A Few Dislikes About The Sentinels

[Barnox]

Played a little of Update 7, using the Stealth Sentinel, and while a good idea, a few things about the execution let it down.

The first is that they can die mid mission. They just disappear with no warning, and you have no way to stop it. You lose all the abilities related to them, and I didn't know until my proximity-stealth didn't activate. If it were up to me I'd make them invincible, with bullets passing through them.

The second is how they follow. The entire time it was alive, the sentinel's flippers were in the corner of the screen, close up. It's a bit annoying, having them constantly block out part of the screen, and screws a little with my focus. It also seemed to be permanently placed relative to me, always in the same position. Personally I'd have them free-float a little, staying separate to the 'frame, wandering a little but catching up when you move.

The stealth only activates when you're really, really close, which is annoying, but I'll give a full opinion on the mods when I've tried them more.

[forgeforsaken]

The Sentinel is a bit too in your face as you play.

[G3rman]

If they stayed alive, it would be OP as fudge.

[CapricaSix]

I had no idea that they died, what a bother. but I agree with the screen blocking issue, they do seem too "in your face".

[cred]

As for dying, I like that they can. Maybe an indicator that it has died will be helpful, but the possibility of death should stay. And you can get mods that will bring it back after it dies, etc. I like my Sentinel already.

Edited March 18, 2013 by cred

[Barnox]

I thought it dying was a bit annoying as there's not really much you can do to prevent it, barring only using the snipetron and being really, really far from the enemy.

It's pretty much random whether or not you'll have the assists you picked out by the time you reach a boss, which makes them a wee bit useless.

On a positive note: They are interesting and I look forward to using them more.

[DalaiLlama]

For me anyways, its death possibility is really only fun if you can work to prevent it. A player cannot prevent a few stray bullets from knocking into his or her sentinel. And when that thing goes, the point of bringing it along goes as well. In the extreme case, as I am unfamiliar with them at the moment, I'd suppose Sentinels being a random buff, coming and going whenever it pleased... not an effective recipe for combat.

[Barnox]

Playing a few more games, there have been times when the Sentinel hasn't lasted the first room due to Grineer snipers. The bot gives you the ability to engage at close range, but when you do it opens fire anyway and gets itself killed.

Which is a shame, as when it's up I'm really enjoying the stealthing, looking for when enemies aren't facing me.

Here's an image of how the Sentinel is when sprinting.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Barnox

[CapricaSix]

What if the sentinels only died when we go down, wouldn't that be more practical and actually reliable in a sense? What do you guys think?

[G3rman]

What if the sentinels only died when we go down, wouldn't that be more practical and actually reliable in a sense? What do you guys think?

Like I said previously to someone wanting the things to be invulnerable:

OP as fudge.

This thread's original idea is better in the sense that it at least keeps itself out of danger along with the player.

Edited March 19, 2013 by G3rman

[TheArchAngel]

Currently there's a mod called regen. Allows the sentinal to respawn once after it has died...(I just got it today and haven't ranked it so not sure if higher levels allows it to respawn more than once)

And another thing I'd like to add is the stealth ability ghost... cloaks you which is cool but leaves the poor little sentinal to fend for itself as every single enemy around you instantly aggroes to the sentinal once you're cloaked.

Also... yea the way it follows you... I tried hiding behind a low wall once... the sentinal was hovering over my head and the grineer saw it... completely ruined the stealth experience >.<

[SlyBoots]

fusing the regen card doesn't change its description so you gotta test in-game if it revives more than once.

[Barnox]

Also... yea the way it follows you... I tried hiding behind a low wall once... the sentinal was hovering over my head and the grineer saw it... completely ruined the stealth experience >.<

And then once it dies, you're completely without stealth.

As the stealth is at the minute, you're just as well off doing it without the bot. It just alerts them and ruins it.

[stivoknis]

When I first saw the sentinals in the market, I was really excited to get one. But after seeing another player with a sentinal, I was a little disappointed. I kind of expected the sentinal to move around independently of the player and sort of follow him.

Maybe I was expecting too much from Update 7, but who couldn't after the livestream.

[CapricaSix]

When I first saw the sentinals in the market, I was really excited to get one. But after seeing another player with a sentinal, I was a little disappointed. I kind of expected the sentinal to move around independently of the player and sort of follow him.

Maybe I was expecting too much from Update 7, but who couldn't after the livestream.

I was kind of expecting them to be like the pets in Torchlight 2 also, moving around, attacking enemies on their own or on command, picking up loot etc. Would've been very convenient that way.

[CapricaSix]

Does anyone know if the sentinels help at all when you're shocked/stunlocked by a seeker latcher?

If not, then why not? I think it'd be awesome if sentinels one-shotted them on sight! :>

[Draakje]

They do shoot the balls but not when they are on you.

Got the revive mod to rank 2 only does one revive still.

Do note they said in the livestream even that the pet system was very barebones for update 7.

I expect to see updates to them quite fast aswell as new gear for them.

[CapricaSix]

They do shoot the balls but not when they are on you.

Ah that's what I was wondering, such a shame. Maybe they'll turn sentinels into anti-latchers later on as well, whether they're on you or not, since they seem to be doing sod-all damage to most of the enemies anyway.

[DSMK2]

I'm finding my sentinel shooting things is great way to alert me to enemies that I'm I don't immediately notice when I'm in the middle of a firefight. Though while they do shoot latchers, they require more than one burst of shots to destroy them :S

After playing with mine for a while and also seeing others in use, I think the problem with sentinels is that they're mostly statically positioned behind the player; it's visually jarring when everything else, barring backgrounds, are in motion. They need to move around the player independently (without obstructing anything), but at the same time follow the player closely, all the while smoothly transitioning; wonder what they'll feel if they used the osprey AI...

One visual problem I'm having with the Wyrm; it steams, that confuses me when I'm running a mission, since it gives me the impression that it's heavily damaged.

[JHarlequin]

If they can get shot, they can die. Why wouldn't you have guessed that? As well as the fact that just about everyone has ended up with a regen card. They wouldn't need an extra life if they couldn't die.

As for them staying alive, now that you are sure that they can die, it is now your repsonsibility to keep them alive if you want them using their abilities.

I think that the sentinels having their own hp and possibly being able to die is good design. Some of their abilities are ridiculously good, they should be somewhat fragile for giving the boosts that they do.

[Vocation]

Sentinels should be a little smaller and follow you independently. Should be able to roam a little and float around you or a little ways behind you.

Idk but I would like my sentinel to look ghostly or spectral. Would be a great pet. You guys should put in some more customizing options.

[stivoknis]

After playing with mine for a while and also seeing others in use, I think the problem with sentinels is that they're mostly statically positioned behind the player; it's visually jarring when everything else, barring backgrounds, are in motion. They need to move around the player independently (without obstructing anything), but at the same time follow the player closely, all the while smoothly transitioning; wonder what they'll feel if they used the osprey AI...

Yeah, an osprey would make a great pet. In fact, I was a little surprised that an osprey was not an option for a pet.

As it is, it appears that the enemies have better pets than us. :(