How Fire Bomb needs to work to make it balanced

Lol for some seconds there the water bacame green around that poor fellow.

 

Solid suggestion WaveB!

Perhaps a less efficient Firebomb could also shake the Cannon-meta up abit! Would be fun to see Mortars and torpedoes be a larger part of the meta again.

 

BAHAHAHAHAHAH hang on, I agree that it should be nerfed but LOL he totally ate like more than half of those!

I would be ok with a slight damage boost when hit right in the center since that's where I usually hit ships with anyway lol but the duration definitely needs a penalty the closer the target is to the edge instead of damage having a penalty. But instead of gradually decreasing, I think there should be 4 zones.

This way, there's a nice area in the center that still has the full effect. The 75% and 50% cover most of the circle and would be fine having a smooth gradient in between them, but it instantly jumps from 50% to 25% when you just barely get hit by the edge (usually 1~5 dps or a little more for strong firebombs). A very slight damage adjustment based on impact would be fine, but only slightly since the duration will be shortened, too.

 

Surprised by the reaction to this. You do realize that it accomplishes the same goal. I am ok with reducing the damage or fire duration based on distance to the center, but by changing the chance it is a less dramatic firebomb change. You still have a chance of getting full damage which can be a game changer. Grenade has a chance of catching fire, why doesn't firebomb? The longer i'm in the fire (ie. closer to the center) the higher the chance of catching fire. Seemed to make sense.

The main thing I am strongly against is how I catch fire when I am outside of the firebomb circle. Start by fixing that!

 

The grenade catching fire is the same as a cannon's crit, but dealt over time. Firebomb sets you on fire every time, so this would basically make it a crit. It shouldn't be based on chance, it should be based on skill, just like a mortar. For example, the mortar's "devastating blow!" isn't based on chance either, and it'll never happen if you're near the edge. This is a much more dramatic change.

Actually, on the topic of firebomb crits I have a really dramatic change I'd like to throw out there. Should the firebomb reduce healing like the flare gun, but only if it "crits" the same way as a mortar (hit directly in the center)?

 

I have heard a rumor that the proposed nerf to Firebomb well be the same nerf to Frost weapons. A hit will negate the effect.

If it is true, it is absurd that this weapon (which we lose hp boosts in mastering) will become less useful than Napalm and doesn't do, although harder to avoid, as much damage at equivalent training and levels.

If a nerf is needed, it should be addressed in the training and all fire items should receive the same whack by the nerf bat.