The flamethrower: Considerations

Kriegson · 2012-06-10, 07:02 PM

It's a bit strange it only occurs to me now, but there hasn't really been much of any discussion at all regarding flamethrowers, a pretty interesting addition to PS2.

In E3 it was seen on MAX's, but is that the only unit that will be able to equip them?

Will they cause damage over time? Health damage ignoring shields? Or just normal damage?

What kind of effect might they have on vehicles? If not much damage, obscuring vision perhaps?

With all the defensive and offensive possibilities of flamethrowers ,not to mention how similar they are in a sense to the traditional Jackhammer (Close range death and denial) It's something of a wonder that there's been no discussion as of yet.

Sledgecrushr · 2012-06-10, 07:06 PM

What I would like to see is some work on the actual modeling of the flame coming out of the flamethrower. To me it doesnt look really good the way it is now. The flame should be a bit tighter and travel further before it fizzles out. I e seen some great vintage youtube footage of flamethrowers and this is what the devs need to look at.

Smokingrabbit · 2012-06-10, 07:08 PM

Same thoughts here. I had expected them to be more akin to the plasma gernades in the original ps. Wish I had seen more in the e3 demo. I was struck with the same compaison to the jackhammer.

Duddy · 2012-06-10, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kriegson

It's a bit strange it only occurs to me now, but there hasn't really been much of any discussion at all regarding flamethrowers, a pretty interesting addition to PS2.

In E3 it was seen on MAX's, but is that the only unit that will be able to equip them?

Will they cause damage over time? Health damage ignoring shields? Or just normal damage?

What kind of effect might they have on vehicles? If not much damage, obscuring vision perhaps?

With all the defensive and offensive possibilities of flamethrowers ,not to mention how similar they are in a sense to the traditional Jackhammer (Close range death and denial) It's something of a wonder that there's been no discussion as of yet.

I think it just isn't in t he forefront of discussion as people appear to have other topics on their mind, however to try and answer those:

- So far we only know MAXes have it as confirmed, we've seen concept art for an infantry weapon (or was it weapon add-on?) but that doesn't confirm anything naturally.

- No idea, I'd imagine it'd have to do damage over time to things caught in the flame. E3 is the first we saw and no other details are available.

- I'd imagine they'd have little to no effect on vehicles, they appear to have been designed as a close range AI weapon so it wouldn't make sense for them to have any meaningful effect on vehicles

As for that last point, it's hard to discuss it in the relation to the Jackhammer because we know little to nothing about either of them. More importantly we don't know if the JH is even returning in a similar fashion, we know it exists but it might be an entirely different weapon this time round.

Kriegson · 2012-06-10, 07:13 PM

@Slege
Yeah, it does look a bit crappy at the moment, but I don't imagine it's anywhere near done. Only being on MAX's, and the MAX's themselves being just recently implemented, there's a lot of work to go around on both I imagine.

**Malorn** · 2012-06-10, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Sledgecrushr

What I would like to see is some work on the actual modeling of the flame coming out of the flamethrower. To me it doesnt look really good the way it is now. The flame should be a bit tighter and travel further before it fizzles out. I e seen some great vintage youtube footage of flamethrowers and this is what the devs need to look at.

The animation from the user's perspective is also quite poor. The flamethrower looks like it's Shooting at the top of the screen and not the center. Team Fortress 2 did flamethrower quite well, hope they use that as inspiration for flamethrower changes.

Smokingrabbit · 2012-06-10, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Sledgecrushr

What I would like to see is some work on the actual modeling of the flame coming out of the flamethrower. To me it doesnt look really good the way it is now. The flame should be a bit tighter and travel further before it fizzles out. I e seen some great vintage youtube footage of flamethrowers and this is what the devs need to look at.

YES the old ww2 footage. Seeing a flamethrower burn out a bunker or set a hill on fire! Or just a larger flame that more or less blinds everyone involved or set the geound aflame would be my pref.

definatly could feel more epic in scale.

DayOne · 2012-06-10, 07:33 PM

The main problem to me is that it just doesn't look like it's going as far as it is. Flame definitely needs to be re-done.

Bags · 2012-06-10, 07:41 PM

They seemed terrible at E3, so I think that's a fine implementation.

Death2All · 2012-06-10, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

They seemed terrible at E3, so I think that's a fine implementation.

I feel that flamethrower implementation can only go two ways.

Either it's insanely over powered or it's garbage. Personally, I prefer the latter.

Retaliation · 2012-06-10, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Death2All

I feel that flamethrower implementation can only go two ways.

Either it's insanely over powered or it's garbage. Personally, I prefer the latter.

Care to elaborate?

Bags · 2012-06-10, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Death2All

I feel that flamethrower implementation can only go two ways.

Either it's insanely over powered or it's garbage. Personally, I prefer the latter.

I agree. If it's anything like PS1, I may not play since everyone can have them. They are bullshit weapons.

captainkapautz · 2012-06-10, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

They are bullshit weapons.

Same can be said for automatic shotguns, yet I don't see much complaining.

Roy Awesome · 2012-06-10, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by captainkapautz

Same can be said for automatic shotguns, yet I don't see much complaining.

Er, you apparently never heard anyone whine about the jackhammer

Landtank · 2012-06-10, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

I agree. If it's anything like PS1, I may not play since everyone can have them. They are bullshit weapons.

Eh its not a bullshit weapon, but I'd like it if they implemented some sort of way that the flame thrower could explode if shot or something, you know, make it powerful but have an obvious weakness: the tanks holding the propellant/burny stuff.

But don't make it stupid so that someone spraying and praying hits it ever time herp derp