100 / 512 / +6
18 / 420 / 100 / 520 / +8
19 / 428 / 100 / 528 / +8
20 / 438 / 100 / 538 / +10
21 / 450 / 100 / 550 / +12
22 / 464 / 100 / 564 / +14
23 / 478 / 100 / 578 / +14
24 / 490 / 100 / 590 / +12
25 / 500 / 100 / 600 / +10
Consular
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 161 / 96 / 257 / +27
12 / 180 / 116 / 296 / +39
13 / 204 / 140 / 344 / +48
14 / 228 / 164 / 392 / +48
15 / 240 / 180 / 420 / +28
16 / 242 / 182 / 424 / +4
17 / 246 / 185 / 431 / +7
18 / 250 / 190 / 440 / +9
19 / 256 / 196 / 452 / +12
20 / 262 / 204 / 466 / +14
21 / 270 / 215 / 485 / +19
22 / 280 / 227 / 507 / +22
23 / 288 / 236 / 524 / +17
24 / 294 / 243 / 537 / +13
25 / 300 / 250 / 550 / +13
Not factored into this is Force Regeneration Rate, which maxes out at 1ms. By at least level 21 Guardians have this stat maxed. By level 15 Sentinels have this stat maxed. By level 12 Consulars have this stat maxed.
So I wonder, other than not having access to level 5 powers early (which are seldom worth the point above 4 and have a myriad of their own balance issues I will be addressing in a future post) I can't see any reason one would go anything that isn't Sentinel unless they want the sheer HP of a guardian.
Of course, having a TON of Force MIGHT help but using any power halts your force regeneration rate anyway and Sentinels have just as good of Force Regen and slightly less total force than Consulars. Is it necessary for us to be so squishy?
If you use mind trick, sense, absorb, protect, rage, speed or throw your force regen is halted. Why can't we regen through using these powers if we have sufficient force regeneration rate? Is it too hard on the engine? Then why not give us a larger pool?
I'd say it's clear that the numbers need to be looked at, regardless. All the classes are IDENTICAL up to Level 10. Is this intended? To show that the diversion of training doesn't start until such a time? How about we just ask students to specialize at level 10, then? Or rather, whether they want the best stats or to have a few options open in their template that they can't access until they're a Knight. I understand we're still working in beta here but I don't see many people making noise about this and I figure I might as well. I full well understand this is a roleplay mod but having gross differences between characters will just mean everybody picks sentinel and then just "roleplays" being something else to avoid the crap stats of the others.
EDIT: When you view the stats without shields factored in (though I don't see why you wouldn't) then Consulars and Sentinels have comparable totals but Guardians are far below the others in terms of raw numbers due to their force plateauing early in their training. However, Guardians do have the capacity to overshield and get way, way higher durability than intended (as most do at certain levels) as early as level 16. 203 hp / 300 shields takes forever to whittle down, and that's fine with me, I think Guardians need some love, too, frankly. I mean, there's clear variance in the classes but not enough to really justify deviating from the center, so to speak.
Level / HP & Shields Together / Force Pool / Total / Difference:
Sentinel
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 170 / 92 / 262 / +32
12 / 204 / 106 / 310 / +48
13 / 252 / 122 / 374 / +64
14 / 300 / 138 / 438 / +64
15 / 320 / 150 / 470 / +32
16 / 324 / 153 / 477 / +7
17 / 328 / 156 / 484 / +7
18 / 334 / 160 / 494 / +10
19 / 340 / 164 / 504 / +10
20 / 348 / 169 / 517 / +13
21 / 360 / 176 / 536 / +19
22 / 370 / 182 / 552 / +16
23 / 382 / 189 / 571 / +19
24 / 392 / 195 / 587 / +17
25 / 400 / 200 / 600 / +13
Guardian
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 190 / 83 / 273 / +43
12 / 240 / 87 / 327 / +54
13 / 300 / 92 / 392 / +65
14 / 360 / 97 / 457 / +65
15 / 400 / 100 / 500 / +43
16 / 406 / 100 / 506 / +6
17 / 412 / 100 / 512 / +6
18 / 420 / 100 / 520 / +8
19 / 428 / 100 / 528 / +8
20 / 438 / 100 / 538 / +10
21 / 450 / 100 / 550 / +12
22 / 464 / 100 / 564 / +14
23 / 478 / 100 / 578 / +14
24 / 490 / 100 / 590 / +12
25 / 500 / 100 / 600 / +10
Consular
1 / 100 / 50 / 150 / 0
2 / 104 / 55 / 159 / +9
3 / 108 / 60 / 168 / +9
4 / 112 / 64 / 176 / +8
5 / 116 / 68 / 184 / +8
6 / 122 / 71 / 193 / +9
7 / 128 / 74 / 202 / +9
8 / 134 / 76 / 210 / +8
9 / 140 / 78 / 218 / +8
10 / 150 / 80 / 230 / +12
11 / 161 / 96 / 257 / +27
12 / 180 / 116 / 296 / +39
13 / 204 / 140 / 344 / +48
14 / 228 / 164 / 392 / +48
15 / 240 / 180 / 420 / +28
16 / 242 / 182 / 424 / +4
17 / 246 / 185 / 431 / +7
18 / 250 / 190 / 440 / +9
19 / 256 / 196 / 452 / +12
20 / 262 / 204 / 466 / +14
21 / 270 / 215 / 485 / +19
22 / 280 / 227 / 507 / +22
23 / 288 / 236 / 524 / +17
24 / 294 / 243 / 537 / +13
25 / 300 / 250 / 550 / +13
Not factored into this is Force Regeneration Rate, which maxes out at 1ms. By at least level 21 Guardians have this stat maxed. By level 15 Sentinels have this stat maxed. By level 12 Consulars have this stat maxed.
So I wonder, other than not having access to level 5 powers early (which are seldom worth the point above 4 and have a myriad of their own balance issues I will be addressing in a future post) I can't see any reason one would go anything that isn't Sentinel unless they want the sheer HP of a guardian.
Of course, having a TON of Force MIGHT help but using any power halts your force regeneration rate anyway and Sentinels have just as good of Force Regen and slightly less total force than Consulars. Is it necessary for us to be so squishy?
If you use mind trick, sense, absorb, protect, rage, speed or throw your force regen is halted. Why can't we regen through using these powers if we have sufficient force regeneration rate? Is it too hard on the engine? Then why not give us a larger pool?
I'd say it's clear that the numbers need to be looked at, regardless. All the classes are IDENTICAL up to Level 10. Is this intended? To show that the diversion of training doesn't start until such a time? How about we just ask students to specialize at level 10, then? Or rather, whether they want the best stats or to have a few options open in their template that they can't access until they're a Knight. I understand we're still working in beta here but I don't see many people making noise about this and I figure I might as well. I full well understand this is a roleplay mod but having gross differences between characters will just mean everybody picks sentinel and then just "roleplays" being something else to avoid the crap stats of the others.
EDIT: When you view the stats without shields factored in (though I don't see why you wouldn't) then Consulars and Sentinels have comparable totals but Guardians are far below the others in terms of raw numbers due to their force plateauing early in their training. However, Guardians do have the capacity to overshield and get way, way higher durability than intended (as most do at certain levels) as early as level 16. 203 hp / 300 shields takes forever to whittle down, and that's fine with me, I think Guardians need some love, too, frankly. I mean, there's clear variance in the classes but not enough to really justify deviating from the center, so to speak.