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[pachuco]

The castle weapon has been brought up many times as being overpowered. I agree that it is a very powerful weapon, and it does need tweaking. This is my proposal. Please post your thoughts and discuss.

Background Info:

The castle is indeed very powerful. But it has a limited range. A very short range in fact. Add to that the scatter effect of it, and it's basically a shotgun.

If you've ever played first person shooters (or have used one in real life), you know that the shotgun is a very powerful weapon as well. But only in close range. Shotguns' bullets scatter in pellets when fired, covering a very large range of effect. So at a long range, they're useless. Only a few may hit the target. At close range, all of them hit the target at a very powerful force.

My Problem:

This is how the castle should function. Since the range is already shortened, the castle cannot do much at long range. It's arrows scatter enough to not be accurate. But if they do hit anything, they hit with the full force of the shot. At close range, every arrow will hit the target each with full damage.

The problem here lies in the velocity of the shot. It never changes from the time of firing to the time of impact. When you fire a shotgun, the initial velocity is great, but over a long range the scattered pellets will not do much damage as they have slowed down and are inaccurate.

My solution:

Have the arrows of a castle simulate slowing down in velocity by decreasing the damage they do over time. At maximum range, a small arrow should hit for a bit less than a cannon, and the big arrow a bit more than a cannon (as it would be extremely difficult to hit anything with that due to horrible accuracy). At close range the damage would not change. But with the decreased damage at long range, people cannot shoot off of cliffs to get more range (it would just make their shots horribly weak). This would discourage anyone of spending the 150 or so resources to shoot something that hits for less than a cannon (which only costs 10 or so).

I realize my fix would be difficult to implement, but I think it would be the best solution to satisfy everyone. People who complain it is too powerful because of whatever can just get out of range, and people who say it's fine can just get closer. I believe that this fix would bring the most balance.


Discuss.

[MinusDriver]

Castle weapon is probably my favorite weapon. It can do damage from far range; as well as, close range when needed. The money isn't to much to use compared to high tier weapons. Compared to the cannon weapon which is pointless > castle weapon rocks. Overpowered maybe a little... maybe damage me tweaked a little tone it down.

[pachuco]

It can do damage from far range

which is not really what it's class of weapon should be doing. it should be weak at long range and strong at close range so that there is a balance

[godatplay]

That's a great post, thanks for making it so coherent and well written, too.

This is a good point, although you should be able to do better when you're at the top of a hill.  The fact that you can own someone with the castle on a hill just makes it more apparent that it's OP.  This probably says more about the level design than anything.

However, you do make a really good point, and we'll discuss it more here and see what we think.  I'd really enjoy a weapon that was short range and very damaging, but could still be used medium range if you had to and wouldn't be OP.

[pachuco]

You see, what I'm suggesting wouldn't stop anyone from shooting off a cliff for more range. They can do that all they want really. But it would be discouraging as the longer range meant less damage. They'd be better off using a cannon. And at medium range, it's sort of an even trade off: you lose some damage but also have a better hit than you would get from a rocket or so.

[godatplay]

Yeah, really good point.  Thanks for your suggestion, I think I'm coming around to it.

[TheBigCheese]

You'd have to find a way to make it blatant that it does less damage farther out, otherwise people would get angry because it didn't kill the enemy dino.

[godatplay]

Yeah, that's my biggest concern with this.  We might be able to do something content-related to make that more apparent though.

[CCM333]

I think best would to just shorten the range even more. Keep the damage it does but makes its range 1 shorter than it is now... or if thats not enough of a difference to be noticeable, then make it 2 if need be but its supposed to be a close range-pwn all weapon. The SAM compliments it with good far range.

[TheBigCheese]

Yeah, the range should be even shorter, especially since it is a first tier weapon.

[CCM333]

And if they simply shorten the range then they won't have to do all the other funky stuff other people are suggesting... Though I do like the bigger spread idea... it really would make it more like a shotgun...

[pachuco]

shortening the range doesn't solve the problem though. a dino can just as easily increase it's range by going to a steep  cliff, or any hill and do the same amount of damage. the second tier is just under a hill, making it an easy 2 shots from the castle on top of the hill. you can overshoot the tier as of now, so shortening the range won't have any affect.

if you say shorten the range more, then the weapon is useless as you would need to be on top of the enemy to hit it.

[CCM333]

... Well with the tier I think thats faulty design... It shouldn't be so steep... infact attacker shouldn't have the advantage... it should be going up as you get to tier 2 and 3

[TheBigCheese]

... Well with the tier I think thats faulty design... It shouldn't be so steep... infact attacker shouldn't have the advantage... it should be going up as you get to tier 2 and 3

Yeah. That makes sense. The tier 3 villages should be the highest, and the tier 1 villages would be is a valley.

[CCM333]

like in medevil times, the castles would be the tallest hill and the village around it... not the castle in the valey and the village in the hills... that would be plain silly...