Thoughts on the 1.3 changes

[hewhoispale]

* I can't level up my holobot Sharpshooter's, since I can't take them as "passengers" to stealth hacking missions.

This issue is part of why I am going to add the ability to equip rifles (and therefore SMGs) to Sharpshooters in my copy of 1.3, if the devs don't make it baseline.

That way they can be used better in Guerilla Ops (by not being forced to carry a weapon that can't be fired on the run, makes them easier to detect, and lacks a mobility bonus).

Since squadsight functions independent of the equipped weapon, doesn't this let you fire an assault rifle at pretty silly range due to the falloff tables for non-sniper weapons not being calibrated for squadsight availability?

[JulianSkies]

* I can't level up my holobot Sharpshooter's, since I can't take them as "passengers" to stealth hacking missions.

This issue is part of why I am going to add the ability to equip rifles (and therefore SMGs) to Sharpshooters in my copy of 1.3, if the devs don't make it baseline.

That way they can be used better in Guerilla Ops (by not being forced to carry a weapon that can't be fired on the run, makes them easier to detect, and lacks a mobility bonus).

Since squadsight functions independent of the equipped weapon, doesn't this let you fire an assault rifle at pretty silly range due to the falloff tables for non-sniper weapons not being calibrated for squadsight availability?

Amusingly, rifles wouldn't be any better than sniper rifles. Rifles cap at -30 while snipers cap at -20, most of the long range penalty is innate to squadsight.

[DonCrabio]

Since squadsight functions independent of the equipped weapon, doesn't this let you fire an assault rifle at pretty silly range due to the falloff tables for non-sniper weapons not being calibrated for squadsight availability?

Some abilities are already tied to weapon type, like Slugshot for Assaults, probably this not a big deal. Anyway, most use of this will be SMG, and you don't want to shoot SMG from this far away.

[darkerevent]

Some abilities are already tied to weapon type, like Slugshot for Assaults, probably this not a big deal. Anyway, most use of this will be SMG, and you don't want to shoot SMG from this far away.

This. In the testing I've done with having the holo character actually shoot from time to time, the ability to (attempt to) shoot at squadsight range with an SMG has never been anything to write home about. The range falloff is atrocious, which becomes its own balancing factor. It basically becomes a slightly less range-restricted pistol, but with none of the fancy attack skills.

Assault Rifles with squadsight don't seem to be an issue at all either, but I haven't tried them much since I have other characters I want shooting my ARs anyway.

[Content Consumer]

A lot of this stuff about snipers and other primary weapons seems to concentrate on the weapon at squadsight range being rather useless. Which is absolutely true.
However, what if instead of focusing on the weapon, keeping it as is or changing it to allow sharpshooters to carry any weapon, what if we just change squadsight?
Specifically, if we switch out the location of the perks. Swap Squaddie Squadsight with Tech Sergeant Conceal, for example. Sharpshooters keep their aim bonuses which thematically means they still count as marksmen, but with any sort of weapon. Conceal or Phantom as the squaddie perk kind of overlaps with Shinobis as early-game scouts, but a Shinobi plays a different role with the gun+sword than the sharpshooter does with the gun+holotarget. This would make the sharpshooters more support units than damage units, possibly increasing their utility for people who find them generally useless, and putting Squadsight as a left-side choice (before Long Watch obviously) allows players to create a variety of different builds.

[wizard1200]

Specifically, if we switch out the location of the perks. Swap Squaddie Squadsight with Tech Sergeant Conceal, for example. Sharpshooters keep their aim bonuses which thematically means they still count as marksmen, but with any sort of weapon. Conceal or Phantom as the squaddie perk kind of overlaps with Shinobis as early-game scouts, but a Shinobi plays a different role with the gun+sword than the sharpshooter does with the gun+holotarget. This would make the sharpshooters more support units than damage units, possibly increasing their utility for people who find them generally useless, and putting Squadsight as a left-side choice (before Long Watch obviously) allows players to create a variety of different builds.

That is a great suggestion. The sharpshooter could have these perks:

SQ: Squadsight, Holo Targeting, Phantom
LC: Death from Above, Ghost Walker, Center Mass (+1 damage and +5% critical chance to make it useful early, mid and late game)
CO: Damn Good Ground, Rapid Targeting, Precision Shot
SE: Longwatch, HiDef Holo, Deadshot (+15% critical chance to balance it with Center Mass)
SS: Shadowstrike, Independent Tracking, Hunter's Instincts
TS: Careful Aim (a stock additionally increases the critical damage by 2 / 3 / 4), Vital Point Targeting, Aggression
GS: Alpha Mike Foxtrot (+2 damage and +2 armor piercing to balance it with Bring 'Em On), Multitargeting, Bring 'Em On
MS: Double Tab, Conceal (unlimited charges, 3 turns cooldown that starts when the character breaks concealment), Serial

[Dwarfling]

Are they changing anything on the SPARK tree? Xwynns showed nothing.

The only build that seems to work well for me is to go mostly middle tree (Tank) and use them as you would use an Assault. Which I absolutely love. They're usually the stars of any "Retaliation" and "Destroy the Relay" missions.

I've done the overwatch build, and it's just... Unreliable. Guardian and Hunter Protocol are all chance based. So sometimes (rarely), your SPARK will empty its magazine on an enemy pod and severely cripple it. Other times it's just a waste of a turn because you missed your first shot (funny how you can't get Fire Control on a SPARK huh?) and HP fizzled. And getting those skills means you don't get Repair and Damage Control so...

I've yet to go full Future Combat because it seems like an non-option and more like the middle tree of the other classes: skills you hand-pick while building the other trees. To pick Rainmaker you forego an armor point and the ability to give high cover (Adaptive Aim is a questionable skill). To pick Bombard you give up vital skills for the other builds. Both of these are 1-per-mission tricks. The whole Future Combat tree lacks seems to lack synergy.

I really wish they keep the 1.2 Formidable for the SPARK, but I doubt it.

[LordYanaek]

Are they changing anything on the SPARK tree? Xwynns showed nothing.

As DLC content, SPARKS have been lower priority from the beginning of LW2 since they are not default soldiers available to everyone so i expect they will be reviewed later if at all but they are still planning some more changes as there will probably be a batch 2 of translations.

I've done the overwatch build, and it's just... Unreliable. Guardian and Hunter Protocol are all chance based. So sometimes (rarely), your SPARK will empty its magazine on an enemy pod and severely cripple it. Other times it's just a waste of a turn because you missed your first shot (funny how you can't get Fire Control on a SPARK huh?) and HP fizzled. And getting those skills means you don't get Repair and Damage Control so...

I think Guardian is just terrible but i know others have made great use of it. As for myself i almost never get additional shots and avoid it like the plague. Hunter Protocol is a different story. It doesn't cost you an action and due to the size of enemy pods if you use the spark on heavy activity missions, it wasn't unusual for me to empty the magazine purely with HP.

I've yet to go full Future Combat because it seems like an non-option and more like the middle tree of the other classes: skills you hand-pick while building the other trees. To pick Rainmaker you forego an armor point and the ability to give high cover (Adaptive Aim is a questionable skill). To pick Bombard you give up vital skills for the other builds. Both of these are 1-per-mission tricks. The whole Future Combat tree lacks seems to lack synergy.

Rainmaker turns the Shredder gun and Shredstorm cannon from stupidly overpowered to nuclear level nonsense. Its value depends on how much you value having an "Win this fight" button available vs some utility for the entire mission.
We'll have to see how it works after the (probably) incoming nerfs to those heavy weapons. It could be better or worse depending how the nerf is done.
Bombard is an extremely valuable trick and the real alternative to HP for me. It's a squadsight AoE attack that destroys every cover reliably. It can be used in a number of creative ways including opening LoS on relays for your snipers or dropping an entire pod from the top of a building down to their death. It's effect is impossible to replicate for any other soldier with any sort of equipment so it's hard for me not to take it.

I really wish they keep the 1.2 Formidable for the SPARK, but I doubt it.

Agreed that for SPARKS it makes more sense to have an armor pip than a few more ablative HP when they already have 5 to start with. We'll see how it turns out.