Shields should stop all melee attacks

Great job with the Brig change, but I think the game would be better off if barriers actually stopped all melee attacks.

This would include rocket punch, seismic slam, swift strike, dragon blade, flail, etc.

10 Likes

I wouldn’t be surprised if that is next on the table… At least in terms of Rocket punch. I’m not sure how melees without stuns would work though.


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1 Like

do it! logically it makes no sense if anything it should damage it, but to pass straight through as though these characters dont have anything in front of them is ridiculous.

…? what an overpowered, awful idea

6 Likes

I’m totally fine with the shield taking damage.

It’s not immune to the melee attack, it just stops it.

So make multiple heroes useless?

4 Likes

Shields would have no weakness then, and it would become a stale, boring shield meta

3 Likes

Logically this makes no sense. Shields should stop bullets, etc but why should a shield stop melees? Might as well make it so you can’t walk thru them either.

4 Likes

I don’t know. As a hitscan main, I kind of like this idea.
I love consistency. So, if we make damage work consistently across all heroes and compensate them in other ways, it could make the game simple but interesting.

For example, melee heroes have range issues while hitscans don’t. So, if their damage is consistent — gets blocked by shields, just give melee guys a bit more survivability.

This will increase the value of tanks and provide further skill ceiling for ranged vs. melee combat by either requiring team focus or just very good aim.

so genji’s ult will be made useless by weaving thru a rein shield? his dash also? this idea is awful in every way

also the meta is 3 tanks 3 supports so tanks being undervalued isn’t a thing.

2 Likes

Then the only heros that could do anything against a heavy shield meta would be Moira with her damge orb/Ult and Winston’s tickle gun.

The barriers have only a few abilities that counter them. I can understand why brig was nerfed, cause she has almost no downside to shield bash vs shield. While abilities like RP will go through barriers, if it hits Rein, then DF will be in the middle of a dangerous area.

1 Like

I have a few hours on Reinhardt and this would be my take on the subject.

I could care less if melee hits registered through the shield or not. Rarely is this even an issue.

The only change I want to see in regards to this would be taking that 1-2 foot dead space between Reinhardt’s shield and his arm away. It is more then garbage for Blinky twig and frosty bottom to shove their arms through my shield and attack my health pool. This is a weakness that has no realistic purpose. If there was no dead space I would be able to punish, rightfully, those who were too close to me as Reinhardt.

And seismic slam already can’t damage anyone if Doomfist doesn’t go through the shield

1 Like

Reinhardt vs Reinhardt would be the most comical fights ever.

No, it will just be as useful as a McCree, Dva, And S76 ults.
It adds counterplay measures for both sides.

You won’t be able to just nano-blade and call it a day. You’d have to make sure Winston’s shield is on CD before diving his healers. As for Rein, he’s usually far away from his Ana, and he won’t be able to reach her in time to help.

Genji already has to be much closer to kill during all those ults, and if his combo is messed up it is pretty much over

Wouldn’t be nice if Lucio could wall ride on barriers?

Genji, the close combat hero, should not be made useless because you don’t know how to kill him.

1 Like

Gengi uses Dragon Blade

I put up Photon Barrier Wall

He dashes into wall

Splats and slides down wall slowly

5 Likes

Consistently is actually a bad thing for game design. You have to take into account a heroe’s kit, what they are capable of doing.

The same goes for ability interactions. The problem isn’t Melee attacks going through shields, the issuenbeing address is a front-line hero that can consistently set upntheir team to push through the bent front line with little risk.

Doomfist RP into Rein only gets Doomfist 35 shields, which can be burst down easily ornhe can be stunned easily by say, Ana’s sleep dart.

Genji dashing through the shield is even worse for Genji.

Brigitte can Shield Bash and still maintain her 500 ho shield to sustain herself while her team gets ready to take advantage of the opening she created.

Now the devs could have nerfed Brig’s kit - by day Shield Bash placing her use of her Shield on a cool down for 7s (to time with the ability) which places her at risk and seriousky nerfs her game play within her kit.

Or, they could address the problem by fixing the interaction between her abiltiy and barriers.

Which is better for the game, and which is better for the hero’s functionalit?