what's the point of picking sword/shield?

[snuggleform]

If you pick literally anything else, you can unequip whatever you picked and you automatically get a free sword/shield set.

Why would I choose sword/shield to begin with?

(for sake of argument, let's disregard the special choice with tyrant sword/shield for intimidation aura, talking about the baseline sword/shield option).

[Chthonic Guardian]

I don't know if that is true.
I equipped with a bow, and I don't remember being just given an extra sword and shield, but maybe I just forgot.

[Midas]

If I'm not mistaken, base-line sword and shield gives you a level of vigor.

[snuggleform]

Originally posted by Chthonic Guardian:

I don't know if that is true.
I equipped with a bow, and I don't remember being just given an extra sword and shield, but maybe I just forgot.

I just did bow and unequipped and got sword/shield.

Originally posted by Midas:

If I'm not mistaken, base-line sword and shield gives you a level of vigor.

But no matter what you pick, you get a skillpoint invested in something, and your first respec is free so it literally doesn't matter whether it's vigor or fighting 1 or whatever.

[Midas]

Originally posted by snuggleform:

Originally posted by Midas:

If I'm not mistaken, base-line sword and shield gives you a level of vigor.

But no matter what you pick, you get a skillpoint invested in something, and your first respec is free so it literally doesn't matter whether it's vigor or fighting 1 or whatever.

Then I'm not sure what your point is. Many of the weapons just give you a normal level up point in something. Why would the sword and shield do more than that?

[Sifer2]

His point is the game wont let you have no weapon, and it defaults to a Sword/Shield. So yes if your trying to game the system you can just take other weapons. They could fix it if they wanted by having the default be some crappier than usual Sword/Shield.

[Midas]

It's worth pointing out that basic sword and shield also gives you a horse, which the intimidation aura sword and shield doesn't give. Though so does the bow and the orb. I don't think it's that big a deal, though. In theory I guess if you're fine with always wasting your first respec, you can just never pick the basic sword and shield in order to get a 'free' weapon, but it's not exactly a massive benefit.

[Private Pyle]

1 lvl of vigor so worth 😎

[Roderick]

I think the point in picking starting equip is to a) just to play to your liking and b) even out what you faction is missing. Industrials start with crossbow and shield units, so picking a weapon with charge makes you the shock unit they are missing. Since you'll be with one stack and your leader for a while, it makes things easier at the start.

[snuggleform]

Originally posted by Midas:

Originally posted by snuggleform:

But no matter what you pick, you get a skillpoint invested in something, and your first respec is free so it literally doesn't matter whether it's vigor or fighting 1 or whatever.

Then I'm not sure what your point is. Many of the weapons just give you a normal level up point in something. Why would the sword and shield do more than that?

The point is pretty simple.

If you pick sword and shield, you are gimping yourself out of gold because you could just pick Bow instead and sell your bow. The net result is you still get your sword and shield with a bit of gold from selling the bow.

[Midas]

Originally posted by snuggleform:

Originally posted by Midas:

Then I'm not sure what your point is. Many of the weapons just give you a normal level up point in something. Why would the sword and shield do more than that?

The point is pretty simple.

If you pick sword and shield, you are gimping yourself out of gold because you could just pick Bow instead and sell your bow. The net result is you still get your sword and shield with a bit of gold from selling the bow.

But you start with archery, which will be no benefit in melee, unless you respec, in which case you're wasting your one free respec and have to pay 100 imperium if you actually need a respec later on.

All that for a bow that you can either sell to the store for what basically amounts to pennies, or sell it to other NPC players once you have a good enough relationship with them. Except that depends entirely on how much gold you're willing to give them, and how much random equipment you're already swimming in.

I can get why you'd do it, but I don't think the benefit is automatic enough to be a very big deal.

[snuggleform]

I only ever need to respec once, so that is not a waste. I don't think I have ever spent imperium on respeccing ever, so you don't have a point there.

Any bit of gold counts on higher difficulties. Gold is TIGHT early on. If you get what I'm saying then don't try to pretend like I don't have a point.

[Midas]

Originally posted by snuggleform:

I only ever need to respec once, so that is not a waste. I don't think I have ever spent imperium on respeccing ever, so you don't have a point there.

Any bit of gold counts on higher difficulties. Gold is TIGHT early on. If you get what I'm saying then don't try to pretend like I don't have a point.

You choosing not to use it doesn't mean it's not a point. Suddenly turning a hero from a melee character into a healer, or a mage, can be a big deal. That's why it has a cost to begin with.

I get what your point is now, I just wanted to make sure because it's an incredibly niche idea. It assumes that you even WANT the basic sword and shield in the first place, AND you won't make use of respeccing enough to care, AND you either desperately need an extra 30 gold or have AI allies who have a ton of gold yet you don't already have more than enough stuff to sell to them already.

[snuggleform]

Those aren't niche at all. I have literally never respecced in this game outside of the free respec. The basic sword and shield are actually pretty great. My hero is often my tankiest unit anyways so why not turn it into the frontline guy taking all the damage. As I said, on higher difficulties every drop of gold counts.

And by the way, you're guilty of strawmanning by saying the issue I raised isn't very big. I never said it was big to begin with. I just pointed it out. All you have to do is say yeah you're right or no you missed something about it. What you can't do is what you say, say the issue isn't big enough. That's a judgment I never commented on either way - it's irrelevant. There is no requirement anywhere and you are the not the gatekeeper of what is a "big enough" balance issue to point out.

[Midas]

Originally posted by snuggleform:

Those aren't niche at all. I have literally never respecced in this game outside of the free respec. The basic sword and shield are actually pretty great. My hero is often my tankiest unit anyways so why not turn it into the frontline guy taking all the damage. As I said, on higher difficulties every drop of gold counts.

And by the way, you're guilty of strawmanning by saying the issue I raised isn't very big. I never said it was big to begin with. I just pointed it out. All you have to do is say yeah you're right or no you missed something about it. What you can't do is what you say, say the issue isn't big enough. That's a judgment I never commented on either way - it's irrelevant. There is no requirement anywhere and you are the not the gatekeeper of what is a "big enough" balance issue to point out.

You're being awfully defensive about this, and no that's a far cry from 'strawmanning'. I never said you said it was a big deal, but you started a thread for it, so you think it's at least that much of a big deal. You asked why people would pick anything else, I just gave several reasons why. Whether or not you personally care about those reasons doesn't change the fact that they're still reasons.

And it's not 'gatekeeping' to answer someone's question, either. You're literally comparing the value of options. Everyone's answer is going to be based on whether or not they think the benefits are 'big enough'.

[DesertRose92]

It's the combination of getting a Support skill to get an Adept(?) Support skill at level 3, and you get a mount.

Not a huge bonus, I usually take either Bow or Staff, but it's there.