Gears J Weapon Changes Podcast

[Hagane]

Less than two months away from launch

Fresh off Epic's site:


http://epicgames.com/community/2013/...eapon-balance/


Notable information:

- No stopping power ("Stopping Power" is basically a mechanic used in Gears 2 and 3 where your bullets would essentially "slow" an enemy that was running towards the direction from they were being shot from. ie: You shooting your Lancer at someone trying to run directly at you with a Gnasher)

- You now will have a "faded" crosshair in the middle of your screen permanently

- You now automatically pick up ammo on the battlefield by simply walking/running over it

- Possible "Ammo Boxes" in Versus (as speculated from side chatter in the PodCast), used to refill your ammo while on the go rather than having to scavenge the field (LOL)

- Two melees to kill someone, no stun-lock


Loadouts

- Lancer damage has been nerfed (per bullet), no more 1.3x headshot multiplier

- Retro Lancer recoil has been increased, initial Retro Poke damage nerfed

- Hammerburst has been modified to do poorly in CQC, and it's recoil has been modified after so many rounds fired simultaneously

- Classic Hammy, very low damage, multiple bursts required to kill (3?)

- The Markza is basically a souped-up Gears 3 Boltok with similar damages/headshot potential, a larger magazine, and a low powered zoom (comparable to the pistol zooms)

- Gnasher's starting ammunition has been lowered to 8 (meaning no spare ammo), hard-aim accuracy bonus lowered, pellet range/spread is similar

- Sawed Off now carries two shots per magazine, fire rate is instant, harder to take down multiple targets (Gnasher-like damage)

- Snub has been "buffed" ("balanced" since everyone starts off with one), TU1 style

- Grenades (As speculated months back, you can spawn with different types of grenades rather than just a Smoke!)

Regular Frags have had their effect blast range reduced by at least 50%, they act like Semtex from COD if you directly throw them at an enemy (new form of meleeing with them, since you can't in J), regular Gears frags if you chuck them onto the ground, cannot be planted

Inks do not have a "stun" effect anymore, unconfirmed reports of a larger AoE/DPS

Smokes instantly detonate once they hit the ground now, and are the only grenades capable of stunning enemies (or yourself), you can no longer see through Smoke with the Tac Com (shame really, this made Tac Cam usage actually a bit more rewarding)

Beacon grenades are used to detect enemies in a close proximity, can see through Smoke if tossed near one that just detonated, so far it's the only type of grenade that can be planted

Stim grenades "heal" your teammates


Pick Ups

- Boomshield, can be used in conjunction with any regular weapon now (if you throw any type of grenade whilst having the BoomShield equipped, you'll drop it), you can get headshot much easier while deploying/using it now, Frags will now be able to stick you through/on the Shield

- Boomshot remains unchanged for the most part

- Digger's projectile speed has been increased

- Scorcher is unchanged, except that it goes through Boomshields now

- Torque Bow takes heads off without the full charge

- Booshka, very similar to BoomShot minus the bouncing rounds

- Boltok has been buffed, single headshots and double-shot gibs (but so far it's a Campaign weapon, might be in future maps/events- can be put into Private matches)

- Longshot, two different zoom powers, more body damage (around 95%?, one Snub shot to the foot will down you if you're hit by the Longshot beforehand and haven't healed), now penetrates through multiple targets and light cover

- Breechshot, instant headshots

- Incendiaries may get a possible undiscussed buff (basically similar to the first Gears 3 buff?) since they're the only "power weapon" grenades



Thoughts?

[Mandalorian831]

I wasn't going to pre-order this game in the first place. Now I don't think Ill even buy it.

[Hagane]

Originally Posted by Mandalorian831

I wasn't going to pre-order this game in the first place. Now I don't think Ill even buy it.

Any specific reason? (Personally I just grieve for the Locust, DBNO and Execution but the weapon changes look "decent". Minus the Sawed Off ultra-buff)

[Ultima Nox]

Originally Posted by Hagane

Any specific reason? (Personally I just grieve for the Locust, DBNO and Execution but the weapon changes look "decent". Minus the Sawed Off ultra-buff)

I agree with you on that! They should also lower the boomshot to only 2 shots! But actually i don't care too much because i won't be playing much multiplayer in Judgment! These drastic changes in gameplay will make me play Gears 3 a lot longer

[TriRock]

I wouldn't get upset over weapon strength, they get constantly adjusted and revamped.

[Hagane]

Originally Posted by TriRock

I wouldn't get upset over weapon strength, they get constantly adjusted and revamped.

I'm some cases they get worse though, best example was the Gears 3 Retro. (It got what, two or three buffs in a row?)

Here I can already tell that the Sawed Off hasn't been "legitimized" as they say in the Podcast- it looks like an even bigger crutch now.

[Mandalorian831]

Originally Posted by Hagane

Less than two months away from launch



- Possible "Ammo Boxes" in Versus (as speculated from side chatter in the PodCast), used to refill your ammo while on the go rather than having to scavenge the field (LOL)

- Two melees to kill someone, no stun-lock

- The Markza is basically a souped-up Gears 3 Boltok with similar damages/headshot potential, a larger magazine, and a low powered zoom (comparable to the pistol zooms)

- Gnasher's starting ammunition has been lowered to 8 (meaning no spare ammo), hard-aim accuracy bonus lowered, pellet range/spread is similar

- Sawed Off now carries two shots per magazine, fire rate is instant, harder to take down multiple targets

- Grenades (As speculated months back, you can spawn with different types of grenades rather than just a Smoke!)

Beacon grenades are used to detect enemies in a close proximity, can see through Smoke if tossed near one that just detonated, so far it's the only type of grenade that can be planted

Stim grenades "heal" your teammates

- Longshot, two different zoom powers, more body damage (around 95%?, one Snub shot to the foot will down you if you're hit by the Longshot beforehand and haven't healed), now penetrates through multiple targets and light cover

- Breechshot, instant headshots

The main reason I thought about not getting is the no Locust and no DBNO. But a lot of the things I quoted are going to make this game even more camp-friendly instead of the constant CQC and rushing that I have always loved about Gears multiplayer.
I will wait at least a few months to see if all of these drastic changes are good or bad. Along with whether or not the campaign is good.

[Hagane]

Originally Posted by Mandalorian831

The main reason I thought about not getting is the no Locust and no DBNO. But a lot of the things I quoted are going to make this game even more camp-friendly instead of the constant CQC and rushing that I have always loved about Gears multiplayer.
I will wait at least a few months to see if all of these drastic changes are good or bad. Along with whether or not the campaign is good.

Camping in Gears wasn't the same as other games before, but now I do agree with you since DBNO is absent from the Versus. It was basically, "playing smart" if you ran with a stack that had other Gnasher rushers. (Teamwork.)

Waiting a few months is probably the smartest move that most "insecure" people can take, or at least after you read reviews from sources other than IGN/GameInformer

I'm sure the Campaign will be decent, if anything else. (Broken canon aside of course. )

[xhunterrrr]

Basically, what made Gears is being dumbed down. Lovely.

[Hagane]

Originally Posted by xhunterrrr

Basically, what made Gears is being dumbed down. Lovely.

These weapon changes and changes don't really reflect that (again, Ultra Sawed Off aside), to me it was based off of the Versus mechanics choices they've made so far. Why take DBNO out? It was a smart mechanic that separated Gears from every other shooter before other franchises started to implement it into their own games. Why take Locust out? It made Gears Versus feel unique in retrospect to other shooters that just pitted two factions against one another.

"Casualized" is a better term.