Heavy Shield- Rocket Primary 2.0

Bobman23 · Dec 14, 2014

Mustarde said: ↑

“Rocket primary usage was very high on Mattherson at the time I recorded that footage. But the argument was never about "volume" of rocket kills. It was always about the very nature of using a rocket launcher designed for anti-max and AV work to OHK infantry. Just because more people started doing it doesn't change the fundamental question of "is this good game design?".

If we introduced a sniper rifle that had 1000m/s velocity and OHK body shots, but only 5 people in the game used it, does that mean it isn't imbalanced? Do we wait for everyone else to exploit it before making a change? I made the video to give a glimpse into how easy and risk-free it was to spam rockets at everything without using my LMG except in dire circumstances. And Higby/SOE are not stupid, they know that a single montage isn't a fair or representative sample of actual gameplay. It's just an eye-opener, nothing more. Game balance ultimately falls upon hard data and intentional design choices.”

With all due respect, it was about volume, whether you meant it that way or not. One server with a particular quirk doesn't make a compelling argument for change, but every server with that same quirk does. Your video had the direct effect of exporting that behavior to other servers.

The ethics of said behavior is still very much debatable, but that's not what I'm really focusing on.

When you make a video, who do you think watches it? What do you think they take away from it? Because you're right, a single montage is not a fair or representative sample of actual gameplay - but people see it as exactly that. You have two sides of a coin here: one side looks at that video and says "this is a real problem, look how easy it is!"; the other side looks at it and says "oh hey cool, let me try that!" Both of these views are distorted, because you are quite frankly a better player than most of the people who watch your videos (myself included). People see your edited video and think that everyone is having the same experience you are. The one side thinks that everyone can do what you do (believe me, they can't) and the other side thinks that they should try to do what you do. This is exactly how marketing works. You don't sell the reality of the product, you sell the image, the emotion.

So yes, it is definitely an eye-opener. For me, it opened my eyes to just how malleable people are.

Verviedi · Dec 15, 2014

Mustarde said: ↑

“Rocket primary usage was very high on Mattherson at the time I recorded that footage. But the argument was never about "volume" of rocket kills. It was always about the very nature of using a rocket launcher designed for anti-max and AV work to OHK infantry. As a person who routinely OHKs infantry with sniper rifles, why aren't you crying about OHK headshots?Just because more people started doing it doesn't change the fundamental question of "is this good game design?".

If we introduced a sniper rifle that had 1000m/s velocity and OHK body shots, but only 5 people in the game used it, does that mean it isn't imbalanced?Strawman. I can walk faster than rockets travel. Do we wait for everyone else to exploit it before making a change? I made the video to give a glimpse into how easy and risk-free it was to spam rockets If you consider one shot every 4 seconds "spam", I wonder what you consider BASRs? Oh, right at everything without using my LMG except in dire circumstances. And Higby/SOE are not stupid,Hello, SOE! Move back behind your pawn. You're exposing yourself. they know that a single montage isn't a fair or representative sample of actual gameplay. It's just an eye-opener, nothing more.You could have opened people's eyes to... certain other things... and you wasted time on nerfwhining. Game balance ultimately falls upon hard data and intentional design choices.

They already made a change that seemed to address the "rocket primary" - Flak5 prevents a direct hit from killing,Which is stupid and should be removed, the impact alone would kill you. Maybe the armor would hold your jellied organs together, though! and the splash is much less so you don't get 3 kills each time you blindly fire into a crowded room. [color]Old splash only killed if targets were clipping into each other.[/color] You see a lot less HA's blindly rounding corners shooting rockets, and a lot more focused fire on maxes with rockets. And a lot more support balls instahealing MAXes. Old splash would have killed the Engineer too. I think it was a modest but reasonable change.There is a weapon called a BASR. It instagibs infantry and moves 5x faster than a rocket. Nerf it. Modest but reasonable change.
You could argue SOE needed to go further,How could it have been nerfed further? but I am not someone who believes in extremes, and was happy to see the change that went live.

The answer to your third question is no. We shouldn't balance strictly around the best players. But I don't think that is what happened here. Is SOE's profits and peasantwhine cutting into them a "good player"?”

Mustarde · Dec 15, 2014

That was a great post, thank you

Rovertoo · Dec 15, 2014

Just chiming in here.

I think the biggest reason most (most) people don't complain about OHK sniper rifles but do about Rocket Primary is because of how much easier it is to get kills. OHK's with a sniper rifle requires hitting a pretty small target at long ranges. Rocket Primaries however are (or where) OHKs no matter where they hit, at close ranges. Not to mention the HA has this free OHK-launcher in his pocket, while the Infiltrator trades his primary of choice for it.

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Heavy Shield- Rocket Primary 2.0

Bobman23

Verviedi

Mustarde

Rovertoo

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Heavy Shield- Rocket Primary 2.0

Bobman23

Verviedi

Mustarde

Rovertoo

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