Brent.glines wrote:I'm interested in the footman skill tree. I assume that for combat damage, a level 60 footman will hit harder than a level 30 footman, correct? I also assume that weapon quality affects damage, and that a quality 60 war axe will hit harder than a quality 30 war axe, correct?
Assumption is the mother of all F&#%ups, Grasshopper.
Skill, combined with quality, determines your potential damage. Damage is soft-capped by your skill and hard-capped by your weapon. What that means is, in order to do the most damage possible, you must be using a weapon that is at least equal in quality to your level of skill. If you have 100 Footman and a quality 30 waraxe, you will do the same damage as someone with 30 Footman and a quality 100 waraxe. The former's damage is capped because that is the maximum potential of the weapon, and the latter is capped by the level of their skill. A 100 Footman with a VSteel quality 100 waraxe will obliterate both of those fighters in terms of raw damage output.
Do attributes such as strength affect combat damage?
No, not for melee. Strength merely determines your ability to effectively wield a weapon. That being said, you always want to gain a bit of extra strength above and beyond the bare minimum needed to wield a weapon because if your arm if broken during combat your effective strength will be lowered, rendering you helpless if you had exactly the amount of strength required.
Strength also helps lower the stamina cost per swing, allowing you to fight longer before becoming winded.
Does hard/soft stamina affect damage?
Yes with an "if"; no with a "but". More stamina means more swings before going winded. Gassing yourself mid-combat is tantamount to suicide.
Stamina also means higher willpower, and being able to pack a horse and still be able to move unencumbered after you ride to a battlefield is nigh-essential if you will be fighting on foot. Also if you ever need to swim to a battle you will either need to leave your horse behind, or have someone willing to swim the length 3 times to take his horse across, come back, pick yours up, and take it across.
Does skill in a lower part of the tree affect upper parts? For example, will I hit for more damage as a 70 footman/60 swordsman than I would as a 60 footman/60 swordsman?
Damage is only relevant to the weapon you are currently using and nothing else.
Do special attacks stack? i.e. can I use special footman attacks as a swordsman in addition to swordsman combinations?
See above. The same also applies for combinations. The only exception is being able to use the combos gained at 90 Assaulter and 90 Swordsman as a 90 Cavalier with a bastard sword.