EMP Update - Elf Rework (Proposal)

I really like the change to pure element, gives Elf a really unique feel as far as shooting people goes.

I'm not sure how I feel about the wind element changes, the vortex seems kind of weird to play around. Honestly I think this combined with the pure element gives Elf too much kiting power; how are you supposed to ever reach an Elf that can just vortex you back and then root you over and over again. On the other hand I suppose Elf arrows no longer apply knockback, so who knows how it'll play out in game.

The water elements seems a bit too strong to me. Imagine plopping that down in Blackouts flagroom and sending an offense in. That pyro's pretty much useless and then they're getting resistances too? I like that its a support kind of ability, but an aoe lingering buff seems a bit too strong.

Overall I think this rework pushes Elf in a positive direction without changing too much of its core gameplay.

 

I think elf will be fun to play with in normal games but it will be just as anoying as the earth element with wind because u still get stuck where you are. I think it will make the game more fun and balanced.

 

agree with everything except...

1. resistance 1 nerf - unless you stand in AOE, you get 3 seconds less of resistance than before. Not a fan of this for that reason and because it promotes camping
2. the AOE. like that one guy said this could be very OP in flagrooms etc. because your team could have constant regen and resistance while fighting (not to mention any chemist buffs). perhaps a splash effect would be better?
3. vortex range is too small. 3x3 isn't going to catch a lot of people. 5x5 would, imo, be much more effective and 'worth it' especially since it costs 1/8th your arrow pool @b0squet very cool idea though reminds me of Zac Q from league of legends
4. splash zone cooldown is kinda long. i feel like most ppl would just respawn to use the effect rather than wait it out

some questions:

is the knockdown from pure element long enough for Elf to land consecutive shots?
how is/would the water element AOE be indicated? How do I know if I'm in it or not?

i assume these changes aren't live and that this is a feedback thread for the ideas presented here. haven't logged into ctf in a while

 

be gone EARTH!

 

+50 clout points to @b0squet

 

As a relatively new Elf "main" on the block, I think that Elf has quite a lot of potential right now, and most of these changes are not necessary.

Sharpness II -> I
One of the first things I noticed when I started learning Elf was how easy it is to combo with it. I don't know what it is, but it feels as if Elf deals less knockback and has the vanilla "hit cooldown" reduced or something. Either way, it's very easy to combo someone compared to other classes. Combined with the Wind Element, it's quite easy to take out classes without a lot armor (Archer, Engineer, a bad Soldier, etc). A sharpness I wooden sword would make it parallel with medic and no longer one of the strongest weapons in the game, requiring more time to kill enemies. If they break your combo (or if you never had one), you drop health quite rapidly. More time to kill an enemy = more time they have to kill you.
I quite like the potentially massive damage output elf has right now.
-1

Armor Buff
Not necessary at all. Will make capping slightly easier (as if it isn't easy already with the slightest bit of support), but will allow it to be slightly tankier in combat.
+0

Arrow Gain on Kills
A nice addition, but unnecessary imo. If I need all my arrows to get a kill, I've most likely used all my steak too.
+0

Pure Element
I find chaining a couple Pure Element not to be too difficult against someone who cannot dodge them. If they can, it's a slightly different story, but still manageable. It takes 1.1 seconds to draw a bow in Minecraft. That leaves 0.35 seconds for the enemy to dodge/strafe, and even then, it's one direction or the other. Combined with hitboxes, etc. this would make Pure Element a bit too OP in my opinion. Also, it sometimes feel that the bow doesn't even need to be completely charged to actually chain a second shot, but slightly under 1.1 works too.
-1

Wind Element (Right Click)
Just because a feature isn't commonly used doesn't mean that you should try to change it. Still weak and seems like it would be used most for sh*ts and giggles. Especially now that it costs twice the amount of arrows.
+0

Water Element
Same as what was previously stated about usage in flag room.
-1

Earth Element
Didn't even work half the time anyways.
+1

Overall, a -1 due to the fact that with these changes, I believe the maximum skill cap on Elf will increase to a point where it is overwhelming, even if the average skill level increases to a point where the class is feasible.

Edit: Keep in mind I'm pretty **** at PvP.

 

I love it. I sorta like the concept of the wind element of being used to pull, it kinda combines the earth element with it, but it kinda ruins the "fun" part of elf. (I'm not talking about F.ly U.ntil N.ull) (Idk). The water element buff looks great, I don't see any downside until I get a hold of this rework . The pure element concept is a 10/10, allowing your opponents to stay put for 3/4's of a second might be what it needs. The armor buff is good, but reducing elf's damage is a stretch. Overall: 8.5/10

 

Regarding elf wind right click, we were going for an Orisa right click kind of ability.

 

Better than the old elf. I better try it out!

 

Sounds like a cool update

 

I like that we're looking at an armor buff for Elf. This has been one of my issues I feel for a while, is that Elf is way too squishy. That being said, I realize what is happening to the sword itself. From what we've talked about @b0squet you did indicate this change would essentially balance out.

This is where I disagree with the sword. I prefer a more aggressive style of gameplay and tend to engage anyone for the most part. I really think the sharp II sword is a better fit, due to the higher damage output than most classes. When dealing with ninja's, I especially feel this is the case, due to ninja's ability to perform quick and run strafing attacks, I feel a higher damage output will help remove the threat. Granted, the armor buff is the compromise made here. My other concern is heavier classes, such as Heavy, Medic, and Soldier which can be difficult when encountered if the individual is somewhat decent at PVP. Having a higher output on the sword puts it a little higher on the playing field with some of the more tank-like classes.

Final thoughts on the sword/shield is that to me, it feels that with a lower damage output, but better protection just prolongs the high potential you have to die to a particular individual.

As for the Shield, there are certainly some bugs to be patched/fixed with it, but overall I feel it seems to work most of the time. I don't know if this was on the drawing board at all, but maybe lengthen the amount of shield time a bit? If necessary, I'm sure there could be some kind of extra cost involved in an extended shield use?

Spoiler: Shield glitch example with stationary arrow.

Personally, I've never had a complaint about the amount of Steak. Happy to see this isn't changing.

I like the incentive to engage elf in pvp! Elf is a very powerful class if used correctly, and adds almost a multidimensional ability to use your surroundings to engage and defeat players.

I have always wondered if the elf shield would have more of an effect on classes like mage or engineer. For instance, with mage, it's highly unlikely, they will get hit with their own damage spell, unless you are staring directly at them and are rather close. Same with engineers. I think it would be nice for other projectile classes to get more of a penance for attacking an elf that has engaged their shield.

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This is really exciting to see, as it can be difficult to keep players stationary for enough with the earth element to switch to the pure element and get the required shots off accurately, and in time.
Excited to see how this works.

I'm still a little undecided about the right click wind feature here. Everyone knows that wind is the most spontaneous thing about elf (with the exception of maybe earth), but over time, I have learned the so-called quirks to it. It has a great potential to create distance between yourself and attackers (Something that's beneficial if you have a heavy or a more powerful class that is too close and you wish to create a space to use the pure element without suffering damage.). Several other benefits that it has currently, (if used correctly), is winding players away from flag carrier, using wind to move a specific player into headshot distance or to wind them completely off the map or to clear a flagroom before entry as in the gif below. All of these I've used several times, and even though the wind element has random results at times, I still believe it has current potential the way it is.

Spoiler: Clearing flagroom

Really nice to see a buff to the water element. It is one of the more buggy elements with Elf. I like the concept of the splash zone, I believe it has great potential for gameplay. I am curious, however, will the AOE benefits apply only to yourself or your teammates as well? If an enemy player walks into the zone, will the receive the same effects? I feel some people might find this rather OP, so I'm sure there is some way to work with whatever buffs the player receives within the AOE.

This is a tough one for me personally. Yes, the earth element is very glitchy at times, and a lot of people have difficulty getting it work properly, but I feel like a lot of practice it can be mastered easily. I use it quite a bit actually throughout my Elf gameplay, and it can be rather efficient depending on how you apply it to the situation you're in. Many people use it for protection against ninjas or clearing the flag room of them, however, depending on how experienced the player is, this can sometimes be avoided by the ninja entirely. It's more than just spamming the element which most individuals tend to do, but rather predicting where your enemy will be and using it with the correct timing. This, however, goes back to what I said earlier and the main complaint with this element is its reliability which can be annoying, even for people who use it a lot. There are times where no matter how sure of using it, it still does not work correctly. Maybe consider making it potentially easier to use with more of a cooldown to prevent spam?

Spoiler: Earth Element Defense example

Spoiler: Earth Element Defense/support example

I don't usually put this much thought into a class suggestion or input, but after playing Elf for a few months, I think it has potential to have a great impact on CTF as a whole. These are my thoughts.

 

Does it take me falling off of the earth to finally get an elf rework?

 

yes

 

I think (as mentioned before) that the wind element's push function should remain unchanged. Adding a toggle to vortex/push is fine, but I find that the current wind element's ability to deal fall damage can greatly help elf survive, especially in high-altitude areas, like Skyworlds <insert version here>. In addition, the current state can push flag carriers or anyone else off the map.

It seems that earth element is just being replaced by wind element, but the current mechanics are fine.

 

Honestly the shield needs a rework as well, The shield as it stands is laughably easy to bypass as chemist. I don't have to aim directly at the shield to hit my target. When I cross paths with a shield spam elf, I can just aim slightly below their feet. The pot no longer has enough air time left for the shield to grab it and chuck it back at me and will hit it's mark that way. Plus I figured out a way to avoid getting bounce back even if I hit the shield. I adjust my aim and go for the side. The pot skips off the side of the shield and goes a different direction. Any skilled chemist can instantly nullify whatever benefits the shield provides.

I'd say make the shield to where you can either bounce the projectile back at the same direction your opponent is automatically. Or add a manual feature where you can at least partially control it.

 

Nice

 

The new shield could launch the projectile in the direction you are looking

 

SOON™

 

#BelieveInB0s

 

If this comes out before 2019 I'll be impressed.