Let's face it, the current VS charge up mechanics aren't great. You get to hold a charge for a very limited amount of time to maximize damage, and it's nearly impossible to preemptively charge that weapon for enemies that could be right around the corner. Here's my simple proposal to make these weapons viable: 1. Weapons charge on their own passively and can store a maximum charge indefinitely. This allows the user to have a strong alpha strike. 2. Weapons can be spammed quickly after the initial shot, but at the cost of weaker damage. If more time is allowed between charges, the weapon deals more damage at the cost of lower ROF. Basically, think of it like this: the first shot from a Phaseshift/Lancer/Vortex takes no charge time assuming the user hasn't shot within a few seconds, and packs the power of the current fully-charged shot. After that, the user can quickly spam the trigger for weak semi-auto shots, allow slightly more time between shots for higher damage, or allow the weapon to passively charge to full again before firing. This way, VS won't have guns that leave them going "oh lord Vanu, I'm screwed!" as they desperate click and hold for three seconds while an enemy riddles them full of bullets before they get off a blast. Also, the concept of a charge pistol would be more fun, unique, and useful instead of outright suicidal if charge were to be modified in this fashion.
Good suggestion, but I think the Lancer would need to be looked at as it would turn it into a very accurate dumbfire RL.
Well why wouldnt people just always have their weapon fully charged? I like your ideas but that would just make them straight out superior
Only charge up weapons are Lancer and Vortex, and those aren't exactly weapons you fire without some serious premeditation. Besides, carrying a charge would take out much of the decision making aspect of charged weapons. "Do I do as much damage as I can, as soon as I can, or take the time to ultimately do more alpha damage, and damage over time, with better accuracy."
Barely. Don't think I've actually played Infiltrator since it came out. I guess I stand corrected. Point still stands that Lancer and Vortex are great the way they are, only complaint is that I want to be able to hold a Vortex charge for as long as I can hold the Lancer charge.
Phaseshift, nope don't know what that is? Phaseshift I do know a sniper rifle that requires you to preemtively charge, acquire a target and then aim and hope to hit something within 2 seconds. The charge time and the time you get to steady the rifle is the same, and the lack of being able to hold the charge means its useless, stick with the Bolt actions, this is without talking about the low damage, the slow projectile speed, the slow fire rate, factor all that in and what you have is a infil suicide weapon... A bit like the scout rifles but worse...
That would be a nerf for Lancers being used as intended, long range; vehicle, hover-podders/lib and MAX sniping. The ability to charge while unzoomed and ADADing, or moving out of cover only when your charge is nearly ready is vital to not get shot by tanks / snipers. With that change you would have to stand there in the open, with tunnel vision, while moving at 0.5x ADS for 3 seconds, like those poor Striker using bastards in the TR.
That reminds me of the sniper rifle in Tribes Ascend that would autocharge upon scoping in. Maybe the suggestions in my OP are a bit too good for the Vortex and definitely the Lancer. Bah humbug, it's hard to balance slimy spandex tubes.
Moin Mhm, always having full charge untill the first shot may be a bit trouble to balance. But I agree that the current system sucks. Increasing the time a maximum charge can be held would be great. So you can charge your lancer/phaseshift/vortex to maximum and hold that charge for ~5 seconds before releasing it.
No, you'd be able to use the same technique, just a little slower. Besides, you mentioned "long range" well from 300-800m, yeah you don't render anymore but the Lancer lasers still damage targets, so after that point that change doesn't matter in the slightest. If sniper rifle rounds could damage tanks, they would be the best AV in the game because of that fact. This change would not affect the most common usage of Lancer. Too far under 300m and even the current Lancer kinda sucks anyway, unless you have a Lancersquad.
I have several times suggested this same system as an alternative for the 'charge pistol' we are supposed to be getting. High first shot that diminishes when spammed but provides slow but hard hitting damage if controled fits the vanu flexibility trait and it is a good idea. I heartily endorse this product and/or service!
I would rather prefer a toggle system that switches between low-damage semi-auto and charged rounds with firing delay like the old Sauron (and like the Railjack, but this would apply to the Lancer as well, not just the Phaseshift). If I had my way exactly, I would apply the same mechanic to the new Sauron as well. Also, remove the 2nd level charge. It's hardly useful.
The Lancer is definitely fine, fun, and rewarding. I'm pretty sure the Vortex is the same deal (barring any balance changes I missed in the last 3 months where my playtime was very limited.) So if you have a gripe with the fancypants new sniper rifle, that might be valid. But don't change the Lancer/Vortex if they're working fine. In fact the Lancer is really better than "fine", given that it's just outright preferable over the other two ESAVs which are less rewarding of player skill and just generally less effective in nearly all situations.
The thing is, you can already pre-charge the Lancer and either take a target of opportunity, or knife/weapon swap to cancel and start again. In a Lancer party, I'm usually one of the last standing after all the toggle-zoom Lancer users have been killed. Much of the time you will use the Lancer within render distance of at least one threat (eg shooting tanks 400m away, snipers are <200 m, so even when long range shooting, mobility is useful, and combat is often dynamic, and you end up within shorter range of enemies than you intended. The ability of the Lancer to charge, shoot, then fire 3 uncharged shots as acceptable burst damage is part of this adaptability. It also makes it a decisive weapon in an AV nest against AV nest fight, where you can dodge shots coming for you, as you charge, but still nail their AV MAXs and AV turrets over 200m.
