I think both bombers and gunners need special shields within the same class of the barbarous thorn shield which gives a med bonus to swords.

Wouldn't mind seeing bombers get an ability to throw a bomb to their mouse cursor with a charge shot, and normal shots dropping it.

I really really don't like the idea of bthrowable bomb. I feel like it be to gun like either make gun a bit more obsolet or being overthrown and not used because of gun. I mean pulsar a kinda like this. But bomber really do need some upgrade and shield would be awesome.

While it's much more difficult, pure bombing is possible to do for all areas. I'm sure Zeddy has covered most of the different levels, and Zethalan has done SL solo bombs-only. It's more of a challenge rather than a handicap, I feel like the game ecourages you to use different weapons for different purposes, so it wasn't really made with allowing players to use just one weapon type in mind. That said, it wouldn't hurt to have things like a CTR boosting shield or more MSI armours for bombers, those are the areas that make bombing less an ideal to swords and guns play when you're alone.

Handgun and sword buffs aren't a necessity, but bomb charge time reduction is almost a requirement.

Using a bomb forces you to charge every single attack. Further, there is no ASI for bombers to focus on, and a good number of bombs get no benefit from damage whatsoever. This means that charge time reduction is your life blood as a bomber. This may seem like an advantage- but what if you aren't using JUST bombs? What if you want to mix them with something else? You have to either use chaos, valkyrie aura, or have mediocre bombs... and only one of those is viable before getting to 5*.

If you use demo set you're sacrificing other stats and are going to be worse in general, just so you can use a bomb which can be a huge advantage, but isn't using your guns/swords. Further, bombs REALLY need that CTR med from heat-- you can heat a sword or a gun to a point and it's good.. but bombs need to make it all the way before they're in the clear. If bombs were less dependent on CTR, it would be more plausible to just pull them out on the fly and drop them wherever you need to in order to get their utility, just as you can bring arcana and pull it out to sneak a shot or two in, or warmaster rocket hammer to quickly smash a deadnaut to pieces from behind.

I agree with your points somewhat. Bomb CTR helps more than ASI/CTR help swords and guns, but it's not essential.

It is true that bombers are safest when they understand the monster AIs, and in this way bombing favors veteran players. It's something to do, once you've become bored with swords and guns. I wish that novices were incentivized to use bombs more. A regular attack for bombs might help in that regard.

Precisely. You can now slam your way through the game (PvP and PvE) with two 5* Blasters and enough patience. Bombs should be fine the way they are, but guns are now too easily abused.

How about we just get a decent elemental DPS bomb? That and 2 new sets of bomber armor that give pierce and shadow protection respectively, I'd be pretty much set.

When I said they should have a normal AND charge attack for bombers, I meant that the normal attack should drop it like they do now, but in a way that favors ASI, however, on the flip side, if they wanted to do more in the way of bomb throwing, then CTR would be favorable.

Throwing a bomb would not be like ANY current guns, as it would just plant it where you pointed to, it would still have to time off before detonating.
It would take timing and knowledge of mob AI to really put bomb throwing to full effectiveness, and it would give bombers a more varied style of gameplay, as it would then be the only class which can decide the distance to make an AoE attack occur.

Keep in mind that gunners have AoE, but they can't make it explode anywhere except on an enemy or at max range.

Problems with throwing bombs in pvp:
you could cover 1 WHOLE BASE per person, bad.
no gunner could touch the bomber since their range would be so wide.

Problem with throwing bombs in pve:
people wouldnt be allowed to bomb well in small spaces

Honestly, what would be your range your allowed to throw your bomb? throwing them would just be too much.

You know, the throwing of it could be somewhat crippling, leaving you rooted and vulnerable for a second or more, and this would entirely depend on the bomb that is even being used at this time. There could even be new bombs added that are MADE to be thrown, and have a small radius to make up for it.

It would make it more fun imo, I don't even play bomber at all because it's too limited, and more annoying than pulsars.

There's many ways that imbalances could be dealt with, for example the blast radius of thrown bombs could be smaller, too.
I dunno, be flexible, think of alternatives :P

@Fangel

I'd like to see a playstyle rework to be honest. The problem that really needs addressing is that they're terrible for casual encounters and bad at comboing with other weapons. Making bombs just flat out stronger would be a far worse solution, as that provides for more of the same type of combat they already give but harder and better. A rework would actually fix their issues.

And we have way more than 2 damage bombs- they're just buggy such that they can't work to their full potential most of the time.

Throwable bombs will be too similar to guns, I think someone mentioned that previously. Giving more defense options sounds more plausible to me, as well as adding more offensive options such as an elemental bomb that doesn't suck. I'm hesitant to suggest a universal CTR reduction on bombs (or an increase in CTR for the armours) because that might throw things off balance, but it's one way to even the field in comparison to guns.

@Leekcoco

What about the tortofists? Aren't those basically throwable bombs? Why is it OK for gunners to get throwable bombs but not bombers to get them?

And what about a bomb that does the opposite and shoots outwards?

+1 To Fehzor
The Tortofists are basically throwable shard bombs. I can't see why is it ok to give gunners throwable bombs but not give the same to bombers. And don't forget that swordsmen also have swords that act like both guns and bombs (Brandishes and even the Divine Avenger). When it comes to bombing all i can do is to find a good place which to place a bomb, lure the enemies into it and hope for the best result. We need more diversity, and the throwable bombs would give us that.

Lack of elemental and shadow bombs (that acts like the blast bomb series of course) and while we still have the vortex series , i still would prefeer to have elemental and shadow bombs that works like the dark briar barrage. oh i know there also dark retribution but there just one single reason why i dont use it and why i would leave a party if someone uses it:

the graphical lag. oh yes that silly bomb once there are many shadow orbs orbiting in screens you get that annoying lag that you cant see what happenning because everything its off screen

one of the thing that probably we dont see a lot of bombers its the lack of a normal attack without being charged, considering a lot of thing that this game brings in your path, crystal blocks, rock blocks, boxes, swichtes. few people (and those who are bombers to the bone) dont mind, but most of the players do trying to wait to destroy those rock blocks bomb after bomb isnt funny, its tedious. now add to the mix that you have to deal with enemies too...

i always liked the idea that normal attacs from bombs should be like the grems demon, throwable bombs with small radius and damage lowered because its splitted between the numbers of bombs that player trows, i think the reason people always demonize this its because "OMG 3 BOMBS PER ATTACK SO OP, NO GO AWAY" which could be easily fixed that bombers cant throw any bomb when they have some of them active in screen (like 2 or 3) why so many NO to bombers?

Honestly if bombers get some kind of changes i would prefeer some of their equipment would have "Fuse Time Reduction" and probably a way to attack without rely to much in charge, i still dont get why also people are agaisnt remote controlled bomb, the first thing i remember on the last thread someone suggested about this was "OMG NO GEEZ GO AWAY NOOB REMOTE CONTROLLED BOMBS WOULD BE SO OP NO WAY" when we have catalyzers and obviously those one have a time limitation before you have the chance to detonated them and dissapear. and honestly even with the gunner update catalyzers still are kinda slow to detonate before your friends kill the mob that have catalyzer orbs. its probably things like that or people like that, who make not enchacement for other things that really requires, without thing before that obviously those mechanics would have some kind of limitation to avoid op bomb.

i guess everything would be different if swords were to mean to have a limited range like 2 or 3 tiles from knights position and not range attack as some of swords charge have (sealed sword, brandishes lines) guns were the most range attack without guns that can make explosions like pulsars and catalyzer lines, and bombs have a considerable range but not superior to guns weak to use if you throw bombs (like demo gremlins) but stronger once its charged. but its too late to make those changes, and well you know :P everyone would be crying about changes like that you know: "WHY YOU DID THIS TO MY POLARIS, WHY YOU DID THIS TO MY VOLTEDGE" and so on.

its sad to see that but its what we have. i hope someday bombers get what they really deserves. a neat buff

@Toxicyoccm

I'm going to foolishly assume that you meant that literally, because I don't care to distinguish.

I just explained why Nick's explanation is moot at this point-- they've released things for guns that completely defy the whole bombs = explosions, guns = bullets philosophy. To not give bombs (and swords) an exception and allow them to shoot things etc. would be make gunner THE strong class, which is fine if that's what the devs are going for, but I really don't think that's what they're gunning for.