I think people have started using exos more effectively in pubs lately (at least on the thirsty onos servers). Yesterday some players even complained that exos are "so cheap" ^^ .
It could be a consequence of having to adjust to onosplosions; just like most aliens save for onos, marines now favour saving for exos.
That is why many pub rounds are not fun and I often leave the game early. Exo vs Onos is the worst part the game has to offer.
Imo, Exos should be removed completely, and Onos should be made much more expensive but also stronger and it should have a more skillful movement that would actually allow people to Master that Life Form.
I think people have started using exos more effectively in pubs lately (at least on the thirsty onos servers). Yesterday some players even complained that exos are "so cheap" ^^ .
It could be a consequence of having to adjust to onosplosions; just like most aliens save for onos, marines now favour saving for exos.
That is why many pub rounds are not fun and I often leave the game early. Exo vs Onos is the worst part the game has to offer.
Imo, Exos should be removed completely, and Onos should be made much more expensive but also stronger and it should have a more skillful movement that would actually allow people to Master that Life Form.
Not sure I'm for removing exos. I would like to see the minigun DPS lowered, but made more precise, so noobs can't just roflstomp you with it (doesn't matter if they're slightly missing because the spray on that shizzle is nizzle). I definitely agree that Onos homogenises the gameplay though and something should be done about that. On the other hand, it's nice to have something to fear! So yeah, heighten the skill floor and ceiling of the Onos and increase pres requirement.
I think team size is a huge part of what determines exo viability. Large teams can benefit from having a few exos for intimidation, offense, or even defense. Small teams may struggle from having too many exos in regards to mobility and beacon(ability?). In pub play, I regret getting the AA more than I regret getting exos, because marines have some weird attraction to all buying flamers and GLs, wasting their pres and often times their chances of killing higher lifeforms. The only reason I prefer jetpacks over exos as a pub commander is because they are way cheaper for my constantly dying marines to purchase. A 15 res jetpack provides way more bang for your pres than an exo. Does that mean exos are viable? I have to say yes. Just like GLs are viable for their role in a game, so too are exos, the role is just more specific. Just like going crag hive first, exo strategies are quite viable but are not "meta" or standard practice.
Gonna make a half-baked suggestion, but here goes:
How about a cannon exo that shoots explosive rounds? Does extra damage to armor, less damage to health, and has a very small aoe. Does a decent job in keeping oni away, but it's total damage output is inferior to the minigun. Would probably need to rebalance things so exos aren't the main choice though.
I generally think of exos as being a crutch for pub games, allowing marines to complete a push with less need for twitch shooting skills. JPs in the hands of middling/bad marines can die very easily during a hive push which kills the offensive momentum. The fact remains that exos do sometimes win games where JPs fail (or would have failed), so in a sense they are "viable." Whether they're fully balanced or not is an entirely separate question, and I do think it differs heavily between pub and competitive.
That said I'm not a big fan of the fact that the marine team risks utter destruction by choosing the exo path. The beacon vulnerability is just a huge risk. Marines are so susceptible to a surprise base rush at any time that an upgrade path which exacerbates that weakness is not very appealing. A wealthy marine team has a lot of ground to protect and a lot to lose.
Comments
That is why many pub rounds are not fun and I often leave the game early. Exo vs Onos is the worst part the game has to offer.
Imo, Exos should be removed completely, and Onos should be made much more expensive but also stronger and it should have a more skillful movement that would actually allow people to Master that Life Form.
Not sure I'm for removing exos. I would like to see the minigun DPS lowered, but made more precise, so noobs can't just roflstomp you with it (doesn't matter if they're slightly missing because the spray on that shizzle is nizzle). I definitely agree that Onos homogenises the gameplay though and something should be done about that. On the other hand, it's nice to have something to fear! So yeah, heighten the skill floor and ceiling of the Onos and increase pres requirement.
How about a cannon exo that shoots explosive rounds? Does extra damage to armor, less damage to health, and has a very small aoe. Does a decent job in keeping oni away, but it's total damage output is inferior to the minigun. Would probably need to rebalance things so exos aren't the main choice though.
So, uh, why would I not go with minigun then?
Because it does extra armor damage. Small aoe also does a bit of cc.
That said I'm not a big fan of the fact that the marine team risks utter destruction by choosing the exo path. The beacon vulnerability is just a huge risk. Marines are so susceptible to a surprise base rush at any time that an upgrade path which exacerbates that weakness is not very appealing. A wealthy marine team has a lot of ground to protect and a lot to lose.