Ideas for the LAW

[EonSeig]

The update did indeed improve many aspects of the LAW. It now gets the damage benefits it should have a long time ago, but it's still highly useless for anything under a rank 5 Demolition, and Supports still use it more effectively than any Demo can.

This is what I think needs to be done about the LAW.

Reduce its weight by 1 to allow the use of pipes.

Reverse the the blast radius change, full stop. Change it to have a cone-shaped blast projected forward from the point of impact. This is exactly the way HEAT rockets work in real life; by launching a stream of molten metal forward that blows out the crew compartment of a :IS2:. This cone is fairly thin and will only hit things directly behind whatever you shoot.

The LAW should always inflict blunt impact damage plus its explosive damage on a direct hit when the rocket is armed, acting as a good damage buff that requires better aim. It is currently supposed to only inflict blunt impact damage at close range when it doesn't detonate, but due to some kind of bug it gets blunt impact headshots from every range. Not sure if intended, but it actually allows the LAW to do more damage over the course of 2 rockets than you get just by spamming 7 nades.

Do something to allow the blunt impact to gain Demo perk damage bonus.

Reduce its smoke plume or just get rid of it. The trail of smoke can stay, but the explosion shouldn't put out a lot of smoke.

 

[Salad Snake]

So, what if you do the old FPS rocket-launcher mainstay (which is pretty much the first instinct of any FPS player picking up a RL), the foot-shot? Will it still have splash?

 

[EonSeig]

It will have a splash that is projected forward in a cone from point of impact. If you fired in front of a ZEDs feet, it would still probably be hit by the forward cone which would be spread upward like you were skipping a rock off a pond. But it's not going to hit anything except what is directly in front of the explosion. This makes the LAW more of a rocket-propelled crossbow than a flying bomb.

But this would be completely less effective than shooting that ZED in the face in order to get the extra 320 impact damage if direct hits also got Demolition damage benefits.

 

[YoYoBatty]

Personally all it needs is a faster reload time.

 

[Vaecrius]

I like this suggestion a lot but am very slightly worried about it being potentially OP.

 

[EonSeig]

I can't exactly know what's wrong with the idea unless you explain why.

 

[Undedd Jester]

Adding that 1 slot for pipes would help alot. Would also be nice to see a machete dropped to 1kg too... if only to be super manly

 

[YoYoBatty]

Reverse the the blast radius change, full stop. Change it to have a cone-shaped blast projected forward from the point of impact. This is exactly the way HEAT rockets work in real life; by launching a stream of molten metal forward that blows out the crew compartment of a :IS2:. This cone is fairly thin and will only hit things directly behind whatever you shoot.

This isn't Unreal Engine 3...

 

[Evilsod]

I can't see it working in practice without a huge list of changes to the current LAW. 15 shots at its current damage in a small 'cone' just wouldn't have any potential. While you would alleviate any problems with blowing yourself to pieces you'd also be restricted to aiming directly at an enemy at the front which with the LAW is almost never a good idea because its simply not where you'd get the best effect. Then theres problems with just how the cone would work. Surely the cone wouldn't work properly unless you hit the zed in the torso/head, aiming at the ceiling/walls/floor would just lessen the radius which is a major limitation. Then you've also got to hope the cone works properly...

People are focusing too much on the real life LAW. No matter how detached the current LAW is from its real life counterpart, it does approach usability and with some extra damage/ammo and 1 less weight it could become a very viable, powerful alternative to the versatility of the GLs. Changing it to a cone would be a step backwards imo.

 

[Vaecrius]

I can't exactly know what's wrong with the idea unless you explain why.

My concern is that the forward blast takes away a lot of the risk in using the weapon, making it much more effective overall - even at long ranges, simply because of morale (and stalkers).

I think of Evilsod's objections as features more than problems. The LAW's interface really feels to me like it's a direct-attack weapon more akin to the xbow than to the grenade launcher - it's to the other demo weapons what the Mac-10 is to the flamethrower if that makes any sense.

It would also be nice to let the demo kill fleshpounds without making the sharpshooter's life hell.