blackout.. bug or design flaw? | Forums

[LiquidX74]

ok so I just got hit a couple times by blackout.. and I noticed that it not only disables me, but it burns my special ability cooldown even though I never used it. IE: walk up, get hit by blackout, blitz is now on cooldown.

This is complete garbage. I'm ok with it disabling me and breaking my ability if I had used it - but it puts it on cooldown even when I haven't used it? That's the most broken bs I've seen.

I really hope that's a bug and not a function of the blackout ability.
confirm / deny?

[JohnoBurr]

It is the side-effect of the Blackout, so yes it is part of the design, not a bug.

[LiquidX74]

I have no words for how terrible a design decision that is.

It's no different that saying someone who gets hit by blitz but killed before they get up has to wait out the duration on their back when they spawn next (except obviously far more imbalanced). The fact that it puts abilities that have not been triggered on cooldown is entirely broken.

disabling active abilities.. fine
disabling players and their ability to shoot.. fine

but carrying over through a spawn? entirely broken.

[cirem]

ok so I just got hit a couple times by blackout.. and I noticed that it not only disables me, but it burns my special ability cooldown even though I never used it.

That's what EMPs usually do: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

[LiquidX74]

Yea, and this game has a real basis in reality with heat rays, exoskeletons, and invulnerability bubbles right?
Further, if you want to talk about "doing what emp's do" then a real emp would disable all electronics, not just enemy.

The point is, it's punishing a player twice for getting hit by it, as opposed to all other abilities that punish players only once. thus, it is in a state of imbalance. Three times if you want to get really technical.

1) disables the player - allowing for easy kills
2) disables any active abilities - negating any advantage the enemy may have had
3) makes abilities there were not used, unusable for their full duration cooldown - or if your ability was on cooldown, it resets the cooldown to full duration.

That last one is garbage.

[suprhero]

Hear it straight from the DEVS

The answer you are all looking for is @ 2minutes and 35 seconds, enjoy.

[chemzero]

ok so I just got hit a couple times by blackout.. and I noticed that it not only disables me, but it burns my special ability cooldown even though I never used it. IE: walk up, get hit by blackout, blitz is now on cooldown.

This is complete garbage. I'm ok with it disabling me and breaking my ability if I had used it - but it puts it on cooldown even when I haven't used it? That's the most broken bs I've seen.

I really hope that's a bug and not a function of the blackout ability.
confirm / deny?

Intended. It shorts out your electrical systems, which is why it blinds you - it shorts out your goggles and overloads your device systems, burning your ability in the process.

[LiquidX74]

Intended. It shorts out your electrical systems, which is why it blinds you - it shorts out your goggles and overloads your device systems, burning your ability in the process.

Which is fine. but the fact that it burns out non active abilities means it makes you less effective for 2+ minutes. AFTER the spec kills you the first time. Meaning, it deprives you of using your supposedly fun ability for that length of time.

That is a poor design choice.

breaking active stuff... no problem
disabling the player... no problem
breaking stuff that hasn't been used, punishing the player for getting hit by blackout (who likely has already been killed) for 2+ minutes? ... problem.

[chemzero]

Well this is why we gather player feedback

Personally I think that the ability burn is what gives it value over Aegis. The spec's abilities are supposed to overwhelm and disable the other team. Without the burn, the stun would need to be a lot longer, which would make it severely imbalanced.

Just my perspective^^

[cirem]

My opinion: I like blackout exactly as it is right now