Kestrel Mechanic Change

[Renegade343]

Hello all,

 

This thread will detail a mechanic change to the Kestrel to make it be more of a side-grade with the Glaive. The content is below: 

 

The Kestrel is a throwable boomerang, which can be considered as an Impact-based version of the Glaive. However, most of the stats of the Glaive are superior to that of the Kestrel (damage, charge attacks etc.), not to mention that with channeling, both weapons will explode when they are channeled and thrown, but with the Glaive having a slightly stronger explosion damage as well, meaning the Kestrel is rather overshadowed by it. Thus, to make the Kestrel be actually considered when running a mission, the mechanic change is below: 

 

When the Kestrel is channeled, thrown, and hits an enemy, the enemy will be disarmed, but its weapon will fly off and land somewhere (10m radius from the hit enemy). The enemy will still be staggered, and will pull out the stun baton, since said enemy is disarmed by the channeled Kestrel. The enemy will either target at the player, or run off and pick the weapon back up, depending on whether the threat level of the player is higher than the threat level of the dropped weapon. The dropped weapon can be seen by players as the exact weapon used on the enemy, but can be moved around by explosions and such. 

 

(This is optional)Also, when the enemy is disarmed by the channeled Kestrel, if the player then runs over to the dropped weapon, he/she will regain ammo that is the same amount as picking up an ammo box from fallen enemies, and the weapon will disappear, meaning the Kestrel can help players to regain a bit of ammo when needed. 

 

With this mechanic change, I hope to make the Kestrel be a more viable alternative when compared against the Glaive and Glaive Prime. 

 

Please take the time to read this thread, and provide any constructive feedback and criticism for improvement. 

 

Renegade343

[The_Improviser]

Anything for a kestrel change

[Otenko]

Geez, you never run out of ideas for new mechanics on weapons, lol.

 

I find the idea interesting, but it feels a little pointless if the Kestrel knocks down on charge. A knocked down enemy can't do anything  whereas an enemy with a stun-baton is a moving target that just can't shoot you (they can't shoot you while knocked down either).

 

If the idea is to use this on high level enemies, then the knockdown would still probably be better. Say you want to throw it at a level 70 Heavy Gunner. A knockdown means you can still shoot at it while it gets back up (and is stuck in place). A disarm means it'll either run away from you to pick up its weapon or run to you to punch your face (granted, this is usually enough time to dispatch him during his charge).

 

I admire your devotion to thinking up new mechanics for damn near every weapon, but I think the knockdown would still be better if the disarm only hits one enemy.

 

Although, why not combine them? Maybe the channeling explosion from the Kestrel can disarm enemies (the one you hit and other enemies caught in the explosion) and then the enemy that you directly hit will be knocked down.

[Renegade343]

Geez, you never run out of ideas for new mechanics on weapons, lol.

 

I find the idea interesting, but it feels a little pointless if the Kestrel knocks down on charge. A knocked down enemy can't do anything  whereas an enemy with a stun-baton is a moving target that just can't shoot you (they can't shoot you while knocked down either).

 

If the idea is to use this on high level enemies, then the knockdown would still probably be better. Say you want to throw it at a level 70 Heavy Gunner. A knockdown means you can still shoot at it while it gets back up (and is stuck in place). A disarm means it'll either run away from you to pick up its weapon or run to you to punch your face (granted, this is usually enough time to dispatch him during his charge).

 

I admire your devotion to thinking up new mechanics for damn near every weapon, but I think the knockdown would still be better if the disarm only hits one enemy.

 

Although, why not combine them? Maybe the channeling explosion from the Kestrel can disarm enemies (the one you hit and other enemies caught in the explosion) and then the enemy that you directly hit will be knocked down.

When you throw the Kestrel and hit an enemy, said enemy will be staggered already (this is the current mechanism). 

 

What I am doing is adding the enemy disarm to the stagger when the Kestrel is channeled, so players will have time to kill off the enemy. 

[Babalenong]

nice suggestion op, instead of explosion they could make it a powerful gust of wind that will ragdoll enemies and throw their weapons far away

imo kestrel would be useful again when de finally make a homing mod for thrown based melee weapons, since it can ragdoll more enemy, thus "eliminating" more enemies than the glaive in late games

also i have been reading that kestrel does not ragdoll enemies anymore, really bad move, its like they want kestrel to be ignored at all

[Guest Tehnoobshow]

Considering that the Glaive is essentially useless when you can no longer one shot kill enemies, I'd say that the Kestrel is already more useful than the Glaive since you can run up to them after they've been knocked down and do a finisher attack. On a side note, where the hell do you keep getting these creative ideas? Do you mind doing a Warframe ability rework?

[Renegade343]

Considering that the Glaive is essentially useless when you can no longer one shot kill enemies, I'd say that the Kestrel is already more useful than the Glaive since you can run up to them after they've been knocked down and do a finisher attack. 

Actually, not really, at least with the Glaive. Those Slash status effects are something, and the throwing attack damage does go far up to T2/T3 content. Granted, you may need a few more throws to kill enemies in T2/T3, depending on how you mod the weapon. 

 

On a side note, where the hell do you keep getting these creative ideas? Do you mind doing a Warframe ability rework?

I just happen to get them whenever I am doing anything (walking down a street, buying groceries etc.) (No, really). 

[LascarCapable]

Give the Kestrel more crit chances !

 

Berserk + Kestrel will be fun as hell.

[Renegade343]

Give the Kestrel more crit chances !

 

Berserk + Kestrel will be fun as hell.

I am hesitant on giving out statistical changes, since that could affect the balance of other weapons of the same category if done haphazardly. 

 

Not to say that I would not do it though. 

[RealPandemonium]

Kestrel ragdolls everything it hits.  Isn't that good enough?

[Renegade343]

Kestrel ragdolls everything it hits.  Isn't that good enough?

Not always reliably though, since some enemies just still stand up when I throw the Kestrel at them every now and then. 

 

Besides, we do need the Kestrel to be more differentiate from the Glaive. 

[Otenko]

Not always reliably though, since some enemies just still stand up when I throw the Kestrel at them every now and then. 

 

Besides, we do need the Kestrel to be more differentiate from the Glaive. 

 

Sounds like the ragdoll "cooldown" that enemies have. For as long as I've played, I've noticed that enemies have a small period of immunity to ragdolling if you try to use a ragdolling attack on them right after using a knockdown/ragdoll.

 

Actually, in that case, the disarm could prove as a nice second-tier effect. Since you can only ragdoll the same enemy once every 3-4 seconds, the disarm could be effective for dealing with enemies that are in their ragdoll immunity state.

 

i.e. Since you have to wait before knocking them down again, it's nice to have a weapon that can immediately deal with Heavy Gunners/Napalms/Bombards.

[RealPandemonium]

Not always reliably though, since some enemies just still stand up when I throw the Kestrel at them every now and then. 

 

Besides, we do need the Kestrel to be more differentiate from the Glaive. 

Enemies can resist ragdoll if they are in certain animations so, yeah, it won't always work.  Giving Kestrel really hard-hitting crits (2.5 multiplier?) and high status chance would be cool.

[Renegade343]

Enemies can resist ragdoll if they are in certain animations so, yeah, it won't always work.  Giving Kestrel really hard-hitting crits (2.5 multiplier?) and high status chance would be cool.

I think it would be better for a Puncture-based throwing melee weapon (at least the critical damage and chance).