Theresa Rohk
The Cuddlefish
Templis Dragonaors
23
   |
Posted - 2013.08.16 19:53:00 -
[1] - Quote
So, I've played with the SCR a lot. I use it with Amarr Assault suits as it lowers the heat build up. Yet, still, the weapon is pretty subpar, here's why.
Benefits: higher per shot damage, longer range, greater zoom from scope to take advantage of greater range. And the most important, the ability to charge up a shot for greater damage.
Drawbacks: semi-automatic fire, heat build up limits damage application, recoil is more effective, especially when zoomed, dodgy hit detection (though this mimicks many on going issues in dust, it is amplified when using fire restricted weapons like the scrambler rifle, and the sniper rifle, and negated with automatic fire weapons where missing a single shot is less important than overall damage application), Unequal damage profiles, draconian seize mechanics.
So, The scrambler rifle, the standard weapon of the Amarr suits, is on paper, a very good weapon. However, actual in game mechanics render the weapon pretty subpar in comparison to the Gallente Blaster rifle (as the BR does to many other weapons). The supposed benefits of the higher damage and longer range, are countered by the slower fire rate of being semi automatic. While it in theory can pump out massive damage, in reality, assuming a person can mash a button fast enough, the gun is still artificially limited to a dozen or so shots in short succession before it overheats/seizes.
Which, really is the main crippling arrow to the knee of the weapon. When any energy gun seizes, you can do nothing but walk. You can not switch weapons, or toss grenades, you cannot sprint, or easily escape anyone trying to kill you, or melee to try and kill someone, you cannot even really see what is going on, as the gun takes up the majority of your view.
This is a problem as the heat build up generated by the gun isn't as steady as with the laser rifle, with the LR you can gauge your heat based on how long the weapons been firing (usually long held streams to build DPS over time). With the LR you develop a sense of "right about now" as to when the gun will seize. With the SCR, you get no sense, as the heat varies greatly with how frequently you're firing in a short burst. One shot every second allows a long time before heat builds, but do 4-5 quick shots and you may seize. This renders a lot of the "potential dps" of the gun moot, as you can't apply it without siezing.
Fine you say, New Eden is about trade offs, yes, and it is also about ****** UI. One of the main problems with energy weapons is that it is unclear how long you have until the weapon overheats. Yes, you have a red bar, that largely blends in with the UI and most of the backgrounds. You're supposed to watch this while also trying to aim and shoot a semi-automatic weapon where each shot matters more? Yes, there are animations, these are also red, and only change from 0-20% heated. They don't noticeably change from 20-99% heat.
Fix #1. Add an audio/visual indicator that better informs players of when the gun is close to overheating. Or, move the indicator to the central crosshair. This is vital information that is needed frequently, it shouldn't be hidden away at the bottom of the UI.
The other problems with applicable damage, that hurt the scrambler, is the recoil. Stepping aside the Lore/physics reasons for a laser weapon to not have a recoil, I want to draw a quick point that the BR, while having shorter effective range, have very little to no effective recoil. Yes, technically there is some, but it is not a hindrance as the up close nature of the rifle means that recoil is of minimal consequence, it varies/hops around a bit, but it doesn't ever really move you off target.
See: Brawling BR's
In the video, watch how much variation the zoom/recoil has, it is essentially inconsequential.
Compare this to the scrambler rifle, where the longer range and zoom are supposed to be benefits, the recoil is much more of a problem and a hindrance to getting kills. You can see how the crosshair is moved as the player fires, something not often an issue with the BR.
See: Scrambler Rifle Shenanigans
Note that yes, anyone can grab a SCR and do really well with it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems, and that by using the BR, they wouldn't have done even better.
Point being there is no reason for the gun to have a recoil except to make it harder to use its effective range. One of the main reasons to use it over the BR. This pushes people to close distance, where they will 9/10 times lose an engagement to the Blaster rifle.
Fix #2. Remove/lower the recoil on the weapon. While this may step a bit over the laser rifle, the LR will always prefer longer ranges due to its damage profile and ability to stream damage constantly vs the semi-auto nature of the SCR.
There are a few other fixes that can help improve the weapon, that won't break the game. A reduction in seize time, or a reduction to the paralysis that occurs (let a player spring/swap weapons/melee or grenade) would help. Alternatively a global rebalancing of heat build up will also work. The Assault variant (full auto version) almost never overheats, and thus the mechanic is a non-issue. I'd like to see the heat brought up on this, and lowered on the normal version.
The salient point is, however, that these are all drawbacks to the gun. Draw backs that other weapons don't have. The idea being that drawbacks lead to advantages, but the advantage over the BR is negligible at best. Range you can't easily use or DPS you can't readily apply? Why ever use the gun when a MD obliterates everything near you with no consequence? Where/what are the drawbacks to those weapons, and why does it seem the SCR is the only weapon that has them? |
Theresa Rohk
The Cuddlefish
Templis Dragonaors
31
|
Posted - 2013.08.20 17:32:00 -
[3] - Quote
Vin Mora wrote:Theresa Rohk wrote:Fix #2. Remove/lower the recoil on the weapon. While this may step a bit over the laser rifle, the LR will always prefer longer ranges due to its damage profile and ability to stream damage constantly vs the semi-auto nature of the SCR. If you were a true user of the ScR you would know that the 'recoil' is purely visible and doesn't affect your shots. Thats why unlike the AR and the SMG, there is no skill to deal with the 'kick/recoil', because there is none. I have headshot killed a few reds from max range with my Assault ScR by aiming at their unmoving heads, and killed them from full health. I have also been able to take out enemy equipment in my falloff range as well, and I can tell you their is no recoil actual recoil on the weapon. All of your shots are hitting where you are aiming.
The recoil is slight on the SCR, it's really more on the ASCR that it becomes ridiculous. Most of the time my head shots on the SCR are fine, but it has been an issue at some point where after a few rounds they are now missing for some reason. The point I made originally is that there is no reason for it at all, and I still hold that position. As someone else already said, there is indeed a recoil, I'd expect a "true" SCR user to know that. |