A "backstab" attack to replace Fade's vortex
Idleray
Join Date: 2012-10-04 Member: 161464Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2012-10-04 Member: 161464Members, Reinforced - Shadow
I'm currently not seeing the utility in vortex, so we might as well come up with some other idea to replace it. I'm thinking of something that resembles Focus from NS1 but only usable when you're either behind a marine or as an attack that requires significant downtime before and after (a charging up and winding down, kinda like Onos' default Gore attack but with a charge-up time). Let's call it "Impale" because I was inspired by that Fade impaling the flamethrower-wielding marine in the Exosuit trailer.
Now, you might ask why any fade would want to do this given the playstyle of the fade as always on the move rather than relying on ambush attacks like skulks.
Well, some fades(e.g. me) suck. I'm just not very good currently at the playstyle demanded of fades, especially the way the best Fades are able to incorporate blinking and shadow-step into the "dance-with-a-marine-till-it-dies" gameplay. I like blinking and shadowstep as means of defensive evasion and moving across the map. During actual toe-to-toe combat, however, it kinda disorients me too much.
This also goes right into how Shades and Camouflage work with Fades atm: there is currently 0 synergy between Fades and camouflaging(and the same can be said in NS1 with cloaking).
I just think it would be really cool for a cloaked Fade to sneak up to the back of a marine patiently and be rewarded with the opportunity to make a double-damage attack, then immediately blink out.
I don't think it would be too imbalanced considering the opportunity costs of playing a Fade this way.
Would it be a skill-less and "noobish" mechanic? I actually think it would present a gentler learning curve to new players if they had a more reliable way of dealing out damage without putting themselves in too much potential harm as a Fade (provided there's either a Shade or camouflage available).
Now, you might ask why any fade would want to do this given the playstyle of the fade as always on the move rather than relying on ambush attacks like skulks.
Well, some fades(e.g. me) suck. I'm just not very good currently at the playstyle demanded of fades, especially the way the best Fades are able to incorporate blinking and shadow-step into the "dance-with-a-marine-till-it-dies" gameplay. I like blinking and shadowstep as means of defensive evasion and moving across the map. During actual toe-to-toe combat, however, it kinda disorients me too much.
This also goes right into how Shades and Camouflage work with Fades atm: there is currently 0 synergy between Fades and camouflaging(and the same can be said in NS1 with cloaking).
I just think it would be really cool for a cloaked Fade to sneak up to the back of a marine patiently and be rewarded with the opportunity to make a double-damage attack, then immediately blink out.
I don't think it would be too imbalanced considering the opportunity costs of playing a Fade this way.
Would it be a skill-less and "noobish" mechanic? I actually think it would present a gentler learning curve to new players if they had a more reliable way of dealing out damage without putting themselves in too much potential harm as a Fade (provided there's either a Shade or camouflage available).
Comments
I think it should be something simple so that it doesnt slow the fade down, infact I think simply hitting a marine while they are facing away from you = an ns1 focus attack. (so that you can blink away while its short cool down happens).
btw in ns2 alpha and early beta even, the fade had a sort of slow charge up attack, but it didn't work too well (mostly because it couldn't charge it up while blinking) so they got rid of it.
So i can see a focus style backstab for the fade being realistic possiblity.
We used to have one such ability, they took it out when they put in vortex, however. :/
Which was after they implermented the shadowstep, coincidently. :P
And how about dont make it solely backstab, just make it a charged attack? I mean really. if you dont have silence, and you have camoflage, its indubidable that the marine will hear you, spin around and the attack would be pointless.. :/
How about the attack simply works exactly as shown in the trailer? An attack that does a massive amount of damage with a short warm up, but during the attack and for a second or so afterwards, the fade can't move. I think it'd be a good trade-off.
However that would mean that this attack would have to be an auto-kill... it'd be pretty stupid to impale a marine without killing it AND making yourself vulnerable to it.
I kinda like the idea someone came up with: Vortex brings any Marine and the owner Fade in the ether, where only those affected can damage each other (no friendly fire though). I wonder if it is possible to integrate Flayra's Time Soldiers: the Reckoning mod for players inside Vortex? Maybe game time is slowed for those players and Fade Swipe behaves like Focus (damage boost but swing slower).
That's probably too complex but keeps the cool anomaly. I would love to see something like Exosuit Reveal Fade backstab indeed.
W...What?... exos have been out it's been a while....?
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re9sqgeWFDM&hd=1" target="_blank">Exosuit Reveal trailer</a>
Not sure if trolling or language issues.
Speaking of Vortex ... um, it's not a very desirable ability IMO. It's costly, in terms of res and then energy to "cast," and its use is probably the most situational and difficult to time correctly out of all abilities that aliens have.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re9sqgeWFDM&hd=1" target="_blank">Exosuit Reveal trailer</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
When exos come out in a game. I don't see them that often, especially in conjunction with vortex.
I think I see exo's far far more than vortex. Simply because alien comms prefer more whips, shades or crags instead of an ability which very few people use constructively. More often than not, pub players will cause problems for teammates by making marines invulnerable.
I agree. Vortex and almost all late game alien tech is not gotten unless aliens are just dominating. Third hive tech should really more of a marine turtle busting stuff and vortex does not do a great job of that. I guess it could if you could get a group of skulks to attack the power while the fade vortexs the marines or something. Maybe vortex is just underutilized
So i can see a focus style backstab for the fade being realistic possiblity.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought it got removed cause it was either mad op (if you were allowed to shadowstep during it) or completely useless (when you were not).
It never stopped being OP, when you couldn't do it while shadowstepping, you simply had to get air with blink and activate it midair.
Was harder to do, but it was totally OP. Please dont bring that back.
Bring focus and acid rocket back instead.
Focus fades = killing a3 marines in 2 swipes and can blink+shadowstep to dodge.
Stab fades = killing an a3 marine in 2 charged up attacks that you can only shadowstep during and cannot cancel.
Focus would be the more ridiculous of the two options.
Was harder to do, but it was totally OP. Please dont bring that back.
Bring focus and acid rocket back instead.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think it was only OP because fades were coming into the games really early, and had alot of health. If they brought the strong swipe back, I don't think it would be 'that' OP.
I do vividly remember 3 fades storming around a room early game, charging up their attacks over marines who could not kill them fast enough to escape. Funny but oh so frustrating.
wait vortex works on nades?!