devtrackers.gg
When I first played scout, one of the first things I tried to do was nail a glyphid in the face with a flare gun bolt. It didn't take very long for me to realise that this did pitiful amounts of damage. I understood why GSG chose to make the flare gun damage like this, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed with the waste of such an interesting mechanic. So now this subreddit must suffer with an essay long post about why flare gun damage should've been buffed, and why it's too late to change now.
To first understand what I'm talking about, you must first know about depth. Depth in video games is an abstract measure of the amount of choices the player is making. Deciding to throw a grenade is depth, choosing to not fight a BET-C is depth, and using your subata ammo to get a mactera off your teammate is depth. Generally, depth is good; it raises the skill ceiling without a massive impact on the skill floor. Too much depth can be a bad thing since it can overwhelm your player, but there are ways you can mitigate that by introducing depth slowly.
So why is a flare gun damage buff so great? Simple: it adds depth. Now you have to choose between using your flares to shoot a warden or to light up the ceiling. The resource management of flare gun ammo just doubled in complexity, as there's an entirely new use for flares that hadn't been touched before. Greenbeards might just shoot flares to light up caves, but a true master of DRG knows how to balance using flares for lighting and using flares for combat. It'd bring more use to clip upgrades too. If you've ever used Prey's GLOO gun, you have already experienced something similar. The GLOO gun is equally good in combat and in traversal. Heck, DRG has it's own example of Utility with depth: The drills. Granted, the drills suck at combat, but at least they're viable enough to be used as a last resort. Do you save your fuel for digging, or use it to get out of a pinch now? The drills, in my opinion, could also use a buff to damage so they can better walk in that goldilocks zone, but that's a different topic.
There's more, though. Not only does it add depth, but it also adds skill. Accounting for the arc and speed of the projectile is not an easy feat, and players who successfully perform that should be rewarded with a greater impact. Nailing a warden across the cave and watching it instantly crumble is a powerful effect even when using the M1000, imagine how much more satisfying it would be with the flare gun. Satisfaction happens when a player's effort is properly rewarded with impact. Defeating a boss in Dark souls is a euphoric experience, but can the same really be said about beating a game on easy mode?
So why is it to late to change? Well, there's a lot of reasons, but the chief among them is the weapons. The M1000 and soon the crossbow already exist, and would provide scout with easier and better long-range options. There'd be no reason for the players to interact with the flare gun's combat potential. Additionally, the game's already pretty old. The fanbase has begun to solidify, and making old players relearn a mechanic is not an easy feat. New players would have a hard time knowing it even exists due to the tutorial's structure. Frustrating, to be sure, but the most we can do is lament, discuss, and hope for the buff in DRG 2.
External link →