AcornStory -- Playing a Post-Ascension Bowman

http://maplestory.nexon.net/News/News.as...ntNo=00D7L

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Welcome to AcornStory, our ongoing feature helping players get started in Maple World everything from choosing a class to finding friends to understanding combat to tips for participating in an online community. MapleStory is easy to learn, but once you learn the basic game mechanics, where do you go and what do you do? Read on to find out!


Playing a Bowman -- Post Ascension!

In two previous editions of AcornStory, we discussed choosing an Explorer or choosing a Cygnus Knight. Later, we had an in-depth discussion about the advanced Explorer Bowman classes. Even in Maple World, though, time doesnt stand still. Ascension has arrived and things have changed again. In this AcornStory, well discuss whats happening with all four ranged classes.

Bowmen and Wind Archers share the same basic design. Theyre both ranged fighters and DPS (damage per second) classes. DPS classes are designed to deliver a lot of damage very fast. The trade-off for this is that theyre rather fragile. Theyre not armored the way melee classes are and cant take much damage before they die. That much has not changed. Any kind of party function you fulfilled as a Bowman pre-Ascension, you should be able to do so post-Ascension.

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Changes for Bowmen

Unlike Warriors, the changes for Bowmen are a bit more subtle. As you level up, you will find that the Bowman does a bit more damage at all levels, but the key changes to the classes lie in the areas of range and mobility. Many of the new skills, such as Illusion Step and Elite Puppet, are designed to increase Avoidability and Dexterity as well as provide damage absorbing decoys and other options that allow players to avoid getting hit. Older skills have had their level requirements lowered, their damage output increased, and their range lengthened.

The cumulative effect of all these changes is not to make the class more powerful, but rather to smooth the difficulty curve as players move up through their jobs. In short, players will no longer have to suffer through many levels of difficulty before getting their hands on the skills that actually make the class fun to play.

Basic Explorer Bowman Skills

Eliminated Skills

Focus, The Eye of Amazon, Enhanced Basics, Power Knock-Back, Thrust, Hamstring, Vengeance

New Skills

Archery Mastery: Increases attack range, Accuracy, Avoidability, movement speed, and maximum movement speed.

Arrow Blow: Damage has been increased to 220% at level 15. Master Level has been lowered from 20 to 15.

Double Shot: Damage has been increased to 155% at level 15. Master Level has been lowered from 20 to 15.

Job Advancement

Once an Explorer Bowman character reaches level 30, they have the opportunity to begin to specialize in their chosen class. This is called a "job advancement." For Explorer Bowmen, that means they can choose to either follow the path of the Hunter or the Crossbowman. Hunters are more agile and attack faster than Crossbowmen. They also do area-of-effect damage that can hit multiple enemies. Crossbowmen are slower by comparison, but make up for it by doing more damage. Wind Archers have a more linear advancement path and do not get to choose their specialization, but do move on to new "jobs."




Hunter (Explorer)

The path of the Hunter is one of elegant violence. You are fast and agile, able to dodge monsters as though you rode the wind. This is important as you cannot take much punishment. You are also able to quickly launch your missiles at enemies for tremendous damage, even using Hunter tricks to damage many foes at a time. After Ascension, Explorer Hunters will find that all of these skills have increased effectiveness at lower levels. Damage output is increased and skills that increase the ability to dodge will be available sooner. This will make the class easier to level up at all stages.

Crossbowman (Explorer)

Unlike the Hunter, the Crossbowman is as subtle as a sledgehammer. Your job is to drop the hurt on monsters, and equipped with your powerful crossbow, you're more than capable of doing so. Your weakness is that you're not as fast or as agile as the Hunter. As with other Bowman classes, the Crossbowman will find that their damage output and Avoidability have increased, but the change that most Crossbowman will really appreciate is the increased range. This allows Crossbowmen to deal out damage while being better able to avoid AoE and long-range attacks.



Post-Ascension Hunter and Crossbowman Skills


Double Jump (2nd Job): Jump a second time while in the air after jumping.

Physical Training (2nd Job): Permanently increase your STR and DEX by up to 30 points.

Concentrate (3rd Job): Increases Attack Power and decreases the amount of MP consumed for a specific period of time.

Spirit Link: Freezer (4th Job): When Freezer is summoned, increases total damage, Max HP, Max MP, DEF, Magic DEF, and all elemental resistances. Required Skill: Frostprey level 20.


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Hunter (Explorer)

The path of the Hunter is one of elegant violence. You are fast and agile, able to dodge monsters as though you rode the wind. This is important as you cannot take much punishment. You are also able to quickly launch your missiles at enemies for tremendous damage, even using Hunter tricks to damage many foes at a time. After Ascension, Explorer Hunters will find that all of these skills have increased effectiveness at lower levels. Damage output is increased and skills that increase the ability to dodge will be available sooner. This will make the class easier to level up at all stages.

Huh...
Nexon is learning how to work synonyms.

Huh...
Nexon is learning how to work synonyms.

Or copy pasting sentences from pirates/mechs.

Huh...
Nexon is learning how to work synonyms.

What would you call a mobile bomb traveling through the air at high speeds?

O.o What are those graphical changes you get from using different weapons they talk about?
Also nice damage:

Graphical Changes

While less critical to gameplay, Ascension did usher in another fun change to skills: graphic updates! Many Bowman skills were originally designed to use the same graphic effects regardless of the weapon being used. This has now changed and the graphic effects will be slightly different for each weapon used. While this doesn’t affect the way the class plays, it does make the whole game look better!

Check out some of the new graphic effects!

~Image snip~

Are you ready to be a Warrior? Start the game now!

lolz are had.

lolz are had.

hahaha, and for some reason, this made me laugh pretty hard too:

Unlike the Hunter, the Crossbowman is as subtle as a sledgehammer.

O.o What are those graphical changes you get from using different weapons they talk about?
Also nice damage:

This. Was totally unaware that such things existed. I find it funny that they use that pic to show that bms are good lol.