Post#15 » Thu Dec 24, 2020 3:03 am
WAR is not a solo game by design. This is intentional, and part of the challenge of playing the game also involves finding builds that work for you to play in that realm.
You don't have to follow the mold as it's given. But that's part of an RPG - you make decisions on your own to build your character. And another reason as to why WAR is so great: it keeps the D&D style progression system alive that many modern MMOs forget about.
If you're roaming solo as a Marauder, you're actually one of the more tankier melee classes in the game. Their chance to ignore having their armor penetrated is class-defining.
Soloing may prove challenging because you don't have gear or the experience of knowing your optimal rotation to actually get kills. Mara does insane damage.
As a White Lion, I find myself at wits end often due to the lack of self healing. I've often referred to potions being on cooldown as 'having your pants down'.
I often end up with high kill counts in RvR zones, not because I have a self heal, but because I target other solo players or engage in fights without healers. Picking your fights is something you'll have to get used to doing. Every situation is unique and there's no mechanical changes me or any other dev here could make to White Lion that keep their damage exactly how it is now, but also have self healing. Even DPS AMs, which have the ability to self heal, are not 'dedicated healers' for anyone. Not even themselves. DoKs/WPs, if they are melee specced, can be kited by just about any ranged DPS class with very little recourse to heal themselves beyond weak DoTs that are reduced due to their tactic choices.
With that being said, here's an example of a situation I often run into.
Let's say I am fighting an equal or better geared DoK that is in non-melee (heal) spec, and I am being detaunted off cooldown by them in a 1v1, and this detaunt happens as I am engaging them.
There is really zero chance I will kill the DoK. Not because this game is unfair to a solo character, but because my class lacks the utility to take them down in every situation.
Add another DPS of any type, and the fight suddenly becomes winnable due to burst alone, and is almost always in my favor, provided the DPS avoids standing near me for the AOE detaunt. Tracking the cooldown of your opponent is a strategy to win here.
I often recommend new players that ask me what to play, to NOT play melee or ranged dps classes. Why? Because they don't teach you anything about the game, and there's far too many ranged DPS classes in the game who are not used to the concept of guarding someone, or staying in the line of sight of a healer. These are things you pick up on by actually BEING in those roles.
I recommend Knight/Chosen for most folks starting: They are incredibly powerful in solo, group, and warband contexts. They're always in demand in those contexts as well.
The class also teaches you something very important by improving your play: Why you should guard, and how to swap, and how to stay with your guarded target (or tank, if you're a DPS)
Having the ability to stay alive long will also give you the ability to practice general game flow; there's melee players that are leagues above someone just coming into this game, and if you fight them, you aren't guaranteed to win. And you're also more likely to escape from a proper 6man group hunting you down as a tank compared to a lone melee dps.
In the end, there's nothing to change here for melee and other classes without self healing. The classes are designed to be dependent on others.
You have pretty much one or two options for smallscale as a melee:
1) Find a tank or healer (preferrably both) in /5 - they don't have to be cream of the crop, just someone who can play at a moderate level, and then play with them.
2) Push your limits by yourself and get better at knowing what fights to pick, and what ones to avoid, and what your opponent uses to attack you. Stock up on potions, and don't be afraid to experiment - you are the only person who can decide whether it's effective or not.
