[Mesa] Few Spices To Add More Flavor To The Gun-Fu Cowgirl's Abilities

[faustias]

These proposed changes is to kill Mesa's "boring" Peacemaker, and letting you Ballistic Battery while channeling it.

They say it's boring because you just tape your left-click/shoot buttom and then AFK... or something like that. And I can agree at few points.

EDIT: The purpose of this proposal is to make players use ALL of her abilities, as much as they can and want.

 

 

Proposal #1: Focused LOS mode

First, I suggest do not turn this one into augment mod. This change really needs to be innate to Peacemaker, as being an augment will reduce her potentials in the field by having another mod replaced an essential one.

 

Focused LOS mode, is a mode where Mesa will ignore targets outside of player cam's LOS, meaning she will not shoot at anyone outside of the visual range. If they show up on your cam, they're potential targets. I have thought of this since there are certain targets she was not shooting, either it's a heavy unit or an Eximus that needs to be killed, because of the random target picking method.

To focus, holding right-click/aim button instead of left-click will enable the Focused LOS. Simple as that.

Just to be clear, holding right-click/aim will let her shoot normally, the difference is her targeting window has been narrowed to a cone. And you may still use the normal Peacemaker mode with its default left-click/shoot button at your own will.

 

Forgotten note: Along with the suggested new mechanics on her 4th ability, please change her target picking method. I am not sure if people already asked, but I'm sure we want it to be changed, from random pick to nearest-target priority. Or at least let the nearest-target priority enabled on Focused LOS mode.

 

 

 

Proposal #2: Ballistic Battery

 

NOTE: I know I will sound subjective since I really see no potency in this augment nor the ability itself on the active field, but some may claim they use this ability many times, if not all the time.

It's like Chroma's Spectral Scream, nice and all but unusable actively due to certain circumstances.

 

I can see the potential damage it can do, and its usage but the inability to use it while under peacemaker makes players leave this ability for dead.

TL;DR, the change is let us use this ability while channeling Peacemaker. To make a certain balance, the charge earned per shot is reduced by 50%. It's energy cost remains unchanged, as well. Will always cost 25 energy regardless of the efficiency's value.

Letting Mesa use BB in Peacemaker is for the purpose of taking priority targets as well. Heavies, Bombards, Boss' spots, or Eximi.

 

 

 

Proposal #3: Ballistic Bullseye

Additionally, hear my two suggestions for this augment:

A) Fully change the augment. Instead of adding status chance to the primed shot, turn that into a piercing hitscan at 100% charge.

 

or

 

B) turn the Proposal #2's... err... proposal into an augment. Mesa will fire the primed ballistic, upon reactivating, on her next shot. Simple as that. Keep shooting with Peacemaker to charge up again.

 

---

Thinking of her concept, as far as I can understand, the two penalties on BB with allowance of usage in Peacemaker is about Mesa's concentration.

It's like using up space or memory. When Peacemaker is currently running and taking up almost full capacity in her systems, she can't move nor use other abilities while channeling it. But if she force herself using Ballistic Battery in slightly slower but contained capacity, slowly building it up, then she can release in the next shot... but ignores the energy efficiency in order to fully release it without backfire.

Edited April 20, 2015 by faustias

[cheukyi6]

Nope.

 

If you feel boring about her skill, don't use that particular skill. Not nerfing it JUST because you think it is boring.

Edited April 19, 2015 by cheukyi6

[faustias]

If you feel boring about her skill, don't use that particular skill. Not nerfing it JUST because you think it is boring.

where the hell did you read that?

this proposal has no hint of nerf nor I intend of nerfing something.

if you are talking about the LOS mode, it's a mode. A. MODE. It's an option. You may or may not use it at own will.

Edited April 19, 2015 by faustias

[Hypernaut1]

This is the first Mesa topic I've read that isn't just a "mesa is stealing my lots level kills" whine. Some good suggestions here.

[S7ORM]

Proposal #1: Focused LOS mode

First, I suggest do not turn this one into augment mod. This change really needs to be innate to Peacemaker, as being an augment will reduce her potentials in the field by having another mod replaced an essential one.

 

Focused LOS mode, is a mode where Mesa will ignore targets outside of player cam's LOS, meaning she will not shoot at anyone outside of the visual range. If they show up on your cam, they're potential targets. I have thought of this since there are certain targets she was not shooting, either it's a heavy unit or an Eximus that needs to be killed, because of the random target picking method.

To focus, holding right-click/aim button instead of left-click will enable the Focused LOS. Simple as that.

Just to be clear, holding right-click/aim will let her shoot normally, the difference is her targeting window has been narrowed to a cone.

 

I absolutely agree with this. In fact, I had also thought it before as well.

It'll still auto-aim and shoot at any enemy on screen, but you can't just sit on the pod and hit enemies from all sides.

However, I think this should be the innate function of the ability. As it currently stands, it's an AFK ability. I can activate it, lay my phone against my mouse and go make tea (not even kidding, I have done that before).

It gets worse when there's also a Greedy Mag on the team, but that's a different argument.

"But it stops killing everything in one shot around wave 30 in t4" and "but you can still take damage" are not excuses for a blantantly abusable ability -- and frankly, I'm not even blaming the players for it either. The ability is made with broken mechanics that make abusing it not only an option, but an encouragement.

No to the Ballistic Battery thing, and maybe to the other one (it DOES look like it should have punch through...).

[faustias]

I absolutely agree with this. In fact, I had also thought it before as well.

It'll still auto-aim and shoot at any enemy on screen, but you can't just sit on the pod and hit enemies from all sides.

However, I think this should be the innate function of the ability. As it currently stands, it's an AFK ability. I can activate it, lay my phone against my mouse and go make tea (not even kidding, I have done that before).

It gets worse when there's also a Greedy Mag on the team, but that's a different argument.

"But it stops killing everything in one shot around wave 30 in t4" and "but you can still take damage" are not excuses for a blantantly abusable ability -- and frankly, I'm not even blaming the players for it either. The ability is made with broken mechanics that make abusing it not only an option, but an encouragement.

No to the Ballistic Battery thing, and maybe to the other one (it DOES look like it should have punch through...).

Oh, I'd still want the default Peacemaker, along with the Focused LOS. Yes, it's for the same reason, I let that ability kill anything within 50m by automatic aim. I understand the dislike of its spammy/press-4-to-win nature, but it should stay as it is.

Fully changing it to Focused LOS will ruin her output by around 75%, and can give too much work for the Mesa player by rotating his camera constantly, trying to find more targets to kill.

(The -75% assumed output is merely based on the angle the player cam can see. If there's a 90 degrees of view, means 270 degrees of blindness of surrounding.)

 

 

Also, why "No to Ballistic Battery"? The -50% charge up per shot and constant 25 energy seems to be a fair penalty, as long as you can use it while channeling Peacemaker.

[KoshLovesYou]

This is the first Mesa topic I've read that isn't just a "mesa is stealing my lots level kills" whine. Some good suggestions here.

 

That 4th still needs work, though. Almost every Mesa player I've seen seems able to continuously use it, making the game a snorefest.

[faustias]

That 4th still needs work, though. Almost every Mesa player I've seen seems able to continuously use it, making the game a snorefest.

aye... that's why I posted this.

One T4D had me fall asleep for 5 waves or less, with a GMag provide my energy. I am not bragging about that run being boring because around wave 15+, it got intense so I had to keep myself awake.

 

 

but no, no need for rework. Peacemaker just need some tweaks, not a full change of this ability.

[Crewell]

I had to laugh a bit this morning. I was doing a Draco run and the host was looking for Excals. I suggested he get a Mesa instead and he proceeded to mock me until the third guy in the squad told him I was right. That being said, Peacemaker is pretty insane in defense. What bugs me is the power's ability to ignore the target two feet in front of you for the one that is barely visible on screen. I don't think it needs to have a LoS mechanic. It needs to prioritize targets based on proximity. It probably should have a max range as well.

[faustias]

What bugs me is the power's ability to ignore the target two feet in front of you for the one that is barely visible on screen. I don't think it needs to have a LoS mechanic. It needs to prioritize targets based on proximity. It probably should have a max range as well.

goddamn... I forgot to mention that new target picking method. Yes, I will add that, thanks for the reminder. It is frustrating when a Lv70 Butcher slashed you dead, either killing you or get your energy drained by Quick Thinking... and you can't do anything about it while using peacemaker.

Edited April 20, 2015 by faustias

[faustias]

bump