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Merc Report - A Whale Of A Good Time

Mercs,

While you may be about to once again depart for parts unknown, the lab coats in the weapons development team have a few new arsenal additions for you to check out. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you let theoretical physicist majors loose in a lab? No, not that infamous lab, a well monitored and run Horzine one. Well lets just say some exciting new discoveries have been made in the fields of gravity and sound.

For those who specialize in Demolitions, may we introduce you to the Gravity Imploder. Designed to answer the problem of enemies who just won’t stay where you want them to. Featuring two types of rounds, the first generates a small implosion (the lab coats said if they tried to make it any larger, it may start breaking down the local laws of physics and perhaps reality) which will draw your foes towards it. And this is where the second round takes over, bringing that “BOOM” we know you enjoy so much, to your now stationary targets.

gravityimploder.png

You may even feel generous enough to just help other members of your team with some well placed implosion grenades! We can’t wait to see how you use this one out in the field, just remember: Blue for Implosion, Yellow for Boom.

Don’t go rushing into the field just yet, stick around a-whale and listen to this tale. The team at the Horzine Research Group has been tinkering around with the physics of sound, resulting in the HRG Beluga Beat.

belugabeat.png

Now each Merc and situation marches to the beat of their own drum, so tune this Sharpshooter weapon into your desired frequency for different results. A short, low charge will deal greater impulse down range. With a fairly large target zone, the low frequency wave comes with several benefits; the ability to penetrate several Zeds, pushing them away, and increased armor damage (perfect for those Rioters).

On the other side of the spectrum, the high frequency change. This will move fast and do much greater damage to its target, but with no impulse or penetration. Take charge, and tune in to your needs, as there are a range of options between these two wavelengths.

Mercs should prep for imminent field testing (beta) of the new improvements and arsenal additions in the coming days, with first deployments currently scheduled to be announced in the coming days (subject to change as development continues).
 
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Now each Merc and situation marches to the beat of their own drum, so tune this weapon into your desired frequency for different results. A short, low charge will deal greater impulse down range. With a fairly large target zone, the low frequency wave comes with several benefits; the ability to penetrate several Zeds, pushing them away, and increased armor damage (perfect for those Rioters).

On the other side of the spectrum, the high frequency change. This will move fast and do much greater damage to its target, but with no impulse or penetration. Take charge, and tune in to your needs, as there are a range of options between these two wavelengths.
Short Wavelength: Use it for huge groups of weak zeds or armored zeds.
Long Wavelength: Use it for bosses and large zeds (except Abomination and Matriarch).
 
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THIS QUIET OFFEND SLAANESH !

-Wow. Again, I'm the first to complain usually, but I have to admit I'm stupidly hyped for these guns. Mostly the HRG "Beluga Beat". I don't know what kind of name that is, but I dig it. Rolls out from the tongue nicely. I don't really get why it's a sharpshooter weapon though... But at that point, considering every perk is receiving whatever, I'll just shut the hell up and accept that we're getting something funky (although I believe it would have fitted the poor man's Scientist that is the Survivalist better IMO). I'm just wondering how it's gonna sound in-game... While it have piercing ultrasounds? Some earrape noises? A pure cacophony? Or admittedly the funniest : some dumb songs? I'm not gonna lie : I have high hops for that gun (although I still can't wrap my head around the HRG designs...)

-Gravity Imploder : unlike the Beluga, I'm more sold on the design of the gun than the precept. It looks straight outta Half-Life ! I wouldn't be surprised if the Combine Assault Rifle was your inspiration. It looks awesome, arguably one of my favourite looking weapon in the whole game (along with the Seeker Six). Personally, I would love it way more if the fictional weapons looked more "near future" than truly outlandish like the MWG or Helios Rifle, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I do find it a bit overly complicated (zeds tend to pack together anyway, so would it be truly necessary to throw a black hole in the middle of them rather than just blasting a rocket or a grenade into that shizz? Assuming it's a T3, it could be a very impressive gun. But if it's higher, I doubt it would replace either the RPG-7 or M32 in sheer mass destruction (and personally I still love to use the Seeker Six against dispersed trash zeds)

(and I believe that the Seal Squeal is already sort of a way to "control" your explosions, making your projectiles explode at the right time and position. But oh well. That design is too good)

- @numbr : I liked the very unique factor of that gun ! Landing surprise attacks by ricocheting your eggnade everywhere was mad fun. But it was also pretty much a straight-upgrade for the Thumper... Because it was the same price and would also explode upon contact with a zed. And yet, I believe that the opposite would happen if we made it one tier above the M79. So the main issue is that I really don't know where you'd put that gun...

- @arcwarden : but why do you even want a Firebug DLC weapon? The perk got more than enough love already. It's a tough call between the medic as to which perk is the favorite from the devs.

- @TheMersodusGames : ... why the **** would you give yet another weapon for the Medic, and the Seeker Six no less?
 
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