Plasma Blaster

[Triaxx2]

Hmm... I think the target I was terminating had already used it's reaction fire. In any case it's the 'If' you hit that causes me concern. If I fire seven and miss with three, that's still 60 damage. If I fire twice (reaction fire reserve) and miss both, the higher damage of the PB doesn't mean squat. I'd rather get half to a third of my damage on target than none at all.

[Anarch Cassius]

I was going to suggest that firing at the ground might help with the needed to burst the plasma bubble... but I just learned in another thread you can already do this with shift. This may help mid-range usage a lot as my problem is often it going just by the target and then hitting nothing at all.

[H-Hour]

Well, Anarch Cassius, I have to admit I think you were right after all. I overcompensated for the Plasma Blaster's sheer power by making it too inaccurate. I've now bumped the accuracy up so that it equals the Riot Shotgun with Saboted Slugs. I've also reduced TU cost for shotguns and the Plasma Blaster to 8, so it should work better for reaction fire against aliens now.

[nanomage]

H-hour, that sounds like extremely good news.
I'd add my observation if I may: I tried several times targetting the ground to compensate for low accuracy and kill aliens with splash damage, but I never got any success with this technique. I think it's because splash radius is too small. However, if you raise it up again, the aliens will again start killing themselves with blasters, which is probably not the intended way, so here's my suggestion: make the splash area of plasma blaster assymetrical, ranging, say, 3 tiles forward, 2tiles to the sides and 1 tile backward. Devastating effect against (who are presumably located in front of the blaster) would then add to relative safety for the shooter (who is behind).

[H-Hour]

nanomage, what you describe can't be done at the moment. The weapon scripts don't define any kind of directional splash. It's just a simple radius from the point of "explosion".

[Wolls]

  Heh, I used to enjoy playing a game of chicken employing a calculated risk/reward formula whenever I saw Blasters coming.  But now I routinely get nailed at the 14-15 ranges.. lOl   Its much better then before, although its still amusing when they snipe me with that 3 round Burst.