Stealther Changes?!

[Torg]

When stealth was introduced in NC 2, the Spy was a different char class: Weaker than tanks, monks or PEs, and only to be used by specialists. With the changes after that (WoC etc) the Spy became more of a general combat class, to an extent, when many ppl opted for a Spy because of their extremely high DPS. Changing this back would probably make many ppl unhappy, so what i could imagine is a further specialization for using stealth, i.e. adding HCK as a requirement, so the stealther char would have less SP in other DEX subskills. Making the blue cloud targetable beyond AoE (as it is now), like b proposes, would render the stealth tool nearly useless.

[bmurph101]

When stealth was introduced in NC 2, the Spy was a different char class: Weaker than tanks, monks or PEs, and only to be used by specialists. With the changes after that (WoC etc) the Spy became more of a general combat class, to an extent, when many ppl opted for a Spy because of their extremely high DPS. Changing this back would probably make many ppl unhappy, so what i could imagine is a further specialization for using stealth, i.e. adding HCK as a requirement, so the stealther char would have less SP in other DEX subskills. Making the blue cloud targetable beyond AoE (as it is now), like b proposes, would render the stealth tool nearly useless.

This is 100% false.

- The cloud can only be seen from extremely close range
- The cloud is difficult to track when moving at all
- The cloud falls off in visibility at a rapid rate once cloaker moves further away
- The cloud is meant to momentarily hide your position, not grant you immortality against a Direct weapon damage setup

[William Antrim]

Also the changes made to the game at the dawn of NC2 were not FOR the spy but the spy made the most use out of them in combat as an aside. It was the change to hightech combat which gave the spy such a huge advantage, coupled with the terrible idea of WOC.

In NC1 the PE had a ten second stealth, we only got the jones tools etc in NC2. People didnt bitch back then because Damage boost was easier to cast and provided a good counter to stealth - you could tag another PE with the db and follow his cloud for 10 seconds and track him. Spies could drug for shelter back then also and so stealth was used to temporarily evade fights in order to rebuff and fight back. I dont know much about the current flavour of the month at the moment in the game obviously but I also dont think much has changed in terms of stealth since I last played.

The reason I go to this length to explain this is because it provided a solution to the issues that Bmurph has provided above me but with the changes within the game as it stands have left some of these counteractions less than ideal.

So in summary it seems to me that the problems havent gone away in terms of stealth and i agree more does need to be done. Personally I am in favour of adding stealth breaking possibilities (a basic TSS style psi module would be good) to the PE's repertoire. I would like to see more R/P/S systems put in place to counter some of the mechanics with FPS skill and aiming as the underlying bedrock of combat. This would open the field for more classes and capabilities and hopefully go back to the diversity we used to see in this game, before monkocron.