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Sniper discussion

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9 years ago
http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/14147?page=2
quote:
AUrankAdminGoogleFrog
Sharpshooter makes too many mid-cost units unviable (most of Shieldbot, Spiders).


quote:
AUrankAdminAquanim
(Sharpshooter also makes most of Amph nonviable. Maybe Archer-Grizzly is viable against Rocko-Sniper, not sure.)


quote:
AUrankSnuggleBass
Sharpshooters are still possibly too powerful, especially vs. less experienced players. Sharpshooters near geographically relevant porc is almost a win condition vs. most facs. Taking sharpshooter down a notch could harm the viability of cloak fac though, since they've already received some decenent nerfs in their skirm department recently.


quote:
AUrankAdminGoogleFrog
Sharpshooter is a transition for Cloakybot that severly limits the transition of your opponent as well as providing some commsnipe arty. It does not play a part in the raider game or even the initial unit phase (unless you are rushing a Sniper to counter midgame stuff early). Cloaky would probably be quite playable without Sniper.
+0 / -0
In terms of a Sniper nerf (if necessary), I would like to see it remain a silver bullet against units like Felons, Brawler, porc and lightweight trollcoms while being less viable against compositions like Rogue-Outlaw, Buoy-Scallop etc. An increase in cost (to 900, say) might accomplish that, and/or possibly an increase in reload time.
+0 / -0

9 years ago
It probably would be nice if Sniper had like 1.4-2 times more alpha and reload time. Projectile could fly like 2 times faster as well to increase hit probability.

The goal of such change would be, that raw DPS stays the same, but sharpshooters are more capable penetrating the heavy shields (aspis/aegis) and less capable of decimating 200-400 metal units.
+0 / -0
decloak while shooting is the most annoying thing. however, this is its unique feature. therefor, fidling with the raw numbers would move the unit towards generality.

suggestions to change:

1)make it even slower.
#easier to find but you have to actively look

--or--

2)increase decloak (it is large already?)
#easier to find it when you look

--or--

3)after a shot, it decloaks for x seconds
#easier to find it when you look, but his is a major change, must be compensated somehow (e.g. higher alpha or sth)

--or--

4)after a shot it stays cloaked, but cannot move for x seconds
#easier to find it when you look

--or--

5)cloak stays as it is, but its bullet has a smoke trail, which stays for x seconds
#easier to find it when you look
+1 / -0
9 years ago
Without the sniper cloakies are completely screwed lategame. It's the only thing that holds the fac together against facs like tanks.
+3 / -0

9 years ago
It more than holds the fac together vs. tanks, it dominates the match-up for them.

Also, out of all the facs, cloaky is one that should be most expected to switch for late game power. They've got the most flexible early-mid game, they've got to pay for it somewhere. They could easily wreck tanks by switching to thunderbird.

Sharpshooter would still be zomfgpwn vs. tanks even if nerfed substantially.
+1 / -0

9 years ago
Given the direction this thread is going in perhaps I should have created it in Development. Ah well.

To ask a strategy question:

Suppose I am playing amphibious against cloaky, and my opponent has developed a composition of Snipers, Rockos and a few Glaives. I am dissatisfied with how my current units are doing and would like to switch. What should I switch to?

The typical answers for finding cloaked units is stuff like Dirtbag and Flea and they do work OK, but I find they often die to the units protecting the Snipers; and even when they do find the Snipers they do not have the damage to destroy them fast enough.

Wolverine, Firewalker and (maybe) Tremor do an okay job from outside Sniper range but are all quite fragile.

Phoenix and Thunderbird are likewise viable but the Cloaky player can build AA easily enough.

What are your solutions to this or similar situations?
+0 / -0

9 years ago
Mass duck :)

It loses to mass rockos but rocko diluted by glaives and snipers will lose to it. You've also got the option to go around their sniperporc meaning they need to worry about back home more -> weakening their porc.

Alternatively, a single thunderbird while pushing in with scallops/ducks will win you the game outright if they don't predict the switch.

Firewalker/tremor with defensive screening will push sharpshooters out of the game no problem.
+1 / -0
Sniper might just need a slight rate of fire reduction. Current rate of fire allows one to use Sharpshooters to inflict significant bleeding of resources even when shooting at very low-weight targets.

Increasing decloak radius might be an effective alternative approach to nerfing the Sharpshooter.
+0 / -0
9 years ago
One cool solution would be to make the sniper's accuracy depend on unit's movement speed, but on the other hand it would turn it into even more of a special snowflake than it is already.

So instead, i think just nerfing the cost and RoF should be fine.
+0 / -1

9 years ago
Sniper is only way to survive vs shield balls especially when area shield is present. Ok there can be used also thick with erasier. Lame combo..
There will not work nerf for it. Nerf only fails and cloak fac will start suck more lategame. Especially in team games.
Vs other fac? Why nobody cares about that nor spider nor amphs have arty unit? They dont have it. So wwe need also nerf porc?
Hmm, maybe make larger energy cost for snipers cloak? I think main probelm is that that player can buld them very early and use very efectively. But if energu cost for cloak is larger then player will need more build energy structures and that makes more time for preparation.
+0 / -0

9 years ago
Well, what's the intent of the Sniper? Anti-heavy? Artillery? If it's meant to just be an artillery unit, it doesn't need to have such a strong and accurate weapon. If it's meant to be anti-heavy, it doesn't need the range.

Either way, it could be nerfed with shorter range to force closer engagements.
+1 / -0

9 years ago
quote:
composition of Snipers, Rockos and a few Glaives


You're looking at > 2k metal invested here. For the question "what should I switch to" (implying you won't use the units you already have) to be relevant, you need to have a substantial economy (lead?), otherwise you probably outright lost already...

In other words, if you have come to this point, your opponent has a huge advantage unit-wise already. Arguing about this scenario should keep this in mind.
+0 / -0
How about a slight speed buff, and cloaking while reloading is disabled? It can still go in and snipe things, but then is vulnerable for a time, where the user of snipers has to actually do something else than f-move and achieve 500% cost efficiency.

Either way, snipers only seem to be a problem on small maps, on larger maps you can just swarm them with raiders or something. I'd hate to see them become even more useless on these maps.

Also in many situations, sniper is the ONLY answer. Like vs buoys, dominatrix,felons,crabs,recluses,reapers,banishers...etc

+0 / -0
9 years ago
Really, the simple answer here is to decloak the sniper a for 1 or 2 seconds after shooting.
+0 / -0
9 years ago
A viable nerf for sniper is making the projectile shinier!!!
+1 / -0

9 years ago
The problem with both sniper and sumo is that their role overlaps with hammer and jack.
A simple (but not ideal) solution would be to just remove hammer and jack, reduce sumo's cost, make it weaker and return the heatrays.
Changing sniper's role to strictly anti-heavy (far shorter range, larger alpha, but same reload) is doable too. Sumo needs different/better weapons in any case.
+0 / -2


9 years ago
quote:
A simple (but not ideal) solution would be to just remove hammer and jack, reduce sumo's cost, make it weaker and return the heatrays give it some inaccurate but damaging gun like a proper assault should have

... Then replace jack with a proper jumping riot, and remove riot ability from Pyro.
+0 / -0


9 years ago
Compared to all other artillery, Sniper is hugely superior. It performs the artillery function of eg. a Pillager (shooting with impunity from outside range of defences)... while also being accurate enough to hit planes, alpha heavy enough to 1-shot many units, INVISIBLE (srsly) and fairly affordable. Remind me, why make Pillager again?
+0 / -0
9 years ago
Pillager has AOE and lower reload time. But I agree it should be cheaper and/or more accurate. A 700m artillery piece that has trouble with gitting a defender is just pathetic.
+1 / -0
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