Stassssiiissssssssssssssssss

Stasis is interesting, and I do like that it is a counter to the high speed of Destiny, but the problem is the over tuning. Stasis gives the player sooo much for free that it breaks the game and massively lowers the skill gap.

Duskfield Grenades need to be removed from game.

I’d settle for:

• Duskfields no longer pull players in.
• Accuracy penalty while in Duskfield AOE removed

The intensity of the Behemoth nerfs show you just how OP it has been. I have never been so excited for nerfs, even to my fav class. Bye bye Shurikens. I really hope the nerfs are severe on that.

The Stasis supers are by far dominant. They freeze, they slow, they roam, they kill. Duskfield grenades do more than any other grenade type by a huge margin. They suck you in, they slow, they freeze, they suppress, and they reduce weapon accuracy. Hunter Shurikens track way too aggressively, freeze and slow. Plus you get 2.

If you play a 6 stack of stasis classes, there is simply no way to adapt. It’s just shit. It is possible to win of course, but you are at a massive disadvantage if you’re not also going stasis, and it’s not fun to get constantly frozen and slowed.

The big nerfs needed in order of urgency IMHO are:

• Duskfield Genades
• Behemoth Super
• Hunter Shurikens
• Hunter Shatterstrike

We’ll start with mechanics first. And remember in Destiny you have to consider what it feels like to have these powers used on you just as much as thinking about using them yourself. I personally would like to see a series of classes that are focused on empowering gunplay rather than abilities. A class that rewards kill streaks and the like and makes you stronger and stronger.

I’ve really enjoy the Crucible lately, and have been enjoying playing off the meta a lot. Loving top tree Dawnblade, and I can’t stop talking about how Devil’s Ruin is so much better than most people know. But when it comes to Stasis there are some objective problems. It’s not just a feeling. The problem stuff has been demonstrated to be way out of whack.

With a little tuning (which they are doing: Stasis/Felwinters! yay!), I actually think Destiny will land in the best place it’s ever been for PVP.

Coldsnap grenades do track, but they only freeze 1 person at a time, and the freeze for some reason is way shorter in time than the others.

It’s true that all people have access to Duskfields, but if something is so good that it’s the only viable competitive option, then there is a problem. If the answer is “everyone can use it”, then we have given up on wanting a game with diversity in play styles.

The CoolGuy video from the other day enumerates all of the things broken with Duskfields. Ian’s vid above just shores up how ridiculous they are as well.

I know we have all been in those IB matches where the opposing team pushes and leads with a volley of Duskfields that paint an entire room leaving you with no way to escape. That is just not fun, and it happens all of the time. There are no great PVP players will argue that Stasis raises skill gaps. Everyone perceives it as easy button, ability spam, that trivializes the best part of Destiny which is gunplay.

There is a lot of nuance in the Stasis conversation, and again it’s not an all or nothing thing. I feel that a tuning down of some stasis abilities is required for balance.

Take the example of Duskfield vs Titan Supressor. Let’s make a check list:

• Does DMG on Hit: Duskfield:No, Supressor: Yes
• Suppresses Ability Usage for Time: Duskfield:Sort of, Supressor: Yes
• Sucks you in from large AOE: Duskfield:Yes, Supressor:No
• Slows and reduces weapon accuracy+: Duskfield:Yes, Supressor: No
• Freezes: Duskfield:Yes, Supressor: No
• AOE effect remains for a period of time: Duskfield:Yes, Supressor: No

So they are kind of similar, but the Duskfield has a lot more going for it.

Living with it is not the answer. No one is asking Stasis to be removed, just tuned enough so that it doesn’t totally dominate every single encounter. And from the State of the Game post the other day, it seems they will be doing just that. Good 🙂.