So a new ptr update just dropped, and in it, echo recieved 2 ‘bug fixes’. One of these involved nerfing the echo movement tech that allowed players to receive a large speed boost as they glide down from their boost ability. I was kinda disappointed with this, since i much prefer the idea of a echo being a low-flying, fast-moving dps, rather than just chilling up high a lot. Personally, advanced movement tech such as that super-jump adds a layer of skill and fun to the character. To me that sort of tech is similar to doomfist glides, and mercy super-jump, and I’m a bit disappointed in the change. I find it much more interesting when the skill in a movement based character, is almost as, or more important, that the basic damage abilities. It’s what rewards players for spending their time on that hero, while helping the game allow for a wide array of play styles. Removing a tech like this removes a dimension from the character, and I feel like that is always a poor thing. I could take large ultimate or overall damage nerfs, but this saddened me, just a little bit.
Update: To those saying the speed boost was unintentional, the change to it was listed under hero update, and not bug fixes, in the patch notes for Echo- making it seem likely that the devs were aware of the speed boost before release.
Echo is going to be one of the most game changing characters. She doesn’t need to have everything, especially not something that the developers didn’t explicitly intend in the first place.
It would be different if it was something that was always in place that was removed, but she hasn’t even been released yet. She is still for all intents and purposes a work in progress and you shouldn’t be attached to anything specific.
Im sure that echo will be a game changing hero. In terms of this, I’m not a fan of a hero has everything. We can just take a look at launch brig and sigma for proof of why that is a bad thing. And I understand that in PTR, echo is still, essentially, in development. To be honest, I prefer the idea of putting a new dps hero’s power into their movement, rather that damage or their ultimates. As a support main, I’ve kinda seen first hand how much devastating ultimates and burst damage shape the overall balance of the game. I really hope that the devs find a healthy place for echo on launch, and I’m sure all eyes will be on her, to see how she affects the meta game.
The thing that frightens me about Echo is her raw damage output, particularly a beam that focuses low-health targets to death. Her movement was cool, and I thought it would be what set her apart from Mercy and Pharah.
Yeah, i can see this being a problem. The burst damage of sticky bombs, and focusing beam, seem like they have the most potential to be way overtuned. I am kind of afraid that echo will become this squishy assassin with sticky bombs, while also being a ridiculous tank buster with focusing beam. Its sort of why i lean more into diversifying a hero’s power with movement, but I just hope they find a healthy place fore her, because echo is definetly one of the coolest heros i have seen.
She does feel smooth to me, except her flight mechanic, which I haven’t mastered. And that’s why I want to leave it unchanged. It’s the most skill-intensive ability she has, situationally excepting her ultimate. Her damage is what’s overpowered, and not really what makes the hero cool anyway.
It was going to be out of hand, better fix it early than let it go to live. I was watching twitch streams where people would super jump, travel super far and wipe out someone quicker than a Doomfist does.
Yeah, I saw the first version. It was kind of broken. I saw somebody use it on Nepal and they sprawled the entire map in like 10 seconds. That’s just nuts.
It’s still there. They just toned it down a lot.
As for the other bug fix, it makes sense. Barriers are a breaker for a lot of abilities and stuff. I’m not surprised that her ultimate works in the same way.
Also, it does add a little bit of (Ult) counter play that people were complaining she lacked, apparently.
I’m honestly a little sad about this as well, but honestly echos superglide is way to crazy. I mean to be able to glide that fast over the map in a few secords O.O
And i wasn’t going to see myself using that either much anyways, maybe to get to the point faster but other than that i wouldn’t think so.
I didn’t even know that ability or whatever existed until like yesterday haha
Yeah i think the initial one was OP, I’d just like the idea of some sort of maintaained speed boost- wishful thinking, i know.
Yeah i know the super jump is still there, i mesnt the super boost, my bad.
And yeah, the barrier bug fix makes the world of sense, as a QOL thing. Same as sombra hack.
She wasn’t intended to move like that. It was done by boosting, canceling, then gliding. If she was meant to move like that, it would be just one button press, no canceling needed.
Yeah, I understand it was a bug. At the sametime, mercy super jump was a bug, and then there is Hammond, and Doomfist- two heros who have tonnes of ‘tech’, that, simply, are bugs that remain in the game. Beyond doomfist glides, punch and diagonal jumps, Wrecking ball has a host of useful bugs that add quite a bit to his kit.
None of those ‘techs’ rely on the intended activating of abilities, but more an advanced understanding of those heroes, and the game engine.
Ehhhhh – That isn’t true. Peoples main complaints about doomfist are way more weighted towards his tankiness, and his rocket punch. Doomfists map traversal is definetly not peoples biggest complaint about him.
yeah the initial bug was absolutely OP. I can only imagine how bad that would be to play against as a Zen player, or low mobility squishy.
At the same time, her damage combo seems crazy too, and I wouldn’t mind moving power out of that. Her sticky bombs, into focusing beam seems a little too strong right now. I’m not sure if the playerbase wants that kind of instant assasin.