The Current State Of Proxy

(AConfusedAlpaca) #1

Not sure about you all, but over the past few days I’ve noticed a sudden spike in proxy players, at first i thought this would be normal since the culprit cards were released. However upon closer inspection it turns out that most of the players are using bronze cards more specifically the ones with lock-on, I even thought this would be normal as it is a new augment for the merc. But i have come to realize since then, that anyone using those cards has an excessive advantage on anyone who doesn’t have heightened senses (such as myself), also because of the introduction of this Augment it removes the ability to ‘Trick’ the mines.

This becomes a great problem as it allows 1 Proxy to block off an entire path with ease such as the alleyway on Bridge with no way of going through without either dying or being close to death.

Normally, I’m somewhat okay with Proxy players but since this update it has made her quite the difficult class to counter unless a Phantom is around.

That is what worries me, it has either intentionally or unintentionally caused Dirty Bomb into more of a Counter vs. Counter scenario and i am interested if SD will take steps to try bring Proxy back in-line with the other Mercs.

Whats your opinion?

(frostyvampire) #2

You can cause the mines to detonate through walls (hug the wall from the opposite side of where the mine is placed, wait a second and boom), or you can shoot them behind a corner so they don’t damage you (or do a very low damage), or some mercs can cause them to donate using other stuff like Fletcher’s stickies or Nader’s nades or even being a Proxy yourself, placing a mine near the enemy mine and shooting your mine

(SteelMailbox) #3

I don’t want to use BS strats or having to use a certain merc to be able to survive something that became even more OP than it was with just an augment that makes it explode instantly.
Sometimes because of the fast paced nature of the game you can not always hear the mine beeping until it is too late because you are probably rushing for health or objective which is completely fine to do those two things but having to wait a 2 seconds to hear a beep will just get you killed.
Personally I think they should nerf the augment to allow us to escape those things once triggered, sadly it will also hurt Fletcher which I do think he is OP but the augment isn’t to blame there.

(copperCucumber) #4

you actually talk like sparx xD

(Reddeadcap) #5

I wonder why Proxy doesn’t have to deploy her mines like a healing/ammo station or like Bushwacker’s turret of Turle’s Shield, Brink for example had you do it that way with every defensive tool.

I’m more annoyed by someone tossing a mine and shooting it than a well placed mine that I wouldn’t have suspected.

(frostyvampire) #6

you actually talk like sparx xD[/quote]
@copperCucumber

:3 Well I speak Russian and I like sniping and healing.
I also play her a lot and have in my squad in 90% of my games
Maybe she affected me a bit and I’m slowly turning into her, perhaps my hair will become shorter and be white when I grow up and I will work as a doctor, you never know

(Kneecap) #7

I wish they’d consider altering the deployment of mines. Right now, Proxy players can just chuck’em around like candy. Often they kamikaze in the middle of a cluster of enemies and then proceed to throw mines around before they inevitably die. The said enemies have no way of escaping the mine when its almost armed instantly.
Also, another tactic is to throw the mine at the enemy, shoot it, rinse and repeat as needed. However with the damage and radius of the mine-explosion a second try is hardly called for.
This one is particularly frustrating, because it enables proxy, a 90 HP merc, to instantly clear a room full of mercs, or win any duel with any merc.

In Wolfenstein:enemy territory, the engineers had to spend a few seconds putting up mines. Maybe the same solution could be used for proxies aswell, make the mine have to be placed on a straight surface, an action that would make proxy have to stand still while the mine was placed. Doesnt have to take long, maybe just 2 seconds or so to make sure the mine is a defensive piece of equipment, not a kamikaze bomb or a insta gibbing CQB nuke.

(ClemClem7) #8

@Kneecap
Then comes another problem, what’s Fletcher stickies. He’s an engineer and can throw further his mines and can get kills.

If you’re good and know the average proxy player behaviour, you can avoid most of the mines. I almost never get killed by proxy mine because I know where people put it.
And for offensive mines, it’s a way she can get kills. Why must she stay as a defensive merc ?
She’s a low Hp merc with close range weapons, if she managed to get close to you, you deserve the kill.
I don’t play proxy anymore since I discovered the power of Fletcher. He is way more efficient and hard to counter. So why everybody is still whining on proxy ?
Just be aware of your environment and you can avoid all proxy easy kill.

(Kneecap) #9

She got mobility and hard hitting close combat weapons. The mine is a defensive piece of equipment not assault bomb. There is listerally no counter to this, and I think it needs to be fixed. Especially since Proxy is the most used merc, so you know you will be facing this in pretty much every round you play.

(ClemClem7) #10

She’s most played because of the free rotation and the culprit card. But, after playing both a lot, I think fletcher is way more OP than proxy.
If you see a proxy coming, shoot at her while backpedaling then you go out of the AoE of the mine and can shoot at her.
When a bushwacker flank you with his turret and manage to double his dps, he’s not seen as OP, and when Fletcher spam you with 3 stickies, is he not as annoying as proxy ?
Proxy is noob-friendly because of free kill when ennemies are not aware of mines and incoming proxy. But in lvl10+, every player can know where proxy put her mines most of the time and watch at their back and track proxies through the battlefield.
With experience, I’m more afraid of good proxy players who can shoot me dead with their smg rather than special proxy kamikaze. Because good players in lvl10+ rarely do that, or when they did, I don’t notice them, so it must be inefficient. Just my experience with proxies.

Just remember:
Shoot while backpedaling when proxy incoming.
Be aware of the battlefield (turrets and mines).
Track proxy players through the battlefield.
->Do the last one for all enemy mercs.
Win.

(BananaSlug) #11

nuclear pancakes of doom arent that op as you think, someday you will get the habit and hear them, you can also see them up stairs because little laser is coming out of the mine

(Dysfnal) #12

The worst is when they’re in an elevator and you can’t shoot them, but they will still explode if you trigger them, I don’t know if this bug is associated with lock on for some reason or what

(Kneecap) #13

[quote=“ClemClem7;185523”]Fletcher spam you with 3 stickies, is he not as annoying as proxy ?
Just remember:
Shoot while backpedaling when proxy incoming.
Be aware of the battlefield (turrets and mines).
Track proxy players through the battlefield.
->Do the last one for all enemy mercs.
[/quote]

Yeah I am quite aware of this, but thats not the case. Bushwhacker cant jump around corners and toss an insta kill turret in your face, neither can fletcher insta kill you unless you walk into a sticky trap or the player is good with his aim. But thats beside the point. Any merc can be annoying when in the hands of a skilled player. What I’m talking about is the proxy mine ability being used as some sort of assault nuke, not a defensive item. Anyone can jump around with proxy and toss mines at people. I can be perfectly “aware” of the battlefield, but that doesnt help me much when a proxy jumps around a corner and frisbees a mine in my face.

TL/DR:
Some abilities takes skill before they are annoying and i dont complain about that. However proxy mine frisbeeing takes no skill and completely misses the point of mines and shift the gameplay balance.

(ClemClem7) #14

After playing a lot with and against a good player with proxy and Fletcher, I tend to find Fletcher more annoying because of spam and range of the stickies. Proxy can’t throw her mine far away as Fletcher can. So she must be close to you, then she’s vulnerable because of time to throw and shoot her mine.
Fletcher take more skill because he can’t throw and forget. Proxy is a good Noobs vs noobs merc when Fletcher is better skilled vs skilled merc and skilled vs noobs merc.
But if you’re good enough, you will almost never die by a pancake of the death. They are very easy to counter if you’re aware of the battlefield.
The key is the awareness

(yesser) #15

even if you know where the mines with some merc its impossible to destroy it without hurting your self or even die like when playing rhino and finding a mines up stairs it become just impossible to pass without taking A LOT of dammage from it even if you survive you may die after it cause the ennemy team noticed the explosion and then you’re dead

(ClemClem7) #16

@agileBeetle
I noticed that you can shoot it within its hitbox and don’t take damage. I need to do some test to be sure in offline mode, but I use to shoot proxy mines without taking damage at corners. Just hide behind the corner and only see the Red light. Then shoot at them, or on the border of the mine, and it will explode without you getting damage. It’s a few pixels spot but it works.
Since few weeks ago, I tend to use this trick and don’t get hurt by “defusing” mines.
You can do it in almost all situations, stairs, corners… Only the bridge bug is painful (mine clipped into the drug sample).

(yesser) #17

@ClemClem7 i noticed the corner too (since we always have mines in elvator in underground) but for the stairs i didnt try most of the time i play with fletcher/nade so i use his stickies to clear and be sure i wont take dammage i will try your idea :smile:

(arcaneCanvas) #18

soooo…proxy is not OP?

(ClemClem7) #19

Proxy is noob-friendly, not OP I can say without a doubt that Fletcher is way more OP than weaky proxy.

(Wedgebox) #20

Proxy is an easily countered & killable merc. Simply shoot her landmine. I know on stairwells they can be tricky, but they most-especially aren’t when your on a bridge. She has 90 HP. If you look at the ground you can see the land mine :confused: