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The Point of Selective Traits/Abilities
Scymon
Posts: 20
I'm wanting to ask this just to get a better idea of the game design behind it. So why do only certain characters have significantly better traits than others? Take like Megatron and Motormaster have chances to pull off unstoppable moves that you just can't do anything about. Or with Ratchet and one other (I forget the name) they're the only ones with the ability to heal themselves, though it is a small amount, no other characters can do that.
I guess you could make the argument to just use those characters yourself so you have that same advantage, but I just want to know the reasoning in being so selective about who gets better abilities/traits.
Also what is with the AI for Ironhide in higher ranks/levels? I swear it feels like it has a higher understanding on how to be frame perfect, but that may just be me having started this like about a month ago and am still getting used to the mechanics.
Again, I just want to clarify so I don't get misunderstood or start anything unnecessary, I'm not complaining about these things, just trying to get a better understanding of where it fits in the game design.
I guess you could make the argument to just use those characters yourself so you have that same advantage, but I just want to know the reasoning in being so selective about who gets better abilities/traits.
Also what is with the AI for Ironhide in higher ranks/levels? I swear it feels like it has a higher understanding on how to be frame perfect, but that may just be me having started this like about a month ago and am still getting used to the mechanics.
Again, I just want to clarify so I don't get misunderstood or start anything unnecessary, I'm not complaining about these things, just trying to get a better understanding of where it fits in the game design.
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Comments
And, abilities/skills seem to be chosen based on the theme of the character. Ratchet is a medic, so he can heal... Motormaster is angry giant ****, he gets unstoppable, etc.
Which skills are better is subjective. You may feel unstoppable is powerful, but someone else may not.
Brawlers>Warriors
Warriors>Scouts
Scouts>Techs
Techs> Demolition
Demolition>Tactician
Tactician>Brawlers
You just have to find which class and bot work best for you. For instance, my 3* Grindor and soundwave are hands down the biggest badasses in my lineup, so I focus everything on them first, they're both maxed out Ore13 wise, so now I'm forging them up to level 100 as quick as I can.
This game is far, FAR from perfect, but it is a great game nonetheless, is the one game I've had installed for the longest time. Don't throw the towel if you get frustrated, it has gotten better the last few months, so it actually feels like you're making a dent on your progress.
To @AAGZ0921 , I do thoroughly enjoy this game, especially that it has so much you can do and you never really find yourself bored waiting to do something. I don't doubt this game will improve, and I'm not even close to quitting on this game. Sure I get a little annoyed sometimes when the AI performs frame perfect moves, or when something works for them but it somehow doesn't work the same for me, but it would take so much more for this game to frustrate me enough to uninstall it. Also, I understand the class advantages, it clearly states it in game, it's more down to the specifics of bot to bot, rather than class to class. As I mentioned to the other two, it just seems like some bots are given abilities from the get-go just to make them harder or more annoying to fight. Like with some AI's, they will continually back step and side step to force you to initiate, and then they trap you in a combo you can't get out of until they're done. Granted that's with some higher ranked AI's, but that just doesn't seem like a fun design.
So it's not about giving all bots the same abilities, it's about giving other bots specific abilities as well that match with their character and help them stand out a little more and maybe make them more viable in fights. Who knows, maybe some time down the line they might do that, but until then I'll still enjoy the game as is.
Click 'info' and click abilities in the top right corner, you'll see a list for every character you select.
For example, Ratchet has +20% criticals (upgradable with rank) on range attacks, can cause shock damage and has a chance to stun per shock stack.
Can you give an example of a bot with no abilities?
The goal for any game of course is for all abilities to be equal and balanced (see the recent nerf to the two very things you said are too strong). It's an impossible balancing act and things will always shift in and out of being meta based on the current balance patch.
The problem is when there is a lack of balancing or extended periods of time without change.
In regards to unstoppable, there is plenty you can do about it. Unstoppable does not mean unblockable or unavoidable. Get used to moving around the ring. Learn how to dodge attacks, either dashing back or sidestepping depending on the type of attack being used. Megatron will often spam his heavy when unstoppable and this is easily telegraphed and can be sidestepped.
It's the reason one bot gets a skill and another doesn't. If you were a transformers fan from the g1 era and followed the series to present, you'd be familiar with their character traits and see that many skills fit thematically.
Your post sounds exactly like you are complaining that it is unfair all bots arent given "the most powerful" skills.
Besides, everyone who has played this game long enough knows that DoT (damage over time - shock/bleed/burn) skills are hands down the most powerful in the game.
This is why everyone wants Grimlock.
As for the other bots with abilities that aren't unstoppable or abilities that can occur multiple times, I've usually seen that those abilities need specific triggers to make them activate, where unstoppable just happens whenever it wants. Also, those other abilities that come up every so often in a single match (like with Barricade and his evasion, though that pops so often) it just doesn't seem like they're as significant as something like unstoppable. Maybe it's more of the game not having a huge sign saying the ability activated is what's making me feel like the other abilities aren't as effective.
Concerning how to counteract unstoppable and the like, I've done relatively well dealing with it, it's just a nuisance sometimes when they catch me off guard or in the middle of a charge (which is entirely my fault with a mix of the AI knowing when you exactly make movements and being frame perfect).
As for the DoT abilities, I already know how strong they are, I regularly use a tier 3 special just to avoid dying to it against AI. But those kinds of abilities are pretty finicky, some bots have them easily available, like blade wielding bots cause bleed pretty easily with basic attacks. But with a majority of the other bots, DoT is usually activated through a special which does significantly balance it. The only concern I would have for the DoT attacks would be the stacking of bleed so easily, though it doesn't do too much, if stacked it lasts for a good while which can cause significant damage.
Lastly, why are you questioning if someone is a big enough fan or not when this has to do with game mechanics. Sure the show ties in with the game by giving the devs somewhere to pull info about the bots and how to develop them in the game, but that's it, once that info has been put in, the only thing that matters is whether or not it works in the game the way it should or if it needs balancing. The fact you're bringing in being a "big enough fan" is you trying to show off how big of a fan you are as well as almost going to the point of gamer gating others. Does it matter all that much how big of a fan someone is? Maybe there are players coming in who only know the bots from the movies, or from the more modern cartoons.
But I'm not talking about why abilities trigger, I'm talking about how they're balanced among the other abilities and how those other abilities can counter or match up to the specific ones I've talked about. Or did you not read the title of my thread? I'm not asking how I can trigger specific abilities of bots, but thank you for the advice to look it up online if I don't have those bots in my lineup. So please, think before you consider posting; if you have to ask yourself if your comment/post is going to be beneficial to the thread or conversation, then you either need to rewrite it or just not post it. That way, maybe next time you won't come across as a jerk and you won't have to waste your time posting in "pointless threads".
Relax buddy you asked we told don't get you're panties in a stretch
The point of different abilities is to make the game interesting and promote collecting the right bots for the job.They're balanced by making minor changes to their effects as and when different abilities ae deemed to powerful or not powerful enough. Except of course when a character gets completely destroyed by a huge step change in his ability rather than a slight one (looking at you Ratchet!). The change to Motormaster's unstoppable duration made him much easier to counter yet still a powerful offensive weapon though.
As you get further in the game you'll see the benefits and power of different abilities. Waspinator can almost always retaliate with a special after having been knocked down, Mirage can hurt most bots without taking damage with careful use of his heavy, Rhinox can beat opponents just by blocking - these are all powerful skills that bots have that aren't quite spelled out in the information but you learn by playing the game.
You say we didn't understand your topic... Some of us come back and explain how bots are assigned abilities - through the personalities that have been written into them throughout the various series.
The comment wasn't intended to "gamer gate" you (this is even a thing? lol!). It's exactly the explanation you are looking for. My point was that if you knew the characters, you wouldn't even have had the question in the first place. It wasn't to say you should go watch every episode, movie and read every book... It's just the answer to your question.
Stop being such a snowflake. I'm offended you're offended by me not even attempting to be offensive. It offends me. Trying to spin this into some sexist/racist "gamergate" controversy is a very big stretch and laughable.
You just aren't getting the answer you thought you'd get and now you're upset, so you're arguing whatever you can.
@Amano that comment in specific is only directed towards @DzSloots comment because there was no point in posting what they said. So yeah my panties are gonna get in a stretch because they aren't adding anything to the conversation, and their comment isn't even close to the point of this thread. Overall I've been fine with everyone's comments (the whole fan thing with @Manthro is a mix because I'm legitimately asking why it matters how much of a fan someone is) but @DzSloots comment was uncalled for.
@Manthro I will admit and apologize I went too far and read too into your comment about being a fan of the series and added in my own narrative, it was uncalled for (especially trying to horribly tie in gamer-gating). I will say that I brought up in the original post why certain bots got specific abilities over others, but as the conversation went on, I understood it ties in with their characteristics and I went more in the direction of how the abilities got balanced among others.
Now, if you don't have the bot it can be very confusing and can seem random in the chaos of battle.
For example, before I had megatron I was confused about what made unstoppable trigger all the time so I asked an alliance member to show me a screenshot of the ability page so I could understand.
You said you own motormaster, so you should know exactly how unstoppable works for him, it's not random. In the description it says it's from dashing forward and from his S2.
For Megatron it's based on health thresholds.
Checking all bots, even if you don't plan to use them, will help when you fight against them and hopefully get caught off guard less and reveal abilities that aren't exactly clear or not shown at all during battle.
I don't know if Megatron is paired with any special mod in any of the story or special missions, I just can't remember
Even Sideswipe is fun for me although he probably has the least impressive ability now. Unless it's Bludgeon. But here I can't even say for sure who I think is weakest because none of them are truly bad.
I'd say Mixmaster is the most distinctive now. My personal fav is Windblade. I don't really do well with Motormaster, but others in my alliance use him to roll over everything. I actually really dislike using Bonecrusher even though he's clearly my strongest bot (because I've got the most dupes with him as a rank3 4*, not because his traits are inherently better than anyone else's). I have the most trouble fighting Ultra Magnus because his sp1 pretty much always gets me. But I can beat Ratchet even if he's x5 stronger than the bot I'm using. Other people find Ratchet a real challenge. OGPrime is my second strongest and he just carved through the most armored bots, but Mirage is my second favorite because he has so much versatility... you get my point, right? Each bot is unique. If you think one bot is clearly better than the others, it's probably because you're more familiar with that bot, not because it really is so much better
Well seems your only person in game with this issue...
Now if you died and fight him after he's below the threshold he will activate it upon being hit. No different than mv1 low life or megatrons heal ect and other below threshold skill
That kind of thing is very easy to happn and is no criticism. If it isn't what happened and you can show the bot behaving weirdly, send a ticket to the dev team, I'm sure they'll care to fix it. My experience, Kabam are pretty responsive to problems that are actual problems