Still, I advocate keeping the weapon the same and simply adding 150-200 SP to the weapon.
Yes, I agree. Monetary contribution for the benefit of the server should be rewarded; however, the act of donation does not justify one receiving OP equipment that gives a certain, great advantage as well as bringing unbalanceness in the server.
I am in favor and agree with your statements.
I one-hundred-percent agree with you Julio, but this is another topic...heh.
Yes, you are half correct. Though not formally discussed in the forums, there was considerable dissent in-game concerning the LKH's damage output from players excluding those who played the LK class (for the obvious, biased reason).
Agreed, with the growing popularity of demi-human reduction gears as the player's choice for default equipment, most classes seem to have a decent method of protection. With the new Frigg's Shield, this occurrence will be ever more.
Sniper's long range is countered with LK's Charge Attack to approach them. Once in near quarters, the LK can proceed with their combat skills. Countering Sniper's Arrow Repel is a simple task with a Tao/RSX armor. Endure also helps with not being stunned while moving towards them.
LK's have their own form of crippling: Vital Strike. While this doesn't induce chances of coma, it still is a strategic method to cripple the enemy in movement and damage. With this, the LK is in position for a variety of combat skills.
I'm going to argue that LKs do have an advantage in PvP by describing Supreamus' technique (arguably the best LK in the server) in my account as I dueled him on numerous occasions (I, in the perspective of arguably the best clown in the server; asshole move, I know):
He approaches with fast offensive skills that drain my HP and most likely his SP. I counter with cloaking and switching off to double noxious. After a while, he Vital Strikes me, lowering my movement speed and cutting my AV damage from 9k to 8k (it is high because he defaults GTB fighting me, and probably most other clowns). He is hitting about 6k Spiral/(forgot BB damage). After a few more seconds into battle, I notice my seed count is at about 130-140. At this point, we are throwing back AVs and Spiral/BB. Supreamus switches into melee mode. At this point, two things can occur:
Situation 1: Supreamus luckily coma's me with edge.
Situation 2: I switch to blue ifrit rings for assumptio and once I get it, I put on GTB with double noxious.
This pattern will continue until he coma's me with edge or I kill him only because he runs out of consumables (he uses berries, I, seeds). Keeping our duels clean, by the time he runs out of consumables, I have about 30-50 seeds left. He is quite efficient in making you switch gears so battle mode is a must. In short, I believe that LK is well off except the fact that with GTB on, Supreamus claims to ygg after every 3-4 Spiral Pierces. This is blatantly unfair for LK, ygging for SP way before they need to recover HP. In thiis duel, being so well geared and optimized at techniques we have at our disposal, skill is pushed aside and the duel rests on luck. And so, I advocate only adding SP to the weapon. If you want coma, use edge (it's coma rate should be higher, but that too, is another topic...)
LK is still a popular class. And, high SP consumption does not justify the need for a skill that hits ~9k*5 at about 3 per second on someone with standard reductions. If SP consumption is the counter rebuttal, I suggest to increase it.
Knocking away is also a benefit. It can be used on assassins who fight close up, pairing it with Spiral Pierce so that you can attack from a range, etc.
Considering all the classes are in a sense "unbalanced", two wrongs do not make a right.