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[Nosgoth] Summoner out, vampire spellcaster shenanigans ensue
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If you happen to be playing Scout, the default primary (Q) ability, the knife throw, is a good "Get out of my face" tool because it causes a brief interrupt/stun. If you're a Hunter, try to hit somebody with your Bolas and take them out of the fight as soon as you get back up from the pounce. If you're outnumbered and going down is pretty much guaranteed, try to drop your AoE if you have one before expiring... Volley/Turret if you're a Scout for example... to deny the vampire team executions, or so you get to watch in the killcam and laugh as they get riddled when they do try an execution.
Boosters
Fixed another bug causing some users to be unable to successfully equip boosters, causing you to "see" the booster as equipped but not receive the correct bonuses.
Matchmaking
Fixed an issue with party matchmaking causing permanent 4v3 matches.
Optimized how we retrieve the list of servers to reduce impact on internet connections when searching
While the full overhaul to matchmaking is still in the works, tweaks have been made to the existing system to improve the chances of finding an ideal match (nearby, of similar level). Searches may take longer to complete as a result as the system now spends longer widening your search incrementally.
Parties and Playlist Level Requirements
Players too low level to join a specific playlist will now be allowed to if a member of their party is qualified for that playlist.
For example, a level 2 will be able to play in the "Team Deathmatch" playlist if a higher level friend invites him to a party and searches for it. We want friends to be able to play together and never see a screen where they are ineligible for all playlists on offer.
We still prevent players from joining a playlist they are too high level to join. Players above level 10 cannot play "New Recruit" regardless of who they party with.
Optimization
Further optimization on Sommerdamm and The Fane maps
Perks and Item Statistics
Fixed a bug causing Vampire Special Abilities to not receive the correct random buff and debuff values. They are meant to be identical to those Human weapons receive, but they were using the "minor" versions of buff/debuffs instead. This has been corrected and your items will automatically update.
Cooldown perks and random item stats have been reduced in effectiveness as they were too powerful relative to other options.
"Undying Wisdom" and "Quick Wits" perks now reduce cooldowns by 10% (was 15%) (NOTE: Quick Wits change did not make it into this build, but will be reduced next patch).
Random item statistics now reduce or increase cooldowns by 5% (was 10%)
Bugs
Fixed multiple bugs with Siege Mode objectives not displaying correctly.
Fixed a corpse in Sommerdamm that was preventing damage from grenades and other AOE effects
Fixed Deceiver's default armor not properly using APEX cloth
Fixed a bug with Deceiver's silhouette outline interacting poorly with Backstab
Fixed a bug preventing Sentinels from flying for half a second after vaulting over a wall or obstacle
Not really, since the pouncer is taken out of the fight as well.
Always be running when you hear the noise, as an added percaution to avoid being pounced if you can hear them but can't see them. Always be moving in general to avoid things like pounces and Sentinel dives, but:
The above is important. Only be alone if you see all the vampires near or on your team, and your trying to flank one or more of them. Otherwise always be looking out for each other and watching the skies and rooftops.
Position it at doorways or alleyways or in the path of charging Tyrants for the best effect.
If you get pounced, usually you will die quickly after, yes. Especially if they are using savage pounce, which is a big damage dealer. If other vampires are around and have finished off your team your 100% screwed. However, if they are still busy with their own targets or aren't there for whatever reason, and it's you and the Reaver, try:
- Flinging a bolus at him as Hunter, preferably a poison one, and avoid contact with him while shooting.
- Fire wall as Alchemist. If other vampires are present, it is especially important.
- Life Drain and Hex Shot/Disabling Vice as Prophet, to put the hurt on him and get some health back as well as remove his dodge or speed boost if he puts it up.
- Scouts should GTFO and lay an arrow volley down while running, being careful to avoid said volley. DO NOT KNIFE THE REAVER, 9 times out of 10 it will miss or not kill the vampire outright and then you've got no other options or time and end up dead.
Well, the Reaver doesn't have control, but I wouldn't call doing constant damage "taken out of the fight". I get what you are saying though.
I think the point is still valid. In that situation, the vampires have the advantage. 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 the vampires have the advantage, it's not until 4v4 that the humans have enough firepower to kill the vampires fast enough. If the vampire team is fast enough to go in as the Reaver pounces, it's a good initiation.
The vamps job is to lock down humans individually into 1v1's with no supporting fire.
If you get pounced the vampires are achieving their goal super hard in that it's a 1v1 situation and you can't provide support.
Yeah, number wise, the larger, the better for humans.
Now as for the pounce, your team has to essentially be initiating when you land the pounce, or little more than a second after, because you are going to get fucking smashed by the human's teammates. So many times a vamps has pounced a teammate only to eat a Hex Shot immediately, because his team was waiting for the pounce to land before initiating.
... but matchmaking takes a while now, they say they are working on it though
Overall a great patch.
I am working on my aim which is definitely a problem (prophet), but has anyone else experienced issues with stuttering in these situations. I have a really hard time targeting down vamps. I wanted to play around with video settings last night but didn't get the chance. Maybe I will have to switch back to kbam from controller since it often feels like the vampire movement is too quick for me to really get a solid shot off, don't remember if there are sensitivity settings for controller (can only assume there are). Lot of things to test.
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You know
"Teambaiter"
:winky:
Like, if the humans were at the blood fountain on The Fane (Uhm...I think the southern end? Near the giant, well, blood fountain, with barricades nearby), I would be standing RIGHT NEXT to our Reaver, literally just above the humans, and the entire team would rag on me for standing so far back and baiting the team.
My only conclusion is they didn't see my initial engagement and only saw me come back at 250 health to find a snack.
At least it was a tie?
Seriously though, a good tyrant may not show up on the leaderboard, but his engages are what let me do so well. So thank you, tyrants who aren't afraid of dying.
Also, got picked up by a Sentinel, dropped and caught by another Sentinel before I hit the ground. It was crazy. Then the same thing happened an hour later.
Similarly, if you get a direct hit on a reaver with the alchemist's primary grenade launcher while he is crouched for a pounce and it kills him, the pounce fires for a split second, the body planks out and it falls to the floor like a normal corpse instead of turning into gibs.
Alch is the strongest human class. Her weapon has solid DPS and her abilities let her put out some of the hardest burst in the game (once you swap out the flashbang).
Honestly I'd drop the support load out unless you're the second alch on the team. Lacking raw killing power will cost you engagements way more than your team having 150/200 extra HP will.
But it's hard to tell if her combat skills are that useful. Fire Wall can evaded by vampires pretty easily, unless it's in the chokepoint, or someone disabled vampire with something like Bola so he can't roll away. Besides, you can block youself from escaping from the chokepoint. Flamethrower can be good, but it has low range, takes a second or so to activate, and you can't fire your weapon with it. Besides, as far as I remember if you roll with Flamethrower active, you will cancel it.
On the other hand, Healing Mist heals about 450 health, which is close to half HP for the full duration, which can really help. I guess Light Bomb is a good thing, since it's instant AoE damage, but I was able to survive some really tight situations and save teammates thanks to it. Though I guess I will try Light Bomb, since I do feel like damage from grenade launcher is not enough.
I've only played a few rounds so far, and I sort of wish the asymmetry between teams was more pronounced but it's sufficient to create some great moments.
Playing as human all five of us huddled inside a building. Which I spotted the problem with slightly too late. Surprise spy vampire, a smoke bomb and then one of the Johnny-charge-alots came barging in. Total wipeout in a few seconds.
Pouncing seems a little flakey, but it's early days.
Yeah, apparently the best tactic for humans is to stay in the open and keep distance between yourselves, at the same time maintaining line of sight with your teammates. That way grenades and charges won't hit you, and it will be harder for Deciever to come there unnoticed, since you know where each of your teammates are.
1) Vampires don't get set up time to go in on you because you keep moving
2) You can shamelessly spam healing shrines because you wont be in the area long
Which really help keep the humans ranged edge. If you force the vamps to chase you it'll stretch out their engage and open them up to poke alot of the time.
I guess that could work, but one tyrant can catch your team when you are moving through tight passage, and charge, thus initiating attack of other vampires. But it also requires coordination from vampires.
On a somewhat related note, do we run PA pre-mades?
In general the way we deal with Tyrants when moving is to just turn and burn on him. You can hear the charge coming so scattering and dumping everything into him so he dies hitting maybe one or two people is a win for you (especially because you can just spam a shrine).
And right now I'm also looking into Prophet. It seems he can heal really well with his Sacrifice, but it can be pretty useless in TDM, since you will save your teammate but endanger yourself at the same time. Not sure about Siege, since I still haven't played it.
Humans get 5 points for every KOTH capture point they take. Vamps get a point for every hunter they kill. First to 30 wins.
And prophets heal is pretty terrible. In general take either drain life or the shield (which shields for 350 and costs no health).