Grenade Launcher or Explosives Hero

[buzztheasum]

One of the staple archetypes of hero/class shooters is the pyromaniac with a penchant to blow things up. Relevant examples are of course, Demoman from TF2, or Junkrat from Overwatch. Someone with a medium to slow fire rate, and slow projectile speeds, that deals decent damage in a tight AoE. Doesnt have to meet the chaotic personality of course, I'll leave that to the more than capable writers/artists.

Rough Draft Abilities
-Charge Slot based Mine/Claymore: Throw it down like Grey Talon's trap, but instead of restricting movement (maybe a slow on upgrade?), it just has an AoE damage. More charges (through items and the upgrade), More mines placed on the map. Similar to McGinnis Turrets. I think having a higher default charge count would be interesting, counter play would be damaging the mines to disable them.
-Homing Rocket: Self explanatory, select a target in range (i think a larger casting range is reasonable. Maybe not full Line of Sight, but you get it) and cast. A rocket or other projectile follows said target until colliding with a surface or other enemy. The high speed of late game heroes potentially serves as pre-existing counter, along with various invulnerable/immortality transformations. Leaves room (in my opinion) for adjusting damage numbers and rocket speed, not to mention tracking behavior.
-Bomb Shelter: A defensive power, ala Pocket Satchel, Kelvin Shelter, or Viscous Cube. Could protect self and a nearby ally. Counter against this would be the shelter having an HP limit, rather than a short timer. I think using the buffer HP mechanic the mid-boss uses, keeps it effective against single foes. Depending on how well it performs, perhaps utilizing a portion of your current damage resistances could enhance it's viability.
-Ultimate "ICBM": With the addition of Mirage, utilizing mini-map targets for powers opens up interesting possibilities. I imagine a channeled cast, where you select a friendly or enemy visible on the mini-map. The target then gains the standard "timer circle" at their feet, telling them to dive enemies, or head for shelter. Indoor locations would protect against it (or maybe it lands in the last place the target was visible from the sky). Larger AoE than other powers, I think an alt-cast-on-self presents an interesting play as well.

Other Thoughts
People rather enjoy "Rocket Jumping". Building that out as a passive, traded for the shelter, where the movement is enhanced in some way, might be worth investigating. Something like "resets double jump counter", "increases movement speed for a time", etc. Building the character this way might counter other long range threats by prowling rooftops to blast unsuspecting targets. But seeing the distinct rarity of "Sniper" characters, im inclined to believe the devs are cautious of that role. Idk, i'm not the professional.

Anyway, thanks if anyone took the time to read this!

 

[Jud Judson]

I think an explosive primary weapon could get reeeally annoying for both sides - it would be hard to take cover from and avoid, and it would also be quite hard to last hit without also pushing the wave quite difficult. But maybe a character with a seriously more powerful alt fire (as opposed to for example Yamato, whose alt fire is useful but not really a core part of her kit past the laning phase) and some more situational or weaker abilities to compensate would be cool. For example, 40mm grenade launchers can have buckshot rounds which are terrifying. That could be the primary fire, where the alt fire would be a classic grenade? Still, it feels like a hard mark to hit with having an aoe be 1. Intuitive and fun to use 2. Consistently relevant as a core part of the character's kit 3. Not miserable to play against.

Maybe if the AOE of the attack was a passive - or even part of the ultimate - you could circumvent the annoyance in the early game and give it as a major spike to the character after the laning phase.

Otherwise, I like your 1 idea because I'm a sick monster who enjoys playing Techies. Your 2 feels a little bit less interesting and unique to me. I kind of feel like it should do something other than flat damage. Something synergistic with the rest of the kit would probably really tie the whole character together.

The 3 is an interesting concept. I like your creativity with the mid boss health, but just like mid boss it might be essentially negligible in teamfights or late game. It actually reminded the most of Dynamo's 2, pulling a teammate into a safe state and giving them a bonus. Again, what makes this unique? How is it not simply a less interesting version of the cube (which heals you, can be used to spot dodge, and has fun physics to it), pocket's suitcase (which does damage and also is primarily used to spot dodge), or dynamo's 2 (which buffs and reloads everyone involved).

I do just generally really love your ult idea though Calling in a massive air strike from the minimap sounds rad, and with some great VFX and SFX it could feel awesome too! I like your idea, I just think you could pack even more into it and try to get it to be a character with a more cohesive identity! It doesn't have to be a flowchart like bebop hook -> bomb -> uppercut, but I do really love characters where each ability benefits from using other abilities with it in a variety of ways and situations.

 

[buzztheasum]

I think an explosive primary weapon could get reeeally annoying for both sides - it would be hard to take cover from and avoid, and it would also be quite hard to last hit without also pushing the wave quite difficult.

That's a fair assessment. An alt-fire medium range AoE might be better. Maybe a fire blast?

Otherwise, I like your 1 idea because I'm a sick monster who enjoys playing Techies. Your 2 feels a little bit less interesting and unique to me. I kind of feel like it should do something other than flat damage. Something synergistic with the rest of the kit would probably really tie the whole character together.

Yeah the 1 just feels devious, lol. As for the 2, i really struggled finding something more utility focused that fits the usual dashes or short teleports. For the few offensively inclined 2nd slots (like Bebop or Seven) they attach to the target, and the "sticky bomb" idea was already in use. Heck, maybe thats where the "rocket jump" could come in. A rocket shoe or heel bomb launches you up/forward for a bit, does some light damage to those beneath you? Fits the typical movement role of this slot.

The 3 is an interesting concept. I like your creativity with the mid boss health, but just like mid boss it might be essentially negligible in teamfights or late game. It actually reminded the most of Dynamo's 2, pulling a teammate into a safe state and giving them a bonus. Again, what makes this unique? How is it not simply a less interesting version of the cube (which heals you, can be used to spot dodge, and has fun physics to it), pocket's suitcase (which does damage and also is primarily used to spot dodge), or dynamo's 2 (which buffs and reloads everyone involved).

That's absolutely true, it steps on a lot of toes. In my mind it originally stood apart by being less of a countdown to exposure, and also keeping your ally safe for that extended period. Cube is single target/only pocket can satchel. The dynamo style really doesn't last long, or move far enough to be defensive in nature. But still, you're right, it's just changing the name on someone else's homework.

After some thought, I wonder if a sort of defensive buff might be the better fit. Instead of being immortal in the state, like almost every other form, the hero dons a sort of Flak Jacket or "Juggernaut"-esque armor. Maybe Temp HP? Extra Resist stats? The buffer-HP-mid-boss thing again? (you mentioned it being borderline negligible, but no single power should fully win a team fight, so that doesn't bother me) Gives them a tank power similar to Abrams, but without a charging bull combo. Just the slow, hard to kill beast.