Incentive for turning off auto-attack

I think it would make for more interesting strategy if there were an incentive for turning off auto-attack/shoot. At the moment, it's a total no-brainer: you either go bows or melee, and you turn it on every time. However, it seems to me that bashing things with a stick is a rather unwizardly thing to do, and at higher levels, the playstyles for more pure casters should reflect this.

Could there maybe be a bonus to combat recovery, or to gem draw rate, or something? Or maybe special spells that require extra concentration and can't be cast unless you haven't attacked or casted in the last 5 seconds? Or maybe a bonus to parry, or perhaps the attack power can be added to your armor instead (if it's a staff, say)?

This last option is recommended particularly because some might worry that there would be no point to getting new staves, otherwise. Anyway, what do you think? Obviously, the more of these that are used, the more each has to be watered down, so I don't know. And balance issues, etc. Yes/no?

[flipynifty]

neat idea

Hrm, well in order to parry or block you have to be auto-attacking, or auto-shooting for kiting. I don't think that would work so hot.
Staff user buff when not auto-attacking or auto-shooting might be easy enough. The draw haste idea sounds good, maybe have that scale with the level requirement of the staff used (e.g.: req 50 staff has 50% draw haste). If that's too powerful, halve the haste number.

Hmmm. Well, they could change the parrying rule to "parry as long as not auto-shooting" or something.

That is actually not a bad idea at all. The parry thing is the only downside to this... but if the regen rate (or whatever bonus) is high enough, lack of parries could be seen as balancing.

[doctor-warlord]

sounds like an interesting idea for casters

Jeff!! Do eet!!

Flatout 10% bonus to all spells for not attacking and parrying with the staff, maybe? Upgrading your staff doesn't mean much anyway for casters who don't put any points into Str/Dex (except for the improved stats from it, which would still be the case).

Looking at classic fantasy though, staffs did get used by Wizards... they weren't simple walking sticks. Gandalf, for example, used to use it more than actual casting.

What I'd like to see is something akin to being able to slot staffs with gems and getting the gem cast on some swings. Like D20 spell storing weapon.

Stalves would have a better percentage, but you might be able to do it to any weapon (though limiting it to stalves for now would probably be simplest.)

As I said before, I don't know why they couldn't change the parrying rule to "...when not auto-shooting".

Hmmm. If you're neither shooting nor attacking, it seems that you should be able to both kite and parry at the same time (but maybe at 70% effectiveness each for balance?)

EDIT: I hadn't thought about blocking. Maybe you should keep full parry and blocking, but only get, say, half of your usual kiting bonus? I don't know.

Blocking requires a shield.... how do you have a shield when you're holding the 2h staff?

I don't approve, since I play this at work and hit auto attack and do things at the same time. I don't care either way I guess, but maybe for casters something could be implemented since they have to be paying attention anyways.

Thumbs up for this post.

[RogueTigeR]

i like the idea of a higher parry percentage when not auto attacking/ being able to parry when not autoattacking....implements more strategy into not only raising a character to fight with but the actual fight itself.

As far as blocking goes, not many shield users would get all of their damage from magic, but it might help to get the bonus while trying to run, or something. Maybe running away should be slightly easier while not fighting, for that matter. I don't know.

great ideas all.

on a smart ass note
guys like slash and piercing alot.
I got the slash and like to b pierced.