Frost: Suggestions And Redesign Concepts

[CandyDragon]

First, just getting this out of the way, Frost has always behaved as a defensive frame. Though many argue that he is more versitile. Having a giant bubble of defense is kinda indicative of that role, regardless of performance.

 

Like many Frost users I was a bit disappointed that frost was radically redesigned, mostly nerfed because someone grew tired of reading a small portion of the communitys whines on the forums.  Really why most companies stop paying attention to $#*(@ threads about balance and look for hard numbers reflecting the rant. /microrant

 

 

I am trying to take into consideration DE's current design philosophy for frost. Trying to take him away from just being a bubble setting frame who only brings defense. But also reinforcing the role that many frost players enjoyed.

 

I think frosts stats are fairly reasonable given what his role formerly was. And in this suggested change would likely stay the same.

 

 

Snowglobe:  

Limit the number of globe/walls that can be set to 2, recasts beyond that eat the order of shield placement, so if you cast a third, the first vanishes.

Each entity is a half sphere, think ice wall, that faces one direction.

Each entity still retains the health system, remove duration, existing snowglobe mechanic of temp invuln should stay with the damage soak adding to its HP.

No longer slows in a radious from the center, enemies that pass through get "chilled" and slowed by a set percentage.

 

Probably needs renamed into something, Ice wall perhaps? Dunno, your game not mine.

 

Freeze:

Functionality and damage remains the same

Possibly give it a larger effective area? Freeze time diminishes per enemy hit? 

Add a capacity to extend the duration of ice wall by firing at it and giving it a partial heal.

Think of this as the TF2 engineer wrench swing that requires ammo. Prevents extreme bunkering in the event that it takes a ton of damage, its own cast time will control the amount of healing it can generate, and generally serves as a fun way to let frost roam while still doing his defensive job.

Allowing existing shield placements to be reinforced, without the need to recast, lets frost roam, and encourages his ability use outside of the old bubble and avalanche trends.

 

Ice Wave:

I feel as if this things intended design is really unfortunately VERY specific to narrow choke points.

Perhaps changing it to where it its placed as a temporary trap? Maybe lasting X seconds based on duration.  Up its damage somewhat and give it a slow. Slow also based on duration. Giving him a bit of CC that he can set preemptively to halt enemy advances? 

 

Alternatively, make it a cast thing that does damage, leaving an icy patch that persists for a few moments that trips up enemies that run across it. Similar to the trap suggestion, but more fire and forget oriented.

Range needs to increase a bit, even if it sacrifices some of its width.

 

Final suggestion, Make it an ability that frost aims at an enemy, it fires from him, leaving an icy trail along the ground, and damages the target and things around it for a set rate. Enemies caught in the path take a small portion of damage. 

 

Avalanche:

There are a ton of AOE frames out there, and frosts AOE seemed to be intended to use within snowglobe.  

 

there are a few ideas that I can suggest in terms of replacing it as it is kinda underwhelming at the moment.

 

Make it behave in a similar fashion to world on fire.

Large range, Casts once, Hits X amount of targets with falling ice for damage, Stuns briefly. No duration, generally still an AOE but, less intense than the clearly upsetting CC he had previously. 

 

Make it a targeted Cone:

Return its freeze capacity ( or at least mimic it from what the "Bug" used to do) , Have it in a tight cone that goes X distance, freezing enemies that are hit by it for a period of time.  Distinguishing him a bit further from the mass AOE spam winners that exist. (which is part of its fun, But more frame diversity is nice)

Once again, freeze duration decreased based on number of targets hit. (1-2 second minimum per enemy though)

 

 

 

 

I don't pretend to know how DE chooses things for their nerfs and buffs aside from the spiteful rumors that exist. Some clearly more accurate than I wish, and others just silly meme things that occur.

 

I feel like this would make frost into someone capable of moving around as much as the other frames, and give him something to contribute once again. While there is a "meta", and will always have one so long as frames are different. In his current state, even without trying to min-max a team, he under performs.

 

Not suggesting to nerf anything, but only to bring him up to the rest of the games standards. There are other frames that require this treatment as well, but focusing on frost as he clearly needs help.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Nariala