wargrimnir wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:26 pm
We're not interested in significant reworks for the melee squig spec. It does its job correctly and causes the salt to flow, a clear indicator of a well done balance change. Squig leap is iconic to the intro cinematic and serves as the single balance point to multiple mobility options on Order. It's not going anywhere.
Addressing two points:
1) The ability is iconic. You're referring to this scene here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKOhzfkCdbY&t=1m46s
Originally, Run Away! was a knock forward, reinforcing my thought that it was the counterpart to Pounce and possibly the iconic cinematic squig leap:
Patch 1.2:
Run Away!: This ability's cost has been lowered. The knock forward effect has been changed to a movement speed increase effect.
That said the cinematic leap could have been 'Ard Noggin or Big Bouncin'. Then again the cinematic had the SW dual-wielding (which would be cool), as well as flying from rooftops. SW vertical movement buff in Assault confirmed??
2) Balance point on mobility options
Is the design intent to mirror core RvR capabilities? There are several areas in which Order is lacking as follows:
Outgoing heal debuffs (Mind Killer uptime vs. IB equivalent, WE Kiss uptime vs WH bullets)
Incoming heal debuffs (DoK crit tactic superiority vs RP crit tactic, DPS RP has dubious viability)
Pulls (GTDC, Marauder pull superior to WL pull)
Knockdowns (Marauder has only AOE knockdown other than Self-Destructs)
Damage reflects (Marauder M4s, two Misdirection classes, Chosen AOE Bane Shield, etc)
AOE DPS (Big Bouncin itself is huge advantage)
Interrupts (BO)
Long-range punts (SH, BG + Chosen vs KOTBS) afaik IB punts aren't so dramatic
CD Increasers (BO Not in Da Face! and Choppa Tired Already?)
CD Decreasers (Choppa is much more popular than SM, their version requires no Stance manipulation, and is number 2 on the tree vs. 3 for SM)
Morale Builders (BO, Chosen, Sham vs AM)
Morale Damage (Marauder AOE morale drain spam vs very poorly positioned WH tactic)
AP Damage (Marauder)
Also, if we're speaking plainly of mobility options and not actual leaps, Destro had the following:
RUN AWAY! (Shaman)
RUN AWAY! (SH)
Run Away! (SH, the ability)
To rephrase, the fact that the mSH can catch people to attack is not and never was the issue - they have two of the game's very few run speed increases for that - the issue that Squig Leap gives them almost infinite mobility with no cost to huge effect on Warband RvR, and also overloads the class. Specifically, the time it takes for a SH to get into a backline and hit their AOE CD increaser is maybe 5-10s faster than a Slayer and the risk/downside to doing that is almost nothing. A Slayer might never even get in position as they have to wade through enemies. Changes to Choppa/SH have reversed what were arguably slight Order advantages into clear Destro advantages.
imo making all of the core Squig Melee options usable in big squig would allow for some simplification of the Stabbin' spec without much change in overall balance.