I have been mainly playing Sparks since open beta and I don’t understand why she is the ONLY merc that is forced to use machine pistols as primary weapons. In what design philosophy does it make sense to give the SAME character both the least health and the weakest weapons? She is vastly outclassed at close and medium range by literally every other merc. She can’t even take on the one other fast/squishy medic, Aura.
So she can one shot with her revive gun? Excellent. At the range that the enemy’s head is more than a few pixels she’s still outgunned by any smg/AR in the game. At “sniping” ranges she has roughly a 3x zoom and not only a requirement to precharge the shot but a TIME LIMIT to take it.
I seem to remember a dev statement somewhere (correct me if i’m wrong) that the REVIVR is not “meant” to be a primary weapon but that its damage capabilities are just a secondary function. Here’s the main thing: if you miss that headshot, even if you hit the body, the time it took to charge that shot plus the time it takes to charge another and cross your fingers that you can hit again, is FAR too long compared to any other primary weapon in the game. I’m sure some MLG pro gamers will be popping heads left and right with the REVIVR but for the rest of us mortals it’s extremely hit and miss (literally). The only reason to keep Sparks confined to machine pistols is if the devs INTENDED the REVIVR to be used as a primary weapon. For most people its not going to be a feasible choice.
- I would like to see a switchable mode on the gun between revive mode (functions as currently) and damage mode (fires instantly at full power and then must recharge before another shot - at current charge rate)
Every other merc that gets some kind of offensive ability ‘weapon’ (nader, rhino, etc) ALSO get normal weapons. What is it about Sparks that makes her so god damn op that she must be forced to have pea-shooters? (I guess it’s because her ability weapon is clearly more powerful than a grenade launcher or a goddamn minigun)
Ok , I get it. She can revive from range but that is literally the only thing she can do. I ask you, good Dirty people, what is her role? It’s not healing, there seems to be a general consensus that her medkits are for self sustaining. I still throw them at allies all the time but it takes up my whole inventory of medkits to bring up someone who’s low. Sawbonez, Aura and Phoenix fill that role immensely better than Sparks. Her healing is completely built in to full charge revives. In other words, you’re encouraged to let people die rather than heal them because it’s FASTER to revive them to full with the gun.
I get that she’s not meant to be a combat powerhouse and yes she’s the fastest on foot. But what is that speed meant for? Just running away from everyone you see? Duck and weave and spend the entire game ONLY reviving? Is that genuinely all she is meant for?
I still play her cos I love the ranged revive. But there’s a very good reason that sawbones is the only medic used in dirty cups competitive. The combination of Sparks tiny health pool and pissweak weapons and an ability weapon that is inconsistent and unfuriating or pulling off flukey shots and passable. Every other merc gets at least two CLASSES of weapon in their primary lineup, hell even arty and kira get a choice between burst fire and semi-auto. Aura has a choice of shotguns or blishlok. Sparks gets 3 equally-garbage machine pistols.
I suggest either making changes to the revivr as mentioned above or giving sparks access to at least one shotgun or smg.
