Rifle Butt
Zek
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
I'm curious, does anybody actually use this? I feel like this is a forgotten element of marine play which is a bit of a shame. In my opinion marines right now are in need of something to raise their skill floor a bit. Aiming at a skulk in melee range is probably the hardest part of playing marines for most people. I think a more potent rifle butt would be very helpful in keeping these players competitive. For example, give it a generous hitbox with modest damage so it's still better to shoot the skulk if you can, but if that's too hard then the rifle butt is your next best bet.
While we're on the subject, the axe is so difficult to use against skulks that it feels broken. I find that its hitbox barely reaches all the way down to the floor, so I actually have to crouch in order to hit skulks. It would be nice if the hitbox were "taller" to aid in hitting skulks(and cysts) while standing. I'm not sure if the rifle butt hitbox has the same problem, but it would explain a lot.
While we're on the subject, the axe is so difficult to use against skulks that it feels broken. I find that its hitbox barely reaches all the way down to the floor, so I actually have to crouch in order to hit skulks. It would be nice if the hitbox were "taller" to aid in hitting skulks(and cysts) while standing. I'm not sure if the rifle butt hitbox has the same problem, but it would explain a lot.
Comments
Now, realistically (I know how iffy it is to use this word in a sci-fi game, bare with me), one would not be able to reach his/her toes with a small (switch)axe whilst standing upright. This is even more so for a rifle butt. Why do you feel they should have more range? After all, the aliens are the melee team and the marines are the gun team. As far as I've understood the design decisions up to now, it's intentionally not very strong. Just enough to kill that almost-dead skulk/fade you couldn't finish with the last of your bullets, but that's about it.
Well, at the risk of sounding pedantic...
A skulks "head" is nowhere near your toes, it is more like at your knee level. It should be easier to whack a skulk on the head with an axe/rifle butt. (I touched the butt!)
A smidge more range would be nice, although I do have to remember to actually use that butt (teehee now I did it...!)
I trust UWE made the right call by removing that feature and would be very happy if it didn't return!
Yes, I use it a lot. If you think of it as a weapon of opportunity you'll be better off. Its a weapon that once you develop a natural reaction to using its quite useful. Getting a few bullets in, butt smack and a few more bullets is a potent combo when you fail to dodge properly for whatever reason. It's also quicker then pulling out your pistol to get in 20 damage. Though, I personally never go out and try to "aim" with it. I use it if the situation calls for it and the skulk is in my crosshairs.
I just wish i had it on the shotgun. IMHO nothing is wrong with it as is.
Though I suppose being able to rifle-kata skulks into oblivion in earlier versions was a bit overpowered.
Aliens have ranged abilities that do damage perfectly fine. If something is so useless that it's almost (or totally) never worth using, then it may as well not be in the game. As it is in the game and time/effort was used to create it, then it should be useful.
Same deal with Exos and Sentries. If something is meant to be terrible, then it shouldn't even be in the game.
killed skulk one, narrowly got missed by nr 2 as I bursted some extra bullets in and got that one.
Then when the 3rd was done on my less fortunate teammate, I emptied my rifle in it and riffle butted the last few hp off it.
best skulk vs marine match I had in a good good while. When succeeding the kill is just so much more satisfying. XD
I feel the riflebut should have knock back, but no movement impairing at all, or even just knockback if the skulk is in the air (when AREN'T skulks jumping like crackheads?). Either way, i feel that marines need something in close combat to extend their life a few seconds.
Skulks are actually quite large, you could easily reach it while standing: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NrU1AsjBnJI/TyZSyhKMunI/AAAAAAAAApM/-q9VJsOGB94/s1600/Skulk+Ownage.png
More important though is gameplay reasons. It just feels crappy, and people quickly train themselves never to use it as a result. Marines don't necessarily have to be terrible at melee - skulks also have the advantage of being extremely mobile and easily able to set up ambushes.
That would be quite nice actually, gives a counter to those skulks that just spam jump with out effecting the ones who time it well too much. Nothing major, just a small enough knockback that any bite they would of got in is now out of reach.
Are you saying Exos are terrible?
can we have riflebutt do the knockback thing again? The only problem we had with it before is that it stunned people AND knocked people back, if it just sent people flying it would be fair, right?
Maybe. I do have visions of marines constantly rifle butt spamming (w+m2 anyone?) to keep skulks at bay though...
Yes. They're never worth the resources. Especially not when you can buy a jetpack and shotgun twice for less than the price of a single Exo.
Reflexes trained in L4D lead to me using it often when I first started, and quickly finding it wasn't worth the effort. Now all it is as far as I'm concerned is cherry tapping, a way to humiliate the skulk you kill with it.
Not to split hairs, but I'm gonna split hairs. Do you mean a single dual exo or a single single exo? :P
Exos aren't worthless though, they provide the meat that makes a JP assault work instead of just melting back at the first sign of trouble. They fill the tank player role, giving the aliens something to target that isn't the even squishier marines and the marines something to rally around.
They're not exactly tanks when it takes a single Skulk seven seconds to kill an A3 Exo.
Oni are tanks. Exos are giant metal deathtraps.
existing foo spit out stupid crazy dps though. In the down of about 15 seconds I have shredded an onos, fade, perk, and a few skulks. I did it with good positioning, support, and a bit of luck.
No
I've been trying to remember to use it if I am certain the skulk is essentially dead. It saves you once in a while. I do wonder what would happen if it got bumped up to 30 damage. Knockback would also be interesting. They could introduce a sort of stamina system like L4D to stop the rightclick spam, the idea is already in place with sprinting.
the pistol has better dps, and better total damage, plus it only takes a fraction of a second longer to draw and fire the pistol vs use the rifle butt.
If rifle but did more damage, but had an even longer recovery I think it would be interesting. Like doubling both damage and recovery. Just a thought.
volcano, that glitch only worked if you jumped into an ip/pg and you went flying out the other end, right? So if you are jumping at someone to bite them and they riflebutt you, logically, you will get thrown backwards hence not gain momentum?
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ERMAGHERD BIG WURDS.