Wild Buster:
"A handgun alchemized from a hardened tortodrone shell. While wielding it, you can feel the disappointment and regret of torto gun crafting within you just waiting to be unleashed."
I didn't expect a gun to be released before the gunner update, however I did expect a failure of a gun the moment I saw it the first time.
Unfortunately, curiosity got the better of me and I shelled out quite a lot of resources to try out the new torto gun. The following 3 lines summarises my impression of the new gun.
It doesn't act like a proper sword.
It doesn't act like a proper bomb.
It doesn't act like a proper gun.
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Torto Gun mechanics overlook
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Let's have a quick look at the unique mechanics of these new guns:
- User dashes forward when attacking
- User dashes backwards when initiating a charge attack
- 2 stage normal attack pattern:
==> punching a mob with the gun will deal damage
==> projectile created from the punch will deal damage
- Artillery-like charge attack
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Utility of Torto Guns: Pros and Cons (in PvE)
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Okay, so let's analyse the utility of the torto guns through its pros and cons. I'm a realist, so let's start with the cons followed by the pros.
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Cons:
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- Severely below average projectile range for normal attacks
The conventional gun's utility is to provide damage over large distances, so that mobs are not able to counterattack, essentially allowing the user to kite enemies. Since the torto gun has reduced projectile range, it tries to act like a sword, just without the damage output of the conventional swords. Furthermore, kitting is impractical with such a short projectile range.
- Pseudo random AoE targeting on charge attacks
The charge attacks of all conventional guns have a predictable and reliable charge attack pattern. The torto gun fails as a gun and as a bomb imitator as every charged shot is unpredictable and unreliable for damage and crowd control. Hell, even conventional bombs have better reliability and predictability than the torto guns.
- T3 wolvers will dodge projectiles even at point blank range
T3 wolvers will teleport as the gun produces a projectile. Since the torto gun's overall damage output for normal attacks is split into 2 stages, it essentially 1/2 the potential dps of the gun.
- Torto gun is an inefficient weapon for quick switching usage compared to alchemers, blasters and pulsars
Quick switching with this gun is horrible, even the magnus guns can quick switch more fluidly than this joke of a gun.
- Charge attacks suffers from invinci-ticks
Oh yeah, invinci-ticks are back, who knows why OOO have to put them on this gun. But either way, this reduces the potential dps of the charge attack.
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Pros:
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- No movement speed penalty when reloading or charging
It is a nice advantage, but it will be short lived, as it is rumored (open to speculation, may not be true by the time of the actual update) that the gunner update will allow all guns to have no movement speed penalty when reloading or charging.
- Charge attack creates physical obstacles for mobs that deals additional damage when mobs touch the shards
You might think that, by chance, you may be able to trap a mob and deal infinite damage until the shards disappear. However, invinci-ticks are here to spoil that fun for you by nullifying damage and reward you with a 'tink tink tink tink tink' sound for your efforts.
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Misc. analysis of the Torto Guns
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Here's some food for thought:
One of the reason for why the old RSS experienced a rework was because, for a bomb, it had 'gun' like features ie. the ability to snipe mobs across gaps.
Now that the torto guns (with sword and bomb like features) exist, can bombers get the old RSS back? (SPOILER ALERT: it won't happen) Or must OOO rework the torto gun mechanics in a year's time?
Here's some words of advice:
Since the piercing torto gun are on the autogun alchemy line, you might as well get blitz if you're in need of a piercing gun. (Or the elemental/shadow needlers that are rumored (open to speculation, may not be true by the time of the actual update) to be introduced in the gunner update some time in the future)
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PvP Utility of the Torto Guns
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So the new gun doesn't stand well in PvE compared to the conventional guns. Well what about in PvP then?
Since each normal attack deals all its potential damage in 2 stages, each stage is effected by lag - it is improbable for someone to get it by both stages of the normal attack unless the user has low ping and the target has high ping. Furthermore, invinci-frames would kick in for the target (assuming both user and target had equal latency) when they get hit with the punch (of the gun) and thereby nullifying the damage of the following projectiles. 1/2 of the overall potential damage would be lost because of this PvP mechanic.
Since the new guns has shorter normal attack range than conventional guns, the user must attack at close range. At close range, you might as well use a sword as it outdps the torto gun and has a faster attack animation. The charge attack may be good for area denial, but the charge and set up time (even with max CTR as there is a set, unchangeable delay on initiating the charge attack to potential damage being dealt) is too long and the duration of the charge shards is too short to be effective in the short run.
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Final Personal Thoughts >> (Please take my personal opinion of 2 sentences with a grain of salt if you disagree)
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The hype surrounding this gun disguises the uselessness of the torto guns. Looks epic, but doesn't function on par with conventional guns.
Looks epic, but I don't know any good strategies to use it yet.
Fixed it.
Normal and charge shot has interrupt similar to the ferrous mollusk and callyhand.
Charge shot recovery is laughably faster than blitz, with an inherent dodge from the release of the shards.