How about a sidearm (pistol)...

[Jynne]

There are a lot of so-called support classes who have a medium blue pistol skill, but don't use pistols. Instead they by and large choose rifles, shotguns, or martial arts despite those skills being dark blue in many instances.

The reasoning for this varies, but mostly it centers on two things: mainly the lack of worthwhile and available pistols, but also implant conflicts between Pistol clusters and TimeSpace and MattCrea in the bright and faded locations.

I don't know if it's possible or practical to change that implant layout, and remove the conflict, but I certainly suggest it. Putting one of the Pistol clusters in the left hand and the other in one of the two wrists where it didn't clash with multi-ranged would probably work.

I also suggest a decent pistol other than the Original Electronicum be added for 'support classes' that will be a reasonable means of self-defense for them despite the implant conflict. It should have low enough requirements to be practically equippable at QL 200 and do enough damage to warrant an IP investment. A non-profession-specific version of the BBI Faithful, minus flingshot and that (like the OT Army Officer pistol) cannot be dual wielded, would probably work out very well. The addition of a +15 to +30 addalloff modifier to the pistol would make it very attractive to support classes for overcoming resistances as well as compensating for their low attack ratings.

Give it some thought

[coldwarkid]

Even Engineers often go shotgun or MA, and we've got a green pistol skill. The reason is that we can still only raise pistol by 4pts/lvl and the implant conflicts mean that you can actually achieve the same level of skill with a shotgun as with a pistol for instance, despite shotgun being capped at a slightly lower level. Additionally, you can buy the best shotguns or find them in missions, but the only really good pistol is a boss loot item.

It's always struck me as odd that it's simply more cost-effective to go with the unintended weapon than the intended one. Some slightly better pistols would fix this nicely. Obviously as an engineer I'd like to see some of them as a tradeskill process...

Some pistols I'd like to convert:-

• Kolt 58 Magnums
• Desert Reets
• OT Boomer M30's
• Sentinels ETE Strike Guns
• PNG Tactical Revolvers
• Khemo-Tech Model 200's

There's a lot of ways you can convert a pistol to make it better, of course. Better damage is one way (and it's a good way, don't get me wrong), but easier dual-wielding or removal of troublesome secondary reqs are others that could be considered.

Cheers,

~R~

[Jynne]

Engineers also have the best pistol buff in the game

Please give this some consideration, FC. Just changing the implant conflicts with Pistol clusters, and introducing a decent pistol that's not boss-only, would encourage many professions to abandon heavier but more IP-costly weapons.