1.3.6 Hotfix Flamethrower

[-Mad Maverick-]

I think if you bring in the range a bit we will be golden... make the flamer have the risk reward ratio it should have.  dangerously close devastatingly effective...

[awkm]

Range has been brought in on dev app.

[Sammy B. T.]

Range is not the issue. I understand the desire for balance via specialization but as long as the flamer can set stacks like it does it will be overpowered.

My suggestion, drastically reduce the ammo and rate of fire. Granted this is functionally taking the flamer back to its balanced state before this patch due to the "problem" being that not every particle hit. However it was balanced, fun, playable, and competitive then. It could have used a slight buff but not a complete overhaul.

[Dutch Vanya]

What if the amount of damage would be based on distance? Doing very little damage at max range, and doing the current amount of damage when you are as close as possible. (A little bit of inspiration from Team Fortress 2)

Sammy does have some good ideas too.

[dodgingDave]

I agree with sammy here. Just playing around today, my ship took a double flamer pyra, and wrecked the whole game, with the enemy pretty much unable to do any damage to us. Also, being on the receiving end of a carronade and flamer, with a rather experienced crew, we still found it difficult and frustrating to try to recover, with every attempt of fixing the balloon ending with it being broke again, or more fire, which by the time you get around to being able to repair it after a shot of chem, the carronade can and usually will have the balloon broke again, that along side trying to keep every other component from catching fire.

I personally feel it should get a little more of a debuff, reduced damage to 1 and stack chance reduced to 15% maybe. Because right now the only time it usually destroys components is with ~13-20 stacks of fire and needing to fix/chem other things to minimize the number of components needing to be rebuilt.

[-Mad Maverick-]

it is honestly so frustrating for me to read these responses.  the flamer is a perfect example of not being OP in the SLIGHTEST in higher level games but perhaps being frustrating in lower level matches.  it's frustrating to me because here is a gun that could truly shake up the face of the competitive scene and give some much needed diversity to brawlers, but because people don't know how to handle fire in pub matches (or perhaps even with high level people who weren't around in beta and so haven't experience actual true balance with the flamers) it is gaining the reputation as OP nerf-bait...  please awkm give this change some time and let the community learn how to handle it, I promise you it will be seen as balanced soon enough...

[macmacnick]

Hmm, us cakes can now hold our own better in competitive... Roast Duck, anyone?

[-Mad Maverick-]

no you still won't.... ;P

[macmacnick]

meh, still, I would be up for some Canard rôti.

[-Mad Maverick-]

I mean I love roast and fried duck but as I always say "cake is playing a different game than everyone else"

[macmacnick]

Not anymore...


Muse:

[-Mad Maverick-]

you still will...

[Sammy B. T.]

Janeway, if you know my history you will know that when I talk balance I solely think competitive.  I'm not concerned if noobs can't deal with something.  Had the same philosophy in the great Artemis debate.

When I see this flamer, I see a way for a near invincible short range side of a junker with a carronades flamer. I see all the limitations of my old carro/carousel vanish. And I am not seeing counters. I listed my reasons and the math.

[Spud Nick]

Chem spray and heat sink ammo and a dps build will counter any flame setup.

[Byron Cavendish]

I agree with Sammy. Competitive on competitive, one only needs to bring a kerosened squid with two flamers to auto win.