- HRG Healthrower: This weapon has amazing healing power. However, as a result, it is too powerful. Maybe nerf the healing darts to the level of the HMTech-201 SMG so that it stays as a close-range healing weapon.
I can get behind the nerfing of darts honestly. That said, I feel like TWI/Saber can't make this weapon too powerful or too weak since this weapon primarily exists because people seem to have an uncanny ability to dodge healing darts, and spraying healing gas at their feet seems to be the best solution to this
HRG Scorcher: It's a fun idea, but it definitely underperforms compared to same-tier weapons. The burn effect from the primary fire mode (and maybe secondary as well) needs to last much longer, while the impact damage can be reduced to account for the burn effect's extension (but overall giving more damage output). The primary fire only lasts for 3 seconds!!! A regular flare (Firebug's Molotov Cocktail) lasts for a whopping 31 seconds! Flare weapons like this one should definitely rely much, much more on DOT, making it a unique addition to the Firebug's arsenal.
I actually think the HRG Scorcher's in a good position as it is, since this is a weapon that you never actually wanna keep around for a long time, lest it'd make the actual endgame weapons somewhat worthless. If you're using this, it's because you need a big zed killing weapon but can't afford the Helios Rifle and I think it does what it's supposed to do long enough for the player to live long enough to sell it later.
Riot Shield & Glock 18: The shield aspect needs to be more worth it. Otherwise everyone will just buy dual G18Cs. The shield should have just as much resistance as the Bone Crusher's shield (x0.3 damage multiplier instead of x0.4).
Honestly, the shield mechanics are kind of a mess. Ironsighting to block is a pretty clumsy implementation, and really kills the player's effective field of vision. What I think would've worked better is if the weapon could only fire at full-auto only, but pressing the change fire mode button would block/parry like most Berserker weapons. That way, we could get a better iron sight animation.
Also, since people are throwing their ideas around for balance changes:
Fire Axe: Decrease equip and putdown times by half, reduce priority. Also reduce price to $750
Reasoning: The Fire Axe has always come off to me as a stopgap weapon designed specifically for quarter pounds, scrakes, gorefiends and husks. Against weaker enemies, you're much better off using the Crovel instead. The increased weapon switch speed would allow the Berserker to juggle between the Crovel and Fire Axe with much greater finesse than right now. The reduction in priority would also emphasize the Fire Axe's role as a situational weapon, so the player would more likely know to not use it as their primary method of killing things.
Katana: Price reduction to 650, maybe a 15% damage boost to its heavy attack?
I really don't know how one would balance this weapon right now since the Crovel makes it redundant and if you absolutely need a Tier 2 melee weapon, then it's simply much more productive to upgrade the Crovel once. The main reason why the Katana was an upgrade before it got nerfed was not because of how effective at killing it is, but rather it because it's essentially the same as the Crovel but weighed one fewer weight block. Actually, would removing that extra weight block be a good idea again considering the Piranha Pistol's existence?
1911 Pistol (Single): Cross-perk with Commando
Reasoning: With all the different weapons available to the Gunslinger (Winchester 1897, Mossberg Centerfire, T2 Medic Pistol), I feel like the 1911 pistols have been relegated to a very niche role at best and power-crept to oblivion at worst. I feel like the best course of action for TWI/Saber is to actually give up on balancing the 1911 around its usage on the Gunslinger and give the singular pistol to Commando.
In terms of gameplay balance, we'll now have a $325 Commando weapon sporting a 12 round magazine while also dealing 77.5 damage per shot thanks to the passive Perk Weapon Damage bonus and Hollow Point Rounds, which may prove to be a welcome medium zed killer to some players during the early game.
If we're talking purely about thematics, I feel that the 1911 is one of the better non-AR weapons to cross-perk with Commando, since the M1911 pistol has often been hailed as the OG commando weapon long before video games were even a thing, being the first weapon of choice for any self-respecting protagonist of an action movie.
