Kanes Wrath

Hexapod with a single shot, instataneously kills 11 orcas. If it didn't happen to me personally, I'd say it was baloney, but the replay is clear proof*

Is it intentional? I think not. In fact, it explains why the hexapod with disk launcher is so unusually good vs infantry (the splash damage gives an unintended damage multiplier insidiously hitting multiple units, not to mention that infantry groups cluster). I've actually had games (laughable ones) where hexapods became heroic after simply standing and shooting down infantry groups with disk lauchers (a supposedly non-infantry weapon). Talk about having your cake and eating it too...

Anyway, balance suggestion. Hexa anti air attacks don't do splash damage, not to vehicles, not to infantry, and especially not to ORCAS! And before you start arguing against, actually watch the replay.

*Replay is about 7 mins long (don't try to extract any tactical data from it; i was just goofing around with some noob). Right as the hexapod begins walking out of his base, follow the hexa and count the shots fired. I doubt you'll have a hard time with counting.

This post has been edited by SubakuGaara: Sep 1 2009, 20:21 PM

Didn't watch the replay, but i'm assuming they clumped up. Use formation move, it makes your units spread out so they don't get mass murdered by anti air. Default formation move order is a normal move order, just with both mouse buttons instead of one.

I'm saying the hexapod is too good vs infantry and air craft. I show this example with orcas because

1) its kinda funny
2) it makes the point extremely clear

but the statement that using formation move just seems to me an unreasonable response. Certainly good play can circumvent balance issues, but it doesn't excuse their existence.

This post has been edited by SubakuGaara: Sep 1 2009, 20:36 PM

the description for epics does say "strong against everything", but i agree: hexapod one-shotting orcas is lame

New OP strat: Spreading your shit out.

Try it out.

Use juggs to counter epics then, but really, if your opponent put shocks into his hex for anti air and you sent orcas at it then you were kinda asking for them to be slaughtered

Look man, its a simple question. Should Hexapods be one shotting orcas? Maybe. Should they be one shotting multiple orcas at a time? Hell no. Good play should circumvent balance issues, but it doesn't ever excuse them.

@wanliang
I'm currently in the top 60 on the ladder board. I know how to counter hexas and you guys are seeing this as a tactical complaint. Its not. Its simply an illustration of something that most likely is an unintentional consequence of the hexas weapon design. Again, its akin to say the marv missile turret or railgun doing splash damage so that its ends up better than both the sniper turret and the infantry turret. You can't have your cake and eat it too, yet that apparently doesn't apply to the hexa.

This post has been edited by SubakuGaara: Sep 1 2009, 21:10 PM

lol, just watched it, i never seen tripple airfield build with 12 orcas, so i wont judge if that a bad move or not.

-i belive disc launcher or w.e.they are called are, rocket based weaponary.

-rockets have splash damage.

-even if you had 100 orcas agaist 5 missle trooper if they were clumped up like they were in your replay they will all blow up.

-scatter your units.

is it cool if i make a monatge out of your replay

hmm i was about to say the same thing.

1. never send orcas near a hex.
2. when ever using aircraft either use formation move or when they are clumped press ctrl + x (or your custom scatter key if you have one).
3. Try posting this in balance thead

I've seen no proof of that ever.

Make the montage if you wish.

@I.AM.OP and everyone who keeps saying formation move is the answer
You're missing the point. Formation move or not, its a balance issue and a pretty serious one. Here are the balance questions:

1) As far as I know, MARV and Redeemer rockets don't do splash damage. Why should the hexapod's anti air attack be exempt?
2) This anti-air splash damage makes the Hexa's anti air attack a potent anti infantry weapon as well. Is this fair? I think not seeing as the MARV and Redeemer don't have a garrison weapon that is potent against all Air, Vehicles, Infantry, and Buildings.
3) Doesn't the disk launcher garrison not only nullify the need for the other Hexa garrisons (barring the prodigy/mastermind and possibly the assimilator) in that case?

I'm also pretty sure that scrin disk shard launchers function the same way. Can I ask why GDI and NOD have to lay down 7 or 8 Sam turrets/missile turrets to gain the same functionality as 3 or 4 shard launchers? Look, overall I just don't think shard launchers should be doing splash.

ill agree with you that its kinda ridiculous that you can lose 11 orcas if theyre clumped up

but thats not just with hexas.... its with any aoe weapon in this game.

clump up 20 rocketmen, you lose em to 1 shatt shot.
clump up 5 preds, you lose them to a spec shot.
clump up 10 shocks after blinking, they get instaclicked by cloakfield

i do think its rather silly that a tiny 'error' such as allowing your units to clump (which they actually do 90% of the time) gives aoe weapons such a huge advantage.
imo its a game engine flaw... there should have been a limit on how many units aoe can damage at any time, or units shouldnt have been able to clump at all.

anyway formation move command happens to be a godsend though - it does circumvent quite a few bugs/issues with the engine like shit pathfinding or clumping.
so yea, just try using it more and youll see these things happen a lot less... perhaps after a level of profiency with the command, this wont even be a point of concern to you anymore.

This post has been edited by cnc315d34d: Sep 2 2009, 00:15 AM

marv and redeemer rocket garrisons do splash damage, just the rockets aren't really that powerful compared to shocks

No the shocks are better. i kinda think its stupid to even let such a thing happen in a game were 15 tanks can all go to gether as almost 1.
im not good to talk about whats fair and whats not. i think that should be left to the proes. but thats just me

Scrin has always had the best AA, and the Hex is a good indicator. I think its fine. There's plenty of imbalances to be found just messing around. No one would actually build 12 orcas to attack an AA Hex.
Clumping orcas is just like clumping infy or your tanks for any other AOE. Don't let it happen.


This post has been edited by Spec^: Sep 2 2009, 02:40 AM

the game engine is a flawed for allowing things like this to happen. 11 orcas should not clump up as much as they did in the replay.

players should not have to keep on compensating for flaws in a game.

all the pricks who say l2p to OP strats/bugs/flawed game mechanics - maybe you got all day to practice how to work around the game, 90% of casual gamers haven't.

This...



i fail to see how this is a balance issue, i'm sure if redeemer had 3 garrison slots the rockets would be just as effective AA...if anything it's games engine flaw...
a while ago this particular thing got me a win vs some guy, i was a minute away from losing, this guy massed hh's with zone troopers, i had allmost nothing left and had sent my hexa to his base, and instead of just attacking me and destroying all my buildings this dude sent all of his hh's with around 50% hp to attack the hexapod... you can figure out the rest of the story for yourselves... (hint: insta Heroic)

my point...if you were dumb enough to just right click a hexa with your hh's form across the map, you deserve this shit...

you can lose 100 aa venomns to 1 rocket squad if you clump them all up.
its like saying remove specter splash damage because it can also hit mutliple targets.
storm column can also kill 43908503298 venomns in one lighting bolt.
I understand your point very clear but your arguements are weak.

you make it sound like hexas take omgwtfbbq amounts of skill to use