Lightning Gun: one gun to rule them all. Ideas how to rebalance it.

[c3]

No, you dont get it.
The weapon balance was made this way so each weapon has its specific use and no weapon is good in every situation. The state of weapon balance is well displayed at pro level, where no weapon really stands out. And if it does, RL is the one being used most commonly.
Also, with 23 duels and no tdm games played, I dont think you have an idea how would rebalancing LG affect the game. Dont forget that CA is a hybrid mode that lacks the major principles of quake. Not to mention a simple solution could be having less lg ammo at start.

^ haha, ouch. The apparent judgmental tone I'm sensing here is a bit insulting, but that's ok, people naturally judge a book by its cover. I'm not here to judge the merits of one's comments, but to merely contribute to the thread.

I can assure you I'm more qualified than most to discuss this issue. I'm an accomplished dueler and tdm'er and all I have to say about your reference to my 'QLIVE Stats,' is well... so little do you know, and:

*FACEPALM*

Lorfa: This is your queue to get my back

Now, back on topic...

[c3]

This was already done. It was originally this way in Quake Live but was changed before mid 2010 some time.

It was 7-6-5, where up close it did 7 dmg per "jolt", tapering down to 5 dmg in 3 levels.

This was wildly unpopular with the community. They demanded it be changed to 7-7-7.

Didn't know that. In any event, I'm fine the way it is, but I'm open to changes to alter the gameplay a bit. I'm still all for faster rockets (yes, I know this is an lg thread).

[c3]

To be fair, we demanded all sorts of variants 777 is what id finally did. iirc most q3 variants had 888 for the lg, so it got it's fair amount of Nerf.

@c3: don't think in weapon vs weapon. That's not a good way to balance weapons. They are situational. And when you hit 40% lg, that's your reward for out-positioning your opponent.

Take my suggestions w/ a grain of salt. I'm cool w/ the current balance of the weapons, but I'm open to changes nonetheless...

My point is simple: an LG will generally win a battle against someone using just a RL... suggesting that everything is situational is a moot point because there are literally thousands and thousands of different 'situations' in quake, correct? Are we going to discuss every possible 'situation' that you may encounter in quake or speak in terms we can understand? Players have different styles, and many prefer the RL over the LG, which is natural, as w/ people such as myself starting in netquake, an RL vs LG battle is nearly 50/50. Both weapons were extraordinarily powerful and both equally effective. People had the option to use and RL or LG in a given situation, not forced to use a specific weapon because of its overall effectiveness.

This whole idea of 'balancing' has become a nightmare because of new players, yet the elitist quakers out there think they have all the answers. I'm preaching the contrary and am open to changes that may alter Quake Live's overall gameplay to change it up a bit. This game is old as dirt and the population is dwindling quickly... To think the game is perfect as it is... Well... that's your own prerogative (I'm not suggesting you are one of these people btw ).

To some degree, you must think of one weapon's impact on another, not just situations, because there are too many to count. Stregthening or weakening the LG directly changes the complexity of the remaining weapons. RL, Rail, all become more powerful and effective weapons if the LG is weakened, which changes everything. So, simply focusing on one weapon, LG in this case, doesn't make sense if you don't account for the impact it has on the others and how people will react to such a change.

[malk_]

Players have different styles, and many prefer the RL over the LG, which is natural

Once you reach a certain level it's about chosing a weapon because of the situation you're in. You can't balance the weapons so LG vs RL is fine and hope that it works for the real games. Angryi made a nice point you ignored: you can see at pro level that no weapon is overused or so imba that it gets used all the time. Also no weapon is so weak that it never gets used.

My point was: If you say "LG always wins versus RL", that is no reason to rebalance the weapons. You have to come up with something better. I still think the balance is fine even tho you won't win a thunderstruck ca 1v1 with rl vs lg.

And regarding the quote, look at k1llsen (safe to say he's a pro RG player) or strenx (same with LG). Imo it's a sign of good balance that those players don't excel with focussing on their beloved weapons. Other players on their level were/are able to outplay and counter them.

[Angryi]

^ haha, ouch. The apparent judgmental tone I'm sensing here is a bit insulting, but that's ok, people naturally judge a book by its cover. I'm not here to judge the merits of one's comments, but to merely contribute to the thread.

I can assure you I'm more qualified than most to discuss this issue. I'm an accomplished dueler and tdm'er and all I have to say about your reference to my 'QLIVE Stats,' is well... so little do you know, and:

*FACEPALM*

Lorfa: This is your queue to get my back

Now, back on topic...

I liked the 'I had won 70k $ therefore I am more qualified than you on this topic' part much better, too bad you edited it. Even though I dont see it being any relevant.
My point here is not to flame with you though - Im simply saying that lg is not any overpowered in duel or tdm, the main ql mods. Sure, it all comes down to personal preferences and opinions, thats why I mentioned the pro scene, where no weapon is clearly dominating - and despite what you said, there are many mid range lg vs rl battles, where people actually opt to use the RL (unlike in cpma vq3).
And I just cant imagine those 2.5k CA games played not affecting your opinion without proper counterpart (duel, tdm).