Ultimaximus' Feedback
Vie, 04/25/2014 - 19:49
I'm a Steam user, and I was able to install the preview just fine through the Steam URL (note that the Steam install URLs do work on Chrome nowadays, though I 'am' on the dev version). Of note, Spiral Knights crashes for me if I have the Steam overlay enabled, and that still happens on the preview, so the issue might be on my end.
First thoughts so far... Very positive. I'm a Gunner, and seeing all these gun types and damage type combinations really opens up gunning a lot more. No longer am I restricted to certain types of guns if I want a particular kind of damage. It feels so much more flexible, allowing me to custom-tailor my loadout to exactly how I want to play (even if that means equipping all Polaris-type weapons XD).
EDIT: I just noticed that players retain full (or near full) walking speed when charging pretty much all new guns. This is a welcome change. As a Gunner, I rarely, if ever, charge my guns except on a party button, so this might encourage more charging. For most guns, though, guns are easier to use and do more damage with regular fire, but this change is still convenient.
Sáb, 04/26/2014 - 10:33
#2
Blaster Set
(Does Gunner Valiance have higher ASI? I can't see any difference on the stat bar, but it sorta feels like it...)
So we now have a Normal (Valiance), a Shadow (Phantamos), an Elemental (Arcana), and a Piercing (Riftlocker). With a 3-shot clip, high bullet speed, but lacking statuses, these are the most basic guns, but that makes them versatile.
Originally, only the Valiance was available, which means that players who wanted to take advantage of its ease of use and knockback could never get damage boosts from type advantages. I'm not really sure if using Normal damage is a viable strategy, I've always been partial to the notion of carrying two damage types so that I can have type advantages over 4 of 6 enemy family types. This new set completely opens up the door for me to use these guns now, especially the Riftlocker.
Not much else to say about the set, but I do absolutely adore the Arcana SFX. It's so unusual and off, yet so alluring. It doesn't feel like an ill-fit with SK's existing SFX, yet it's a distinctly unique one.
Sáb, 04/26/2014 - 11:32
#3
Antigua Set
Available are the Shadow (Sentenza/Obsidian Carbine), Elemental (Argent Peacemaker), and Piercing (Gilded Griffon), with the Piercing being the new gun. A welcome change, since we did need more Piercing guns.
With a high clip, this gun is easy to use and has mobility, but the charge attack is difficult to use, and there aren't any statuses. Fair enough, that's not unreasonable, as it hasn't stopped the Sentenza and Peacemaker from becoming popular among Gunners and Swordsmen alike.
The Griffon works well against Beasts as well as Fiends, as advertised by the inherent UV, which helps make up for those missed shots against Overtimers. That UV makes it pretty strong, actually, allowing it to somewhat compete with the Blitz Needle. Though the Blitz is still superior against enemies like Trojans and Vana, the Griffon is much more versatile, so I do hope it sees popular usage.
Sáb, 04/26/2014 - 17:19
#4
Magnus Set
Available are the Stun Piercing (Callahan), Normal (Iron Slug), and Freeze Shadow (Winter Grave). I guess the shadows are cold, eh?
I'll be honest, I've never used this set before, though I was planning on building one eventually. I don't really see too many other people use it either.
The Iron Slug seems to have almost no redeeming qualities. It does the same damage as the other two, doesn't have a status, and can never achieve type advantage. Although it doesn't really seem too useful to carry more than one of a Magnus gun, the fact that we now have two damage types makes the Iron Slug almost useless.
Other than that, I don't really have much comment. I notice that the charge attacks no longer knock down the user, which is a help for mobility, but it's only really useful with Auto-Target off. The shots will interrupt enemies, and Winter Grave's Freeze is pretty useful, but otherwise, the set as a whole feels kinda unremarkable to me.
Against D19 Constructs with Heat Level 10 items (with a Very High boost from Helm and Armour), the Winter Grave does 143x2 [286], the Phantamos (Shadow Blaster) does 113x3 [339], and the Sentenza does 57x6 [342]. It is difficult to make a direct comparison, because it takes longer for the Sentenza to empty a full clip, and the Winter Grave has the advantage of enemy flinching as well as Freeze (which the Iron Slug, again, is inferior to), a the charge's penetration shot is easier to use than the Sentenza (if you're even going to do that at all). However, I just question the amount of utility one can get from the weapon, due to its slow firing speed and lack of mobility. Would a damage increase be fair?
EDIT: Actually, the more I use this gun set, the more lucrative it seems to be. It seems that the flinching can completely shut down single enemies, certain kinds at least, but it's real difficult against groups. Here, the charge's potential is monstrous, as it penetrates *and* flinches. I went into a Deconstruction Zone thinking I'd have a lot of trouble here, but the charge took down the whole group. It can also pretty reliably kill Menders without activating their shields. Enemies can also be carried by the charge shot and hit multiple times. Perhaps no change is needed...
Yeah, I take back what I said earlier. This set is amazing, the addition of the Winter Grave allows people to use the set more, and the change to the charge makes it much more viable. It seems to be one of the few guns where charging is a necessity.
Sáb, 04/26/2014 - 16:48
#5
Small bit in here.
Just to clarify a little bit in your Magnus description. Iron Slug, at least here in preview, actually stuns enemies, even if it's not mentioned in weapon description. You may check it in game by self. That stun, with normal damage, makes Iron Slug to be actually quite powerful gun, especially then charge used. That way Callahan and Winter Grave becomes situational weapons, and Iron Slug comes to be for-everything gun, in my opinion.
Many peoples simply never though about possibilities that this gun line can give, seeing it as heavy and not handy weapon. As swordmaster, who started with Sealed Sword, I looked in Iron Slug line in preview at very first, to realize how grandly powerful and amazing that gun, as well as it's other 5* variants.
Also, sorry if interrupted your line of ideas. Though your review on things looks really nice.
Sáb, 04/26/2014 - 17:27
#6
Thank you for the correction
Oh my, you're absolutely right! Even though it does not say it can Stun, it does indeed have the capability to apply Stun.
Lun, 04/28/2014 - 22:22
#7
XD arent you in my guild?
Hey I have a quick question arent you in my guild? Last time i check i added a guy with that name to my guild by my name on the test server is DaBouas the guild is The Echo Of Silence
(The projectiles are faster now, right? I'm pretty sure they are, but there's no regular Polaris for me to buy to compare to...)
So we now have a Shock Elemental (Polaris), Fire Elemental (Wildfire), Freeze Shadow (Permafroster), and Normal (Supernova). I am concerned about the Wildfire, because Shock is only marginally useful at fighting enemies. It'll do damage, but unless it's in a group of bunched enemies, Fire does more, suggesting that Wildfire may virtually obsolete Polaris, except perhaps for Fiends and FSC.
Of course, before the update, the only Piercing guns available were the Plague/Blitz Needle, and the Callahan. Even though the increased projectile speed makes it much more viable against Fiends than before, now that we also have a Piercing Antigua and Piercing Blaster, there's basically no reason to use the Polaris *or* Wildfire in that scenario anyways.
I can't really advise if it's best to balance this by adjusting status chances or power or what (nor can I tell if such a balance has already been implemented).
I was initially concerned that the Permafroster's Freeze wouldn't be too useful, since the Freeze might interfere with knockback like on the Polaris, and that unlike the Polaris, the status effect is completely removed on hit. However, I found that it was actually fairly effective in-game due to when the third shot was the freezing shot. I could keep enemies at bay, as well as plan or respond positively if the enemy was frozen. It actually worked out fairly well.
I have concern for the set as a whole, however. When I first tried out the Polaris in regular SK, I was completely astonished. It had huge knockback, a 3-shot clip, high damage, status effects, was quick to shoot, and allowed the user to move while shooting. There were very few drawbacks. The Shock did require users to have to adjust their distance if it cancelled knockback, the slow projectile speed made it difficult to use on Fiends, enemies like Scuttlebots would run into the player's space making only the close-up shots effective, and the knockback made it difficult to use in a party. As a Polaris user, I do believe it deserves a nerf (I think clip would work), since the existing drawbacks aren't effective enough. It promotes a "fire and forget, spam away" mentality that has earned the Polaris a real bad reputation, and nothing in this update addresses that.