No new nerfs!

[PseudoCool]

This is my open letter to the developers of Defiance, and my open call to the playerbase here on the forums.

Reply to this open letter ONLY if you agree (I'm trying to get a consensus here instead of an argumentative thread)


Dear Developers,

First and foremost, let me thank you for the great game you have provided us to play. The world is rich and immersive when tied in with the television show, and we as players look forward to more content and an expanding world as the DLC's become available in the upcoming months. With overlooking a few bugs, this is an excellent game, and I look forward to enjoying it for many years to come.

However, this letter is in response to why I may not be able to do that. The simple reason is this: Nerfs. Nerfs, defined as the reduction of statistics or abilities in a portion or segment of a video game for the issue of "balance" that instead make the reduced item useless in multiple formats of play.

So far, Defiance has had 2 nerfs: Shotguns, rocket launchers, handgun magazines, and Flare Guns where nerfed in an effort to balance PvP. Seeing as how PvP is a rather small portion of this game, this has effectively nerfed more than the weapons, but whole lines of playability with those very weapons. This has provided an even more imbalanced standing in PvP, all while decreasing the amount of playability within the PvE construct, which is vastly larger than the PvP arenas in Defiance.

These nerfs have already been seen by a large number of older, experienced gamers as nothing short of "PvP playability at the expense of PvE enjoyment". This is a mantra that I have seen repeated over and over on several gaming forums where older gamers review games in their own ways (not metacritic type sites). This is the reputation that Defiance is putting forward.. that WE are a PvP-Centric game. This game is NOT PvP-Centric, and shouldn't have this reputation thrust upon it by being constantly nerfed (or balanced) for PvP at the sake and reduction of PvE playability. Doing this will reduce the ability to call in new, long term players in short order. What you as developers do to this game is how the reputation will proceed, and with that in mind...

I am hereby asking for NO NEW NERFS. The weapon balance in this game is fine, and even in some cases (VOT Disruptor for instance) it could use a BUFF to keep the weapon in line with others of it's class. The concept however of constant reductions in playability via nerfing weapons (either individual or as a class), is a concept that will reduce this game to nothing more than a mere ghost town. We have seen what the "PvP balance" issue has done to many other games in the past: most of them close down early due to lack of profit. Defiance has an exceptional playerbase, and we all enjoy playing the game for one reason or another. None of us want to see this game go away, but instead we want to see the game get better, grow more, and become a beacon that invites in new players for all segments of gaming. The nerfs will prevent that from happening.

Thank you for your time in reading this, and I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
PseudoCool

[Schwa]

I very much look forward to the reaction of the shotgun nerf we know is coming.

[PoLeo]

I thought the shotgun mag thing was unintentional? Or was there another nerd before that?

[PseudoCool]

I very much look forward to the reaction of the shotgun nerf we know is coming.

Which one would that be? I've heard of a couple being considered, none of which made any sense to me since shotguns are just fine the way they are IMHO. They give you great damage potential, but you've gotta be close, slow reload time, slow fire rate, VERY limited range.. the trade off's for balance are already there.

So Schwa.. which shotgun nerf are you referring to? the Clustershot one? or the "expanded magazine" one?

[Schwa]

Which one would that be? I've heard of a couple being considered, none of which made any sense to me since shotguns are just fine the way they are IMHO. They give you great damage potential, but you've gotta be close, slow reload time, slow fire rate, VERY limited range.. the trade off's for balance are already there.

So Schwa.. which shotgun nerf are you referring to? the Clustershot one? or the "expanded magazine" one?

Defiance central podcast: Sledge's exact words are "Shotguns are getting nerfed."

[Ataraxia]

Which one would that be? I've heard of a couple being considered, none of which made any sense to me since shotguns are just fine the way they are IMHO. They give you great damage potential, but you've gotta be close, slow reload time, slow fire rate, VERY limited range.. the trade off's for balance are already there.

So Schwa.. which shotgun nerf are you referring to? the Clustershot one? or the "expanded magazine" one?

Sledge mentioned they would fix the x1.05 mag size issue for shotguns which was not intentional, but he added that a future fix for shotguns was already on its way.

[PseudoCool]

Defiance central podcast: Sledge's exact words are "Shotguns are getting nerfed."

And see that's the problem:
Nerfing an entire CLASS of weapons, is wrong. If a single weapon has an issue with damage output, then you adjust that one weapon. If there's a mod that makes the weapons buggy or act like their not supposed to (like giving a 4 shot sawed off shotgun), then you remove the mod, and test it to find out why its causing the error.
But to nerf an entire class of weapons, for any reason, is improper and going to cause sever issues with the game. Especially shotguns in this case, which are already balanced across the board by any standard, except the Courier-haters want that one gone because they can't figure out how to beat someone who's cloaked with one in PvP. (pssst.. infectors work great for smashing cloak)

[Chemikz]

I'm a shotgun user myself, I have 4 epic shotguns and a legendary one, all pump shotties. They do need nerfing.. Like nerfed hard. This is just a silly thread, sorry. They're needed to maintain balance.

[Schwa]

And see that's the problem:
Nerfing an entire CLASS of weapons, is wrong. If a single weapon has an issue with damage output, then you adjust that one weapon. If there's a mod that makes the weapons buggy or act like their not supposed to (like giving a 4 shot sawed off shotgun), then you remove the mod, and test it to find out why its causing the error.
But to nerf an entire class of weapons, for any reason, is improper and going to cause sever issues with the game. Especially shotguns in this case, which are already balanced across the board by any standard, except the Courier-haters want that one gone because they can't figure out how to beat someone who's cloaked with one in PvP. (pssst.. infectors work great for smashing cloak)

That's a very nice post. I give you a star for effort, but until I see the nerf in action myself and how it affects PVP I don't particularly care to read it.

[IGears]

I'm a shotgun user myself, I have 4 epic shotguns and a legendary one, all pump shotties. They do need nerfing.. Like nerfed hard. This is just a silly thread, sorry. They're needed to maintain balance.

well,he did say this:

These nerfs have already been seen by a large number of older, experienced gamers as nothing short of "PvP playability at the expense of PvE enjoyment". This is a mantra that I have seen repeated over and over on several gaming forums where older gamers review games in their own ways (not metacritic type sites). This is the reputation that Defiance is putting forward.. that WE are a PvP-Centric game. This game is NOT PvP-Centric, and shouldn't have this reputation thrust upon it by being constantly nerfed (or balanced) for PvP at the sake and reduction of PvE playability. Doing this will reduce the ability to call in new, long term players in short order. What you as developers do to this game is how the reputation will proceed,