Flesh Pound critical headshot "fix"

[Ihmhi]

Info from this post:

http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showpost.php?p=500587&postcount=2

Implemented new Headshot system that improves headshot detection in network games. Additionally this system fixes Insta-Kill Decap on Fleshpound when attacking up close, and fixes the headshot detection issues on the Scrake.

One word question: why?

If you use melee to knock off a FP's head, I'm pretty sure you can come away unscathed.

But if you don't - if you use a firearm - you are typically going to take at least that one hit. There's no guarantee that you are going to land the hit, even if you use the Bullpup (like I do) to get as many opportunities to land the decap as possible.

Since the hitbox was on the top of their head, this maneuver was balanced for everything but Berserker:

• 9 times out of 10, you are going to take some damage.
• It only works if the FP is targeting you. You can't decap it from the side.
• If you mess up, now you have a very angry FP very close to you - and you've already taken some damage from at least one hit (possibly more).
• Even with the ease of using the Bullpup to do it, it still is an acquired skill. It's not something you're going to pick up instantly. I practiced for a few hours on Beginner Poundamonium to get the technique down, and I still missed about 20% of the time.

I'd understand having it not work in situations where the user can come away with no damage, but why take this away for people using guns? As far as I could see it was pretty evenly balanced.

Even a decapped FP is still very much a threat, especially if it's raged. I have succesfully popped off their heads before and still got killed by them because one just happened to back me into a corner.

 

[Slappy Cromwell]

Players wiping out waves of Fleshpounds using less than one 9mm mag was a problem. There's no teamwork involved and the threat of FPs was completely trivialized. They're quite weak now against the new superweapons, but at least they're not going to drop from a single bullet.

 

[brick_top1982]

I like it now that the damn FP insta decap thing is gone. Makes them tough again, and requires teamwork to kill them.

Thats unless you have a high level Demo man, or at the very least a level 3 sharpshooter with a xbow or m14. Those two perks rape FPs now.

 

[rckrdude]

With the new tier 3 weapons, particularly the M14 and the AA12 its easy enough to take down fps and scrakes. And don't even start talking about the xbow now that the fp's hitbox is fixed.

Removing the decap trick and the new spawn mechanics add to the challenge of the game, which is a good thing. I mean the game was already getting too easy before the update WITHOUT the new weapons.

 

[Ihmhi]

I like it now that the damn FP insta decap thing is gone. Makes them tough again, and requires teamwork to kill them.

Thats unless you have a high level Demo man, or at the very least a level 3 sharpshooter with a xbow or m14. Those two perks rape FPs now.

They just traded one way of insta-decap for another...

 

[omarfw]

But if you don't - if you use a firearm - you are typically going to take at least that one hit. There's no guarantee that you are going to land the hit, even if you use the Bullpup (like I do) to get as many opportunities to land the decap as possible.

the game is harder now like it should be. no more cheap melee decap tactics. you need raw firepower to take down fp's now.

 

[Ihmhi]

the game is harder now like it should be. no more cheap melee decap tactics. you need raw firepower to take down fp's now.

As described above, no you don't. Now you just need a halfway decent Sharpshooter with a crossbow.

 

[Benjamin]

Funny how some people complained that they wanted an enemy more powerful than the Flesh Pound whereas some people are saying it's too hard to kill now.

If you use teamwork, no one needs to take any damage.

no more cheap melee decap tactics. you need raw firepower to take down fp's now.

How it should be.

 

[Nanostrike]

As described above, no you don't. Now you just need a halfway decent Sharpshooter with a crossbow.

Yup. A level 6 Sharpshooter can 1-shot a Fleshpound on Hard with the Crossbow, depending on the player number...

300 (X-Bow Base damage) + 180 (Sharpshooter 60% bonus damage) x 6 (X-Bow Headshot multiplier) x 1.5 (Sharpshooter 50% headshot damage increase) = 4,320 DAMAGE from a Level 6!

FP on Hard 6-player only has 4,556 HP! On anything less than a 6-player Hard game, it's a 1-hit KO, and even on a 6-player, a few shots after the headshot will down it...


Vs the fact that Berserkers can no longer decap it because it almost never does the proper animation anymore... And seeing as the Sharpshooter is likely far away and safe while the Berserker, to get even close to the same effect, has to be right on top of it... Yeah. Great "Balancing".

RIP, Zerker...

 

[HunnyPot]

I can instacap an FP as a Sharpie with an Xbow, but only if I am his target. I can also as a Sharpie instacap a Scrake and Husk. Woo! It feels so nice to be a Sharpieeeeee...

 

[omarfw]

As described above, no you don't. Now you just need a halfway decent Sharpshooter with a crossbow.

i believe that, but i have yet to see it.

 

[[UIT] Akame]

I was glad that the FP got fixed, now to wait for the scrake to lose the stun...
I'm more inclined to be ok with sharpshooters being able to drop FP with a good headshot then allowing a commando to decap 100% of the time with a spray of the bullpup that took no skill and little ammo.
The new super-weapon trivalize all of the enemies now however. AA12 eats everything and the SCAR almost as bad.

 

[<BC>Skulofsplifs]

Fleshpounds have never been a threat. Especially with a class that's sole design is to deal explosive damage.

At one point back in May I thought to myself that the average players will eventually learn to aim for the head. As it's apparent that aiming for the head is a more efficient way of killing things, and with this the game's difficulty would also be bumped up.

Alas these lost hopes is all that I'm left with, well lost hopes and a pocket full of server connection and stability issues.

 

[ebongrayprince]

I like how TWI spent quite a while defending the decap, saying it was a 'feature' instead of a glitch... only to fix it. Very interesting.

 

[9_6]

Crossbow to face is still an insta decap so...

 

[DeSTrOYeR]

With the addition of the new weapons and the new demolition perk, I think it was a necessary fix. There are other ways to deal with a FP now other than a SS with the crossbow, so the "glitch" is no longer required.

 

[[UIT] Akame]

I like how TWI spent quite a while defending the decap, saying it was a 'feature' instead of a glitch... only to fix it. Very interesting.

Decapping them was the feature. They were not for being able to insta-decap.
@Destroyer
Support used to be able to deal with them with hunting shotgun with a small amount of teamwork. The FP should require teamwork not just one player who can decap them at leisure. Super weapons need balancing and FP needs some sort of buff or something.

 

[DeSTrOYeR]

Well they are still fairly easy to dispatch, but at least now involves more firepower than just a bullet or two of 9mm. The crossbow could maybe use a little damage nerf as the damage it does is a bit over the top when it hits the head.