Lets make the Rifle Bash/Switch Axe more practical?

umdum9

Buffs for the Rifle Bash:
-Bashing should push the enemy back a little
-Bashing should disable attacks for 1-2 seconds (Won't work on Onos)
-Bashing does 5 more damage
-Range required for a bash to hit a life form is increased by a few inches (Or the equivalent to a few inches in the map maker)

Buffs for the Switch Axe:
-Successful hit causes bleed damage for 6 seconds (Takes 11 health/second?)
-Range required for a Axe swipe to hit a life form is increased by a few inches
-Deploy speed increased

What do you think? I just thought of these because in my 370 hours of game play I have only every deployed a Switch Axe and kill a skulk with it about 3 times. The only time I used a Rifle Bash to effectively kill a enemy faster is a single time.

EDIT:
Buffs for the Rifle Bash:
-Range required for a bash to hit a life form is increased

Buffs for the Switch Axe:
-Range required for a swipe to hit a life form is increased

From the comments it appears the range is a bit of a problem, and I agree.

Kouji_San

That riflebash idea has been tried, very similar to how you describe it. It was however not received well. Under the flag: we need to avoid interfering with player control (movement/attacks), Onos Stomp is an odd exception as she is a chaos crowd controller and a big target.

On the subject of DOT's, I see the "omg I got killed around the corner" expand to "omg stupid TF2 pyro killed me with afterburn" rage++



Sidenote, I've killed 13 Skulks with riflebash (I think ~4 with this stun effect idea, when it was implemented), 2 Gorges, 1 Lerk in flight and axed two Oni! Fade is OP

SantaClaws

Oh man. I remember back in beta when I discovered that you could stun skulks with riflebash. The game was just ridiculously easy at that point as marine.

Honestly, I don't think melees need a buff. We have seen a few times where marines win a ridiculous melee battle. Those situations should be rare imo, otherwise you sort of tarnish the moment.

I've seen some NS1 frag videos, in that game it seemed to be quite common to use the knife. I like the NS2 approach better.

Kasharic

Marines have the advantage at range, Aliens have the advantage up close... any alteration, no matter how small it may seem, can tip the balance and make the game entirely one sided.

So while I like the ideas you have, I don't believe they will work.

Cr4zyb4st4rd

Both the riflebash and the axe already serve their purpose. They allow a finishing blow if you have wasted every other weapon of ammo, they work because most lifeforms need to be close to do damage, giving them additional damage of anyform would screw cqc up.

If you arent using your axe just try to more if you think its so much of an issue. Axe cysts and harvesters to save your ammo. Early game where you do 80damage or so to a skulk when it comes for a bite, rifle bash it.

twiliteblue

Axe and rifle bash could use a small increase in range IMO. Having to crouch to axe Cysts all day really hurts my knees.

In my NS2:Evolved mod I have toyed with a self knockback on the rifle bash (feels like rocket jump). But it is balanced around Skulks having a lot more health and "bunny hop".

Archie

^axe needs an increase in range and maybe even a widening of the cone attack radius, you've gotta be pretty direct with it(it requires pretty much the same amount of shots as ns for lmg+knife combo to kill so it's easier for me to do it by sound/muscle memory these days, does your version of bunnyhop have more air control+strafing? or is it simply a speed boost for ground jumping?

twiliteblue

@nizb0ag My simplified bunny hop is just a speed boost for ground jumping. But I have done some more redesigns today and uploaded a separate mod for everyone to test:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=571285661