Saryn Venom Suggestion

[PiggySaysWhat]

First off--I know, I know, another Saryn thread. I've read through a handful of them and instead of posting in the ideas at the bottom of their post I thought I'd make my own. So sue me.

So, I recently picked up Saryn when I decided to go all in and get me a founders pack! I think she's very well designed while still obviously in a Beta state, even if the powers have a repeat feel from other warframes. I particularly like that I don't feel penalized for having all of her powers slotted unlike other warframes that have highly situational things. Venom/Miasma is single vs. AoE damage and Contagion and Moult are always useful, even if I don't know how I feel flavor wise about her Contagion offering invulnerability but I'll take it!

Anyway, I like many have some hangups about Venom and the whole spore/pod mechanic. People have talked about how it it feels blah, and I agree. Like Banshee's sonar highlighting system it is a fun idea that falls a little flat. A marksman mini-game in a fast paced thing like this doesn't really work. Except--I like the idea! So, what I'd like is to try and figure out some ways to keep it while still having some fun utility that is actually useful.

Which means I was trying to think of some suggestions for it and thought I'd post them up. Here goes and thanks for reading my ramblins:

1. Corpse Bomb Effect---This works with the suggestion most people have where it spreads for killing the enemy. But I don't know, the whole DoT thing for spreading the pod doesn't really feel effective when your auto rifle/pistols can do the killing faster. I think that if it were turned into a AoE one-time damage bomb on death that it would do the work of being a mobile killing machine while fixing some of the "hit a little green dot, do less damage in the amount of time it takes to pull off than you would have just shooting," problem.

2. Spore Drop-- I don't know how easy this would be, or if it's even possible mechanically in the game. Still I thought that it might be more effective if it could also be dropped without targeting an enemy. Maybe dropping like a decoy or, and I think this is more fun----If wanted to keep the DoT on a single enemy feel then it could be placed unless it gets cast on an enemy. So sort of like Ember's fireball that it flies out and if it doesn't connect then it sticks to whatever it hits. Then it could still be aimed and hit to cause an explosion of DoT. I don't think the AoE is really worth it but I feel like something like this would open up the gameplay for dropping a pod and then luring enemies back to hit and activate it. Or if you are actually wicked with it when on a person, great! Maybe it could double the DoT effect. Once for the cast on the enemy, then doubled if you actually hit it and spread it to others. Even if just used as a drop this would still feel skillful in my mind and even open up some fun "trap" gameplay which for a sneaky poison/snake lady feels flavorful. It would also keep the small target skill shot mechanic without keeping it quite so difficult.

3. Same body part! This feels like a small change but I think it would fix a lot. Part of the problem with the skill for the fast game play is that it randomizes where the pod appears. Which means people can't make it into a combo because they have to first recognize where it is. Even the best marksman is going to be wasting way too much time between casting, finding the spore, then hitting it to make it worth while. However, I feel like if it always spawned on ohhhhhh I don't know--The Head of an enemy then the truly skilled could really shine. It means that if you're wicked good at getting head shots. Then you know that if you've hit an enemy, then smack him in the face that he'll do the DoT. This would let it be a practicable combo while still working with the game's core mechanic of "Headshots=Awesome!"

[NinaV]

Good thoughts :)

[PiggySaysWhat]

^ Thanks!

[MAL1WAN]

Yay! I love this. Kill the corpse to trigger it is more easy that shooting the spore.

[JessicaAlba]

I also just got Saryn and have to agree these changes would really make this skill more attractive. Also I really think being a "Toxic" element frame that she should be immune to Toxic damage like the green clouds from Toxic crawlers and ancients being close to her. Just like Ember should be immune to fire hazards and Frost not have his shields affected by cold hazards.