Haven't been able to find an easy answer to this; I remember tech gets the better robopuppy, and smuggler gets to pick a lock or two, but what else is there? I'm aware there's a post about this already, but it hasn't been updated since 2015
What's the class-specific content?
- Thread starter tsuki_ouji
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TheShepard256
Well-Known Member
Aside from all the combat differences due to class-specific perks and different Health amounts;
Mercenaries get the option to use a tank to open the door in KaraQuest2.
Smugglers can:
There's probably more, but I don't know what they are.
Mercenaries get the option to use a tank to open the door in KaraQuest2.
Smugglers can:
- Sneak past the turrets in the Stellar Tether.
- Use their Stealth Field Generator (if they have it) to hide on the shuttle during SyriQuest, so they don't have to hack into a crate if they don't want to.
- Pick locks during AnnoQuest and FederationQuest.
- Can hack the turrets in the Stellar Tether if they pass an Intelligence check (Int +1d20 > 25).
- Can fully repair Tam-wolf during the Stellar Tether if they have the "Attack Drone" perk, which allows it to be upgraded to Tam-wolf 2.0 during KaraQuest2.
- Can fix Aina's broken vibrator regardless of Intelligence; other classes must have an Intelligence above 40%.
- Can fix Kiro's cock-milker during their first encounter if their Intelligence is above 75%, which is the only way to save her without fucking her.
- Get 20 moves instead of 15 when hacking into a crate on the shuttle during SyriQuest.
- During the tutorial, what they compare the pain of injecting their microsurgeons to depends on class (Merc = getting shot, Smuggler = dropping a crate on their foot, Tech Spec = burning themself on an arc welder).
- When Bianca asks about their job, Steele responds differently depending on class (with a further variation depending on upbringing; specifically, Athletic Mercenaries, Austere Smugglers and Bookworm Tech Specialists will note how their upbringing matches their job quite well). During this scene, Tech Specialists have a 2 hour conversation with her about drones.
- When Fisianna claims her job is boring to talk about, Steele asks if she'd rather talk about something else (Merc = how to drive a tank, Smuggler = that time the authorities spent 6 hours searching their ship when they'd done nothing illegal, Tech Spec = how the body of a KihaCorp class 6 companion droid works).
- If Steele decides to question Zaalt on his cargo in the airlock, Smugglers will check the inside of the case for any secret compartments, while Tech Specialists will recognise the cargo as AI cores and scan them for anything unusual. In either case, they find nothing.
- During the interview at the start of SyriQuest, non-Bimbo, non-Bro Tech Specialists without a 12"+ penis will list the machines and industrial equipment they're trained to operate. Apparently, and unsurprisingly, it's a long list.
- When trying to uplift Pexiga after arresting Doctor Badger, non-bimbos follow a class-dependent line of logic to find the device they need among Badger's broken devices (Merc = insight into people's behaviour -> Badger's too egotistical to smash her greatest works, Smuggler = destroying everything is a last resort and breaking apart larger objects can fool casual observers -> not everything in the lab might be as broken as it appears, Tech Spec = Badger's work is unconventional with highly protected internals -> some of the important internals might have survived Badger's cleanup and are still usable).
- On a street in Kressia, Steele encounters some red myr working on a large armoured contraption. Tech Specialists would be tempted to help if they had any idea what it was.
- During FederationQuest, at the safe a Smuggler can lockpick, Tech Specialists lament that the lock isn't electronic since they could bypass it if it was, and also try to hack into the datapad they find in there.
- When ambushed and grappled by a
space Yakuza thugHost Shukuchi agent on Mhen'ga, each class uses a different technique to break the grapple (Merc = punch him in the face, Smuggler = drop down & kick him, Tech Spec = Static Burst).
Smugglers also:
1. Fully restore Health when Resting for 4 hours instead of partially.
2. Automatically evade and disarm Mines in Myrellion's No Myr's Land.
3. Use the Stealth Field Generator when returning to Zheng Shi's Hangar with the Slave Jumpsuit (whether they have the perk or not).
Tech Specialists:
1. Always have the option to reprogram the Gray Goo girls on Tarkus. Everyone else needs at least 20 Intelligence.
Do Mercenaries seem a bit short-changed?
1. Fully restore Health when Resting for 4 hours instead of partially.
2. Automatically evade and disarm Mines in Myrellion's No Myr's Land.
3. Use the Stealth Field Generator when returning to Zheng Shi's Hangar with the Slave Jumpsuit (whether they have the perk or not).
Tech Specialists:
1. Always have the option to reprogram the Gray Goo girls on Tarkus. Everyone else needs at least 20 Intelligence.
Do Mercenaries seem a bit short-changed?
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TheShepard256
Well-Known Member
Despite some of re-balancing that smugglers and especially techs have gotten there is no ability either class has that can even compare to Second Wind and to a lesser extent, Rapid Fire. A merc doesn't care if it has some class exclusive scene to skip a fight because the class was designed to fight. Except for melee mercs: they kinda suck ass atm. I just walk around Uveto without any need for any heat belts or stupid shit that techs and smugglers NEED to stay alive because mercs can just heal through it. As long as there is something to fight, just keep using second wind.
Also, the introduction of the tent system has made the smuggler's less-than-legal-nanogel not as useful as it once was.
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One day, My Melee Merc will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with his ranged merc counterpart.
Also what changes do you think could be made to the melee merc class to make them more even with a ranged merc?
Personally, I think the Melee Merc's biggest problem is the lack of synergy between it's special attack and it's passives.
Power Strike only benefits from Rending Strikes. Edit: Looked through the code. Damage is multiplied by another 0.7 if you have Second Attack. (2.7 total)
You either make 2 attacks with Second Attack and 1 extra attack vs each enemy aside from your main target. Each attack can stagger non-flying enemies.
Or you make 1 attack that does double damage to 1 target and can Sunder armor. I don't know if Power Strike can crit.
You play a Melee Merc. Does Bloodthirsty actually make a difference, or does Second Wind give you enough Energy?
Rapid Fire benefits from Armor Piercing, Concentrate Fire, Second Shot, and, of course, Rending Strikes.
Minimum: 2 shots/round that ignores (level + 0-3) Armor, bonus (+Level/2 -> +Level) damage on each consecutive hit. If you expend 20 Enegy/round, you get 4 attacks, and now you have a Stagger chance. Bonus Hit Rate negates the Accuracy penalty for the additional shots.
Ranged no longer has a higher innate miss chance compared to Melee. Maybe there should be a balance pass.
Equipment may also be a factor:
The Saurmorian Hammer, ostensibly the best Melee Merc weapon, has an Accuracy penalty. The Saurmorian Railgun does more raw damage, and has an Accuracy bonus.
Until the Ice Cappers, Bonus Hit Rate Ranged weapons that were geared toward Mercenaries mostly had Cannot Crit, and thus did not benefit from Critical Blows. Ice Cappers have Bonus Hit Rate, a huge Accuracy bonus, and not only lack Cannot Crit, but have a Crit bonus.
I'm pretty sure they edge out the Saurmorian Railgun (assuming no Resistances.) Factoring in the 25% total Crit chance, they do 77.75 to the Railgun's 74.2 (assuming 50 Aim and Heavy Weapons). That's not even considering the 23 higher Accuracy and no Evasion penalty.
For Melee, the Glacial Auger was recently added. Comparable damage, but no tags at all. And 0 Accuracy to the Ice Cappers 30.
Rapid Fire can even get the full 4 attacks with weapons that can't otherwise be multi fired (Slut Rays, FZR Fire Suppression System. Heavy Slut Ray even has Bonus Hit Rate, which is useless for anyone but a Merc with Rapid Fire, suggesting it's an intentional use).
Sunder can be acquired from Shoulder Grunch (1/3 chance/round).
Power Armor seems to be intended for Mercenaries, but so far they have -10% Evasion. Negative Evasion increases damage taken. A Ranged Merc can simply negate the penalty with a Rouser in the Melee slot. Maybe Riposte makes up the difference? Although it says 'any Melee attack', not 'basic Melee attack', looking at the code suggests it's basic attacks only. So you don't get the benefit any round you Power Strike.
The only advantages Melee Mercs have is Stun Chance weapons and the FZR + Crushing combo. Stun Chance is extremely valuable and it is only found on 2 Ranged weapons. Namely, Shock Bow and Heavy Slut Ray. However, Mercenaries have the least amount of synergy with Stun Chance. Smugglers get a huge damage increase and Tech Specialists get a significant durability increase.
The FZR + Crushing combo gives a huge amount of damage, but the FZR has a -5 Evasion, and has only a 50% chance to inflict Deep Freeze, 20% if the target is resistant to Freezing. Arguably, Melee Tech Specialists do it better because of the bonus damage from Charge Weapon.
Just noticed: Petra's Phasic Whip (Mercenary) is an Energy Weapon, so it doesn't benefit from Low Tech Solutions.
As for changes:
Power Strike + Cleave hits all enemies?
Bloodthirsty gives more Energy when attacking multiple enemies?
Power Strike doesn't prevent the normal attack?
Power Strike qualifies for Bloodthirsty?
As it stands, it seems Ranged is designed to burst down single targets, while Melee is designed to deal with groups. But Carpet Grenades exists for groups, and if you can down individual targets fast enough, it doesn't matter if you're only doing it one at a time.
Or another perspective:
Melee Tech Specialists get +Intelligence (which they'll want maxed anyway) as bonus damage.
Ranged Tech Specialists get 2x damage and a Stun check built in, no need for an extra perk.
Smugglers get Level and Intelligence based bonus damage vs Stunned or Blinded enemies.
Ranged Mercenaries get level based bonus damage/shot + ignore armor + 4 shots/round.
Melee Mercenaries get 2(.7)x damage, and Sunder if they take a 2nd perk. The Sunder is guaranteed, so that's something.
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Carpet Grenades don't perform that well past Myrellion. On groups of enemies like the Rat's you can easily run out of energy before a single rat goes down.
The fact that you know so much about this shit is mind-blowing. Hell I just spam attack and never even really use my perks. The only reason I'm even complaining about melee mercs is that apparently ranged mercs are really op. My melee merc won't really be killed by anything in-game, but for like the rat raiders, it takes a good 30secs of attack spamming before they're down.
I'm in total agreement in assessing the melee merc but imo the biggest offense is that (for me) it isn't fun to play.
Things like Bloodthirsty seem pointless because there aren't any good abilities to spend the energy on. In places like Zheng Shi which is full of enemies that have high evasion, things like not having any bonuses to melee accuracy really stand out especially if you're running the Samaurian warhammer. I can run melee smug, shield tech/melee, drone tech/melee and I actually have fun playing those classes because I'm not constantly whiffing. Smugs make the player actively take part in combat by needing to debuff enemies first and techs get an accuracy bonus based on INT. Things like Charge Weapon are worth the expenditure of energy and spending the time to blind and stun your opponent as a melee smug rewards you with big sneak crits later on. I don't even bother with warhammers any more, using melee weapons that don't have massive accuracy penalties like the CS Gear and Hardlight katana yield way better results for me.