Replace Spike
internetexplorer
Join Date: 2011-10-13 Member: 127255Members
Join Date: 2011-10-13 Member: 127255Members
<div class="IPBDescription">With something cooler</div>The new lerk is really fun, but it feels like the spike weapon is misplaced. It doesn't mesh with the other things a lerk does anymore, and frankly it's way too weak.
My first inclination is to replace it with something like the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j4LshnK8Oo" target="_blank">nailgun </a>in Quake 3 Team Arena / Quake Live.
<ul><li>Projectile that deals damage on hit but has no splash</li><li>Fires slowly (like bile bomb), not rapidly</li><li>Ricochets once with full conservation of momentum (like a cutesy laser beam!)</li></ul>
It would allow the lerk to attack from range, use prediction, and attack around corners (all with neat tradeoffs). It would remove the incentive to stay focused on targets spiking them to death, while ignoring your movement and spore/bile duties (which puts you on a slippery slope for very little gain, with how weak spikes are). It also fits with the 'environmental control' themes of spores and bile bombs. It's easier to make it clear to players when a lerk is using his alien nailgun (by drawing a gigantic spear flying out of it into things), whereas the visuals for spikes can very easily go unnoticed.
Thoughts?
My first inclination is to replace it with something like the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j4LshnK8Oo" target="_blank">nailgun </a>in Quake 3 Team Arena / Quake Live.
<ul><li>Projectile that deals damage on hit but has no splash</li><li>Fires slowly (like bile bomb), not rapidly</li><li>Ricochets once with full conservation of momentum (like a cutesy laser beam!)</li></ul>
It would allow the lerk to attack from range, use prediction, and attack around corners (all with neat tradeoffs). It would remove the incentive to stay focused on targets spiking them to death, while ignoring your movement and spore/bile duties (which puts you on a slippery slope for very little gain, with how weak spikes are). It also fits with the 'environmental control' themes of spores and bile bombs. It's easier to make it clear to players when a lerk is using his alien nailgun (by drawing a gigantic spear flying out of it into things), whereas the visuals for spikes can very easily go unnoticed.
Thoughts?
Comments
I just want my lerky to have their melee range attack back. It doesn't have to be bite, it can be like a swoop - does less damage than bite and staggers the marine, uses a bit of energy like bile bomb. I also think that if spikes are kept that they should be like a shotgun blast. Get close and boom, then retreat. And stuff.
I just want my lerky to have their melee range attack back. It doesn't have to be bite, it can be like a swoop - does less damage than bite and staggers the marine, uses a bit of energy like bile bomb. I also think that if spikes are kept that they should be like a shotgun blast. Get close and boom, then retreat. And stuff.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So they can swoop, stagger or stun-lock and then shotgun-kill armour 0-1 marines down in one-hit? :<
Sounds terrible-I mean terrifying. Personally I'd like to see bite swoop back in, but not the shotgun-like attack.
You have to be really close to do good damage with them. You also have to rob yourself of the ability to keep flying smoothly and react to things, unless you want to only fire 2-3 spikes at a time (which means 1-2 of them hit because of the accuracy spread, hitboxes, netcode and so on).
I can get tons of kills with spikes because I play a lot of lerk, but it's always extremely annoying to use them and it really feels like they haven't been 'designed' so much as 'slapped into the game so the lerk has a primary weapon'
And....they're good at hitting a marine from way up high perched on the roof, confusing the marine and distracting him.
If a marine is badly hurt you can finish him off with spikes, like the scavenger UWE said the lerk is supposed to be. Those opportunities are very limited & limiting.
....cannot think of any other positives.
Spores and bile bomb are heaps of fun. Spike rate of fire or accuracy should be boosted to make it worthy of a 30 res unit.
If it's to be changed please don't make it a sniper or shotgun mode. Sniper was very boring and slow; shotgun was too hard to use while flying.
Would also like to see the spikes easily give them a bright green infested tip so they stand out.
I can get tons of kills with spikes because I play a lot of lerk, but it's always extremely annoying to use them and it really feels like they haven't been 'designed' so much as 'slapped into the game so the lerk has a primary weapon'<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
To do good damage, yes, you have to be close because of their spread. But you can wear down their armor from range and then swoop in for the kills. After wearing down their armor, lerks can swoop in and spike down marines from 100hp -> 0 very quickly.