Cross Atu
Conspiratus Immortalis
Covert Intervention
1147
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Posted - 2013.06.12 06:52:00 -
[1] - Quote
+1 West, good feedback well written.
I started using the MD builds back to prove that it was OP (at the time I was convinced this was the case). Upon extensive play testing of the weapon I discovered two things, first that it wasn't remotely OP and I needed to own up to my earlier mistaken pots on the forums. Second that once I started learning how to actually use it the tactical value of it's area denial abilities suited my role as a support Logi very well, and so I decided to stick with it.
The MD contrast between Chrome and Uprising is, to be blunt, shocking. A damage modded Freedom or Boundless now preforms at around the level of an unmodified EXO under Uprising. CCP has stated there are bugs and fixes are on the way, this is good news but only accounts for part of the picture. Assuming all bugs being removed restores the MD to Chrome levels of performance (which honestly were not overpowered, I tested this against the rest of the light weapons out there) there would still remain the effective nerf of nano hives bottlenecking the MDs ammo supply. Bug fixes also do not address the comparative balance of the MD to the Grenades available in game, especially the contact grenades.
I don't know what numbers or testing CCP used internally for their balance assessment but from my first hand experiences through Chromosome (and before) I've never seen the MD dominate a match. It's likely that in all the matches played it happened with someone at some point but I've played thousands of hours of Dust and never seen it myself.
I've seen single Chrome ELM dominate a game, I've seen certain players in Chrome make the HMG dominate (Exmaple, Chicago Cubs and the like), I've seen HAVs dominate the game, mostly redline rail snipers but the occasional properly built blaster, I've seen a wide assortment of ARs dominate various matches but I have not encountered a match yet where a MD user was such a slaying force on the field that it clearly swung the battle for their team (or topped the leaderboard for that matter).
In short while I do understand CCP not wanting to change numbers until the bug fixes are in I don't see how the current numbers in Uprising add up to proper balance when compared with the other elements of the game, nor have I heard from CCP (despite asking) what their intended function/role for the MD is which would justify these current numbers (and other changes like alteration to the smoke) as proper balance. The lack of communication, both before the change via patch notes, and after the change regarding anything aside from the bugs, is what I find most problematic. If CCP has information or methods which show the MD in Chrome needed a nerf that's fine, share them. If CCP lacks such numbers then respond to the many testers who've posted extensively on the subject in reasonable and detailed ways, open a dialogue and address the concerns and data presented there in. In either case more transparency and reactivity in communication is honestly required, and so near launch is a bad time to drop the ball on this (not that there's ever a good time).
0.02 ISK
Cross
ps ~ the diversity between the three types of MD really needs work, the themes are good but the stats don't do enough to support them and the nerfs quite frankly seem to have made this situation worse. |