Let's Fix Assault Rifle!

[Herotu]

So the problems were identified as;

• Long animations,
• No Aim,
• Lethal damage

 

How do we fix this?

 

- Long Animations

To make your character look like they're blasting away, but with shorter animations, you could have lots of powers that have animations which look the similar. 

 

So I'd suggest possibly getting rid of some of the superfluous stuff. Bean Bags aren't assault rifles, flame throwers aren't assault rifles - they might be better as a pool powerset or possibly ancillary powerset, but munitions mastery is already an ancillary powerset.

 

- Adding Aim shouldn't be a problem if we're already removing three powers.

 

 

Please add your suggestions to the three identified problems OR give other solutions to the problem. Perhaps we should just ignore it completely?

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by Herotu

[Fusilier]

Let's start by asking why you feel AR needs to be changed because you consider a bean bag or flamethrower as not conceptually an assault rifle. It would be easier to retitle the set as something like Assault Armaments to fit your criteria rather then rebalance a set after adding Aim.

 

Also,  after AR gets Aim, let's homogenize the other the sets to all have a more uniform playstyle. I suggest lowering fires damage and adding a secondary effect. One of the AEs should be replaced in each set to have a knockback. Siren's song in Sonic Blast should be changed to a single target sleep,  much like the other sets having one control ability.  Let's stop comparing each set against each other and just delete Beam Rifles, as that is a clone of Assualt Rifle.

 

As a long time time AR/D since COH launched, I don't feel a need to compare AR to the other sets. AR plays a different way, when other blasters have popped their climax powers,  I keep trucking along,  laying down my cones from the back while the other blasters are waiting in the back for their climax powers to recharge.

[Frozen Burn]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:10 PM, Herotu said:

So the problems were identified as;

• Long animations,
• No Aim,
• Lethal damage

 

How do we fix this?

 

- Long Animations

To make your character look like they're blasting away, but with shorter animations, you could have lots of powers that have animations which look the similar. 

 

So I'd suggest possibly getting rid of some of the superfluous stuff. Bean Bags aren't assault rifles, flame throwers aren't assault rifles - they might be better as a pool powerset or possibly ancillary powerset, but munitions mastery is already an ancillary powerset.

 

- Adding Aim shouldn't be a problem if we're already removing three powers.

 

 

Please add your suggestions to the three identified problems OR give other solutions to the problem. Perhaps we should just ignore it completely?

 

 

Animations - not an issue as they are not long at all.  AR has some of the shorter times of all the blaster sets

 

No Aim - sure.  I can see people not liking that.  But AR does have a higher base Acc than other blaster sets.  Not enough to match an Aim power, but it is something at least - maybe they could bump up the base Acc more?  But honestly, I don't miss Aim and I wouldn't want to lose any of the powers in the set already for it.  So, I guess I'm fine with the set as is.

 

Lethal Damage - well, of course it's lethal damage, that's what bullets do.  You're always going to do lethal damage.  But you also get Fire Damage (which you want to take out of the set).  

 

You also need to remember, AR is one of the legacy sets - it was one of the first blaster sets in the game and the only rifle option you had was the legacy "super-soaker" that had not only the rifle, but a flame thrower attachments, grenade/beanbag launcher, and shotgun. So that's why the set is a hodge-podge of things.  And while yes, it's an old set, it has still stayed solid and on par with the others through the years.  Really, there is nothing wrong with AR and there is nothing to "fix." 

 

Maybe the ONLY thing to upgrade AR with would be to have an alternate animation where you fire the rifle shouldered, not from the hip (like you get inherently with Beam Rifle) - that's the only upgrade that AR really needs, imo.

 

 

[Bill Z Bubba]

My only problem with AR is that I can't run a Full Auto, repeat attack chain.

[Erratic1]

On 6/26/2022 at 1:10 PM, Herotu said:

So I'd suggest possibly getting rid of some of the superfluous stuff. Bean Bags aren't assault rifles, flame throwers aren't assault rifles - they might be better as a pool powerset or possibly ancillary powerset, but munitions mastery is already an ancillary powerset.

 

Per Wikipedia:

 

Quote

Definitions and usage

Main article: Assault weapons legislation in the United States

Drawing from federal and state law definitions, the term assault weapon refers primarily to semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns that are able to accept detachable magazines and possess one or more other features

 

Bean bags are fired from shotguns and per US federal law and state definitions (Paragon City is in Rhode Island), shotguns are assault rifles.

 

Flamethrowing...can't really say its fits. So there is room for replacing Flame Thrower and Ignite. But were those powers to go, I would still favor something other than "what every other set gets" ala Aim.

[kelika2]

Turn buckshot into a .67 mag knockback and add a fire dot, rename to Dragonsbreath

M30 into another .67 mag kb and add a lethal damage dot

Remove Fear from Ignite

[Erratic1]

3 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

Remove Fear from Ignite

 

Why?  That seems both appropriate (nobody wants to be set on fire) and useful. If you don't want them running, use an immobilize.

[SeraphimKensai]

I'd replace beanbag with an Aim variant called Reload that gives your AR powers 50% reduced recharge while under the effects of Reload, standardize the arcs on all the cones to be 45°, increase the damage on the M30 grenade, and make it so Full Auto would have a 100% recharge reduction while under Reload.

 

Perhaps using Full Auto under Reload costs more endurance?

[Herotu]

6 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

 

Per Wikipedia:

 

 

Bean bags are fired from shotguns and per US federal law and state definitions (Paragon City is in Rhode Island), shotguns are assault rifles.

 

Flamethrowing...can't really say its fits. So there is room for replacing Flame Thrower and Ignite. But were those powers to go, I would still favor something other than "what every other set gets" ala Aim.

It's good, and SO close, but it clearly says Assault Weapons, not Rifles. 😞

Having played AR for a while now, I can say that the short range on Buckshot makes it really uncomfortable to use. I guess it prepares you for the flamethrowers later in the game, tho.

[kelika2]

4 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

 

Why?  That seems both appropriate (nobody wants to be set on fire) and useful. If you don't want them running, use an immobilize.

because that logic does not apply anywhere else. 

why would a level 54 minion even consider fighting an incarnate?

why would anyone with a gun and no superpowers fight someones whos bodytype 3 with max sliders on everything?

 

it was a dumb change then and over a decade later its still dumb

[Erratic1]

39 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

because that logic does not apply anywhere else. 

why would a level 54 minion even consider fighting an incarnate?

why would anyone with a gun and no superpowers fight someones whos bodytype 3 with max sliders on everything?

 

it was a dumb change then and over a decade later its still dumb

 

I do not see why anyone ever got in a ring to let Mike Tyson throw punches at them and yet people did that. But most people I know would run quickly from someone with a flamethrower. And given a choice between the two, I'll take getting in the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime any day over running at someone with a flamethrower.

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Erratic1

[kelika2]

2 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

I do not see why anyone ever got in a ring to let Mike Tyson throw punches at them and yet people did that. But most people I know would run quickly from someone with a flamethrower. And given a choice between the two, I'll take getting in the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime any day over running at someone with a flamethrower.

Even then all it would take is a mag3 or so taunt of someone calling your mother a name to get you to stay near said someone flametherower thing angma

[Erratic1]

28 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

Even then all it would take is a mag3 or so taunt of someone calling your mother a name to get you to stay near said someone flametherower thing angma

 

Well, I mean come on...you insulted their mother. 😁

[Spaghetti Betty]

Just wanted to comment on Ignite. After playing an AR blaster, I feel like this power is meant to be dual-purpose in its design. 

 

In regular gameplay, I mostly place it on myself to shoo away any melee assailants.

 

Where Ignite truly shines is its use in burning AVs. AR doesn't get a ton of single target damage, but against an immobilized AV, it gets a massive boost in DPS thanks to Ignite.

[Spaghetti Betty]

11 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

My only problem with AR is that I can't run a Full Auto, repeat attack chain.

When I get home from work I'll link you my AR/Tac Blaster. I have Full Auto down to ~20 secs which makes it an "every other cycle" power. I don't think it can get much lower than that. Still pretty damn good.

[AerialAssault]

I don't think AR needs fixing. Fixing implies that it is wrong or broken, it's neither of those things, but I agree it could use some tweaks.

 

Beanbag, I think, could do with a damage boost, at least on par with, or just below Cosmic Burst. 

 

I think Ignite's utility could be improved by having it apply 50% of it's total damage as a DoT to enemies who are hit by or walk into the fire patch, and also reduce the flee time by half.

 

As for the Lethal damage aspect, I don't see a damage type change as necessary. Perhaps Assault Rifle can have an inherent mini-crit passive called Headshot, or something to that effect.

[Bill Z Bubba]

2 hours ago, AerialAssault said:

Perhaps Assault Rifle can have an inherent mini-crit passive called Headshot, or something to that effect.

 

That... would be kinda cool.

[Chelsea Rorec]

I agree Flamethrower and ignite is not killing AV's fast enough. *ahem*

Anyone who skips flamethrower is right as the dot is NOT stacking with ignite and murdering EB's/AV's.

I totaly do NOT have the ability to one shot +3 mobs and 2 shot with slug and burst.

This set totaly needs more DPS.

Do you people even know how to AR ?

[Rudra]

On 7/12/2022 at 1:49 PM, kelika2 said:

because that logic does not apply anywhere else. 

why would a level 54 minion even consider fighting an incarnate?

why would anyone with a gun and no superpowers fight someones whos bodytype 3 with max sliders on everything?

 

it was a dumb change then and over a decade later its still dumb

By that logic, no character will ever progress beyond level 1. All the minions, underlings, and probably even lieutenants see the super hero/villain and run away.

 

Why do street punks with knives still fight Batman when he shows up to stop them? Because it is a super character comic and the opposition thinks they can win. Even when they have seen they can't. Those level 54 minions are powerful and they know it. They can trounce most supers in the game with ease. Probably even some incarnates. And they also know that incarnate they are fighting is not unkillable. So they hope they are the ones with the ability to kill him/her.

 

Welcome to the super world. Where supers still face enemies willing to stand up to them.

[kelika2]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

By that logic, no character will ever progress beyond level 1. All the minions, underlings, and probably even lieutenants see the super hero/villain and run away.

 

Why do street punks with knives still fight Batman when he shows up to stop them? Because it is a super character comic and the opposition thinks they can win. Even when they have seen they can't. Those level 54 minions are powerful and they know it. They can trounce most supers in the game with ease. Probably even some incarnates. And they also know that incarnate they are fighting is not unkillable. So they hope they are the ones with the ability to kill him/her.

 

Welcome to the super world. Where supers still face enemies willing to stand up to them.

Are you for or against the fear/scatter from rains and patches?  i cant tell

[Rudra]

For the scatter. Just not the run 3 lightyears away because of DoT or debuff.

 

However, my response was to your flawed argument. Not in relation to the ignite scatter effect.

 

Edit: I'll be a little more clear. Mobs should always try to get out of the damage patches. They shouldn't run away forever, exaggeration intended, but neither should they just stand and die. They should get out of the damage patch and resume trying to rip the character's face off. Or whatever that type mob does.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Rudra

[Naraka]

On 7/12/2022 at 8:38 AM, Erratic1 said:

 

Flamethrowing...can't really say its fits. So there is room for replacing Flame Thrower and Ignite. But were those powers to go, I would still favor something other than "what every other set gets" ala Aim.

 

Would be kind of cool to have a power that did nothing but combine the next 2 blast set attacks.  Combine Flamethrower and Ignite into one animation but both their damage or M30 Grenade + Full Auto

[biostem]

I would love to see some mechanic where you could move while firing - even if it incurred an accuracy penalty or something.  Conversely, it'd be neat to be able to "cancel" any of the attacks with longer animations - maybe even recovering a portion of the recharge time of said power...

[0th Power]

Shameless plug for my AR rework from way back:

 

[plainguy]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:10 PM, Herotu said:

So the problems were identified as;

• Long animations,
• No Aim,
• Lethal damage

 

How do we fix this?

 

- Long Animations

To make your character look like they're blasting away, but with shorter animations, you could have lots of powers that have animations which look the similar. 

 

So I'd suggest possibly getting rid of some of the superfluous stuff. Bean Bags aren't assault rifles, flame throwers aren't assault rifles - they might be better as a pool powerset or possibly ancillary powerset, but munitions mastery is already an ancillary powerset.

 

- Adding Aim shouldn't be a problem if we're already removing three powers.

 

 

Please add your suggestions to the three identified problems OR give other solutions to the problem. Perhaps we should just ignore it completely?

 

You can't get rid of the powers.. The horse has left the stable on this. 

I have a AR Device.. I love my AR Device.. My AR Device regardless of weaker DPS number due to lethal, has some defense caps and is kick ass, for me..