71 replies to this topic

[alphaMinus]

Technician Mech update @  http://www.clgamer.com/

-video preview, plus PAX East interview with the devs.

link:

http://clgamer.com/2...-preview-video/


Some first look comments,

SMNC RoF looks to be mediocre.

Secondary armor  leech attack looks like it drains energy fast. Also it sounds scary.

Also, looks like once you hit the target with the secondary, it can sustain dps even if you lose him. Could be very wrong.

Observing the video it seems that the April update will have players name templates placeholders and an icon indicating if the special ability c/d is up (maybe).

Interview content synopsis:

-Long term plans for E-sports direction.

-Hawken product future, open ended.

-No plans for integration of secondary weapon switching.

-Technician represents more the vision for the future design of mechs.

-Expecting to expand equipable items inventory, with one or two for the April patch (maybe).

-Interested in expanding user testing systems for a more dynamic approach to players feedback .

-LoL (League of Legends) approach to game balancing and design in general, based on players feedback, with a focus on high end players.

-Need to focus on clan design before releasing this kind of content.

-Plans for community contests concerning mech/ weapon design (maybe).

-Plans for different mech archetypes (design wise),  

-Plans for audio feedback updates.

-No short term cross platform plans.

-Technician debuff verified that it forces target to take 15% more damage(pew pew).

-Technician Nanobot (sec. weapon) special ability = TF2 supercharge ability.

-Technician labeled as "an easier mech".

-Technician + C class combo, "chapter approved".

-Technician is an A class.

-April patch coming 2nd week of April



A-

Edited by alphaMinus, March 28 2013 - 04:32 PM.

[AsianJoyKiller]

Coolant Beam + REV-GL = FOREVER SPAM
Hmmm. Looks more like Mech Symbols for recognition. This is neat. And not as dispiriting as a coolant beam.

Also, sticky beams_ Really_
Could this mech require any less skill_

EDIT: OMG that beam sounds obnoxious.

Edited by AsianJoyKiller, March 28 2013 - 04:35 PM.

[HugeGuts]

Its special ability appears to add a defense buff to its healing ray. Actually, it looks like those are class icons. Oh, and one of the developer interviews in other preview topics do have a developer saying its special ability adds a defense buff.

Healing friendly mechs also heals the Technician.

Edited by HugeGuts, March 28 2013 - 09:14 PM.

[Guiotine]

hmm... deployable cover, three different beams, a heal boost or multiple heal ability (judging by the icon), and what seems more like a modded slug in functionality (but faster RoF, and presumably less damage) than a modded SMC. Interesting.

edit: oh, that does seem like a coolant beam, I was wondering what that icon was for. and that also seems to be a defense buff ability, since it gives allies the shield icon next to their name when it is active.

AsianJoyKiller, on March 28 2013 - 04:06 PM, said:

Also, sticky beams_ Really_
Could this mech require any less skill_

to be fair, the devs have stated it is supposed to be a mech thats easy to use. So it presumably has a low skill floor/ceiling. It is designed that way.

Edited by Guiotine, March 28 2013 - 04:16 PM.

[Umbre]

Modded SMC appears to be projectile, rather than hitscan. That sound effect for the secondary is extremely irritating. I was hoping it would sound more like a blow-torch.

Edited by Umbre, March 28 2013 - 04:17 PM.

[hendman]

When the technician is healing someone it also gives its target a resistance buff_ really.......

[alphaMinus]

Umbre, on March 28 2013 - 04:12 PM, said:

Modded SMC appears to be projectile, rather than hitscan. That sound effect for the secondary is extremely irritating. I was hoping it would sound more like a blow-torch.

I think its a low RoF hitscan.

[cubicDevourer]

Looks exciting. Wasn't expecting to see a new item. That's a nice bonus. And did anyone else notice the icons next to the players' names_ Cool stuff. Cool cool stuff. Can't wait to have all sorts of expletives thrown at me when I'm playing a technician.

[Guiotine]

Also, it seems using the nanobot rifle in any form gives the technician health. Yellow beam seems to leech heat off of friendlies and give it to the tech as health, green beam is heals all around, and red beam takes an enemies health and gives it to you. I am wondering atm how to switch between yellow and green beams, since it seems you switch to red by the MMB, same as the corsair KLA.

hendman, on March 28 2013 - 04:17 PM, said:

When the technician is healing someone it also gives its target a resistance buff_ really.......

Not always, that's just its ability.

edit: watching the video a few more times, I became convinced that the icons actually stand for the mech's ability. You can see icons for Turret mode, Blitz, Damage absorb, and the Assault ability (name escapes me atm ) next to the corresponding mech's name. Also, the yellow beam still seems to give health, and the green beam is only seen when the ability is active, so here is my latest of my 5 theories I have made in the last few minutes. There are two modes, yellow beam, and red beam. Yellow heals allies, red leeches off enemies. The ability works as a heal boost, and it turns the beam green. That is when the "faster than repair" healing is done. There is no "heat absorb" beam and no defense buff. I think.  I hope I got it right this time.

Edited by Guiotine, March 28 2013 - 04:33 PM.

[Akrium]

I like the new item.. except it really is just a different form of the current shield. Unless they are turning the current orb shield into a self shield. Which would be rather interesting to keep the two different.

Also, one thing that rather stood out was how open the mech was to flanking while healing. This would have stood out more except it was a demo and the people were shooting specifically at the target he was healing and not the healer in question.

And from what I saw it was yellow heals, red damages, and green is when the ability is popped while you are healing.. maybe also dmging. They didn't show that though.

I believe the icon for the coolant and shield are just showing the ability of the mech you are healing. I believe most mechs (excluding C) have different abilities. Thus you can tell what you are healing better.

[alphaMinus]

Guiotine, on March 28 2013 - 04:22 PM, said:

watching the video a few more times, I became convinced that the icons actually stand for the mech's ability. You can see icons for Turret mode, Blitz, Damage absorb, and the Assault ability (name escapes me atm ) next to the corresponding mech's name.

I think its the "mech type" symbol. In the video i.e. 0:07, you can see the enemy also has an icon attached to the health bar.

Also I think nothing was mentioned in the interview for a turret mode update. I hope this comes with the April's patch.
Can't think of a more appropriate time now that the healer will be released.

Edited by alphaMinus, March 28 2013 - 04:49 PM.

[tman7919]

Oooh gobs my body is ready for this.

[WarPig]

I have to wait but I don't wanna!!!  soooo excited!!

[draco7891]

Did some quick dirty math from the video.

Red (damage beam) healed 23 damage in 2 seconds, or 11.5 HP/sec, while still doing damage. Damage looks like ~25/sec.

Yellow (custard_) healed 28 damage in 4 seconds, 7/second.

Looks like ability is an inherent Health Charge, while active gives mech a 62/sec heal rate (unknown if green beam also gives health while used).

These are just the self-heals to the Tech for using the beam.

That sound is the sound the holotaunts make. Shadi, ASAP Priority #1, make cool new sound for this weapon. Unless the intent is to make people hesitant to use it by sheer annoyance factor.

Draco

Edited by draco7891, March 28 2013 - 05:34 PM.

[nokari]

Wow, this... this is going to make things interesting. They better make some good balance adjustments, because I can already imagine siege matches going on for hours.

The inclusion of ability icons next to people's names is also an interesting solution for making mechs with different chassis parts more identifiable.

Edited by nokari, March 28 2013 - 05:25 PM.

[SirCannonFodder]

AsianJoyKiller, on March 28 2013 - 04:06 PM, said:

Coolant Beam + REV-GL = FOREVER SPAM
Hmmm. Looks more like Mech Symbols for recognition. This is neat. And not as dispiriting as a coolant beam.

Also, sticky beams_ Really_
Could this mech require any less skill_

EDIT: OMG that beam sounds obnoxious.

Sticky beams are basically necessary if you don't want this mech to have a really high skill floor. You're a squishy priority target without a secondary weapon, without a sticky beam new players would be too busy trying not to get killed to actually do any healing, or vice-versa.

Wait, scratch that, I just noticed it heals the medic as well. Yeah, that really doesn't need to be a sticky beam.


And yes, that beam sound is hilariously obnoxious, it sounds like a cheesy effect from some bad '70s sci-fi flick.

[KejiGoto]

Did anyone notice the change to the radar_

[Pirits]

Not sure if it will reach my 2.5 star standards...




...or nubcakes.

[draco7891]

Good news: every beam seems to generate heat while being used.

Bad news: That heat generation is lolheat-low.

Beam range is at least 43m (longest distance visible in the video). Expect 50-75m range.

Draco

[Sylhiri]

Looks like it could barely defend itself, lol.