Machete: Increase head area to give it a purpose

[Benjamin]

As most of us know the machete is currently the most useless melee weapon in the game; the only melee weapon weaker than it is the knife, whose best use is for decapitating weaker specimens. The knife's high fire rate helps with this, since if you miss the first time you can correct your aim and finish the job in a fraction of a second.

My suggestion is to lean the machete more towards the purpose of the knife, but make it superior by giving a larger area for headshots. Perhaps balance it so that head damage is not much more than for the knife.

Thoughts?

 

[timur]

Sounds about right. The slower machete fire always did make the knife somewhat superior.

 

[Zerotick]

AoE, you get the axe for damage Spikes, but the machete trades power for for crowd control.

 

[Murphy]

Thoughts?

Good idea.

It would still be useless though, I imagine. I don't play on 6-man suicidal so I don't know how it works in extreme conditions, but the way I play the ax already kills the weak specimens with one hit (if necessary a secondary fire hit, but still) so even with the proposed buff I would chose the ax over the machete. I use the knife because it's a spawn weapon. I wouldn't pay dosh for something that's the same but marginally better when I can just buy an ax for some ridiculously low sum.

It's still a good idea, I think and at least it would make it worth it to pick a machete up if you find one. Perhaps this could be combined with another suggestion though: That the machete becomes as fast as the knife (both the attack speed as well as the run speed), gets the bonus you propose and simply replaces the knife once you buy it. I.e. no additional item to scroll through and no additional weight. When you drop it you get the knife back.

 

[Benjamin]

It's still a good idea, I think and at least it would make it worth it to pick a machete up if you find one. Perhaps this could be combined with another suggestion though: That the machete becomes as fast as the knife (both the attack speed as well as the run speed), gets the bonus you propose and simply replaces the knife once you buy it. I.e. no additional item to scroll through and no additional weight. When you drop it you get the knife back.

Agreed, turning it into an upgrade for the knife would definitely make it more usable.

 

[BenioX]

Short answer:
Cheap - so why be good?
Short - so why be good?
Even if was better - everyone would still rely on Katana and chainsaw
Conclusion: Bad idea in my opinion.

 

[Aze]

Rather think this > [url]http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showthread.php?t=46393 [/URL] is a better Machete buff

 

[Benjamin]

Short answer:
Cheap - so why be good?
Short - so why be good?
Even if was better - everyone would still rely on Katana and chainsaw
Conclusion: Bad idea in my opinion.

So you're saying get rid of the machete because there are more powerful weapons?

Rather think this > [url]http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showthread.php?t=46393 [/URL] is a better Machete buff

It's a silly idea though, who throws machetes? I'm just suggesting something that is reasonably easy to implement and will give the weapon a much-needed buff without changing the mechanics of it.

 

[timur]

Short answer:
Cheap - so why be good?
Short - so why be good?
Even if was better - everyone would still rely on Katana and chainsaw
Conclusion: Bad idea in my opinion.

following that logic why not scrap the thing altogether? after all, there is very few situations where you have players actually buying it anyways. Of course, if you continue with that logic even further, why not scrap every other weapon except for the m14 instead of nerfing the m14?

Okay, off of sarcasm, its not supposed to be good, just not as sucky as it is. We aren't asking for it to become an awesome death-machine, just make it so that, for once, it could be a good alternative in the case that the katana cannot be bought. Nowadays, if you can't buy a katana, then you just use the knife instead of wasting dosh on a worthless machete.

 

[BenioX]

if you can't buy a katana, then you just use the knife instead of wasting dosh on a worthless machete.

if I can't buy Katana I run around to find other weapons than knife. Do you SERIOUSLY use a knife just because you can't buy Katana? Why not buy axe then? I think Machete shouldn't even exist as it's cheap and weak. Knife is ofc alot better imo than machete. Even improving machete won't change it - the machete will never be bought as u can buy alot better guns, cheap as well.

 

[Benjamin]

the machete will never be bought as u can buy alot better gun

Well in that case there's no point in buying most of the guns since one or two of them could be considered the best. I just think the machete could be a fairly light, cheap, useful backup item for players that are otherwise not equipped for close combat. If you've ever played suicidal without using any OP weapons you'll know that ammo can run out fast.

And if you think the knife is completely useless you're probably someone who uses an xbow to kill clots... in which case, I'm not interested in your opinion (and neither are the other decent players I'm guessing).

 

[BenioX]

And if you think the knife is completely useless you're probably someone who uses an xbow to kill clots... in which case, I'm not interested in your opinion (and neither are the other decent players I'm guessing).

Not completly useless, I use it on single clots. But for groups of clots:
Grenades, Pistol, random weapons I could pick up from around, pistol again when I find ammo. On suicidal u can stick the knife up clot's, but it'll not even feel it, and even if, then what is that compared to the rest of ZEDs incoming? Do you think u can kill for example a Husk with a knife? Technically possible if it's just a lone ZED and if you dodge alot, but why if u can keep distance and spam him with pistol?

 

[Benjamin]

Not completly useless, I use it on single clots. But for groups of clots:
Grenades, Pistol, random weapons I could pick up from around, pistol again when I find ammo. On suicidal u can stick the knife up clot's, but it'll not even feel it, and even if, then what is that compared to the rest of ZEDs incoming? Do you think u can kill for example a Husk with a knife? Technically possible if it's just a lone ZED and if you dodge alot, but why if u can keep distance and spam him with pistol?

For small groups of weaker enemies such as clots the knife is usually far better since you don't use any ammo and you can decapitate them quickly. Of course you wouldn't use the knife for the stronger enemies like husks and sirens.

 

[Compass]

If you can't solo Clots and Gorefasts with a knife, you're doing something wrong. I can understand headshotting a bloat, but Clots, Gorefasts, and even Husks are soloable with a knife with NO RISK to damage.

 

[BenioX]

If you can't solo Clots and Gorefasts with a knife, you're doing something wrong. I can understand headshotting a bloat, but Clots, Gorefasts, and even Husks are soloable with a knife with NO RISK to damage.

I agree except on HUSK. They mostly keep distance and before you reach them they might get u (not saying that everyone has this prob, but overall it is still not recomended)

 

[Undedd Jester]

I think I'd swing with the machete either being 1 weight block or a total replacement for the knife. I think I was the first (or one of the first) to suggest it as a replacement ages ago, but then again I might be talking out of my arse. Either way its still a good idea.

It would definately need some kind of redeeming feature though, and although I'm not a huge fan of being able to decapitate alot of enemies at once, its one of the better buff suggestions out there. My only real complaint is if the machete can decap multiple foes, I can't think of a reason why the Katana, Axe and Chainsaw wouldn't be able to other than "Its needed for balance".

I came up with this variation of the Riot Shield idea that has been suggested so many times before off the top of my head if people fancy a read as an alternative buff.

Warning! Slight Wall Of Text!

Spoiler!

Only other one I can think of is give the machete a limited block ability or for realism give it a Riot Shield or something. For explanations sake, since the machete is a 1 handed weapon not unlike a Baton, and since the less lethal Baton wouldn't be much good against pain loving specimens, Police Forces decided it should be replaced with the more deadly machete.

When buying the weapon, I'd say have it as a seperate purchase from the Machete at something like

 

[timur]

if I can't buy Katana I run around to find other weapons than knife. Do you SERIOUSLY use a knife just because you can't buy Katana? Why not buy axe then? I think Machete shouldn't even exist as it's cheap and weak. Knife is ofc alot better imo than machete. Even improving machete won't change it - the machete will never be bought as u can buy alot better guns, cheap as well.

I buy the axe. Many people love the axe. In fact, its about 50/50 to knife-weilders to axe-men. But its pretty much 0 for the machetes right now.

 

[slavek]

Give machete a AOE damage slash attack allowing it to hit multiple enemies. Would not require any animations, only some code and it would make it a interesting weapon with a unique ability. Machete for crowds, Axe for heavies? Make it a side grade.