How would you guys feel about removing instagib from all mercs?

(ChadBroChill) #1

Bear with me on this, area denial is super important in this game, as its the best and sometimes only way to clear out deeply entrenched enemies, but it also requires the least amount of risk to be effective. Let’s look at the mercs that can instagib the easiest and how little they have to commit to completely removing an enemy from play:

A Fragger who cooks his grenades behind cover is barely in danger, and there’s little an opponent can do once nade is flying towards their face. The only real counter to this is to guess when he’s cooking the grenade and charge him.

Skyhammer gets to “set and forget” his airstrike, exposing himself for only a moment. The delay however lets you escape if you’re aware enough.

Vasilli gets instagibs on his headshots. Granted this takes a reasonable level of skill to pull off, but there is virtually no counter play to being caught in his line of sight. If you don’t know where he is and he catches you first, game over, see you next wave. Vasillis who can land jump headshots from cover are literally risking nothing for the ultimate reward.

What’s the point of toning down low-risk/high-reward gameplay? It encourages players to play aggressively to secure their kills. It makes good aim and movement the most reliable means of downing an enemy for good. It also increases the likelihood of revives, which should lengthen fights and keep the tempo of the match higher. If you wanna kill someone for good, take out your primary and shove it down the other guys throat. You can even teabag afterwards!

Area denial characters already accomplish their role by simply damaging enemies in an AOE, essentially telling the opponents “leave or die”. They don’t need instagibs to do this.

Is this a buff to medics? Absolutely, but having support characters being the most vital team member in the meta (TF2) is a good thing. It places an emphasis on team-work, where both protecting and killing the medic becomes even more important.

TL:DR Removing instagibs forces players to use their primaries more, and more frequent revives lets players fight for longer.

-instagib = +skill ceiling & +fun

(Frogteam) #2

Vasiline doesn’t really bring much else to the table, his whole thing is taking important members of the enemy team out of the battle for good. He’s already not particularly popular in competitive, if you removed his headshot insta-gib he’d be even less useful for the team.

(Eox) #3

Actually, the heartbeat sensor is very, very useful if your team is smart enough to make the most usage of it (and if the Vassili player can use it smartly of course). It’s like a team shared wallhack. I think it won’t take long to see some competitive teams getting a Vassili in their squad. Especially if aimpunch is tuned down.

(watsyurdeal) #4

This would be a massive buff to Medics…as in there wouldn’t be a counter to them.

You have to understand instant gibbing exists purely to deny revives, so Medic trains can’t dominate the game’s meta.

(awesomePenguin) #5

I’d like it if headshots didn’t gib you. Because frankly, the only other way to achieve gibbing is to use explosives, no? It should be limited to only that.

I seriously doubt this will ever change, however.

(ChadBroChill) #6

Medic still lose fights to the pure frag classes. Nader only instagibs on direct hits and she dunks on medics all the time. Fragger has no problem shredding medics with his lmg. Phantom 1 shots aura and sparks. Balanced teams are always going to have advantage.

Besides with the recent nerf to revives you can’t defib anyone under continuous fire. If you follow up your kills no medic is going to stop you.

(sinKrin) #7

This is part of the reason why I think Redeye would be very welcome utilising his smoke grenades. Vasilli can’t headshot you if he can’t see you.

(blobjim) #8

Removing Vassili insta-gibs would remove the reward you get from headshots and make Vassili pointless because of his inability to quickly remove enemies from the player field…

Skyhammer’s ability can be denied by shooting his airstrike grenade before it calls in the strike but perhaps that time period should be longer.

Insta-gibs in this game only make sense and without them all it would do is make the game more stale. It is also a good reward for throwing a grenade in the right spot or getting a headshot. Without insta-gibs what incentives will snipers have? You headshot them then they fall behind their cover and a medic can revive them without any possibility for interference from you besides shooting the medic.

The one thing you mentioned that I agree with is Fragger’s grenades. His grenades are too hard to dodge, but I don’t really see a way around it because his timed grenades are what make him unique and useful.

(ChadBroChill) #9

That’s the whole point, you can’t dismantle a team unless you hit key targets or you take actual risks to secure kills. Snipers are powerful by virtue of locking down whole areas. Just because you can’t get instagibbed doesn’t mean you can waltz into the open and not get demolished. That’s what area denial is all about.

Seriously though, how in the world is instant death from across the map somehow less stale than cqc, twitch aiming, and coordinating targets with teammates? Removing instagibs adds depth and reinforces the best parts of this game. Expand on that, what do you mean by stale?