Seeing as how the last patch had nothing of interest, I've decided to take a break until a couple of things have been fixed. Honestly, I really liked the game during the Beta, despite the issues with the mysticals and sidekicks. I'm not sure if it's due to the changes that were released upon launch, or if it's because I've had the chance to play Overwatch, which is more fun and polished, in my opinion. Maybe a combination of both. Still, the core gameplay is sound, but certain balance issues are hampering my enjoyment:
::: Frankly, the AK-47 and the Para .45 are head and shoulders above any other weapon in the game. There is just no reason to use anything else, but these two.
- The AK-47 is currently the best long gun from practically all ranges. It takes the fun out of unlocking new weapons, when one of the first ones you get, is practically the best.
- The Para .45 is a close second, while not being as good, it has much less of a stat investment. Freeing up points to spend more in mysticals, sidekicks, and other perks. I believe part of the reason, the weapon is so good, is due to the massive aim-assist during blind fire. Which brings me to my next point.
::: Blind fire in this game as it currently stands, is incredibly overpowered. Most of the time, it is simply better to blind fire in your enemy's general direction, than to actually aim. This penalizes players for trying to be accurate.
::: The Shotgun, is overall, a terrible weapon. I don't know exactly what has changed since the beta, but the damage feels paltry to other guns. Even at close range. You will flat out lose most engagements against any semi-automatic, or automatic weapon. I understand that shotguns can be difficult to balance, but its current incarnation is useless. You should be rewarded for flanking an enemy with the Shotgun, and that's not the case. Not to mention, it has a higher loadout cost than most other guns.
::: Sniper Rifles feel underpowered compared to automatic and semi-automatic weapons. A competent, mobile team with semi/automatic weapons, will usually win out against any snipers. I believe this is due to the low damage (for a sniper rifle), and the revive system.
- The revive system trivializes sniping. In my opinion, headshots should be a KO from any weapon. I'm not saying that headshots should instantly KO the enemy, but if a player is finished off by a headshot, they should not be able to be revived. This seems like it would solve several issues, such as blind fire being overpowered, as it rewards players for accuracy.
::: Heavy weapons are currently not worth the investment, because they don't bring enough damage to the table when compared to regular weapons.
::: The Mettler was overpowered in the beta, but I feel it has been over nerfed, and is currently one of the weakest weapons.
::: Another issue I have, is that loadout points should not be locked from the very start. Newer players, or simply those who have less time to play are at a disadvantage versus those who have been playing the game for much longer. Honestly, I'm not a fan of unlocking systems in the first place, but new players should not be limited by how many items they can place in their build.
::: I'd like to see the warm up game mode as a standard mode. Pick up groups should not be matched against parties, as the current system allows.
::: The Cintamani Stone, is a little too good. A small investment can make fire fights drag on a bit too long. If you don't believe how overpowered it is, simply look up a few YouTube videos.
::: Part of the reason why people leave losing matches so often, is that they have no incentive to stick around if there's no reward for finishing the match. They should receive at least half the points they would receive if they had won a match. There should also be a penalty for leaving before a match ends.
