I originally posted this in response to the thread on ability spamming. I believe that the heart of the issue lies here, and I hope to call attention to it and have it rectified.
I agree that the system works fairly well as is. There is a counter for just about every strategy right now, and although it's not perfect, it is pretty nicely balanced.
The big problem that I see remaining when it comes to ability spam, is MKTs. The problem is not the abilities or their effects, the problem is their animations (or lack thereof) in IL. Interlock is based on a standard 4 second round. This is the great equalizer that makes MAs the gods of IL and turn Hackers and Riflemen into pulp. The problem is, since MKTs have no real animations for their moves, the game seems to dumb down for them, giving them the damage of a 4 second round, but allowing them to queue their next move in a half second or so.
Before the invevitable outcry surfaces, let me say this is not a call for a nerf, and no, I am not an MKT-hater. I played MKT/Assassin for awhile, and switched back to guns because it was too easy. Now, MKTs will tell you that it takes skill to get your abilities to line up seamlessly like that. I'll agree, but once you learn the timing of it, it is entirely too simple to squeeze out 4 or 5 moves before your opponent has a chance to queue anything. This is not the MKTs' fault, its the fact that the animation for the move takes FAR less than 4 seconds to complete, so the game opens up for input of the next move inside of the time the opponent has to wait just to see that their move has failed.
This is a simple failing of the combat system that needs to be remedied by the addition of 4 second long MKT animations.
Post your agreements or disagreements, but let's keep it clean, eh folks?
*EDIT* Title changed to open discussion for all broken IL animations, not just MKT.
I agree that the system works fairly well as is. There is a counter for just about every strategy right now, and although it's not perfect, it is pretty nicely balanced.
The big problem that I see remaining when it comes to ability spam, is MKTs. The problem is not the abilities or their effects, the problem is their animations (or lack thereof) in IL. Interlock is based on a standard 4 second round. This is the great equalizer that makes MAs the gods of IL and turn Hackers and Riflemen into pulp. The problem is, since MKTs have no real animations for their moves, the game seems to dumb down for them, giving them the damage of a 4 second round, but allowing them to queue their next move in a half second or so.
Before the invevitable outcry surfaces, let me say this is not a call for a nerf, and no, I am not an MKT-hater. I played MKT/Assassin for awhile, and switched back to guns because it was too easy. Now, MKTs will tell you that it takes skill to get your abilities to line up seamlessly like that. I'll agree, but once you learn the timing of it, it is entirely too simple to squeeze out 4 or 5 moves before your opponent has a chance to queue anything. This is not the MKTs' fault, its the fact that the animation for the move takes FAR less than 4 seconds to complete, so the game opens up for input of the next move inside of the time the opponent has to wait just to see that their move has failed.
This is a simple failing of the combat system that needs to be remedied by the addition of 4 second long MKT animations.
Post your agreements or disagreements, but let's keep it clean, eh folks?
*EDIT* Title changed to open discussion for all broken IL animations, not just MKT.
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