I have been playing DB for a while now but the introduction of javelin was the first thing that prompted me to sign up for the forums. I played for a few hours last night after the update and endured seven or eight matches with a multitude of javelin players. Now, while it is still early, here are the issues that I have observed so far:
- OP as a whole, not in part
The rocket so far has received the most attention and drawn the most ire. This is not, however, the sole issue affecting the balance of Javelin within the context of the game. While the rocket is part of it, it is the combination of the character stats, primary weapon, and abilities that make Javelin somewhat unbalanced. Proof of this is the fact that a level 7 and a level 11 in three separate games the night I played finished stopwatch matches with over 70 kills each-- one player going 95-15. Keep in mind that this is a completely new character and that these players were using the basic card and had no prior experience playing it. Ridiculous. Not only is Javelin extremely tanky, her primary weapon and her ability to spam ammo make her an exceptional “easy mode” character that is almost completely self-sufficient. Lastly, you have the hatchet which is absolutely asinine with the damage it delivers. Most of the tanky, high damage mercs are defeatable if one can close the distance-- this is not the case with Javelin. I was consistently 1hk’d with the hatchet when I closed the gap-- even when struck in the body with Proxy and Nader. That is asinine.
- Single javelin, not an issue… but 5?
Many people have mentioned their fears that javelin will kill the EV maps. While the damage to the EV has been curtailed to appropriate levels for one individual playing javelin, the devs forgot to consider the possibility of several Javelin players on such maps. With the short reload period and incredible ease with which the missile can be fired, it will be exceptionally easy to keep the EV disabled indefinitely. Because the rocket takes almost no time to fire and little skill to guide, it will allow players to hit and run with ease. Javelin should be altered to be more like Nader-- more rockets that are less powerful and take a significant amount of time to restock a full clip.
- Ability to use indoors
The ability to use Javelin’s missile indoors should put it more in line with Fragger than with Arty or Skyhammer. However, this is not the case. Javelin presents the best of both an AOE attacker like Fragger or Nader and the AOE defender/support of characters like Skyhammer and Arty with almost no downside. Essentially, Javelin is Fragger in terms of health and movement, with a better special weapon that has unlimited range and takes essentially no time to fire, with the capacity for infinite ammo and relatively light reload times, and a better primary weapon. Couple that with the XP-garnering ammo distribution and you have an elite character that is so easy that a sub-level 10 can go 95-15 in a single stopwatch match. This is completely unacceptable.
Summary:
It’s not a single element that makes Javelin a source of incredible imbalance-- it’s the sum of the parts. Remove or augment some of them and Javelin can be a great addition to the Dirty Bomb family. Ignore these issues and Javelin will sink this game. I have every confidence the devs will address it-- they have done an excellent job so far.
Suggestions:
- Rockets should be clip-fed and do much less damage, requiring either a direct hit or several AOE strikes in line with Nader. Long refill times for the full clip should be similar to Nader. This will immediately require more skill and tactical thinking on behalf of Javelin players as they will have to aim carefully and chose when to best utilize their missiles.
- Remove the ammo support function from Javelin. We do not need another character that provides ammo. Javelin would be best used as an alternative attacker-- replacing Nader, rather than a jack of all trades that can fulfill the roles of all the attackers and the ammo-providing support characters, not to mention anti-EV support functions. I mean, seriously! What were you guys thinking? This will balance both gameplay and XP distribution. There is absolutely no reason why one merc should be able to fully meet both support and attacking roles. This enables players to not have to choose their mercs intelligently prior to the match start. Why not just have it all? With Javelin, you do. Furthermore, it will make Javelin less self-sufficient. She will need to rely on other characters to be effective.
Anyway, that’s my two cents. All I know is that I probably won’t be playing a lot of Dirty Bomb until Javelin is altered. As it stands, she brings too much imbalance to the game.