When should I buy a flamethrower?

24

Comments

  • RadmanRadman Join Date: 2013-04-05 Member: 184656Members
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    @Radman I'm pretty sure it reduces the energy regen. Otherwise Fades wouldn't be able to escape like they do atm.

    I might be wrong though.

  • KwisatzHaderachKwisatzHaderach Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143872Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Ghosthree3 wrote: »
    It looks cool.

    It sounds cool.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Radman wrote: »
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.

    It reduces the regeneration (and could do so a little bit more.) If it would drain, it would be absolutely overpowered. The fade needs at least a chance to get 2-3 seconds of blink after he is ignited so he can react and retreat. If you can follow him (with jp) or he doesn't retreat, he will be grounded as soon as his energy is depleted and easy prey.

    At least that is how it should be. But I agree, that the reduced regeneration might be a little bit to weak right now.
  • sotanahtsotanaht Join Date: 2013-01-12 Member: 179215Members
    _Necro_ wrote: »
    Radman wrote: »
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.

    It reduces the regeneration (and could do so a little bit more.) If it would drain, it would be absolutely overpowered. The fade needs at least a chance to get 2-3 seconds of blink after he is ignited so he can react and retreat. If you can follow him (with jp) or he doesn't retreat, he will be grounded as soon as his energy is depleted and easy prey.

    At least that is how it should be. But I agree, that the reduced regeneration might be a little bit to weak right now.

    "The fade needs to be allowed to retreat after engaging a Flamethrower in Melee"

    No he doesn't. While I'll admit that with all the hats the flamethrower currently has that one might be one too many, the fade always has the choice not to melee the flamethrower and marines really need a way to better deal with fades.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    sotanaht wrote: »
    _Necro_ wrote: »
    Radman wrote: »
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.

    It reduces the regeneration (and could do so a little bit more.) If it would drain, it would be absolutely overpowered. The fade needs at least a chance to get 2-3 seconds of blink after he is ignited so he can react and retreat. If you can follow him (with jp) or he doesn't retreat, he will be grounded as soon as his energy is depleted and easy prey.

    At least that is how it should be. But I agree, that the reduced regeneration might be a little bit to weak right now.

    "The fade needs to be allowed to retreat after engaging a Flamethrower in Melee"

    No he doesn't. While I'll admit that with all the hats the flamethrower currently has that one might be one too many, the fade always has the choice not to melee the flamethrower and marines really need a way to better deal with fades.

    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?
  • sotanahtsotanaht Join Date: 2013-01-12 Member: 179215Members
    edited August 2013
    sotanaht wrote: »
    _Necro_ wrote: »
    Radman wrote: »
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.

    It reduces the regeneration (and could do so a little bit more.) If it would drain, it would be absolutely overpowered. The fade needs at least a chance to get 2-3 seconds of blink after he is ignited so he can react and retreat. If you can follow him (with jp) or he doesn't retreat, he will be grounded as soon as his energy is depleted and easy prey.

    At least that is how it should be. But I agree, that the reduced regeneration might be a little bit to weak right now.

    "The fade needs to be allowed to retreat after engaging a Flamethrower in Melee"

    No he doesn't. While I'll admit that with all the hats the flamethrower currently has that one might be one too many, the fade always has the choice not to melee the flamethrower and marines really need a way to better deal with fades.

    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?

    A flamethrower, the most expensive (not to mention heavy) non-exo weapon in the game, probably coupled with a jet pack equaling the base res cost of a fade, could be a counter to the single ridiculously overpowered life form dominating both pubs and comp alike if and only if the fade was dumb enough to engage and not run almost immediately. Hell, he would still manage to have more time to get away than vs a shotgun.

    But yeah, I'll agree that being effective against fade and practically everything that's NOT trying to kill you might be a little much.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited August 2013
    A fade will most likely not engage into a battle with full energy.
    A fade moving fast through the map may most likely not know that he is engaging a flamethrower marine before he is ignited.
    A fade that is instantly grounded when on fire is a dead fade. And this death will feel unbelievable cheap.
    The fade needs enough time to react. I agree that he may now have to many time. But a hard counter as you describe it would be absolutely frustrating to play against.
    Not to mention how a skulk should be able to reach a FT+JP with leap the moment he catches fire.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    sotanaht wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    _Necro_ wrote: »
    Radman wrote: »
    Rumsey wrote: »
    Flamethrower drains energy and incapacitates structures, e.g. crag. Very helpful.
    Can someone clarify this for me? I always thought the flamethrower drains energy too, but according to the wiki it just reduces the regen rate.

    It reduces the regeneration (and could do so a little bit more.) If it would drain, it would be absolutely overpowered. The fade needs at least a chance to get 2-3 seconds of blink after he is ignited so he can react and retreat. If you can follow him (with jp) or he doesn't retreat, he will be grounded as soon as his energy is depleted and easy prey.

    At least that is how it should be. But I agree, that the reduced regeneration might be a little bit to weak right now.

    "The fade needs to be allowed to retreat after engaging a Flamethrower in Melee"

    No he doesn't. While I'll admit that with all the hats the flamethrower currently has that one might be one too many, the fade always has the choice not to melee the flamethrower and marines really need a way to better deal with fades.

    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?

    A flamethrower, the most expensive (not to mention heavy) non-exo weapon in the game, probably coupled with a jet pack equaling the base res cost of a fade, could be a counter to the single ridiculously overpowered life form dominating both pubs and comp alike if and only if the fade was dumb enough to engage and not run almost immediately. Hell, he would still manage to have more time to get away than vs a shotgun.

    But yeah, I'll agree that being effective against fade and practically everything that's NOT trying to kill you might be a little much.

    Yeah, I think we should nerf the fade instead^^

    Nerf fade hp and increase biomass scaling + carapace. Bam, problem solved!
  • TheriusTherius Join Date: 2009-03-06 Member: 66642Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    _Necro_ wrote: »
    A fade will most likely not engage into a battle with full energy.

    On the contrary, any competent fade will always engage with 100% energy. Traveling does not require energy if done correctly.
  • SammeySammey Join Date: 2012-06-14 Member: 153266Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    The flamethrower is super overpowered because it instantly drops most of the players their fps by 80%. Buy it when you want to win!
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    Sammey wrote: »
    The flamethrower is super overpowered because it instantly drops most of the players their fps by 80%. Buy it when you want to win!

    It drops the fps of the marines, too, so why would it make you win?
  • VittuLimaVittuLima Join Date: 2012-12-25 Member: 176227Members
    edited August 2013
    Bicsum wrote: »
    Sammey wrote: »
    The flamethrower is super overpowered because it instantly drops most of the players their fps by 80%. Buy it when you want to win!

    It drops the fps of the marines, too, so why would it make you win?

    Because then the flamethrower guy/s has the edge, he/they can just spray and pray in peace and get shitloads of frags :) When aliens and other marines recover from their screen freezes all the alien infrastructure has burned down and exciting music plays on the background and screen says "MARINES WIN" :)
  • SammeySammey Join Date: 2012-06-14 Member: 153266Members, Reinforced - Shadow
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    That hasn't happened to me to be honest. In a typical clusterfak scenario I feel like having the disadvantage as marine when there is 1 or more flame throwers, because you can't see shit with all the flames around you. Not a problem for aliens thanks to alien vision.
  • DraptorDraptor Join Date: 2013-03-05 Member: 183721Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Unless something changed, my alien vision is just as blinded by flames as normal.
  • ns2isgoodns2isgood Join Date: 2013-04-16 Member: 184847Members
    When you can afford a jetpack.
  • NarfwakNarfwak Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5258Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica PT Lead, NS2 Community Developer
    If you're having a big problem dealing with lerk umbra flamethrowers can be a good solution, particularly if it's a lerk spamming umbra on a minibase you're trying to get down - you can burn off the umbra, disable the buildings, and do decent damage. Just remember to bring friends because you don't want to try to fight anything by yourself. Also, jetpacks make flamethrowers much less of a liability.
  • RadmanRadman Join Date: 2013-04-05 Member: 184656Members
    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?

    Well ideally you won't be be able to actually kill the fade without perfect tracking/team support, along with the fade having to get within range of you. In that case, why would it be bad that a support weapon is countering a combat class?
  • Mattk50Mattk50 Join Date: 2013-02-04 Member: 182824Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Aliens pre-jetpack have versatility in terms of movement speed and that they can choose to engage anything they want.

    If marine weapons had many strengths but few weaknesses, it would provide a different kind of versatility.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Radman wrote: »
    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?

    Well ideally you won't be be able to actually kill the fade without perfect tracking/team support, along with the fade having to get within range of you. In that case, why would it be bad that a support weapon is countering a combat class?

    If the FT is a hardcounter to fades, it's not longer a support weapon anymore, but a combat weapon. As soon as fades come out, everyone would buy a FT, and we would have another kind of imbalance.
  • xtanha1rrmxxtanha1rrmx Join Date: 2012-11-27 Member: 173473Members
    Radman wrote: »
    So you want to make the FT - a support weapon, mind me - make a hardcounter for fades?

    Well ideally you won't be be able to actually kill the fade without perfect tracking/team support, along with the fade having to get within range of you. In that case, why would it be bad that a support weapon is countering a combat class?

    If the FT is a hardcounter to fades, it's not longer a support weapon anymore, but a combat weapon. As soon as fades come out, everyone would buy a FT, and we would have another kind of imbalance.

    That's not a bad thing if it forces more lerks/onos on the field. Encouraging different roles is definitely more interesting than fadeball vs shotguns.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    I don't think you get the point. It wouldn't be mixed weapons vs. fades but FTs vs Fades. And as there is less skill required to use a FT in comparison to a SG, the overall skill required for marine play would decrease.

    Also, how would you make the FT a hardcounter for Fades without making it ridicilously OP to skulks and lerks?


    Nerf the Fade, don't buff Marines.
  • bERt0rbERt0r Join Date: 2005-03-23 Member: 46181Members
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    bERt0r wrote: »
    Best use of the FT: click for Video
    I think it's now clear what the next marine class is going to be... The flaming bagpiper to strike fear into the Kharaa how it was in ancient times!
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    That guy is missing a jetpack.
  • RadmanRadman Join Date: 2013-04-05 Member: 184656Members
    @f0rdprefect, why is the flamethrower easier than the shotgun or rifle?
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Because you have a continuuos stream of (deadly) fire, with a fairly big cone of fire. You don't have to reload for a long time, and have plenty of ammunition.
    It's basically all "Spray'n'pray", as you can't run out of ammo, don't have to reload and have no limitations on when you can shoot.

    On the other hand, there is the shotgun, which can only fire every few seconds (well, a bit less, but you get the point), has to reload painfully slow, and has to score a perfect hit to do lots of damage.
    Usually, aiming the shotgun requires a lot of skill in a fast-paced shooter.
  • RadmanRadman Join Date: 2013-04-05 Member: 184656Members
    edited August 2013
    I disagree. You only have to aim perfectly once or twice to get your full damage out with the shotgun. With the rifle, you have to aim well continuously. However, you get the benefit of low spread which makes hitting max damage EASIER, since you dont need a perfectly aimed meatshot. Coincidentally, you cite the large spread of the flamethrower as what makes it easy.

    I do think it is an easier weapon in terms of ammo management though.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    You don't need as much skill to get the max out of your flamer, compared to a shotgun.

    Shotgun = Twitch aim
    Rifle = I don't know how this is called, but you have to follow your target well over the screen
    Flamer = You don't have to be as precise as with the rifle, still max. damage output


    You can ultimately achieve more with a shotgun - but it requires WAY more skill.
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