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- Nov 1, 2018
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Would just like to post some ideas on much needed rework of various under-utilized catalysts. I think a common thread of these is depending on the AI choosing to use a special or using a bb etc. There is huge uncertainty in AI decision-making -- is my AI going to even try to proc these catalysts at all or is it going to just be a punching bag? Thus, in general catalysts should rather proc on the actions of the human attacker which can be better predicted (rift meta). The underused catalysts are:
(1) Tag n Gag: current: disable tag-in when AI tags out. this is almost never seen, the problem being uncertainty in AI tag and weakness of disable tag-in. rework: disable tag-in and use of outtakes for 10s (max 30s) after either player or AI tags in or out. adding disable outtakes gives much needed utility as this would counter xeno-doom-and-outtake strats, sketchy-outtake-to-proc-curse strat, and rerun w spam unblockable-low-cd-tagins strat.
(2) Special exception. Current: disable specials if AI uses a special move. While intended to counter special move spam, the problem now is that player can spam specials (cough cough Harle***) to prevent AI from ever using a special move to proc this. Rework: 10/20/35/50% chance to disable specials when the player uses a special.
(3) Marked for deletion. Current: death mark if player falls below 30/40/50/60/70% hp. Deathmark is too weak for AI as AI hardly attacks back in rift. Rework: 60s doom (maxlvl 30s) if player falls below 30/40/50/60/70% hp. This would synergize with reflect damage strats, but is not overpowered as it can be countered with immune/last stand etc. Doom fits better into the "marked for deletion" name imo.
(4) Record breaker: Current: chance for AI to inflict armor break on hit. permanent armor break if crit. This is only a 20% damage increase for AI which rarely hits back and is thus too weak. Rework: 5/7/10/12/15%chance to give AI 1evasion and 1precision and inflict armor break on player when AI gets hit. The problem with record breaker is the same as the problem with Thats All Folks, and should be solved the same way TAF was buffed. Record breaker should be allow greater chance for AI to fight back and be slippery (similar to reasoning devs put for TAF buff). Curse can be used to counter this, similar to TAF.
(5) Post-haste. Current: chance on AI getting hit by blockbuster to gain haste for 10s. Gain 30% meter after haste expires. The problem is that there are too many catalysts relating to blockbusters already compared to only 1 special exception cata, and thus the meta already uses special spam characters which would naturally make this cata useless. Rework: low chance (5/7/10/12/15%) on AI getting hit by anything to gain haste for 10s. This would serve the original intention of a generic haste catalyst and can be countered by curse, slow, meter control or stopping attack when haste procs. It is not too strong considering meter gain is a common substat and haste/meter gain caps out at 100%.
(6) Regen-X and Bleeding Guilty: current: chance to increase duration by up to 6s upon a regen buff on self or a bleed debuff on enemy. Currently, it is too weak since most regen or bleed lasts around 10s or longer. Increasing duration by max 6s does not really strengthen regen or bleed strats when their real weakness is easy counters. Rework: 10/20/30/40/50% chance upon gaining regen or inflicting bleed to also gain a permanent regen or inflict a permanent bleed. This rework will give a much needed buff by semi-countering easily accessible counters of bleed and ICU regen. The catalyst is still fully counterable with curse or immune. Basically, this catalyst should help make certain defense strats like bleed or regen harder to counter rather than doubling-down on the chance that the opponent will not try to counter at all.
(7) Overload. Current: 25% chance to stun on AI hitting player. Rework: 25% chance to stun player if AI gets hit when player has a full blockbuster.
(8) Rising Temperatures: Current: Gain 15/30s enrage every 5s. Again, weak since AI rarely gets chance to attack back. Rework: same, but attacks become unblockable at 5 stacks of enrage. This will really make it more viable as an impending doom catalyst rather than just-dont-get-hit-catalyst.
(9) Futile resistance: I think this catalyst was nerfed too much. tbh, piercing alone was sufficient (doubles player dmg if full piercing), there is no need to stick a 50% hp limit as well.
Rework: remove the 50% hp limit, and change the 6% of player max hp damage to 6% of AI max hp as damage. Futile still can be countered as usual by bruisers like bella (few and hard hits), critical hits, doom etc. But by using big bands max hp for reflect damage means that armor procs or blocks on big band will be more deadly if the AI invests a lot in HP. The problem right now is that you can brute force through futile resist 6% hp procs if they are occasional (you need 16 procs to die). For example, cerebella just cruises through Futile Resist with special spam, comfortably tanking the occassional reflect damage even when big band armor proc. Having this change will further incentivize hp stacking, and high proc damage will prevent brute force through armor by bruiser special spam, forcing consideration of big band armor proc.
(10) Eliza Pharaohmones. Current: 5% chance when hit to inflict hex and curse for 15s if lower percentage of hp than opponent. While slightly useful on bleed node, the problem is that this does not sync well with the available eliza SA. Rework: 5% chance when hit if lower hp than opponent to counterattack by instantly using a random sekhmet blockbuster if it is charged and ready. This proc will stun for the duration of sekhmet form. Much needed due to eliza AI being very much a punching bag due to vulnerable sweep attack. Not overpowered as can be countered by meter control or disable sekhmet blockbusters. The proc chance is low too.
(11) Peacock Hollow-points: Current: projectiles inflict Heavy Bleed, Cripple, and Armor break when blocked. Feels weak due to rare use by AI of specials and full ground combo (last hit is a shotgun projectile). Peacock AI, like eliza AI, loves to use sweep attack which leaves them very very vulnerable. Rework: every 15s/5s, a random George (bomb, car, plane) is summoned from the AI edge of screen chosen from special move available in the AI defender if that move is not on cooldown. This can be countered by Claw n Order or disable specials, but makes AI Peacock interesting by requiring players watch the clock for a timed block of the random George attack.
(12) Shot in the dark. Current: inflict wither when AI blocks a hit. Relatively weak due to AI rarely making successful blocks. Plus, there are too many cata related to blockbuster meter vs only 1 for special moves. Rework: inflict wither and disable specials and disable tagin when AI blocks a hit. This is necessary to avoid easy counters by using special spam characters (easily ignore wither) and really punish players that allow AI to block them. Not overpowered as can be countered by immune or not allowing AI to block.
(13) I also agree with prior posts that Cerebella's Strong-armed and Double's corrosive element need to be buffed as suggested in those posts. I
(1) Tag n Gag: current: disable tag-in when AI tags out. this is almost never seen, the problem being uncertainty in AI tag and weakness of disable tag-in. rework: disable tag-in and use of outtakes for 10s (max 30s) after either player or AI tags in or out. adding disable outtakes gives much needed utility as this would counter xeno-doom-and-outtake strats, sketchy-outtake-to-proc-curse strat, and rerun w spam unblockable-low-cd-tagins strat.
(2) Special exception. Current: disable specials if AI uses a special move. While intended to counter special move spam, the problem now is that player can spam specials (cough cough Harle***) to prevent AI from ever using a special move to proc this. Rework: 10/20/35/50% chance to disable specials when the player uses a special.
(3) Marked for deletion. Current: death mark if player falls below 30/40/50/60/70% hp. Deathmark is too weak for AI as AI hardly attacks back in rift. Rework: 60s doom (maxlvl 30s) if player falls below 30/40/50/60/70% hp. This would synergize with reflect damage strats, but is not overpowered as it can be countered with immune/last stand etc. Doom fits better into the "marked for deletion" name imo.
(4) Record breaker: Current: chance for AI to inflict armor break on hit. permanent armor break if crit. This is only a 20% damage increase for AI which rarely hits back and is thus too weak. Rework: 5/7/10/12/15%chance to give AI 1evasion and 1precision and inflict armor break on player when AI gets hit. The problem with record breaker is the same as the problem with Thats All Folks, and should be solved the same way TAF was buffed. Record breaker should be allow greater chance for AI to fight back and be slippery (similar to reasoning devs put for TAF buff). Curse can be used to counter this, similar to TAF.
(5) Post-haste. Current: chance on AI getting hit by blockbuster to gain haste for 10s. Gain 30% meter after haste expires. The problem is that there are too many catalysts relating to blockbusters already compared to only 1 special exception cata, and thus the meta already uses special spam characters which would naturally make this cata useless. Rework: low chance (5/7/10/12/15%) on AI getting hit by anything to gain haste for 10s. This would serve the original intention of a generic haste catalyst and can be countered by curse, slow, meter control or stopping attack when haste procs. It is not too strong considering meter gain is a common substat and haste/meter gain caps out at 100%.
(6) Regen-X and Bleeding Guilty: current: chance to increase duration by up to 6s upon a regen buff on self or a bleed debuff on enemy. Currently, it is too weak since most regen or bleed lasts around 10s or longer. Increasing duration by max 6s does not really strengthen regen or bleed strats when their real weakness is easy counters. Rework: 10/20/30/40/50% chance upon gaining regen or inflicting bleed to also gain a permanent regen or inflict a permanent bleed. This rework will give a much needed buff by semi-countering easily accessible counters of bleed and ICU regen. The catalyst is still fully counterable with curse or immune. Basically, this catalyst should help make certain defense strats like bleed or regen harder to counter rather than doubling-down on the chance that the opponent will not try to counter at all.
(7) Overload. Current: 25% chance to stun on AI hitting player. Rework: 25% chance to stun player if AI gets hit when player has a full blockbuster.
(8) Rising Temperatures: Current: Gain 15/30s enrage every 5s. Again, weak since AI rarely gets chance to attack back. Rework: same, but attacks become unblockable at 5 stacks of enrage. This will really make it more viable as an impending doom catalyst rather than just-dont-get-hit-catalyst.
(9) Futile resistance: I think this catalyst was nerfed too much. tbh, piercing alone was sufficient (doubles player dmg if full piercing), there is no need to stick a 50% hp limit as well.
Rework: remove the 50% hp limit, and change the 6% of player max hp damage to 6% of AI max hp as damage. Futile still can be countered as usual by bruisers like bella (few and hard hits), critical hits, doom etc. But by using big bands max hp for reflect damage means that armor procs or blocks on big band will be more deadly if the AI invests a lot in HP. The problem right now is that you can brute force through futile resist 6% hp procs if they are occasional (you need 16 procs to die). For example, cerebella just cruises through Futile Resist with special spam, comfortably tanking the occassional reflect damage even when big band armor proc. Having this change will further incentivize hp stacking, and high proc damage will prevent brute force through armor by bruiser special spam, forcing consideration of big band armor proc.
(10) Eliza Pharaohmones. Current: 5% chance when hit to inflict hex and curse for 15s if lower percentage of hp than opponent. While slightly useful on bleed node, the problem is that this does not sync well with the available eliza SA. Rework: 5% chance when hit if lower hp than opponent to counterattack by instantly using a random sekhmet blockbuster if it is charged and ready. This proc will stun for the duration of sekhmet form. Much needed due to eliza AI being very much a punching bag due to vulnerable sweep attack. Not overpowered as can be countered by meter control or disable sekhmet blockbusters. The proc chance is low too.
(11) Peacock Hollow-points: Current: projectiles inflict Heavy Bleed, Cripple, and Armor break when blocked. Feels weak due to rare use by AI of specials and full ground combo (last hit is a shotgun projectile). Peacock AI, like eliza AI, loves to use sweep attack which leaves them very very vulnerable. Rework: every 15s/5s, a random George (bomb, car, plane) is summoned from the AI edge of screen chosen from special move available in the AI defender if that move is not on cooldown. This can be countered by Claw n Order or disable specials, but makes AI Peacock interesting by requiring players watch the clock for a timed block of the random George attack.
(12) Shot in the dark. Current: inflict wither when AI blocks a hit. Relatively weak due to AI rarely making successful blocks. Plus, there are too many cata related to blockbuster meter vs only 1 for special moves. Rework: inflict wither and disable specials and disable tagin when AI blocks a hit. This is necessary to avoid easy counters by using special spam characters (easily ignore wither) and really punish players that allow AI to block them. Not overpowered as can be countered by immune or not allowing AI to block.
(13) I also agree with prior posts that Cerebella's Strong-armed and Double's corrosive element need to be buffed as suggested in those posts. I
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