Phantom Viability Theory

(Verticules) #1

THIS THREAD IS FOR THEORYS FOR PHANTOM VIABILITY, NOT THE USSUAL “DEVS PLEASE BUFF PHANTOM” THREAD

This is a theory I want to discuss. Hopefully, this gets people thinking about new methods to fix what is really wrong about Phantom.

Most of us understand, the flaw in Phantom’s viability comes down to his lack of contribution to the team. His combat is fine, but he has no real utility for his team. Trying to fix his lack of utility, with utility, may not be the correct choice. And, that is what the Dev’s may have been trying to get at.

THE THEORY:

If Phantom’s team can’t rely on him for utility, maybe he shouldn’t rely on theirs. Ussual competitive team composition stands as 2 groups ( 1medic/1other and 1medic/2others). This creates 2 fronts, with the only down side being 1 medic has a heavier support load. If Phantom was on the team, disrupting the enemy from behind, this now creates 3 fronts and more chaos for the enemy team to control. Both medics would then have the same work load, but Phantom wouldn’t have support in his location.

MY IDEA:

What if healing and/or ammo changes to Phantom were implemented. Changes with no in-combat benefit, but kept him sustained behind enemy lines as long as he survived skirmishes.

Discuss mine & think up more.

IDEAS: (mine and contributors)

  • Looter like drops (healing done overtime, interrupted by damage)
  • Faster regeneration (out of combat)
  • Heal upon use of RA (out of combat, overtime, interrupted by damage)
  • A long cool down that allows for escape, possibly full invisibility with no cancel or ability to attack.
  • Lose the armor and actually disappear
  • Visibility of RA dependent on enemy distance.

To note for balance:

  • Heal changes could result in lower Max HP for Phantom.
(TheOrangePhantome) #2

Just extending on your looter like idea. What if after getting maybe 3 or 4 kills the enemies will drop sawbones’s health packs but before that they’d just drop small health packs like spark’s. Of course it may depend on the type of enemy what they drop. We can develop on that more but that’s a little start.

(Mr-Penguin) #3

Just a suggestion on a previous thread, but what if Phantom was granted a speed boost while cloaked?

(TheOrangePhantome) #4

@derpypenguinz19 You pretty much had the same suggestion on my thread so imma just say the stats that came up on my mind. When cloaked your speed is 450-460 but when you decloak that speed boost wares of after 2 secs.

(Verticules) #5

@derpypenguinz19 How does this help his self-reliance? I see a speed boost just pushing more Melee Phantoms.

(TheOrangePhantome) #6

You have a point but i was thinking more of the moments when u just gotta escape from half the enemy team but your just too slow. But you do have a point.

(Verticules) #7

@TheOrangePhantome On the Looter subject, my thoughts are, keep it as simple as possible. The more intricate, the harder it is to balance. Even with how neat rewards for sprees sound.

(TheOrangePhantome) #8

Ohhh i forgot to add. After dying if you went on that killing spree and if you were able to pick up those sawbones health packs well you won’t and you’ll go back to those sparks health bags.

But maybe i’m just getting carried away how do you think maybe that’s a bad idea?

(Verticules) #9

@TheOrangePhantome
Static numbers are much easier to balance. And a full heal (Large Medpacs) is definitely too much.

Pulling it out of my butt, ~30 health over 6sec (interuptable by damage) and ammo the equivalency of 1 tic off an ammo station, is a reasonable size to discuss. I also don’t think teammates should benefit from the ability.

(Telzen) #10

Are we totally just forgetting that everyone regens health over time? And that you can get ammo at locations scattered throughout the level? Can we just stop trying to make Phantom some kinda god merc already?

(gg2ez) #11

How about instead as a speed boost while cloaked, Phantom’ secondary ability is a nice and simple forward Dash that speeds Phantom forward at blinding speeds to take care of his enemy. This way it would only be viable for melee kills from a short range and is only usable once every 30 seconds or so instead of every time you cloak.

(Verticules) #12

@Telzen I’m talking theorys to make Phantom viable in competitive. If you suggest he is fine, please, tell me more.

My theory is he should be self reliant, but without changing his combat strengths. A faster regeneration outside of combat would do that.

And it’s possible he would take a max health nerf to compensate. I don’t know. We are talking theory to make him viable.

(Verticules) #13

@gg2ez Long jump works fine for that. No need to give people more excuses to melee over shoot.

(JJMAJR) #14

I see the Phantom as more of an Assault class than a Recon class.

Honestly though the Phantom should either get a speed nerf plus a health buff if the camo continues to provide invulnerability, or remove the invulnerability and allow the class to complete objectives while cloaked. There is enough area denial and long distance revive now to get rid of Phantoms camping the objective easily.

Honestly, that makes the Phantom be like a backup in case all the engineers are dying. The class is already very strong defensively, being able to circumvent players too focused on getting to the objective to defend themselves.

Phantoms too reliant on their swords are supposed to die quickly. They have firearms for a reason. Phantoms that use their SMGs are extremely annoying and really difficult to deal with. Honestly players should need more brainpower to use this class.

(JJMAJR) #15

Oh and shotguns! These ninjas have shotguns! If you want a melee Phantom build then there are shotgun versions of the class available to use!

(Verticules) #16

@JJMAJR
Devs have stated that Phantom’s role is killing and will never get a spotter ability. I assume the same would go for buffing his ability to complete objectives, as that is also not killing.

I also don’t want this thread to include melee Phantom suggestions, it should not be a thing. Or, buffing his in-combat strength, that is not his issue.

And from what I understand, the Phantom skill-cap is not low.

(JJMAJR) #17

Too late, shotgun Phantom is a thing that the devs implemented without my suggestion.

Also the wiki treats the Phantom as a recon class just by categorization, even though stealth=/=recon.

(Verticules) #18

Yea I don’t agree with his recon classification.
When did they add shotguns?

(gg2ez) #19

[quote=“VerticallyObese;87596”]Yea I don’t agree with his recon classification.
When did they add shotguns?[/quote]

They didn’t, @JJMAJR is a either a liar or doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If Phantom got Shotguns, everyone would know and it would be included in the Patch notes and most noticeably - everyone would be complaining. @JJMAJR there’s only one thing I hate more than Arty, and that’s liars, try make it believelable next time.

(TheOrangePhantome) #20

Well this is a suggestion i’ve seen a bit of but what if phantom regens health faster while cloaked and i’m not talking twice as fast just a bit faster.