[SUGGESTION] Rebalancing and making reasonable (nerfing?) shockers

To elaborate, their special attack. To put it in perspective, why exactly is a zombie, in possesion of malfunctioning bionics, able to accurately and reliably able to bolt the main character and only the main character? Even with the possibility of slight intelligence, it just seems unreasonable, given how much should be stopping them. This is contrast to the bio operator’s bionics, which are actually sort of working like they should, and have a reason why they would work on the PC (bodily context commands, for instance). Bio operators are fine.
If i may make a suggested change, perhaps replace the shocker’s special attack with a constant effect, where small amounts of sparks would emit into the nearby environment (1-4 square range), agitating when the shocker is struck, or when it passes by metallic terrain or objects? This would better reflect the condition of as well as the extent of the zombie’s ability to utilise it’s bionics, i believe.

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+1

Now at a glance I thought this was mindless whining, but then I read the whole thing and it makes sense. +1. I might even be able to code it.

As an addition, the shocker brute should still shoot lightning. He has a reason to be able to do that.

EDIT: I could code it but then someone would have to fix it, so there’s really no point.

if the shocker has no reason to shoot lightning… how does the brute variant have one?

It’s huge and it has more CBMs. Also, they are rare and should keep being dangerous.

It would still be dangerous as its still a brute you can t meele with conductive weapons. Perhaps a constant stream of sparks would be even more hazardous then an arc every now n then.

How about making an evolved variant that can use an emp field discharging all your bionic energie.

Actually, that makes me wonder, are shockers or bio operators affected by EMP?

So instead of occasionally firing a targeted burst of electricity, it would emit small arcs into the environment around itself?
That sounds pretty reasonable.

No one ever heard of the http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFun

Or quoting our greatest poet:

Sorry if i am harsh, but it’s my opinion.

[quote=“StopSignal, post:9, topic:8133”]No one ever heard of the http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFun

Or quoting our greatest poet:

Sorry if i am harsh, but it’s my opinion.[/quote]
WHAT DID YOU DO?!
ITS TVTROPES.ORG!

Wilson, that was extremely unnecessary.

Edit: For the record, Wilson held down enter for about a solid minute. Or was it an image?

I’d suggest making that image a bit more tiny.

There was supposed to be an image, but it broke so… I fixed eet.

We have, and that’s why it’s cited in the design doc.

The Rule of Fun is not the MST3K Mantra though. I’m not sure how the shocker zed aims the bolt either. I could guess it had a finger-laser and that creates a more conductive path for the charge

BUT

civvies generally wouldn’t have finger lasers. So perhaps the brute might have one, being some other sort of mech-aug.

I’m OK with making generi-shockers emit an electric field.

Hmm. In this case, i have a countersuggestion: Make it target metalic stuff. I am pretty sure most late survivors have metal stuff. Science!

I feel like if we do this, we should add another range based zombie.

I do find the electrocannon effect rather odd for the shockers (especially as a malfuctioning random bionic.) I like

this as an addition as well. Though, I question if perhaps this might make shockers too weak? They’re already really easy to spot and pop in low light conditions. Perhaps if in exchange they weren’t lit up like a Christmas tree or so obvious until they activated their arc field in close quarters?

[quote=“Belteshazzar, post:17, topic:8133”]I do find the electrocannon effect rather odd for the shockers (especially as a malfuctioning random bionic.) I like

this as an addition as well. Though, I question if perhaps this might make shockers too weak? They’re already really easy to spot and pop in low light conditions. Perhaps if in exchange they weren’t lit up like a Christmas tree or so obvious until they activated their arc field in close quarters?[/quote]

Here I thought the arc field would be more or less constant. Electric critters glowing is a further incentive to have ranged-combat abilities–see 'em at night and twang.

[quote=“StopSignal, post:9, topic:8133”]Or quoting our greatest poet:

Sorry if i am harsh, but it’s my opinion.[/quote]

Your simply wrong with that … at least about my opinion. i am all for hard gameplay but i wouldn t want something implemented that makes no sense.
Its one reason why i liked the ops idea cause it made sense to me.

I mentioned this some wheres else I think; shockers being able to force-grab metallic weapons or objects from the player. Is it fun? I don’t know.