Reworking the Technical
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:40 pm
I am greatly saddened by the state of the Technical. Here is an attempt to rework it into something... nicer.
Key issues are lack of reliability (rocket scatter, low flame range, low burning chance), and lack of late-game punch. Also, some questionable perks (concussion?).
THE GAUNTLET
The first major thing I'd change is reduce Flamethrower uses by 1, and give him a Shredder. A relatively nerfed version with OK damage, good range, but no cover busting, low armor shredding, no armor penetration, etc. These things can be taken back with perks, though. A tight cone with a range of 10 and a width of 4 at the maximum end sounds good. Automatically hits, shreds 1 armor, deals 3-6 damage. The role of the weapon is reliable medium-to-long range damage and armor shredding, with a potential to destroy cover. Less damage than a rocket of the same level, but greater coverage, no damage fall-off, lower damage variance, and different perks.
Second, rocket scatter. It needs to go, at least while standing still. It just really isn't a fun mechanic, and it's impossible to plan or play around it. Big, important, one-use abilities shouldn't have a chance to outright *fail*. Nothing else in the game behaves like that. So, 0 spread if fired as first action, 4 spread if fired after moving. Damage and AoE stay as is. Affects all warheads.
Third, the flamethrower. While it has reach problems right now, these are somewhat mitigated for the class by the shredder. Instead, its damage needs to go down, while its burning chance and angle of coverage need to go up. Six tiles at range of 6 with 60% to burn sounds great.
PERKS
Our Gauntlet now has three weapons: A rocket launcher, a flamethrower, and a shredder. Each has one shot. Each has specific uses, associated perks, and tactics. This help us see what the class is, can, and should be. Two of the gauntlet weapons force the Technical to be in the front line or somewhere close (shredder and flamethrower), so defensive abilities are a good idea.
I want the Technical to have two active abilities on each of the three gauntlet weapons; one low-level set that is not mutually exclusive and provides utility, and one at MSGT that is mutually exclusive. That way you can build the Technical to be great at one of the weapons, or tactically versatile with multiple tools, or some other combination.
LCPL - This rank needs to give gauntlet-weapon-focused perks only, to help shape and give identity and role to our new Technical. One of these is a new active ability, the other two are passive, and affect only the gauntlet weapon related to it.
Fire In The Hole can stay. Reduces rocket scatter back to 0 after movement. No effect on stationary launches.
Microflechettes increase shredder's damage against fleshy targets by 1. Drones, MECs, turrets, Sectopods, and Armor 4+ unaffected.
Roust can also stay, but the pattern is reshaped to fit the new flamethrower (lower range, high coverage).
CPL - We can start mixing it in here a bit. One perk that isn't centered on a particular gauntlet weapon, but improves the Technical's ability to use all of them. Again, one more passive weapon-centered perk, and one active ability.
Firepower allows all three gauntlet weapons (default and MSGT abilities only) to deal critical damage, similar to Biggest Booms.
Wall Of Lead is a shredder special attack that deals very low damage (1-3), but suppresses all units hit. Soft CC without overwatch.
Napalm X is renamed to Phosphorous, with functionality intact. Turns the flamethrower into the best anti-flesh CC in the game.
SGT - Gives us another passive buff on any gauntlet weapon, another passive buff on one gauntlet weapon, and another active gauntlet weapon ability.
Concussion Rocket is moved one rank, but the cloud of smoke it leaves now has a duration that fits the stun/disorient duration.
Shredding Power increases the shredder gun's armor shred by 2. Simple weapon buff that replaces Shredder for the SMG/AR.
Backblast replaces Burnout. Now works with any gauntlet weapon, but the duration is significantly decreased to 1.
SSGT - Our first three ranks give us one active ability for each of the gauntlet weapons, some passive buffs for each of the gauntlet weapons' default abilities, and two buffs to all of the Technical abilities, one offensive, one defensive.
Tandem Warheads is renamed into Submunitions. Retains the same functionality.
Formidable stays as is, where is.
Phosphorous is renamed to Thermite Jet, retains same functionality.
TSGT - The base of the Technical is now functional, the soldier is experienced, and now we can start adding perks that have a real impact on the game...
Javelin Rockets works exactly as is.
Massive Damage works like Fire and Steel, but also affects the shredder abilities.
Coming In Hot allows the Technical to dash and use any gauntlet ability. 5 turn cooldown.
GSGT - An important rank with powerful perks that aren't class-defining, as this isn't either the master rank, nor is it early enough to shape the class' gameplay too much.
Salvo Fire replaces both Salvo and Quickburn. The first use of any gauntlet weapon does not end the turn.
Collateral Damage gives the shredder default ability its cover destruction abilities back. Modest at first, but scales with tech level.
High Intensity Burn increases flamethrower damage by 2, range by 1, and burning chance by 20%. Default and MSGT abilities only.
MSGT - This rank is mostly unchanged, as Bunker Buster is already good, and Firestorm benefits greatly from previous perks, such as Coming In Hot and Backblast. Obviously, Rapid Fire is replaced by a powerful shredder active ability, though.
Bunker Buster stays exactly as is.
Obliterate is a powerful one-off attack that deals ~50% increased damage (with lower spread) and ignores armor.
Firestorm stays exactly as is.
You will notice that the Technical has lost all perks related to the base weapon. So, Suppression, Shredder, Rapid Fire, all gone. The first two have been turned into perks for the shredder. My intent is to make an "empty" experienced Technical merely a rookie with significantly enhanced stats, but one that already has had a massive impact on the flow of the mission. One can have up to *seven* different gauntlet abilities, plus up to two abilities that are supposed to make deploying gauntlet weapons easier... Or just four, with the three basic ones, and another at MSGT, while picking many passive buffs.
Similarly, Fortify and Tactical Sense have also been removed, leaving the primary defensive perks available to the Technical either entirely passive (Formidable), or related to gauntlet use (Backblast), or CC (flamethrower, especially with Phosphorous).
There could also be an early-mid tier tech that unlocks fuel, ammo, or warhead as a utility item that increases the number of uses a gauntlet weapon's default ability has by 1. Mutually exclusive, so you can only ever carry one of these. This item would have to be pretty expensive, because an extra use of a fully-perked-out ability is very powerful.
In order to not obviate the class, the tech suit line of armors and related tech needs to be rethought. Only the Technical should be able to use the Gauntlet. Suits and SPARKs should be able to select *one* of the weapons that a gauntlet has, for example, with maybe one built-in perk (such as Collateral Damage for the Shredder as is right now).
Key issues are lack of reliability (rocket scatter, low flame range, low burning chance), and lack of late-game punch. Also, some questionable perks (concussion?).
THE GAUNTLET
The first major thing I'd change is reduce Flamethrower uses by 1, and give him a Shredder. A relatively nerfed version with OK damage, good range, but no cover busting, low armor shredding, no armor penetration, etc. These things can be taken back with perks, though. A tight cone with a range of 10 and a width of 4 at the maximum end sounds good. Automatically hits, shreds 1 armor, deals 3-6 damage. The role of the weapon is reliable medium-to-long range damage and armor shredding, with a potential to destroy cover. Less damage than a rocket of the same level, but greater coverage, no damage fall-off, lower damage variance, and different perks.
Second, rocket scatter. It needs to go, at least while standing still. It just really isn't a fun mechanic, and it's impossible to plan or play around it. Big, important, one-use abilities shouldn't have a chance to outright *fail*. Nothing else in the game behaves like that. So, 0 spread if fired as first action, 4 spread if fired after moving. Damage and AoE stay as is. Affects all warheads.
Third, the flamethrower. While it has reach problems right now, these are somewhat mitigated for the class by the shredder. Instead, its damage needs to go down, while its burning chance and angle of coverage need to go up. Six tiles at range of 6 with 60% to burn sounds great.
PERKS
Our Gauntlet now has three weapons: A rocket launcher, a flamethrower, and a shredder. Each has one shot. Each has specific uses, associated perks, and tactics. This help us see what the class is, can, and should be. Two of the gauntlet weapons force the Technical to be in the front line or somewhere close (shredder and flamethrower), so defensive abilities are a good idea.
I want the Technical to have two active abilities on each of the three gauntlet weapons; one low-level set that is not mutually exclusive and provides utility, and one at MSGT that is mutually exclusive. That way you can build the Technical to be great at one of the weapons, or tactically versatile with multiple tools, or some other combination.
LCPL - This rank needs to give gauntlet-weapon-focused perks only, to help shape and give identity and role to our new Technical. One of these is a new active ability, the other two are passive, and affect only the gauntlet weapon related to it.
Fire In The Hole can stay. Reduces rocket scatter back to 0 after movement. No effect on stationary launches.
Microflechettes increase shredder's damage against fleshy targets by 1. Drones, MECs, turrets, Sectopods, and Armor 4+ unaffected.
Roust can also stay, but the pattern is reshaped to fit the new flamethrower (lower range, high coverage).
CPL - We can start mixing it in here a bit. One perk that isn't centered on a particular gauntlet weapon, but improves the Technical's ability to use all of them. Again, one more passive weapon-centered perk, and one active ability.
Firepower allows all three gauntlet weapons (default and MSGT abilities only) to deal critical damage, similar to Biggest Booms.
Wall Of Lead is a shredder special attack that deals very low damage (1-3), but suppresses all units hit. Soft CC without overwatch.
Napalm X is renamed to Phosphorous, with functionality intact. Turns the flamethrower into the best anti-flesh CC in the game.
SGT - Gives us another passive buff on any gauntlet weapon, another passive buff on one gauntlet weapon, and another active gauntlet weapon ability.
Concussion Rocket is moved one rank, but the cloud of smoke it leaves now has a duration that fits the stun/disorient duration.
Shredding Power increases the shredder gun's armor shred by 2. Simple weapon buff that replaces Shredder for the SMG/AR.
Backblast replaces Burnout. Now works with any gauntlet weapon, but the duration is significantly decreased to 1.
SSGT - Our first three ranks give us one active ability for each of the gauntlet weapons, some passive buffs for each of the gauntlet weapons' default abilities, and two buffs to all of the Technical abilities, one offensive, one defensive.
Tandem Warheads is renamed into Submunitions. Retains the same functionality.
Formidable stays as is, where is.
Phosphorous is renamed to Thermite Jet, retains same functionality.
TSGT - The base of the Technical is now functional, the soldier is experienced, and now we can start adding perks that have a real impact on the game...
Javelin Rockets works exactly as is.
Massive Damage works like Fire and Steel, but also affects the shredder abilities.
Coming In Hot allows the Technical to dash and use any gauntlet ability. 5 turn cooldown.
GSGT - An important rank with powerful perks that aren't class-defining, as this isn't either the master rank, nor is it early enough to shape the class' gameplay too much.
Salvo Fire replaces both Salvo and Quickburn. The first use of any gauntlet weapon does not end the turn.
Collateral Damage gives the shredder default ability its cover destruction abilities back. Modest at first, but scales with tech level.
High Intensity Burn increases flamethrower damage by 2, range by 1, and burning chance by 20%. Default and MSGT abilities only.
MSGT - This rank is mostly unchanged, as Bunker Buster is already good, and Firestorm benefits greatly from previous perks, such as Coming In Hot and Backblast. Obviously, Rapid Fire is replaced by a powerful shredder active ability, though.
Bunker Buster stays exactly as is.
Obliterate is a powerful one-off attack that deals ~50% increased damage (with lower spread) and ignores armor.
Firestorm stays exactly as is.
You will notice that the Technical has lost all perks related to the base weapon. So, Suppression, Shredder, Rapid Fire, all gone. The first two have been turned into perks for the shredder. My intent is to make an "empty" experienced Technical merely a rookie with significantly enhanced stats, but one that already has had a massive impact on the flow of the mission. One can have up to *seven* different gauntlet abilities, plus up to two abilities that are supposed to make deploying gauntlet weapons easier... Or just four, with the three basic ones, and another at MSGT, while picking many passive buffs.
Similarly, Fortify and Tactical Sense have also been removed, leaving the primary defensive perks available to the Technical either entirely passive (Formidable), or related to gauntlet use (Backblast), or CC (flamethrower, especially with Phosphorous).
There could also be an early-mid tier tech that unlocks fuel, ammo, or warhead as a utility item that increases the number of uses a gauntlet weapon's default ability has by 1. Mutually exclusive, so you can only ever carry one of these. This item would have to be pretty expensive, because an extra use of a fully-perked-out ability is very powerful.
In order to not obviate the class, the tech suit line of armors and related tech needs to be rethought. Only the Technical should be able to use the Gauntlet. Suits and SPARKs should be able to select *one* of the weapons that a gauntlet has, for example, with maybe one built-in perk (such as Collateral Damage for the Shredder as is right now).