Weapon: Sonic Discombobulator (Name credit to Breadsticks_)
Perk: Survivalist
Function: Introducing the Sonic Discombobulator, which is a device that unleashes the deafening music of a Siren upon both Sirens and other Zeds alike. This weapon works off a battery to power a sonic amplifier device commonly found in the Siren's throat. The short ranged, frontal-area blast has a very wide area of effect and deals moderate damage, but it also dishes out a massive amount of hit power while slowing Zeds down.
In addition, it can neutralize Husk projectiles, E.D.A.R. Bomber rockets, and even boss rockets and grenades (think Pat or Hans). Alternate fire utilizes the Siren's vortex attack seen in VS mode and actually pulls Zeds toward the weapon, but it also immobilizes them momentarily.
Reasoning: We have the Husk Launcher from the Husk, the Gore Shiv from the Gorefast, the Battleaxe from the Abomination, the Minigun from the Patriarch, and even the Mine Reconstructor from the Bloat. What if we had a sonic weapon taken from a Siren? More importantly,
there is nothing in the game for players that neutralizes enemy explosives.
Link to original post:
https://forums.tripwireinteractive....-weapon-idea-sonic-siren-screamer-s3.2337027/
I'm not very keen on the idea of the weapon's offensive capabilities being based on the Siren's powers. Zeds don't seem to mind when she sings. I have a very different take on the same base idea... I'm not being critical of your original; I'm just offering up an alternative.
I like the idea of a battery-powered sonic bullet more than a sonic blast. It would be a fast-moving "bullet", traveling at the speed of sound, after all, but could be neutralized/distorted by other loud noises. Since it doesn't suffer from ballistics and could have pinpoint accuracy, I think it would do well for the Sharpshooter. Give it a 10 pound weight, a minor scope, and treat it more like a turret weapon (a user HAS to use iron sights to set up and use the weapon, which immobilized the user), it is very stable with low recoil, long range, and a less than a handful of (slow?) three-round bursts per battery. With the player immobilized, possibly kneeling, and able to send three rounds into a Fleshpound's dome relatively quickly, this gun could get away with having low damage, knowing that with the right perk selections, the damage could go way, way up. And perhaps a skilled Sharpshooter could kill 3 zeds with every three-round burst.
Cons could be long reload times, expensive cost and ammo, low ammo count, and perhaps a player can't use it to bash enemies in melee.
I love, love, love the idea of a sonic shield! The shield fits in with Siren/Matriarch tech much better than using it as a blast weapon. Especially if it were large enough to cover a teammate on either side of the player. To keep it balanced, perhaps it would neutralize teammate projectiles as well, would drain the weapon's battery completely, last up to long enough to block 3 of the 4 rounds of EDAR rockets, and is a "once you press the button, the shield deploys and stays deploys until the battery is dead" kind of deal. Throw in the possibility that the shield pushes trash zeds away and you have a weapon that increases survivability in solo play.
I think the long range offense and short-range defensive features gives it some intrigue. Does the Sharpshooter move up front to help protect his teammates with the shield? or immobilize himself behind the front lines and spend his time stuck in tunnel vision while he plucks a few heads? Choices, choices.
Again, I mean no disrespect to the original idea. Kudos for giving name credit to Breadsticks_. It's a good one! Thanks for sharing.