In my opinion, they’re on the right track when it comes to balancing counterplay. If you look at the Ram change, they’re encouraging fair counterplay, but they’re also deincentivizing counterpicking. That’s what I want to see more of in the future but with all character interactions.
Don’t get me wrong, I do think that the game should have forms of counterplay but it needs to be on both sides at all times, meaning when my enemy makes a play, I should have the same amount of fair interactions to counter them as they do me, even if I’m not in a favorable matchup. (This perspective comes from what I think will grow the playerbase the most and what I think will make for a more enjoyable experience for the majority of players.)
With how the game is right now, if player “X” picks “Y” and counterswaps me, especially on tank, as we all know (rock, paper, scissors), either I have to swap right then or there or I’m pretty much guaranteed to lose. (The feeling that strikes in me Frustrating, lame, boring, repetive, etc.)
I have no problem with specific characters having some advantages over others; I actually think that contributes to a ton of the game’s depth but that’s only when it’s done properly and not when the strengths and weaknesses of the characters are so overwhelmingly far apart.
Ram does 2.5x more damage to barriers now when ora ora ora’ing. I think that’s more than enough to prevent the shield sustain from getting out of hand. Lol
If Ram is blocking, he’s not punching. Unlike Rein, if Ram is blocking then he’s still taking damage and his team isn’t nearly as safe either. So if he’s punching and dealing zero damage and blocking while taking non-zero damage, how is that fair?
From what I understand, Ramattra will do over 160 damage to shields per hit or roughly 270 DPS. My guess is that while his initial match up with Reinhardt will be harder, he might be more effective against relatively lower health shields/barriers like those belonging to Brigitte or Sigma, and destroy them faster, exposing enemies for your whole team. The damage boost could potentially keep their shields in a constantly low state and more so if you pair him with say a Bastion or some other shield focusing DPS. Or pair him with Mercy and he will do roughly over 350 DPS? So, while he loses the initial pressure against an enemy tank’s health, it could be pretty bad for opponent’s barriers.
On paper, it sounds like a horrendous change that completely negates the biggest reason to go Ram - which is to try and get an aggressive enemy Rein under control. Which I could generally do with at least some success.
He can’t finish off weakened targets hiding behind them now, which is horrible.
He still gets bullied hard in nemesis form but can’t even pressure damage now if a barrier is present.
Rein’s shield already evaporated with team fire, so is this change supposed to help coordinated or uncoordinated play? It feels like it doesn’t help either, it feels like a nerf. It feels like they want to sell you All Might.
It completely dumpsters Ram. All enemy tank has to do is swap to Rein and you’re hard countered.
Rein waits out Nemesis with his shield, then aggresses onto Wizard form with his hammer. Ram dies, his team loses.
Considering barriers also block Annihilation, 2/3 of Rams kit is now useless against a Rein comp.
This is like the Orisa v Hog matchup when Hog could be stunned out of everything. Nothing Ram does works, Rein wins by existing with no real effort, and another tank becomes dead weight.
Definitely lame, just also unbalanced is the issue
Ramattra has to get into melee range to really break barriers, why is he not properly rewarded for that anymore? Extra damage to the barriers is not a sufficient reward to the risk you’re taking
