There are a few weapons (caliburs come to mind) that get a lot of flack in team play due to unpredictable knockback effect and, I think, a lot of that is highlighted when you aren't playing with people you're accustomed to doing clockworks with. For example, doing Royal Jelly runs, with a pick up group you may have 3 other people all used to handling the enemies in a way that's completely counterproductive for you to be using your nitro. Now, I personally try not to get an attitude if people are using anything I find odd unless it's directly causing the run to fail but lots of folks don't want to risk spending extra energy with a stranger who keeps knocking attacking enemies into them. I don't think it's a reflection on your skill as a bomber but maybe test the waters first and communicate. Try and orchestrate pulls if you know where things will spawn before hand or, of course, run with people who you know can handle you doing the knockback stuff and respond accordingly.

Hope this is helpful,

Bel

I don't have a problem with the knockback of nitronome, but I hate the animation. It's really distracting and can make it hard to see which enemies are attacking. Same goes for a lot of other bombs.

My comment regarding the Calibur line was more directed towards it being a common complaint regarding knockback in careless hands, less about the quality of the weapon itself- I do agree that it, among many other weapons, is a perfectly valid and easy to use weapon in the right hands.

I support the suggestion to consider the briar barrage if it really is a headache but again, as I said above, there are ways to use your Nitro and hopefully avoid the negative outcry.

I just did a Jelly run PUG with two nitrome range (not sure what stars) bombs, and it was one of the hardest runs I've done. Normally I've been taking nuubs through to do the RJ, or going with great friends who know how to do each level very rapidly, and mostly we all use Divine Avenger and decimate each part of the levels quickly. Not so with all these bombs going off, flinging mobs into you while you're doing your charge attack. I lost count of the revs I had to do, and I'd just leveled up Gran Faust so I didn't need the extra heat either...

SO what do you do - you run away and Polaris from a distance. If they won't stop the bombs, I'm going to play it safe with my health and get through the levels in one piece.

Moral of the story is a good player can be team friendly or not team friendly. Such bombs might be fun solo, but for team play on the Jelly run bring Shivermist or Ash of Agni please. Or a vortex, or..... There's lots of choices that work well.

Well, Ash of Agni is arguably *the* killer weapon in most of FSC, because it takes out all the little jellies so quickly.

Edit based on next post: I meant RJP, not FSC.

Provided that the OP is not a troll, I'd say that nitronomes:

a) Are a massive distraction. The nitronome flash is so bright and large that it can be distracting even if you are nowhere near the blast.
b) knock enemies into your team mates

This is why people complain about nitronome users.

Some of them probably have weak video cards and start having framerate problems when you tax their system with extra flashes. Others simply aren't used to it and don't like adapting to new enemy mechanics (flying bodies) and the need to pay attention to blast radii. But nitronome can also be a source of utter chaos in a 3- or 4-person group.

I love my nitronome (it's my favorite weapon - so satisfying to boom and watch things die), but I don't use it if I'm playing with more than one other person. With two people, my partner can play with or around my blasts and I can do my best to direct knockback away from my partner. With 4 people, it's utter chaos with enemies flying every which way and I can't aim them away from that many teammates.

Similarly, I really don't like playing in, for instance, an arena with too many Polarises and high-knockback swords. Enemies flying all over the place from willy-nilly charge attacks and expanded pulsar shots becomes frustrating and dangerous. Admittedly I use a Polaris a lot, but I try to direct my knockback toward a corner and even so I've had sword-using PUG teammates yell at me for knocking away "their" monster. I also try to switch to an appropriate alchemer (I have firo driver or hail driver) if I'm in a 4-person PUG on level that makes sense with either of those guns.

I personally have a VERY weak video card, that stutters and freezes from almost any bomb, about the same amount (it basically lags the explosion out) which is... annoying, as if there is a bomber, i basically stop every time the bomb goes off for ~1.5 seconds, making me very vulnerable.

a) Are a massive distraction. The nitronome flash is so bright and large that it can be distracting even if you are nowhere near the blast.

this, very obtrusive.

Maybe they'd be happier if you were using a Big Angry Bomb... heh heh...

I think if you were, they'd be screaming something a bit harsher than "You keep blasting enemies into me" and "I cant see with that flash".

oThe Nitronome is what i call a 'solo-dolo' weapon, because it beniffits nobody but the person who sets it. Thus, it is mainly for solo use only. (unless, of course, you know how to use it right, and not to be a jerk and upset you or anything, but it seems that you do not.)

I do runs with nitro spammers often, and i do not mind watching the blue screen of death do its thing. i like it when the blue haze dies down and everything is dead. The unfortunate side effect, however, is that more often than not i am part of the body count. If you are going to use the nitronome in a party, at least warn your comrades before you blow everything up. that way, they will have time to prepare accordingly.

As stated above, i run with nitro userz all the time. The way that i deal with the problems the nitro presents is simple. when the bombs start to go off and bodies start flying, i head to the nearest corner, ready my shield, and stay there and admire the carnage until there is nothing left but a pile of rotting monster carcases.
BOOM BABY!!

@Hugpwease

The problem with nitronome is not only the graphics, it's also the huge knockback. I assume you are also a Heavy sword user : it'll scatter mob, effectively reducing your dps because you can't hit them properly several at a time if they are all around the place.

As for Shivermist/Gravity bombs, they are supposed to be used so you can charge. Shivermist works great in FSC to allow DA users to charge easily and do insane damage. Graviton bombs works well with brandish charges (also DA charge), clearing packs insanely fast.

If you are using mainly normal attacks with one of those bombers, you are probably doing it wrong.

But i agree that for normal non-boss level, most of the time those 2 bombs are not that great. There is simply not enough mobs to make them useful.

You want to use the Nitronome, sure.. on solo runs and pure bomb party runs, and when you are noob.

Seriously, I am a bomber at heart, although I play with sword and gun as well. Many levels, no bomb use at all.
Try it, try being the swordsman and let someone else use nitro.. eh. Really the most effective way to support swordsmen and gunners is to use status effect bombs that has no shock or knockback.

A JK team run with a Nitro bomber, come on. All those mini jellies flying everywhere. Personally since you can't switch gear in those levels, I take the Venom Veiler and Ash of Agni. People look at my arsenal, and say, "Nice! Fire and Poison! JK is going to be a breeze" .. and they sure are 100% correct!

Arenas ? Haha, those Gremlin Menders starts panicking when every single monster goes up in flames or is poisoned. You will see them shaking in the corner mumbling something unrecognizable.

Want to see wolvers create stains on the lawn? Bring along 2 friends.. Shivermist and Dark Briar Barrage. They laugh at Nitronomes since they teleport all over the place.

Tier 3 Jellies, sure most times you will over-kite them with Nitronome since they move so damn fast.

I used to use Nitronome.. when I started this game. Not anymore, it is dull and unentertaining, a nuisance in team runs.

Nitro is tricky to use in a group setting. Its generally a solo weapon, but can be used in groups well enough, but only when you use it tactically; don't run around using Nitro everywhere and at every mob.
Small/single groups of mobs will always die slower with bombs, so let teammates take care of them.

Generally, the best things to use Nitro on are things that aren't affected much by KB, such as Lumbers; you can run circles around them dropping a bomb behind them so they get slightly KBd back and forward endlessly until they die, which will also keep them in a steady place for swordies and keep the aggro on you so no one gets slammed.

Nitro is also really good in JK becasue with the right damage it will onehit the baby jellies that JK eats and heals off of and will only give very minimal KB on JK, so if anyone complains about that, they have no idea how useful it is.

In other situations, keep your nitros to a limited use, and don't spam everywhere; ideally stick it in chokepoints where the mobs can only be flung one direction, until you can learn to use it effectively and predict with reasonable accuracy where mobs will be KBd too.

Still, generally in group play as a bomber you're immediately bumped to a support role; focus on haze/status bombs and leave your damage bombs to when most needed, unless you're in a wolver den in which case everyone else can sit back and let you DBB everything without a drop of blood being split.

Icee, that's an interesting idea. But when you talk about using swords, you mean charging them, right? Which means that you're vulnerable? So if the Nitronomer doesn't set off the bomb when you expect, then you could face some damage? I'm just trying to work out whether this tactic relies on knowing the Nitronomer really well, or whether it would work well in random, slightly incompetent parties. What do you think?

What? the update made there be less lag? whenever theres an update i just get more lag:(
l used to not lag at all on hi graphics. now l need to use low and still lag like crazy. and now bombs look really weird when they charge (no bomb and grey circle) is that suposed to happen?

also, hiding in a corner IS smart- under one condition: the nitro bomber is in the same corner as u and is spamming those nitros like (censored). but only then.