Scottie MaCallan
Krusual Covert Operators
Minmatar Republic
17
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Posted - 2013.05.31 19:52:00 -
[1] - Quote
just imagine it. take the current shotgun, add some more barrels, cover it in fancy repousse and chasing, and fun panels like the scrambler rifle, with a visible heat sink, again like the scrambler rifle. perhaps the heat sink can even run down along the arm guard if there's still an arm guard. Now hit the fire button. multifrequency bursts come out! blam blam! it's like firing a rainbow faucet-head at a redberry!
just think of the hellafun times to be had with this. More importantly than anything I will say later on (when I explain why this would be a useful tactical addition to the game, & the various forms in which it could be implemented), just imagine how hilariously fun this shotgun would be to use. It'd shoot a bunch of lasers (in sticking with EVE canon, probably multifrequency), probably in pulses (or charged), and they might even be rainbows! Also it would be deadly and the wrong end of it will basically be a shower-head.
now, onto the "logic" of the gun.
first off, we ought to have three variants of each distinct weapon role, that is, a hybrid, or equal damage to armor and shield, a kinetic/explosive, or more damage to armor, and a laser based one, or more damage to shields. In the case of the shotgun, the weapon role is a CQC, alpha-strike based one. It also has to be a light weapon, and should pair well with a scout style gameplay. And finally, it has to be a spread, or wide blast based weapon, not a rapid fire, single bullet style weapon (like the SMG).
So let's look at the options for a shield based CQC weapon (that isn't a SMG style weapon, that's a different, but similar CQC gun):
- wide, single beam (either continuous or burst)
- scattered beams (again either continuous or burst)
well, there's only 2 (or 4 really) that I could think of. sorry guys. if I think of more (or if you do) I'll add them. anyway, let's look at both of them (also, I am not suggesting that all of these be put in the game! I am suggesting one of these ideas would make for a good anti-shield CQC shotgun. Tell me which one you like the most and tell me where I screwed up after reading! or before reading! this is the internet!):
(as another note, this being a specifically anti-shield weapon, the damage should be balanced according to that, and make it difficult to cut through an armor tank. I say this because the current shotgun can obliterate all but the toughest tanks regardless of style, and I don't want people to mistakenly associate that strength with a specifically anti-shield weapon)
wide, single beam
- this type would basically be like a slug shotgun, longer range than the current shotgun, with higher damage to shields. It could either be a scrambler style shotgun, and have quick bursts or a charge, or be a laser beam style weapon, and build up in damage.
paramount in balancing this weapon is the overheat timer. This is where the trade-offs come in. because a shotgun is a quick, CQC weapon, the heat should build up very quickly. On a weaker assault version, like the current "standard variant" hybrid shotgun, this buildup should allow for about 6-8 shots. With the increased range of a laser weapon (although it will still be CQC), I woul dthink fewer shots, so probably 6-5 before overheating.
on the scrambler variant, this should allow for probably one charged shot, followed by 2 or so non-charged shots before overheating. This would give a player enough to land their critical hit, and a finisher. Seeing as it's possible to get 2 or 3 shots off with the current shotgun before people react, I feel that is appropriate.
on the laser variant, the damage buildup & overheat cycle should be very, very fast. Think under 2 seconds, 3 at most depending on damage. Remember, this is a shotgun, it is designed for quick ambushes & OHK or 2HK's. If you can't pull off a kill after 3 seconds of sustained, wide laser blasting, you deserve the overheat damage. Also by then their shields should be down at the very least, so it'd be time to switch to a locus grenade or a flaylock or something anti-armor.
scattered beams
- this type could be more like the current shotgun, a spread of several beams. maybe 5-10. Damage of each beam should be similarly balanced to damage of each plasma pellet in the current shotgun. again, this could be either a scrambler style gun, or a sustained laser.
on the scrambler variant, this would essentially have similar charge & heating issues. Although I would suggest adding another shot or two in before it overheats, since this is a spread weapon, it's possible to hit with some, not all of the burst, so having an extra shot would balance it against a slug style shotgun's damage. Of course this would mean again, lessened damage.
on the laser variant, the damage buildup & overheat cycle should be almost identical, I'd say a second longer than the possible single beam idea. But preferably not much longer. Again, this is because a shotgun ought to have a quick alpha style ability.
so, with all that in mind, I have to say, I like the scrambler, scattered beams idea the most. Well, actually, that's a lie, I like the laser, scattered beams idea the most, but I also think it's highly unlikely you guys, much less CCP, would get behind that idea. I mean just imagine it, shooting a continuous rainbow of death, having to track like with a laser rifle, and having to watch out for overheat damage! it would be so much fun. But practically speaking a scrambler shotgun makes more sense, it allows for a charged critical, it balances the heat more logically from what are supposed to be near-instant shotgun hits (not a 2 second long shotgun hit)
so sadly I think the laser beam shotgun will never see the light of day, despite the stupid fun that could be had with it. But I do think the scrambler shotgun shows for almost as much potential variety of play, added tactics for CQC, and a fun variant. What do you guys think? |