Excalibur And You: A Guide To Upcoming Changes

[Maou]

Hihihihihi (Grinning like a Grineer)

 

Slash dash should be upd abit, lets say give it a bleeding proc?

 

and for radial jump, its quite an interesting feature.

[Rhekinos]

Dang How bout Bullet Attractor and Radial Javelin? Does it still work?

 

The invisibility on Super Jump is a bit weird though... Well hope it turns out great.

[thelastpwnr99]

 

FTFY.

[Brontolith]

So less utility from radial blind and (possibly) more damage from radial javelin. Doesn't seem like a good trade off when in the long run you need utility to survive. Guess we'll see though.

 

I dont see how super jump changes will actually effect anything really.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Brontolith

[RahuHordika]

While these changes are interesting my biggest concern is one a lot of people are asking for: What about Slash Dash?

I mean I can guess you guys just started making changes to Excal but Slash Dash is heavily outclassed by other abilities and it no longer feels as an ability unique to him. So please, Adam, if you could at least let us know if Slash Dash is even being looked at right now, that would be very, very appreciated.

Edited October 8, 2014 by RahuStalker

[RawGritz]

Love the changes to super jump.

 

Sounds like what I would expect to see if I was standing next to the Incredible Hulk when he does one of those massive 2mile leaps. 

 

Love it.

[Deidaku]

Why no  changes to slash dash? >_>

 

If one skill needs a revamp it's this one...

[Kalenath]

Well, if they just add melee damage/procs to Slash Dash it will become GOD MODE

[Evers]

The advantage in Radial Javelin is that it hits all targets within its area of effect, is not blocked by cover, and can hit any number of targets within range.  While they both share similar features, in function there are unique advantages to both in terms of crowd control viability.

 

So you can say you nerf the one useful ability he had to not usable at all since its effect is blocked by everything to make his ulti a bit more useful but still less useful then, chaos, disarm, stomp, mprime, and so many more?

 

Also will the change to Radial Blind also be aplied to Mirage Prism since it has the absolut exact same effect when exploding? It would be a hugh disappointment if Mirages Prism will still blind enemys through walls, cover, and so while the original Abilite got nerfed to useless.

[(PSN)iBoiz]

Aw no slash dash change.

[Deidaku]

Aw no slash dash change.

if so

 

 

In all seriosuness I'm really wondering why you haven't even mentionned it once , not even in th devstream  can we at least know if it's being looked at?

Edited October 8, 2014 by Deidaku

[CaveCricket48]

I'd prefer if Radial jav maintained its limited number of javelins, so that if there are more javelins than enemies, the spare javs will be sent towards enemies that are already targeted.

Example: If you have 4 javs (number is just for this example) and 4 enemies, each enemy gets hit by 1 jav.

If you have 3 enemies, two of them get hit by 1 jav and the third gets hit by 2.

2 enemies, each enemy gets hit by 2 javs.

1 enemy and it takes the full force of the ultimate, 4 javs in this example.

That makes it a little more unique than a boring plain AoE damage ult.

Edit: Additionally, it'd be nice if you can force the ult to focus on a single enemy as well, by aiming at an enemy (right mouse) and then casting, making it a more versatile ability.

Edited October 8, 2014 by CaveCricket48

[Archwizard]

I have two questions when it comes to Excalibur's upcoming changes.

 

1) Radial Javelin spawns javelins closer to enemies and no longer has a limit. That's all well and good, but what about the age-old Bullet Attractor trick? Yes, it may have been an unintended bug or perhaps even an exploit, but at the same time it was one of the first instances many players ever encountered of direct synergy between two Warframe skills, and has been a standard for many community suggestions to increase player synergy.

 

2) Is Slash Dash going to go on unchanged? No particular objection there - it's still fairly strong for a basic attack and a decent mobility tool to boot - but it also means there's a lost chance to give Excalibur more melee-oriented depth or innate synergy beyond just a gap closer (where upcoming Channeled aerial attacks may prove equally effective or even more efficient).

Edited October 8, 2014 by Archwizard

[Kalenath]

That makes it a little more unique than a boring plain AoE damage ult.

 

But everyone WANTS boring AOE ults!

 

Different is BAD! Different is WRONG! Different is...different so we hate it!

 

I DO kind of like the idea of hitting Radial Javelin next to a boss and him being hit by 12 of them...

[LukeAura]

So you can say you nerf the one useful ability he had to not usable at all since its effect is blocked by everything to make his ulti a bit more useful but still less useful then, chaos, disarm, stomp, mprime, and so many more?

They said in the devstream that being blocked by everything was an unintended bug in the LoS restriction. That is not how it is going to work on release. 

It seems it will even have the ability to bypass this restriction under the condition that the enemy was just targeting Excalibur before it went behind the wall, as stated in the opening post. 

[MDRLOz]

OK those changes are OK.

They bring super jump and radial blind inline with new abilities and make them function correctly.

However, seeing as you are adding utility to two abilities it will be hard to give feedback until we actually have the numbers/play with the changes. 

 

However you can all see from the feedback here that at least 10 (I counted ~13) times already people are asking:

 

"What about slash dash?" 

 

A very common upgrade people keeps asking for is:

 

Adding that melee combo multiplier would make Slash Dash usable in late-game content.

Make slash dash add to the combo multiplier and/or extend the time on the melee combat multiplier (make it a gap closer). 

 

If you overlook slash dash now it will be months, if not years, before it gets another look in. Adding melee combo multiplier mechanics would be perfect, and tie Excalibur perfectly into the melee system with the perfect gap closer and combo extender. You know you want to. I mean come on he charges forward with a ethereal sword and that does not count as melee?

Edited October 8, 2014 by MDRLOz

[Deruser]

What about slash dash? Could we at least make it scale with our melee weapon or have some form of crowd control with it? Also, currently the length of the slash dash is controlled by duration, range seems to be more suitable.

[FREQ1989]

While you're at it, look at slash dash. It used to be a great power, and now it is bad. It would be a real shame if all his other abilities got re-worked and slash dash was left in the trash tier.

 

Edit: I don't have any real suggestions because I stopped playing Excalibur after he fell out of the practicality pool of warframes.

Edited October 8, 2014 by FREQ1989

[[DE]Momaw]

Radial Blind: No longer able to affect enemies in rooms separated by walls. To encourage and facilitate different gameplay styles (like stealth), enemies aware of Excalibur within a few seconds or enemies that Excalibur can see will also be affected.

 

I'll give it to you straight...   

 

Because of the way this game scales enemies in HP, defenses, and damage while players do not scale in anyway, the most important things at levels 30+ are:   1.)  crowd control  2.) invulnerability.   Warframe defenses are shredded in seconds and enemies are too numerous to engage tactically. High level gameplay is defined by its reliance on ways to prevent symmetrical combat because symmetrical combat results in instant death.  Every time you touch anything that gives level-neutral crowd control or invulnerability, people are going to complain.  You changed Iron Skin, now it's useless at high levels, and people complained.  You changed Blessing, now it's useless at high levels, and people complained.  You changed Absorb, now it's useless at high levels, and people complained. And here we have Radial Blind...

 

It's like you have two different factions at DE fighting over the design of the game and we're the casualties.  One faction wants to make sure players can't do crazy long endgame runs by making it sadistic and impossible, taking away all the tools that work.  But the other faction keeps putting rewards in crazy long endgame runs so that we have no choice but to soldier on with increasing bitterness and resentment.

 

:-/

[tocorro]

I still don't like Super Jump too much, even with those changes. Super Charge that r0ckwolf proposed seems nicer.

Well ... at least let us shoot enemies when he ascends. Because I believe the mechanism is intact, so jumping -> unable to do anything -> after the peak of the jump : You are able to do something. I woul like much better : jumping -> shooting -> peak : still shooting -> descending : even more shooting.

[WSkD]

Radial Blind was strange/illogical and unintentional.. but was not changed until now, plus now we get "super" smart javelins?

Then I take the old radial blind, thank you. Because I always thought it would work like a big flash bang, so cover and walls do not bother. If you are hit by heat and sonic you can also be "blinded", you do not need light for this. So it was a perfectly fine ability and very usable and balanced (particularly against high level enemies), too.

 

I prefer this idea: Change Radial Blind back and make it his ult. (Because damage is just for fun, utility is (at least for now) needed to win; yeah Javelin with three sec stun and one point five sec casting time do not count as utility.)

->Momaw said this already with, as I believe, really good points.

 

The other ideas for the abilities are nice though.

No, take the idea above my post. DEs are still nice, but this one seems really valuable, especially when invisible. Also some of r0ckwolfs ideas are sounding well, mainly that every frame should able to "super jump" (if you press jump some time prior release).

 

El Psy Congroo

Edited October 8, 2014 by WSkD

[LukeAura]

I still don't like Super Jump too much, even with those changes. Super Charge that r0ckwolf proposed seems nicer.

Well ... at least let us shoot enemies when he ascends. Because I believe the mechanism is intact, so jumping -> unable to do anything -> after the peak of the jump : You are able to do something. I woul like much better : jumping -> shooting -> peak : still shooting -> descending : even more shooting.

This would be fantastic. 

[StallordD]

I only wish super jump auto procced a heavy impact that scaled with power strength. Also, it would be funny if unkilled targets affected by radial javelin were ragdolled instead of just stunned, but that might be taking it a bit far. Either way, I'm hopeful for these changes and can't wait to try them when they drop.

[PsychedelicSnake]

They said in the devstream that being blocked by everything was an unintended bug in the LoS restriction. That is not how it is going to work on release. 

It seems it will even have the ability to bypass this restriction under the condition that the enemy was just targeting Excalibur before it went behind the wall, as stated in the opening post. 

Reading is for casuals.

[Lagomorf]

I appologize for such a late suggestion, but I wasn't able to track forums and hot community topics before.

I think that Excalibur should have a total overhaul, from abbilities to stats. Mostly stats are ballanced enough, but I would advise to increase the Stamina for a little bit. For example, buff it from 100 to 120. It would be reasonble, as his abbilities give him more options in close mellee combat.

As for the abbilities, I'l begin from the first to last:

1) Slash Dash. It's damage would be calculated next way: Base damage(affected by Strength mods) x Mellee combo multiplier x3(Only works whith combo bonus). It would make sence using this abbility on high levels if you have enough skill to get mellee combo and it will be still ballanced, as it is quite hard to get combo multiplier more than x3. And if you use Slash Dash whithout combo, it will just work as it is now.

2) Radial Blind. It should give guaranteed mellee stealth bonus(like Banshee's Silence), and restrict enemies from performing some of their abbilities(because it is painfull to catch a grenade from blinded crewman). Also, it should work better whith objects that could block the flash, like columns, doors, defence objects and some others.

3) Superjump. Not so much for this one, just make it scale it's efficiency whith Duration mods and let us use it while airborne. However, other improvements are always welcome.

4) Radial Javelin. I suggest that it's damage output should scale whith the level of the enemies targeted. For example, let it be: Base Damage x Highest enemy level from the targeted mobs : 2 . Naturally, it will instantly kill a lot of regular enemies, but Radial Javelin is one of the longest abbilities to cast, and it has quite severe affection requirements.

 

I hope my minor suggestion would make some use.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Lagomorf