Inspired by this thread: http://forums.dirtybomb.nexon.net/discussion/33585/phantom-feedback ; original idea by @Watsyurdeal, figured I’d write about my opinion on it in depth.
I don’t doubt there’s been tons of this kinda thread before, but I wanted to express my own newly inspired ideas on how to maybe make phantom more balanced, more approachable to new and experienced players alike, and not as annoying af.
Nerfs:
-The shield would act as an object that would have to be activated/deactivated. You wouldn’t be able to start shooting while cloaked; you would have to hit the deactivate button (or run out of time), decloak and wait a very brief period where you can’t attack, and then start firing.
I suggest this because it’s way too easy to stand still and wait for someone to come running straight toward you at the moment, in which case you can unload an easy barrage of heads/right-click them with a katana. I don’t think that’s fair (although I admit to doing it frequently for easy kills :P)
If this method were implemented, you would have to manually decloak and wait very briefly (maybe half a second?) before you could shoot. This would make it much harder to sit and wait for an easy kill, and it gives the victim a much better chance of avoiding massive, unfair damage. This idea is utilized in Planetside 2’s Infiltrator class, and I think it works very well there.
-Remove the EMP shield. I really actually consider this a buff, because most of the time, disabled objects give phantoms away. At the same time, the way it is now, phantoms can be incredibly annoying against some objects, particularly hp stations. As soon as they come by, without warning, the station gets disabled.
This is very troublesome for aura players like me who are depending on their hp station to be there when we need it (and, for that matter, other teammates who are expecting healing). It takes 0 skill for a phantom to walk by and disable it, and it happens before anyone can see it coming. Hell, it can happen through fucking walls. The phantom gets his 25xp for disabling the station, but it’s usually his team which takes advantage of this and suddenly annihilates everyone that was depending on the station. It just takes a single, not even necessarily talented phantom, to just walk somewhere to change the fate of a massive crossfire.
The same goes for stickies. For as much as I hate them and like to laugh at scrubs who get confused af when they don’t go off when they’re supposed to, it’s not fair. It just confuses gameplay. It’s an element of unpredictability that shouldn’t be allowed.
Buffs:
-The shield would be stronger. Not quite as much as it used to be before the “buff” (that was a bit much), but it should definitely hold up against more than, what, 3 bodyshots? It should be at least 5, maybe more.
-The shield would deplete slower. Again, not by much, but as it stands, if you’re moving fast, it goes by too fast imo.
-Cooldown mechanic should be changed. I think it starts at 8 seconds currently (not certain) and over use increases the cooldown gradually up to 11 seconds (again, not certain). I think it ought to start at 3 seconds but increase much faster, e.g. if you use half the ability, it would be at 7 seconds, 11 seconds at full use. Mathematically, a simple, linear computation:
3+8*(time_used/time_total)
The punishment for equipping it for a single second would be greatly reduced, but using it the whole period would result in the same as it does now.
-The cloak would be nearly perfect. As in, you’d have to be super alert to see him even when sprinting. Since he wouldn’t be able to just start shooting on the fly, it shouldn’t be as big a deal. Maybe also make the cloak quieter, if not completely silent (not sure about this, thoughts?).
-EMP ability. tbh I’m on the fence with this one, but I think having a purely emp-only grenade or something wouldn’t be a bad idea. It would take at least some skill to throw, and people could see it coming easily enough. Doesn’t have to be a grenade, either, could be something else (idk, any ideas?).
Summary:
-Shield requires manual deactivation, and have to wait a brief period before firing (thinking probably .5 seconds).
-Remove EMP shield, make EMP an ability like a nade.
-Make shield slightly stronger, slightly longer lasting, and change the cooldown mechanic.
-Make the cloak almost perfectly invisible, maybe quieter.
Instead of a purely offensive invisible-guy who can come out of nowhere and stab the fuck outta you/insta-blast your head off, phantom’s ability would make him more strategic and defensive. It would make it more convenient for him to escape an unwinnable fight, and he could maneuver the map in enemy territory better than any other merc. He would be able to go anywhere without having to worry about being shot at, at the expense of the enemy team not having to worry about a phantom randomly appearing in front of them.
I think this would make phantom more practical to play and simply less annoying to opposing players. Thoughts?
