[WE] Feedback on new TA "pounce"
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:03 am
After testing the new pounce mechanic that were added to Treacherous Assault (TA), I thought I'd give some feedback.
First of all, I want to say that I appreciate that the devs are trying to both find ways to improve WE/WH, and that they try to to it in a non-mirrored fashion. I believe that the role and niche of WE/WH could be fleshed out further/improved upon, and it's great that there is interest from the devs to try and do that.
The WH change to Burn Armor (BA) is quite great actually, giving the WH some tools to fight against more armored opponents as well as giving WH a unique contribution to organized play (like cities or ranked scenarios). However this thread is about TA and its newly added pounce.
I will list my findings in positives and negatives, as well as give a suggestion at the end.
Pros:
- If you are snared, or have to walk across an AM "puddle" (Mistress of the Marsh), using pounce is usually quicker than running across it. However, you need to be able to stealth first, which takes 2 seconds of channeling without being hit by anything (really unlikely in a fight).
Cons:
- The pounce requires stealth, meaning it either requires a 2 second channel without being hit by anything (really unlikely in a fight) or the use of Elixir of Shadows (EoS).
Stealthing mid fight using Shadow Prowler (SP) is usually an excercise in futility, as it is so easily interrupted, making the use of pounce in mid-fight using SP not feasible.
If not in mid-fight and successfully in SP, chances are that your victim is unaware that you're approaching. In this case, the pounce doesn't matter as you can just walk close to your target undetected.
If in mid-fight and instead using EoS to access stealth, using pounce is worse than just running to your target. EoS gives a speed boost allowing you to reach your target by running to it, using TA in stealth breaks the speed boost and is actually slower than running to the target.
- The pounce (animation) is so slow that it is very often quicker to just run to the target, even without speed boost. This is probably due to the animation length being designed for a longer pounce than 30 ft.
- Using the pounce gives a heads-up warning to your target. When you activate pounce, you immediately use TA on the target and exit stealth, being visible flying through the air. Since the pounce animation is so long your targets get an extra second (or so) to react before you can take next action.
- Using TA in melee range still activates pounce, and if you are too close I found that you pounce (again, long animation) and end up in front of your target with your back to the target - and you can't turn around until the pounce animation finishes. This is really frustrating as it completely ruins your opener, making TA almost unusable.. even at melee range.
- Trying to use pounce to catch up to a running target doesn't work. Since the pounce animation is so slow, you always end up behind (and outside of melee range) of the target if it is running (which is usually the case). Since the pounce lacks a speed boost on landning (like WL) and the WE doesn't have a melee snare, you don't actually reach your target and can't continue the attack, making the pounce basically useless. If your target has any type of movement buff, this is even worse.
Overall, I would say that the change doesn't accomplish anything, it really only made the TA opener worse in every way unfortunately.
If the goal was to increase the WE mobility, WE being "up and in a frenzy" in a fight, I instead propose a new effect to all Finishers:
Increases movement speed by 5% for each finisher point used, for 5 seconds, when/after using a Finisher.
..or something like that.
Do any of you other WE:s have feedback that you would want to share? What do you think of the TA pounce?
First of all, I want to say that I appreciate that the devs are trying to both find ways to improve WE/WH, and that they try to to it in a non-mirrored fashion. I believe that the role and niche of WE/WH could be fleshed out further/improved upon, and it's great that there is interest from the devs to try and do that.
The WH change to Burn Armor (BA) is quite great actually, giving the WH some tools to fight against more armored opponents as well as giving WH a unique contribution to organized play (like cities or ranked scenarios). However this thread is about TA and its newly added pounce.
I will list my findings in positives and negatives, as well as give a suggestion at the end.
Pros:
- If you are snared, or have to walk across an AM "puddle" (Mistress of the Marsh), using pounce is usually quicker than running across it. However, you need to be able to stealth first, which takes 2 seconds of channeling without being hit by anything (really unlikely in a fight).
Cons:
- The pounce requires stealth, meaning it either requires a 2 second channel without being hit by anything (really unlikely in a fight) or the use of Elixir of Shadows (EoS).
Stealthing mid fight using Shadow Prowler (SP) is usually an excercise in futility, as it is so easily interrupted, making the use of pounce in mid-fight using SP not feasible.
If not in mid-fight and successfully in SP, chances are that your victim is unaware that you're approaching. In this case, the pounce doesn't matter as you can just walk close to your target undetected.
If in mid-fight and instead using EoS to access stealth, using pounce is worse than just running to your target. EoS gives a speed boost allowing you to reach your target by running to it, using TA in stealth breaks the speed boost and is actually slower than running to the target.
- The pounce (animation) is so slow that it is very often quicker to just run to the target, even without speed boost. This is probably due to the animation length being designed for a longer pounce than 30 ft.
- Using the pounce gives a heads-up warning to your target. When you activate pounce, you immediately use TA on the target and exit stealth, being visible flying through the air. Since the pounce animation is so long your targets get an extra second (or so) to react before you can take next action.
- Using TA in melee range still activates pounce, and if you are too close I found that you pounce (again, long animation) and end up in front of your target with your back to the target - and you can't turn around until the pounce animation finishes. This is really frustrating as it completely ruins your opener, making TA almost unusable.. even at melee range.
- Trying to use pounce to catch up to a running target doesn't work. Since the pounce animation is so slow, you always end up behind (and outside of melee range) of the target if it is running (which is usually the case). Since the pounce lacks a speed boost on landning (like WL) and the WE doesn't have a melee snare, you don't actually reach your target and can't continue the attack, making the pounce basically useless. If your target has any type of movement buff, this is even worse.
Overall, I would say that the change doesn't accomplish anything, it really only made the TA opener worse in every way unfortunately.
If the goal was to increase the WE mobility, WE being "up and in a frenzy" in a fight, I instead propose a new effect to all Finishers:
Increases movement speed by 5% for each finisher point used, for 5 seconds, when/after using a Finisher.
..or something like that.
Do any of you other WE:s have feedback that you would want to share? What do you think of the TA pounce?
I dare anyone to link videos making good use of the Pounce!!! Its just not possible.