Instant Snipe World

[Nihil]

So since the latest patch all snipe attacks are instant and uninterruptable in combat, meaning they can just be a part of DT rotation for any set that has them. How does that hurt the blaster sets without a snipe in comparison to the ones with it?

[Novacat]

Often the snipeless powers were actually a bit more powerful:

Ice is a DPA monster whose Bitter Ice Blast was already an 80ft instant snipe in terms of power - and that's not all it had

DP and Water are both designed around not having or needing a snipe

Water in particular is an AoE atrocity of titanic-sinking proportions

 

In addition, honestly? Anyone who wanted instant snipe could get it - it was just a matter of how easy. If you had aim and build-up you could have it during those durations (use a recharge/to-hit-buff instead of just a flat recharge in build-up to yellow-circle your sniper). If you kept a supply of yellows you could have it whenever you need. If you had Targeting drone. If you usually ran around with friends who offered two or three Tactics auras. If all else failed you could Kismet and overslot tactics yourself to attain it. i24 made instant snipes available to those who need it most of the time they may need it, or all of the time if they really want to have it ready all the time.

 

So the biggest change, to me, is actually the massive upgrade on a slow snipe's power output.

[Impact]

Wait, the snipe changes are live already?  I thought they were just on the test server.

[Novacat]

The i24 ones are live. So there's been instant snipes around.

 

The new beta ones are not live yet (unless they were patched in while I was sleeping I just got up?). They change how one gets instants so it's easier as some secondaries had a harder time of it than others. Also buffs /Devices quite nicely.

[Impact]

That's what I thought.  I have a Beam/Time blaster I'm waiting to level up until the beta testing on snipes is resolved, one way or the other.  Then I'll know if I need to squeeze Tactics into my build or not for insta-snipe.

[Tater Todd]

So since the latest patch all snipe attacks are instant and uninterruptable in combat, meaning they can just be a part of DT rotation for any set that has them. How does that hurt the blaster sets without a snipe in comparison to the ones with it?

 

I know Dual Pistols had some adjusting on live due to long animations combined with the +ToHit Snipe change.  The Homecoming Devs might look a Dual Pistols again to make sure it's balanced enough in comparison to other Blaster sets.  Most of the Blaster sets without true snipes do amazing damage without Snipes so they'll be fine.  The big issue was that the Blast sets WITH Snipes were under-performing because the set was balanced around the Snipe.  I'm looking forward to this change personally much like I looked forward to the Fitness pool being baking into every toon.