The reason they are starting to become so underpowered is to do with the increasing amount of armor/stat mods available to crits nowadays. A druid/mage/cleric/paladin call literally render a fighters attacking power useless with a single spell, or a combo of a couple.
Now the spells of the other classes are fine, but when you consider that fighters are masters of melee combat and heavy armor something is definately lacking.
Lets look at it like this -
Cleric - Able to heal for 100's.
Able to increase stats by a great deal
Can wear medium armor, but no restriction on stat mods
Can increase more stamina per round thabn everyone cept mages.
Can deal decent enough damage to threaten players.
Paladin - Able to heal for 60's
Can increase stats, and most importantly dex by alot.
Can wear pretty much all the armor a fighter can bar a few pieces.
Deals less damage than a fighter, but more than cleric.
Mage - Able to increase armor to 150+
Gains more stamina per refresh than most.
Can do loads of damage with offensive magic.
Can dispell any stat spell.
Druid - Able to increase armor to 150+
Can heal for a few points.
Can morph to regain hp/mp.
Can use an offensive magic spell.
Can attack for huge damage using melee weapons.
Can leech mana from magical classes.
Fighter - 1 more stamina than any other class
Generally is supposed to deal more dmg per hit with melee.
Few extra armor than other classes
Now the way I look at it, thats a huge disadvantage to fighters when coming across any of those classes.
Even though the fighter is supposed to be superior to all classes in melee and armor, it is equalled and beaten by other classes who can also specialise in other areas.
I feel the fighters general damage should be increased, a few fighter only weapons could be introduced with more base damage than anything else and I feel that some of the suggestions posted on here warrant further discussion, from the staff - atleast.
Edited by Stigmata, 06 July 2004 - 06:05 PM.