I saw a post on here about a similarly themed hero, but I feel like gameplay wise there is a direction to take a character themed this way to fill a hole currently in the roster.
'The Reporter' is the lead journalist of the biggest newspaper in the city, in fact they even work with the curiosity shop employee! (could have very customized and unique interactions with the guy, maybe they're friends, maybe they're at each others throats for the work they do)
Their goal/dream isn't super lofty good or evil like some other characters, they want to become the biggest reporter in the entire city, at the center of every major event. This is their motivation for the ritual, the patron promises them the greatest story ever written and unlimited attention for completing it.
This character would have UNLIMITED POTENTIAL with interactions and voice lines with not only teammates but enemies as well. There is no love or hate or anything with anybody, no matter what they want to get the scoop on someone or learn something new about them. These interactions would also be an amazing way to flesh out other characters as well (or purposefully not flesh them out in these conversations (looking at you Lash))
As for the gameplay and where I think this could really fil la void in the current roster, is making this character information based above all else. Someone who's kit leans supporting (think Paige but instead of barriers and buffs it's information and map control)
Aesthetic I think a more nerdy, scrawny person fits it well. Just kind of stereotypical reporter 'geek' vibe. Glasses, pen behind the ear, polaroid camera around their neck, tucked in button down shirt with a messed up collar, maybe a badly tied tie if you want it could work with or without
Low base health with base 4 stamina. Really make an easy to kill character if you can stick on them.
Primary fire could go in a few directions. i think they should be slow shooting, think door man or maybe up to dynamo speed, and it is either them throwing newspapers they wrote (wanting people to read them, naturally) or taking pictures with their camera. If it was the latter perhaps firing similar to cailco's weapon but in a circle patter instead of a diamond, and with more spread.
As for abilities (where they really turn into an informational character):
Ability 1: photo-op
take a picture of the scene in front of you, dealing spirt damage, blinding, and revealing anybody in front of you
This ability would be longer ranged and effect the 2 closest players in an expanding cone hit box up to that range. About a 40 meter range, but with all of the effects scaling down with distance.
within 10 meters they are blinded for 1 second, take 60 damage, and are revealed for 7 seconds after. 25 second cooldown (8 second cool down between charges)
10-25 meters they are blinded for .5, take 30 damage, and revealed for 4 seconds
25-40 meters no blinding, take 20 damage, and revealed for 3 seconds *cannot knock players off ziplines beyond this distance*
T1 upgrade: blinded enemies have a lingering -20% slow and -30% dash distance for 2 seconds
T2 upgrade: +40 spirit damage, reveal enemies for 1.5 seconds longer
T3 upgrade: revealed enemies take 25% more damage
Ability 2: news stands
Place down an information booth on the map. Reveal enemies that walk near it, trigger an explosion to hide the evidence if they get too close.
This ability would introduce something closely resembling wards to the game. You put down a fairly discreet, long lasting structure (180 seconds) on the map. Enemies within 25 meters and in line of sight are revealed on the map. When the stand is destroyed, expires, or a enemy walks within 5 meters of it, it detonates (.3 detonation time) in a 7 meter explosion, dealing 100 spirit damage. It has a 4 second arm duration once put down where it can be destroyed, but will not reveal or detonate. It can be picked up and moved elsewhere at any time (does not reset lifetime of structure) 60 second cool down. only 2 can be placed at any given time
T1 reduce arm time by 2 seconds and life time by 30 seconds
T2 allows you to have 2 on the map at one time
T3 Enemies hit by the explosion are cursed for 1.5 seconds
Ability 3: BREAKING NEWS
Rush to be the first to report on a breaking story. Use your allies and resources all across the map to give you any advantage on being first to this front page news
This ability would be largely movement based utility. Activating it would give you 3m/s move speed and 4m/s sprint speed, giving allies within 10 meters 50% of this bonus. While active, news stands gain 15 meters of reveal distance. Activate again while active to detonate all news stands. 5 second duration, 50 second cooldown
T1 +4m/s sprint speed, +1 sec duration
T2 -15 second cooldown
T3 Allies gain 100% bonus instead of 50%
Ability 4: Paparazzi
Pick who will be the next star of the show! Everybody in the city wants see who made the front page!
This ability would work as either a debuff, or a buff when alternate cast on allies. IMPORTANT TO NOTE (and what i think makes this really cool) THE PASSIVE APPLIES TO EITHER ALLIES OR ENEMIES SO IT MAKES YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT
Passive: Characters take 20% more damage from all sources when currently revealed by The Reporter's abilities
Active: Choose a target, they are revealed for 10 seconds. If applied to an ally, they deal 10% more damage and gain 100 temporary health. If they deal 1,000 damage, double these values for the remainder of the reveal. If applied to an enemy, reduce their spirit damage by 10% and fire rate by 20%. If they take 1,000 damage, double those values for the remainder of the reveal, blind hem for 1.5 seconds, and deal 200 spirit damage. Any time a revealed enemy is killed (while revealed or up to 2 seconds after) reduce damage thresholds by 50 (to a minimum of 500) 150 second cooldown
T1 -30 second cooldown
T2 allies deal 10% more damage and get 100 more temporary health, enemies deal 5% less spirit damage and have 5% lower fire rate
T3 increase reveal time by 5 seconds. If a revealed ally gets a kill (maximum cap of 1) or a revealed enemy is killed, reduce cooldown by 45 seconds
The numbers on this probably aren't perfect I'm not a game developer or designer, would be cool if an information based hero came to the game one day and I hope they have an aesthetic like this!
'The Reporter' is the lead journalist of the biggest newspaper in the city, in fact they even work with the curiosity shop employee! (could have very customized and unique interactions with the guy, maybe they're friends, maybe they're at each others throats for the work they do)
Their goal/dream isn't super lofty good or evil like some other characters, they want to become the biggest reporter in the entire city, at the center of every major event. This is their motivation for the ritual, the patron promises them the greatest story ever written and unlimited attention for completing it.
This character would have UNLIMITED POTENTIAL with interactions and voice lines with not only teammates but enemies as well. There is no love or hate or anything with anybody, no matter what they want to get the scoop on someone or learn something new about them. These interactions would also be an amazing way to flesh out other characters as well (or purposefully not flesh them out in these conversations (looking at you Lash))
As for the gameplay and where I think this could really fil la void in the current roster, is making this character information based above all else. Someone who's kit leans supporting (think Paige but instead of barriers and buffs it's information and map control)
Aesthetic I think a more nerdy, scrawny person fits it well. Just kind of stereotypical reporter 'geek' vibe. Glasses, pen behind the ear, polaroid camera around their neck, tucked in button down shirt with a messed up collar, maybe a badly tied tie if you want it could work with or without
Low base health with base 4 stamina. Really make an easy to kill character if you can stick on them.
Primary fire could go in a few directions. i think they should be slow shooting, think door man or maybe up to dynamo speed, and it is either them throwing newspapers they wrote (wanting people to read them, naturally) or taking pictures with their camera. If it was the latter perhaps firing similar to cailco's weapon but in a circle patter instead of a diamond, and with more spread.
As for abilities (where they really turn into an informational character):
Ability 1: photo-op
take a picture of the scene in front of you, dealing spirt damage, blinding, and revealing anybody in front of you
This ability would be longer ranged and effect the 2 closest players in an expanding cone hit box up to that range. About a 40 meter range, but with all of the effects scaling down with distance.
within 10 meters they are blinded for 1 second, take 60 damage, and are revealed for 7 seconds after. 25 second cooldown (8 second cool down between charges)
10-25 meters they are blinded for .5, take 30 damage, and revealed for 4 seconds
25-40 meters no blinding, take 20 damage, and revealed for 3 seconds *cannot knock players off ziplines beyond this distance*
T1 upgrade: blinded enemies have a lingering -20% slow and -30% dash distance for 2 seconds
T2 upgrade: +40 spirit damage, reveal enemies for 1.5 seconds longer
T3 upgrade: revealed enemies take 25% more damage
Ability 2: news stands
Place down an information booth on the map. Reveal enemies that walk near it, trigger an explosion to hide the evidence if they get too close.
This ability would introduce something closely resembling wards to the game. You put down a fairly discreet, long lasting structure (180 seconds) on the map. Enemies within 25 meters and in line of sight are revealed on the map. When the stand is destroyed, expires, or a enemy walks within 5 meters of it, it detonates (.3 detonation time) in a 7 meter explosion, dealing 100 spirit damage. It has a 4 second arm duration once put down where it can be destroyed, but will not reveal or detonate. It can be picked up and moved elsewhere at any time (does not reset lifetime of structure) 60 second cool down. only 2 can be placed at any given time
T1 reduce arm time by 2 seconds and life time by 30 seconds
T2 allows you to have 2 on the map at one time
T3 Enemies hit by the explosion are cursed for 1.5 seconds
Ability 3: BREAKING NEWS
Rush to be the first to report on a breaking story. Use your allies and resources all across the map to give you any advantage on being first to this front page news
This ability would be largely movement based utility. Activating it would give you 3m/s move speed and 4m/s sprint speed, giving allies within 10 meters 50% of this bonus. While active, news stands gain 15 meters of reveal distance. Activate again while active to detonate all news stands. 5 second duration, 50 second cooldown
T1 +4m/s sprint speed, +1 sec duration
T2 -15 second cooldown
T3 Allies gain 100% bonus instead of 50%
Ability 4: Paparazzi
Pick who will be the next star of the show! Everybody in the city wants see who made the front page!
This ability would work as either a debuff, or a buff when alternate cast on allies. IMPORTANT TO NOTE (and what i think makes this really cool) THE PASSIVE APPLIES TO EITHER ALLIES OR ENEMIES SO IT MAKES YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT
Passive: Characters take 20% more damage from all sources when currently revealed by The Reporter's abilities
Active: Choose a target, they are revealed for 10 seconds. If applied to an ally, they deal 10% more damage and gain 100 temporary health. If they deal 1,000 damage, double these values for the remainder of the reveal. If applied to an enemy, reduce their spirit damage by 10% and fire rate by 20%. If they take 1,000 damage, double those values for the remainder of the reveal, blind hem for 1.5 seconds, and deal 200 spirit damage. Any time a revealed enemy is killed (while revealed or up to 2 seconds after) reduce damage thresholds by 50 (to a minimum of 500) 150 second cooldown
T1 -30 second cooldown
T2 allies deal 10% more damage and get 100 more temporary health, enemies deal 5% less spirit damage and have 5% lower fire rate
T3 increase reveal time by 5 seconds. If a revealed ally gets a kill (maximum cap of 1) or a revealed enemy is killed, reduce cooldown by 45 seconds
The numbers on this probably aren't perfect I'm not a game developer or designer, would be cool if an information based hero came to the game one day and I hope they have an aesthetic like this!
