The main goal of this script is to showcase multiple sets of contrasting script rules and complex logic acting together within a match, to explore and experiment with new mechanical changes to heroes and core mechanics for the sake of it, and to satisfy my own personal biased vision of an “improved” Overwatch.
The intent is to focus on enjoyability ,depth, and a sense of catharsis. To streamline the experience from both casual and competitive viewpoints, and reduce the necessity of predefined roles for both heroes and players to allow for a variety of playstyles.
I cannot say that the changes I’ve made will be altogether balanced, although that is something I have kept in mind while making them. I intend to update and improve this script within my limited ability should bugs and significant balance concerns arise. And assuming the workshop becomes more robust in the future, additional changes to various heroes and other aspects of the game are planned.
Please enjoy and thank you very much for trying out this personal experiment of mine: YKFE6
Changes to Heroes
Movement speed for all heroes has been increased by 10%
The following heroes ignore the benefits of movement speed buffs while their ultimates are active:
- McCree
- Moira
- Reaper
- Zenyatta
Ana
- Nano Boost
Allies under its effect have their movement speed increased by 20%. This effect does not stack with Lucio’s speed boost aura.
Nanoboost’s speed buff was originally removed to prevent it’s abuse during ultimates that otherwise were balanced out by limited mobility. Since a cap on movement speed while ulting has been introduced, this is no longer strictly necessary. Preventing any speed buffs received from multiple allies should be enough to keep things from getting too out of control, and the speed increase makes nanoboosted allies more of an explicit threat to the opponent.
Bastion
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New Ability: Early Warning System
While in Recon Mode, pressing E will place an automatic alarm on any surface up to 40 meters away. Any enemy that is within 15 meters of its line of sight will trigger the alarm and alert Bastion, afterwards this ability will go on cooldown for 8 seconds. Bastion must spend at least 3 seconds in Recon Mode, as well as not deal or receive any damage for 8 seconds, in order to use this ability. -
Reconfigure
While in Configuration: Sentry, reconfiguring while holding the jump button will cause Bastion to dodge backwards. This disables Reconfigure for three seconds.
Bastion suffers from the need to be babysat within a team composition. They’re so heavily focused on one thing that it renders them easy to adapt to and the pressure is often on their team to cover that vulnerability. While this is intrinsic to his function as a hero and can’t be completely eliminated, it can be mitigated. And this provides an opportunity to introduce new mechanics that grant him some independence.
Bastion’s role within a team is very similar in practice to a sniper, creating powerful line of sight base area denial through threat of high damage. Early Warning System as an ability provides the same function as Widowmaker’s Venom Mine and Hanzo’s Sonic Arrow. However because of Bastion’s capacity to be a powerful enforcer on the front lines, this new ability is given some substantial limitations in comparison to its relatives, especially given that it doesn’t highlight the location of the player in question who triggered it.
To top things off, Bastion can quickly dodge out of sentry mode if they need to evade an attack or get out of position fast. This allows them to react to threats in the moment if planning and positioning aren’t enough, at the cost of being unable to lay down heavy fire for a short period.
Baptiste
- Exo Boots
If the jump button is pressed while crouching and moving, Baptiste will perform a long jump in the direction held instead of an upward leap.
Doomfist
Doomfist’s abilities are now all tied to a stamina resource that recharges overtime, with a maximum of 16 at a rate of 1 per second.
- Seismic Slam & Rising Uppercut
Both abilities no longer have any cooldown, but each has a stamina cost of 6. - Rocket Punch
Cooldown has been reduced to 1.5 seconds. Stamina cost starts at 4, but each subsequent Rocket Punch within a four second period of the last one will stack on an additional stamina cost of 2, resetting after waiting for four seconds. Doomfist also cannot regain stamina while charging a Rocket Punch.
Doomfist should now see an incredible increase in flexibilty and adaptability with these changes, able to use his abilities as they’re needed without eliminating further options, and experiment with new combos. Overall he should now be able to rely less on waiting for opportunities and be given the power to create them. However the stamina resource needs to be managed well, and overusing moves will result in a heavy penalty.
Lucio
- Crossfade
Maximum range extended to 30 meters. Past 12 meters the benefits allies will receive scale down with distance, reaching a value of zero at 30 meters. The effects of Amp it Up are still only present with a range of 12 meters.
Lucio’s rework came with many improvements and made him overall more enjoyable to play, but it did sacrifice some freedom by reducing his aura radius and forcing him to play closer to his team. While a tighter radius plays well with his speed by encouraging him to move towards allies that actively need his support, an effect that decreases with range provides that as well as allowing Lucio to break free from his team when his benefits aren’t as needed in that moment.
Mei
- Ice Block
Cooldown reduced to 6 seconds. Total healing reduced to 40%.
Making Ice Block more readily available while severely reducing its healing should emphasize using it as a way to avoid damage, rather than undo it.
Orisa
- New Passive: Gallop
While moving forwards Orisa will increase in movement speed at a steady rate, up to a maximum increase of 15%. This passive is inactive during Fortify. - Fortify
While active, gravity is increased by 30%.
Orisa’s new passive is an attempt to experiment with abilities inspired by her quadrupedal nature. The gravity increase during Fortify is primarily for adding a feeling of weight and shouldn’t impact jump height, although it could see some creative uses such as reaching the ground faster while falling off a ledge.
Pharah
- Hover Jets
Movement speed increased by 10% while Hover Jets are active. - Jump Jet
Pressing crouch while midair uses Jump Jet as a downwards boost.
Despite her abilities all being focused around flight, Pharah is often vulnerable in the air. The movement boost provided by Hover Jets should help her avoid damage. And players can now boost back down to the ground when being in the air has become too dangerous, instead of awkwardly floating back down.
Reaper
- The Reaping
Damage dealt by Hellfire Shotguns no longer directly heals Reaper. Now, 1% of all damage done adds to the duration of a 40 per second self-heal over time. The maximum duration of this self-heal being 2.5 seconds.
Death Blossom continues to provide life steal directly.
This enforces a hard limit on how quickly reaper can regenerate health, making how vulnerable his opponent is to damage less of a deciding factor during 1v1 scenarios. The overall health received from damage dealt should remain relatively the same, and Reaper’s aggressive nature should remain intact despite less of a strict need to output damage. This change also means some benefit is gained even if Reaper is at full health, contributing to his survivability.
Soldier: 76
- Sprint
After half a second of sprinting, Soldier: 76’s jump height is increased.
Zenyatta
- Gravity reduced to 75%.
- Transcendence
While the ultimate is active, Zenyatta is not effected by gravity. Jump can be held to ascend, and Crouch can be held to descend.
The rate of healing has been reduced to 150 health a second. In exchange, every ally within range is healed for 1000 health when the ultimate ends.
The decrease in gravity creates a uniquely enjoyable floaty nature to Zenyatta’s jump, which plays well with his focus on precision during combat. The reduction in healing for Transcendence makes its effects more fightable for the opponent, but Zenyatta’s allies still remain topped off after the ultimate ends thanks to the burst of healing.
…
I won’t hear it, Zenyatta being able to fly isn’t any less ridiculous then the entirety of Valkyrie.
Changes to Core Mechanics
Spawn Waves
After the first death of a player on a team, every player on that team who dies afterwards will only have the remainder of the first dead player’s spawn timer. This ensures that all currently dead teammates spawn at the same time as each other.
A mechanic taken directly from a certain notable hat simulator. This should ensure that there’s no more waiting around for teammates to spawn, no getting left behind when your team spawns before you, and should make it incredibly hard if not unfeasible for the opponent to manipulate spawn time to their advantage.
Ultimate Penalty on Death
Any player with an Ultimate Charge above 80% will have their charge reduced to 80% on death.
While potentially controversial, penalizing players in this manner should punish poor planning and reward survival over a “die faster” mentality. And hopefully, the reduction is not enough to benefit snowballing.
If any of the changes made here are not to people’s taste, all I can say is Overwatch certainly has a history of poorly received reworks and I apologize for adding to that list.