Upcoming Xaku Changes: Round 2!

[MasterBurik]

31 minutes ago, [DE]Danielle said:

 

Xata’s Whisper (Void Status Effect): 

• Void damage’s Status Effect will now redirect projectiles to the body part it proc’d on. 
  • How it will work: If you shoot at an enemy’s head with Xata’s Whisper enabled and proc, the bubble will redirect all projectiles to the head. If you shoot at the feet, it’ll be redirected to the feet, etc.!
  • This is a game wide change to Void Status Effect! Now that we have a Warframe that can harness Void damage at the click of a button, it has brought much focus to and discussion around its Status Effect. For those of you who are unfamiliar, in its current state it creates a bullet attractor bubble that directs all projectiles to the center of the enemy’s torso regardless of where it procs. Since Xata’s Whisper applies Void damage to all of their weapons, it was increasingly noticeable to Xaku players that the bubble’s current redirecting position prevents any attempt at enemy headshots until its duration expires. This is one of the main reasons for this change. Headshot disruption ultimately limits your damage output by removing the opportunity for headshot multipliers while it is active. Now, you will be able to use your headshotting skills to greater benefit, while also having generally more options to focus projectiles where desired. Note that regardless of where the Status Effect occurs, it will continue to prevent enemies from being able to shoot at you without having their projectiles redirected back to the center of the bubble. 

 

I still believe that a 2x multiplier would be the better choice. It would improve amp variety for general (and eidolon) play, in addition to reducing the punishment of the status effect in cooperative play.

While your (DE's) planned change slightly improves its use in cooperative play, missing a headshot would remain painful for the group. And it does very little for improving amp variety between players.

Side note: The more DE makes "on headshot" mods/arcanes/abilities easier to achieve en masse, the more likely it becomes for those mods/arcanes/abilities to be nerfed.

18 minutes ago, [DE]Danielle said:

 

• Note on Grasp of Lohk’s ‘Target Range’: 
  • In Round 1, we made the distinction between Grasp of Lohk’s ‘Grab Range’ and ‘Target Range’. We then increased its ‘Grab Range’ and left ‘Target Range’ untouched due to “firing range experiments being a bit too wild for Round 1”. As we’ve continued testing, this has held true. In any instance where we’ve increased it, even slightly, we neared a state that we had already established was undesirable due to its encouragement of an ‘inactive’ way of playing (Ember’s “World on Fire” comes to mind before it was changed to “Inferno”). As a result, ‘Target Range’ will continue to remain untouched for this round.

 

 

While the method and techniques to perform "inactive play" with Xaku is slightly simpler than doing so with Octavia, both can be done very easily. But efficiency is key to afk play, so Octavia remains the better choice. So the argument of "inactive play" remains somewhat moot in every way, except against a want for Warframe diversity while afking.

 

Additional note: If you (DE) plan to continue trying alternative methods of improving this ability's 'Target Range' in a way that does not encourage "inactive play", say so explicitly to your playerbase. It would improve the feedback you receive on this lack of change. There may even be an influx of suggestions on how to do so.

 

[Pendragon1951]

Maybe an idea would be to use the gun you take max range as a determination for GOL range?

[Glitchesarecool]

Very happy with these changes. Xaku is quickly becoming a great frame I like to bring along. One visual thing bugs me though, is there a way to get a toggle for the visual of the vast untime in game? As fun as it is to run around as a skeleton, it would be nice if we could just stay looking like normal Xaku since I'm often spending matches keeping Untime up.

[sorcer3r]

Well....  Max 75% evasion is still disappointing. 

Playing with Xaku is fun since I have replaced Xaku's  ult (!) . 

Xaku's 2 and and the new infused ability work great together.  And most of the time I forget about Xaku's 3. Those 3 abilites take too much time to cast. It feels so clunky.

With Xaku's ult I have no fashion frame and his ult is not good enough to sacrifice fashion...

Xaku is a great frame for Helminth. Pretty disappointing when a third ability (infused as ult) of another frame makes Xaku viable.

 

 

 

[[DE]Danielle]

40 minutes ago, Juliuszeks said:

Some indicator which shows how many weapons we have on our side (let's be honest its hard to count them) would be great
 

I actually requested this myself late last night ahaha. The team came through after the workshop was posted with the change (they are truly rockstars) for both Grasp of Lohk and Accuse! I edited my post to reflect that :) 

[Eiddew]

Okay, but why would I use Deny when I can left click? 

Otherwise, excited for this! It does make me wonder why Nyx, who has similar capabilities spread across her kit, now has a worse Armor Strip compared to Gaze. At least Chaos is a little better than Accuse?

Finally, I really don't mind evasion. I don't think it's a huge problem, and turning it to DR would make it feel a lot more generic. I don't think survivability is often a huge problem in Warframe when jumping, rolling, and pressing 5 all help you to not take as much damage.

[SuperSmog]

Really good changes and tweaks!

[Jeancly]

Note on Grasp of Lohk’s ‘Target Range:

you don't want to increase range as it  will  lead to people staying still and shooting at everything ? easy fix. Only shoots when you are moving. if you are 100% still for more than 2 seconds they stop shooting. There.

[Pendragon1951]

It would be no different than what Protea does and I never see anyone standing still for more than a few seconds

[Pendragon1951]

Besides who cares if someone is standing around, as long as they are contributing to the overall mission

[Jeancly]

2 minutes ago, Pendragon1951 said:

It would be no different than what Protea does and I never see anyone standing still for more than a few seconds

exactly, it would give no impediment to people actually playing the game but would remove their fear of people staying there and just turretting every enemy while not playing

[Pendragon1951]

but here's the thing is it impeding the completion of the mission or hurting anyone else ingame, if so how?

[(PSN)MJ-Cena7]

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

As we’ve continued testing, this has held true. In any instance where we’ve increased it, even slightly, we neared a state that we had already established was undesirable due to its encouragement of an ‘inactive’ way of playing (Ember’s “World on Fire” comes to mind before it was changed to “Inferno”). As a result, ‘Target Range’ will continue to remain untouched for this round

If you dont want a turret ability then dont make a turret ability this range is pethetic you dont evwn play your own game to know whats usefull and whats not making a 250% range a must for the ability to just function is not acceptable 

Double the god damn range 

[Arcsyrine]

Thank you for Void Damage changes! It was really frustrating on Sentients where it would redirect bullets to the hole in their torso often causing you to constantly miss.

[Zambad]

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

Note that regardless of where the Status Effect occurs, it will continue to prevent enemies from being able to shoot at you without having their projectiles redirected back to the center of the bubble. 

Actually never realised this before...

[kwlingo]

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

For those of you who are unfamiliar, in its current state it creates a bullet attractor bubble that directs all projectiles to the center of the enemy’s torso regardless of where it procs.

This was me because DE you guys never made Void damage viable till now working with Xaku. After years of using Void damage for Eidolons and operator finally I understand. Thank you. Maybe you guys need to implement these concepts into more frames and status. For example if you want Void damage, adding all 4 elemental status on a mod creates Void damage as a the only Third Elemental effect. Just a thought I has as I was typing this.

[(PSN)TrollyThyTrinity]

1 hour ago, lukinu_u said:

How does it work when applied with AoE weapons ?
Also, it's still a problem because a teammate with Xata Whisper can prevent you from headshotting if he shoot and proc before you.

A fix for both would be for the Void status bubble to be considered as a body part that provide punchthrough. So, it mean you can still headshot by shooting through the bubble, and also shoot to enemies behinds.
This would be a buff to Void status, but it's not in a good place right now, so I don't think it's an issue.

It should work along the lines of magnetize or Unairu. 
and likelihood of Getting head shots is unlikely. It always been the case. 
as far as teammates  wing we’re in a Co-Op(Coop Optional) phase.

and the possibility of you not even get a chance to headshot depending what frame is your teammates. 
It’s a lil iffy 

[Pendragon1951]

I admit I have to wonder sometimes when you don't want someone to just sit there and be a turret, yet you make an ability to be one, which begs the question even before releasing Xaku initially, wasn't this notice during testing?

[kwlingo]

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

Re-casting will now steal weapons up to the max number of affected targets.

Make it work exactly like Nekros Shadow and it fixes everything.

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

Increased base radius from 8m to 12m.

wow that a large range update. Can we get this with other frames lets say Nyx effecting more enemies?

1 hour ago, [DE]Danielle said:

Deny can now be cast while moving.

• Currently, Deny’s casting animation locks Xaku in place. While we did increase the casting speed in Round 1, it just simply was not enough to fulfill the parkour freedom you’ve become well familiar with in Warframe

 

Very welcomed and would be a appreciated on many other frames.

 

[Czin]

You always bring World on Fire up when range discussions come, but since Revenant's Danse Macabre is allowed to emulate it (and surpass WoF in many ways), why can't Grasp of Lohk have more range? You catter too much to the voiced minority that complained about old WoF, when in fact those low level missions are still cleared fast and new players left in the dust, because more experienced players just parkour away faster, many new players don't even reach extraction before the timer is up, while the othercompleted the mission all the same, WoF be damned.

 

With this reasoning WoF was never a culprit, we just naturally outgrow lower level starchart by design and new players cry on your shoulders and got it nerfed/removed. But those that cryed don't stick around and support $ you, DE. Yet they still get changes done to all of us. Yes, I believe more senior members should have a better say of what should be ok and what shouldn't, along with DE.

[(PSN)kdog9114]

Uhh so console players gets no say in the round 2 changes? 

[SuperSmog]

Void status rework idea: Void on proc, imbues the enemy shot with void, and it creates a weak patch on the enemy that when shot deals TRUE dmg ignoring armor

[Schwarzsturm]

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Void damage’s Status Effect will now redirect projectiles to the body part it proc’d on.

Good :)

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Re-casting will now steal weapons up to the max number of affected targets.

Good, except... :

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Newly grabbed weapons from re-casts will have independent durations from the previous batch - similar to Protea’s Blaze Artillery. 

Does this mean that if ai have 3 weapons and cast again for other three half duration the original three will desapear? Shouldn't the recasting refresh the time of all weapons? o_O

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

We are following through with our proposed idea from Round 1 and have made Accuse re-castable!

Very good :D

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Increased base radius from 8m to 12m.

Good to gaze this change :P

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Increased Deny’s beam width and base range (25m to 40m). 

• Straightforward change to help you target and damage more enemies. More bang for your beam!

 

Really good change. My problem with Deny was to aim to enemies and even when i did it they where outside range...

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Deny can now be cast while moving.

Don't know how this is gonna work. As i said my problem with Deny is aim not movement. Will see how it works and tell you :)

hace 1 hora, [DE]Danielle dijo:

Go forth and Untime Vastly!

The untime thing really changes Xaku and how you use them. I think the only other game changer ability of this caliber is Limbo passive, shift for invulnerability :D

Great work, I love Xaku and using them is really fun, these improvements look great. On paper at least. I will gaze them when they release, hope i don't need to Deny anything of your work, surely i will accuse as good and fitting these changes :P

But something that bothers me is Xata infested matter. Any word on that? At least allowing for players to change its colors like with the rest of the abilities will be an improvement :(

[Albion_Vortigern]

Why is whisper 27% and not 100% like the rest of the elemental infusions 

[WolfBearHybrid]

Btw how about Xata's Whisper affect Grasp of Lohk