Zat Earthshatter
Ghosts Of Ourselves
376
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Posted - 2013.10.09 10:05:00 -
[1] - Quote
Sure, you can pick off heads from a kilometer away with a railgun sniper. You may be able to melt faces with a plasma-based assault rifle. You can even blow things to oblivion with a starship in orbit.
But every now and then, you just want to smack someone in the face the old-fashioned way. But you still want to be all technological and sci-fi about it - why else are you playing a sci-fi shooter?
For that reason, I bring you the Cavalry dropsuit class.
Lore and Role
If you've died a few hundred deaths, a few of them were probably due to a bouncy Scout with a shotgun or plasma knife. The Brutor Tribe, seeing this issue, modified their existing Logistics frame with an extra layer of armor and rapid-pressurizing hydraulics tuned for strength instead of speed - thus creating the Cavalry Suit, a tough suit that can take hard hits and punch back harder.
The result is a new Medium-class suit designed to be deployed alongside Heavies in order to protect them against flanking maneuvers and rapid-orbiting Light-class dropsuits by using primarily melee strikes.
NOTE: I used Medium-class because Scouts are too weedy and Heavies are much too slow for this type of role.
Stats
>Speed: slower than a Logistics, but slightly quicker than a Commando
>Turn rate: Somewhat faster than most Medium-class suits
>Health: With comparatively low fitting PG/CPU, this suit is based more upon resistance than HP. A resistance-tanked suit will barely survive a full shotgun blast.
>Racial Bonus: +5% to melee damage and charge speed per level.
>Role Bonus: Sidearm-class Melee attacks use no stamina
Special ability: Charge!
One change that makes the Cavalry excel in melee combat is that sprinting capability is replaced with an explosive charge. The charge uses all your stamina and lasts only half a second, but for that half-second period you move faster than a full-sprint Scout ever could.
Attacking with a melee weapon cancels the Charge, but still completely drains stamina. You cannot attack with a ranged weapon during a Charge.
New Weapons
I wouldn't give you a new Game Boy without throwing in any games, right? Here are new racial weapon ideas, and for the sake of variety I'm adding a new Light Melee weapon class - larger one-handed weapons that trade speed for damage.
Minmatar
Sidearm: Concussion Gauntlet
Often built on-site to counter Amarrian armor, the Guantlet is essentially Flaylock rocket warheads attached to the knuckles of a spare Heavy Dropsuit glove.
Deals a good amount of explosive damage, but requires a wind-up to punch with, as well as a "reload" animation after each successful hit.
"Light": Brutor Warhammer
The first weapon purpose-built for powered armor, the "BW" is a uranium scoop on the end of a long pole - when swung at sonic speeds, the warhammer produces a shockwave that pulverizes whatever it hits.
Has to make a few spins before it reaches lethal velocity for a vertical smash, leaving you vulnerable. If the hammer directly connects on the smash, only a full-health Heavy can survive the hit. Deals splash damage that is more survivable.
Amarr
Sidearm: Lightning Baton
Originally made for slave control, until it was found to kill every one of the test subjects. The weapon is a simple capacitor charged to an insane level - it only has to be near the victim to arc electricity through the entire body.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have enough "juice" to chain, so it only affects one enemy at a time.
Recharges over time, acts as a DPS weapon inside the one-shot shotgun range. DPS dealt is increased the closer the target is to the user. May be used to bludgeon while recharging.
Light: Half-Halo
Hailed by many as the Amarr's first step towards more humane executions, the Half-Halo is a hulahoop-sized half-ring with industrial lasers fitted along the inside edge. Just get it around the victim by any means, and let the light burn their sins away.
Of course, the Scout isn't going to stand still. You can either throw it, or try to swing it at the neck like a scythe. either way, it'll take off a good chunk of shielding for a skillful hit.
Caldari
Light: Nova Blade (with Nova Knives, this is really all that makes sense)
The Nova Blade applies the Nova Knife technology to the edge of a katana-like curved sword.
Swings fast, but does not have a charge-up ability due to more-difficult plasma containment.
Gallente
Sidearm: Plasma Drill
Made for mining, the drill fires a jet of unconstrained plasma that is at least twice as hot as a plasma AR bolt.
Extremely high DPS, but you have to be practically colliding with the target to hit.
Thermic Axe
A pointed battleaxe with a heated blade made from a 10,000-degree-rated superceramic material. Cools down with rapid swings, so it's a choice between high Alpha and high DPS.
In short:
>A new Medium dropsuit designed around melee combat
>Relies on a high turn rate to combat Scouts
>Explosive charges replace sprinting, useful for combatting another Heavy or fleeing Scout
>Slow speed requires vehicle transport, ideally used to back up Heavies
>New racial melee weapons to match, each with unique behaviors |
Zat Earthshatter
Ghosts Of Ourselves
378
|
Posted - 2013.10.09 11:32:00 -
[2] - Quote
>I don't expect these weapons to dominate, in fact I'd expect these guys to get obliterated in the open.
The role meant for this suggestion - Shotgun-Scout repellent to defend Heavies with - is so heavily specialized that they should be easy prey when not attached to other allied combatants. Is it a little over-specialized? Yes. Although the suit is simply bonused towards melee combat, so one could fit a ranged weapon if need be.
>The sprint/charge bit is a stretch, i'll admit. I do think that a charge move is good for a melee specialist, but probably shouldn't replace sprinting.
How about we change the Charge into an active module and make the Cavalry's sprint (not run) speed a little faster than Scout at the cost of using Stamina faster. That way, you can still sprint (and catch fleeing Scouts) while maintaining the option to quickly close the distance with a short-mid ranged attacker.
>I agree that the Nova Knife-style weapons are better suited to stealth and rapid attack. In fact, I really should have based all the Sidearm-class weapons on that doctrine.
The Light melee weapons, however, were built around brawling.
>Lastly, there is still the issue of overall durability. Even Sentinels, who can take multiple Shotgun hits, can be slaughtered by a mid-ranged Light weapon, let alone something with sub-Commando tank.
I did intend Cavalry to use resistance-based tanking, but even this may not be enough. I'll continue to read replies in hopes of finding the proper balance to strike.
In short:
I do see your points, and will update OP with the sprint change when I get the time, as i've been staying up quite late tonight.
OOPS: just noticed the turnspeed comment. Would seem then that the only reason Scouts continue to pop Heavies would be the recent nerfing of the HMG's effectiveness. Considering that change, finding a role for a melee class with the current battlefield would be extremely difficult. |