From the AMA:
Actually we’ve been talking about Tanks, as role, a lot recently. In the past we’ve had trouble trying to figure out how to make tank heroes like Roadhog compete with big protective tanks like Reinhardt. Lately we’ve been thinking, what if we just go the other direction? What if Reinhardt was more like Roadhog? What would that feel like for the entire game? Basically, what if all ‘main tanks’ became ‘off tanks’?
This would mean Tanks would be less about pure protection, and more about brawly offense. Barriers would be less prevalent, damage overall would be higher (tanks doing more dmg, and reducing less dmg), which is kind of scary potentially. We’ve already been experimenting on this front and so far its been pretty fun, though the game does feel significantly different. Players have to play the map angles a lot more aggressively as you can’t just rely oin your Tank/barrier for cover.
I’m not sure where these experiments will go but they’re pretty interesting so far.
I am absolutely in love with this idea. My favourite tanks are Wrecking Ball, D.Va and Zarya. Outside of OW my favourite tank is TF2’s Heavy. I would LOVE to see what a power shift into offensive abilities would be. I feel like it would be a ton of fun especially if balanced right, plus it would put an end to shield stacking metas which I welcome.
I’m not asking for this to be a 100% feature, but at least put out a patch on Experimental so we can get a feel for it. I feel like it could make the tank category a lot more fun to play while also eliminating healing and barrier creep
17 Likes
Even if they ultimately decide not to go this way, I would also like to see it on the experimental card, just like the 2CP changes they have up right now.
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I’ll play it to see how it goes, but I really, really don’t like the idea as it sounds.
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just give roadhog the experimental changes then he can actually somewhat compete, much easier than making every other tank more like hog because hog is trash
I’m am worried about it, especially when imagining what it would be like to try to push through some of the more narrow chokes like Dorado A, Eichenwalde A, and any 2CP map with barriers even weaker than they currently are.
I think there will need to be some major damage nerfs and probably a nerf to discord otherwise I think tank will end up feeling very frustrating as your squishies just explode behind you as you try to push through a choke. Even now barriers often feel like they just evaporate.
But, all the imagining in the world is worthless compared to actually trying and playing it.
1 Like
Delete Orisa’s barrier and maker her gun hitscan, yeesssss.
I agree to test it. However if it ruined Orisa. I’m not touching tank. She already feels like the weakest main tank unless of course she has another barrier on her team.
I don’t even know what they’d do for Reinhardt.
Rein gets 2 hammers, one is a boomerang, Steadfast is 150% - meaning if booped Rein moves closer to you.
7 Likes
I also want to try out a mode like that.
Sigma could probably already work without a barrier, Orisa I want to see make her work without one as well (I say that even though she is my most played tank).
But maybe off-tanks can also work with barriers too.
Absolutely want to see them do an attempt at this.
Yah, because I would heal the DPS mostly considering they would have more to offer.
I mean, I think it’s an absolutely horrid idea and more than likely even worse than 1/3/2 was, but yes, please lets test it asap.
That way, it can be gotten out of the way and the Devs can go back to the drawing board instead of wasting loads of time on a failure.
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I am heavy weapons omnic, and this… is my weapon
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i personally really disagree with this: my favorite tanks are Reinhart, Orisa Winston and Sigma
making the tanks be fat DPS is something i dont like, i want to play tank to tank
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laughs in Brig on Ilios Well
I would like it too. I think it might make the game feel less static no?
This is my main thought. One of the things I absolutely hate right now is when we have all 6 players at a choke but nobody seems to be engaging. They’re just getting poke damage waiting for one player to randomly die then engaging on that. I feel like taking power out of shields and putting it into offensive capabilities would go miles in encouraging players to engage.
If they remove experimental barrier, I hope they add something that incorporates his shield on his left forearm. Idk if anyone notices it but you can see his shields metal corners when he puts it away.
1 Like
This is exactly the direction I’ve been advocating for.
I’ve seen a few people taking the “make every tank like roadhog” thing a little literally. What they probably would be doing is dramatically reducing shield power (i.e. I could see Rein with a 600hp shield or something) and increasing offensive power (maybe adding a burn effect to fire strike or making charge cancelable). I could see them doing more to make tanks be able to sustain just using their health pools too (like increasing the amount of armour in health bars).
That’s where I see it going anyway.
2 Likes
Well, I think they’ve already easily proven that by doing significant number nerfs it’s not getting us away from a double barrier meta.
While a lot might be a fan of this, the only comment I would really make is it makes pretty much a dive only meta. Matches would be over one way or the other extremely quicker without other adjustments.