Define "Soft-Lock", Please

General Discussion
1

Let’s stay on topic. Let’s keep the focus on the definition and away from Moira herself as much as possible.

Define what “Soft-Lock” is or at least what you think the definition is.

And please note that this definition needs to distinguish between non-lock-on and lock-on abilities as well, otherwise, we’d just label them one of those. In other words, if your definition can apply to Coalescence too, then your definition doesn’t have any purpose, as it fails to meaningfully distinguish a soft-lock from a non-lock or a soft-lock from a lock-on.

As of right now, this is a made-up term being thrown around, despite not being defined. No one has defined it. It has no official definition.

That being said, if people are going to keep incessantly using this term, the community needs to have a clear understanding of what it is.

What do I think it means? I think people use it to mean
“I want to argue as though this ability requires zero aim, even if that isn’t technically true”.
Or sometimes it’s used to mean
“It looks like it locks on, because of the animation, even though it doesn’t”.

Thanks goes to Matsy for sharing this video explaining everything.

EDIT: After much deliberation (Over 120 replies), the closest to a definition we have so far is
“An ability that appears to lock on, but actually doesn’t, and or also has some of the drawbacks of a lock-on, such as not hitting invisible Sombra or having to have line-of-sight on the targets center.”

There we go. The definition of Soft-Lock.

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It’s a wide beam, not a lock-on.

The visual is a lock-on though.

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3

Definitely. But I’d like to finally put this poor argument to rest.
And in the future, people can just link this thread whenever someone tries to use it.

4

Old Symmetra’s beam would follow you even if you jump behind her for short time.

Doesnt Moiras work the same?

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It does not work that way.
Moira has to turn around.

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I agree with what you are saying.

Why do you care so much though? It’s semantics…

Moira has a lower aim requirement than a hero like Ana. I say this with no malice, I play whatever hero I can get the most value out of - mostly.

Who cares if some sweaty fella gets upset about dying to Moira comes to the forum and rages using incorrect terminology?

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Its been talked about many times.
Nothing short of a developer flat out saying its not a lock on of any kind will stop people spreading false information.
Even then, you will get people who deny it.

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Not the fact that some do, but that very many are.

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It’s more like a really wide Zarya beam.

With an animation that looks like an old Symm beam.

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The animation does at least, but only for a second. It reaches over your shoulder before it breaks.

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Well, anyway, what the matter with her beam?

If its about that all Moira’s have terrible aim - they do :joy:

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Not to be a jerk, but I want this to stay on topic. We don’t need to derail it by talking too much specifically about Moira.

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Not true some Moiras have great aim but since you can still hit your target using your feet its impossible to know.

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It’s something made up by those that can’t accept the truth :man_shrugging:t2: Maybe? Just ballparking.

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Auto-aim within a certain margin of error. Mercy and old Sym beams follow the target anywhere. Imagine the targeting systems for armor pack, or nano, or Zen orbs, but continuous.

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Blame The Controller did a splendid job on that, I believe. Can’t link his video tho, don’t have Trust level 3 yet…

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@triageatdawn

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These are all actual lock-on though and easily distinguishable from the one ability that keeps getting called “Soft-lock”.

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Quite literally no such thing as a soft-lock. People just use it to describe something that they don’t understand because some rando somewhere said so. Something is either a lock on, or it isn’t.

Moira is a large beam with a visual lock on. Old Symmetra was a lock on.

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There we go. Thanks! :heart: