Proxy/Aura with SMGs and the loadout card system

(sleeepy) #1

This is a topic I wanted to talk about for a while because It’s been bothering me ever since the loadout cards came out.

Before loadouts every merc had his or her own identity and play style with the weapons they used. With the current system some of that identity is gone and certain balance problems arise. Proxy/Aura running with SMGs demonstrates this problem the best so I’m mainly going to talk about those 2 mercs.

Aura with the SMG really breaks her design. With a shotgun Aura is well designed in the fact that she can leave her station with her team but can’t shoot at a distance with them or has to rush in where her low HP is a huge risk. With the SMG, which actually feels like the best long-range SMG currently, none of this matters. Aura can heal her team and herself and fight people long range no problem. This basically removes her only real weakness: long range combat.

Proxy is less design-breaking but just becomes annoying to deal with when she equips an SMG. Sure she’s unlikely to kill you long-range, but it’s hard to track her down and she can just whittle down players over time. Her secondary is already an SMG so it’s confusing as to why she even has this option.

Now I’m not against the loadout card system in principle, but I feel it could be improved. Basically restrict all mercs to the same classes of weapons as they get by default. for example, a merc with a shotgun and machine pistol should only be able to equip other shotguns and machine pistols. This keeps the core idea of the merc and doesn’t present any significant balance issues other than how good each weapon is. At the same time, a system like this can still expand the options of any given merc.

In fact this system already kind-of exists with assault rifles. We have full auto, semi-auto and burst rifles and variants of each type. Why not have the same with shotguns? Semi-auto, magazine fed, even a classic double barrel shotgun. All of these will play differently from the current pump shotguns without making the characters that use them into something completely different.

(Szakalot) #2

I agree in general, but are you referring to ‘blishlok’ or whatnot as far as Aura’s unlockable SMG? The one with a green dot when ADS and sound effect like a pistol?

I actually think that is one of the worst SMGs in the game, and definitely terrible at long distance. Aura’s unlockable SMG is Phoenix’s default, which is also really really bad.

(sleeepy) #3

I don’t have all the stats but that green dot SMG is the best SMG at range I’m pretty sure. It has the highest per-shot damage and seems pretty accurate so it works at long range better than other SMGs in my experience.

On topic, does anyone else have an opinion on this?

(Eox) #4

I think it’s fine. It more or less allows you two playstyles with Proxy, and that’s kinda enjoyable. You can play an ambush based playstyle with a shotgun or a more general run and gun playstyle if you find a loadout card with an SMG. You’re not crippled to a single playstyle with a single character and that’s lovable.

(B_Montiel) #5

For me both proxy and aura smg-loadouts are pretty well balanced :

If you take the smg with aura, you ruin her close range abilities because of the poor rate of fire this weapon has. On long range, she is still useless due to her bad HP pool and the general lack of punch the smgs generally have in such situations. To me, smg aura is the easiest loadout to counter. Take a sniper, a support or bring a shotgun against her, enjoy your kills.

Proxy can unlock phoenix’s smg which is to me the crappiest. High ROF, low damage and high spread. It is only useful on shotgun-like range. So it’s just a personal feeling choosing between shotguns and this particular smg. By the way, I always felt the proxy’s secondaries are almost as powerful as this smg and more accurate on long range.

(sleeepy) #6

I agree that right now this isn’t a huge deal but it sets a bad standard. Especially in a competitive game you need to be able to somewhat predict the capabilities of the enemy.

For example if they have Vasilii you can expect him to be sniping no matter what primary weapon he has. With Proxy/Aura you can’t do that because their playstyle can change depending on what primary they have.

This can also create balance problems in the future. Say we get to a point where Aura is balanced and the Blishlok SMG is balanced but Aura with the Blishlok becomes overpowered. What now? Do we nerf Aura to make SMG Aura balanced while making shotgun Aura too weak at the same time? Do we nerf the Blishlok to balance her but ruin the gun for every other merc that uses it?

I’m all for having a light merc that can harass from a distance with an SMG, but that merc should be someone new built around that concept. Basically Aura and Proxy feel just right with a shotgun and I’d rather a new merc be made for a new role. We need more light mercs anyways.

(xBL!NDx) #7

[quote=“sleeepy;6319”]. Especially in a competitive game you need to be able to somewhat predict the capabilities of the enemy.

For example if they have Vasilii you can expect him to be sniping no matter what primary weapon he has. With Proxy/Aura you can’t do that because their playstyle can change depending on what primary they have.

[/quote]

Good players can adapt without having to try and predict what playstyle other players are going to use. That’s part of being…well, good.

(The99thProblem) #8

Some Aura’s, such as myself, prefer shot guns. Why? If I was to get into a 1 v 1 confrontation with any other merc with a high fire rate gun like Aura’s smg I would feel a bit shaky about the altercation. Aura’s HP is low thus making her an easier to kill. So say you go up against a Nader with or Phoenix with approximately the same amount of skill as you, they will win cause they have more HP. However, when using a shotgun, you get a skillful (or lucky) shot on the opponent, you can possibly 1-shot kill the enemy combatant.