My suggested fixes for Arty

(ron1n_) #1

So I posted this over on the nexon forums but figured I’d post it here too as I’d be keen to hear feedback on the changes.

Suggested Arty changes:

1.Stat Change:

Health to 110 and sprint to 420. Makes no sense giving him the same stats as Skyhammer. He should be in between both Kira (Light) and Skyhammer (heavy) to give him some point of difference. As it is now, he’s a second tier Skyhammer.

2. Ability change:

So as it works currently, You have to aim it (clunky, takes time) hold it (more time) and hope that during all this:

a) you aren’t just shot while standing there staring at them.

b) they don’t see you calling it in and move

c) it doesn’t take too long and they sprint past long before the arty strike actually hits.

d) you realise you could have just shot them and achieved the same result.

Solution:

The weaknesses stem from maintaining line of sight and how slow it is to call in. To fix this, I suggest letting Arty use his current lock on mechanic to PRE-SIGHT where he wants his artillery to go. Once the position is locked in using the current method, he can then call it in instantly whenever and from wherever he wants (obviously pending a cool down). Could then repeat aiming it if he wants to reset the location (hold it to re-aim, click it to fire on the move)

So in essence it would function a bit like fletcher’s sticky bombs, but obviously with different cd/restrictions. It would also keep the current red dot warning on the ground and time from firing it to it actually landing.

I feel like this would actually make the ability useful without needing to change its damage values or aoe radius. And it would solve all the issues that come from requiring line of sight as you can pre-set it in safety and then quickly set it off in the middle of a fire fight. Plus it kind of makes more sense as artillery is often pre-sighted and the coordinates are just given a designation and called in repeatedly.

Thoughts?

(poiuasd) #2

The most important thing to do about his ability would be to fix the targeting issues like how you can’t call in strikes through windows or how the traintracks on trainyard mess it up.
If the ability was to be buffed I think making the designator immune to aimpunch would be a thing to consider, or to remove the casting time completely so you would just need to tap the wanted area to call the strike down.
You can already do a lot of work with the ability once you learn all the good spots and timings.

(ron1n_) #3

[QUOTE=poiuasd;532412]
If the ability was to be buffed I think making the designator immune to aimpunch would be a thing to consider, or to remove the casting time completely so you would just need to tap the wanted area to call the strike down.
You can already do a lot of work with the ability once you learn all the good spots and timings.[/QUOTE]

You really can’t though. In almost any situation, Kira or Skyhammers beam/airstrike are superior. And a big reason for this is lack of handicap. Even if you made the arty strike instant cast (which would probably lead to problems of easily under or over aiming it) you still have to stand still maintaining line of sight. This is the key problem because against anyone with half a clue, you will typically be shot dead while you stand there aiming. And unless you are getting a big multi-kill, you need to ask yourself whether you could have achieved exactly the same effect if you’d just shot whoever you were standing there aiming the ability at.

If you could set it up and then quick fire it off when a team mate calls a push over comms or someone defusing/arming or on a turret, it would become a lot more useful and you wouldn’t need to open yourself up to being fragged like you currently do. Hammer can throw his nade without any risk, and kira can spawn then quick click her beam to where it needs to go from cover. Arty should be able to do the same with his ability.

(Szakalot) #4

pls leave HP alone, Arty is so weak already.

Would welcome the change OP proposes, but I’m not sure its enough. Still it would allow for quick&easy AoE denial outdoors

(Anty_al-Tikriti) #5

I agree. The ability to pre-aim artillery sounds like a very good idea. As thing stand currently people hardly use Arty at all.

Call in Aunt Hillary!

(ron1n_) #6

[QUOTE=Szakalot;532422]pls leave HP alone, Arty is so weak already.

Would welcome the change OP proposes, but I’m not sure its enough. Still it would allow for quick&easy AoE denial outdoors[/QUOTE]

Perhaps, but I think he really could use some speed. I think the 120/400 works for hammer and stoker because they have access to the full auto assault rifles but for arty (and something I’ve noticed on Kira) I feel like the extra speed does more for his survivabilty and ability to stay at range than that extra 10 health does.

Yeah not sure if it’s enough, but I think it would at least open the possibility for him to become a niche pick on certain maps in the competitive environment. Being able to call it down quickly from cover without exposing yourself mostly makes up for the smaller radius/shorter barrage in my opinion.

The other question you’d need to answer would be whether to let the pre-sighting persist through death and maybe add a cd delay upon re-spawning or force you to re-aim it each spawn.

Alternatively you could have a charge system where each location can only be fired upon X number of times etc. Would leave that up to the devs though. I feel just separating the two and making it less clunky is what’s key.

(Szakalot) #7

[QUOTE=ron1n_;532487]Perhaps, but I think he really could use some speed. I think the 120/400 works for hammer and stoker because they have access to the full auto assault rifles but for arty (and something I’ve noticed on Kira) I feel like the extra speed does more for his survivabilty and ability to stay at range than that extra 10 health does.

Yeah not sure if it’s enough, but I think it would at least open the possibility for him to become a niche pick on certain maps in the competitive environment. Being able to call it down quickly from cover without exposing yourself mostly makes up for the smaller radius/shorter barrage in my opinion.

The other question you’d need to answer would be whether to let the pre-sighting persist through death and maybe add a cd delay upon re-spawning or force you to re-aim it each spawn.

Alternatively you could have a charge system where each location can only be fired upon X number of times etc. Would leave that up to the devs though. I feel just separating the two and making it less clunky is what’s key.[/QUOTE]

generally HP is always preferable over speed.

In comp, if people could have rhino-speed mercs with 200hp, a team of two 200hp fraggers with 2 200hp sawbonez would laugh n stomp a default mercenary team

(jazevec) #8

Can Arty survive his own shell ? He has a loadout with both Failsafe (-30%) and Unshakeable(-20%).

(Szakalot) #9

Played some Arty lately, and it becomes clear that pre-fire would be a great buff to this otherwise lackluster character. Its not just about being able to prepare arty and fire it off while peeking.

Being able to pre-fire the arty designator would make it easier to pull of tricky arty drops. It is definitely too clunky to try to drop arty in small areas that are close to ceilings,etc. ; especially on underground.

Its damn hard to find the ‘green spots’, and having to maintain sight of such a spot, while being fired at & dodging is unnecessarily hard. If you could pre-fire the designator and simply release when a ‘green spot’ is found; the ability would be much more handy.

(jazevec) #10

Why even make player find the ‘green spots’ ? Just make all floors red or green while you’re holding the laser pointer, please.