APS needs rework/NERF

[micro peene]

I did some math here on the game, and the APS is ruining the game. The APS currently has unlimited charges to delete any "throwable" item in the game including some primary weapons. I literally spreadsheeted out all the guns, gadgets, specializations, categorized the as S-C tier and also based them on if they do any damage or not.

Here is where the APS turret sits currently.

Amount of entire finals game blocked by APS - 38/73 - 52%
Amount of S and A tier items that do damage blocked by APS - 22/36 - 61%

Amount of gadgets in the game blocked by APS - 28/37 - 76%

Amount of light kit blocked by APS - 11/24 - 45%
Amount of med kit blocked by APS - 9/23 - 39%
Amount of heavy kit blocked by APS - 12/20 - 60%

The APS is single handedly ruining the ingenuity of the game. Finals seems to be based on rock paper scissors mentality of stopping one item with another. But currently their is one item that has UNLIMITED uses that is currently capable of removing over 50% of the game from being used.

I know the easy answer is "shoot it" but some guns can't (grenade launchers and throwing knives). Also, if the APS turret is set inside a room properly, it stops any destruction of the room to provide new access, so you are funnelled through a doorway met by guns/turrets/traps/etc.

The APS turret is the most powerful tool in the game, and its a problem. it can completely delete entire builds from being used short of melee. It can destroy projectiles on the other side of walls, and it has UNLIMITED USES until destroyed.

The worst part by far is the sheer amount of triple medium teams running through the game. Worst case scenario you are met by 3 APS turrets, as well as a combination of turrets, heal beams, and defibs. Playing a triple medium team is the equivelant of playing 9 people. If i have to destroy up to 6 turrets, all using bullets only, met by 3 players with meta tier weapons that can res eachother instantly.... oh right, and there is atleast one more team to fight off too.

APS turret fix is simple:
1) limit number of destroyed items to 20 or less (TWENTY is still TWENTY less explosions, gas, fire, etc. which is still absurd if you think about it)

2) No item in the game should remove a players primary weapon usability from them, regardless of the projectile type

3) I don't think it should destroy items on the other side of walls, but whatever i guess

4) Players who place the APS should not be able to then throw items or use grenade launchers in them.

[BaBe ♥]

aps is fine except blocking main weapon , this is ridiculous.

[MazeBlue]

Skill Issue.

[TipikGamerYT]

no git gud

[Czlopek]

The area it covers is relatively small, for the openings you can still use red/orange barrels or the glitch grenade. Grenades from primary weapons should stay as they are since they are extremely spamable, I'm not sure about the throwing knives though.

[micro peene]

Its probably a skill issue because i'm bad, but i really don't think it should block your primary weapon. Considering it blocks 100% of gadgets that can harm it, you are left with nothing except melee to to break them. I play mostly quick play because i'm alone or with one other friend, so coordination with teammates to remove is not realistic.

I don't think it needs to be removed or even nerfed into the ground. 20 explosions is still an absurd amount of damage blocked and a well invested gadget to carry, if you can absorb 20 throwables before decay, thats still an S tier gadget. But there comes a point where the trophy system should break from uses. Thats basic game mechanics in every game that uses one.

But i DO think its unreasonable to block primaries. Its only 3 weapons, but they are removed from the game at this point in time because every medium is running these at least as a backup in their kit. Sure grenade launchers are "spammable" but they have a worse TTK then any of the automatic weapons, so i don't think thats a fair argument for having a gadget that makes your build irrelevant other then melee.

This is 100% stemming from the issue that i enjoy the grenade launchers. And with the current player comps, my top two weapons are unusable. However, if it didn't block my two main primary weapons, this post wouldn't even exist.

Regardless. Infinite blocking of over half of the games mechanics is IMO a poor mechanic.

[micro peene]

Originally posted by BaBe:

aps is fine except blocking main weapon , this is ridiculous.

100% accurate. If it didn't block your primary, this post wouldn't exist. But because it does, it opens the topic of the only countermeasure in the game with a 50% block rate and unlimited uses.

It doesn't place this item as S tier, it places it in a category above everything else. Its fine if your facing team comps of one medium. But in quickplay when 5/6 of your opponents are medium with APS it just gets old that a game based on destructible environments is no longer destructible and instead is eating your equipment.

[Czlopek]

You might have been on the other end of APS spam but trust me being damaged by grenades without any way to retaliate hurts just as much, not to mention while they do have a slower time to kill they can damage multiple players at once.

[Phoenix]

It is baffling to me that they would add an item that completely counters certain primary weapons in a game that has no option to swap to the secondary. The moment a medium drops an APS turret and you have throwing knives or a GL, your entire kit becomes useless as you have no way to destroy the APS unless you can get into melee with it. The counter to the APS turret is to use a pick a different weapon for the rest of the game, and that is not a fun mechanic.

[Arch1]

skill issue

[Specter]

A few days ago - I came across a team that had three "M" contestants, and when they were guarding an ATM, they had 2 shooting turrets, 3 "APS" turrets, and 1 medic......

Guess who won?? xD

[Specter]

Originally posted by Phoenix:

The moment a medium drops an APS turret and you have throwing knives or a GL, your entire kit becomes useless as you have no way to destroy the APS unless you can get into melee with it. The counter to the APS turret is to use a pick a different weapon for the rest of the game, and that is not a fun mechanic.

You're ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ right.
I, who prefer to play as “H” most of the time, know from myself everything you described. Moreover, the most interesting thing is that “H” essentially has only 6 weapons, and 4 of them are melee weapons (and “Sledgehammer” is actually an ultra-melee weapon). And since with them it rarely makes sense to storm someone else’s team holed up at an ATM, and the grenade launcher becomes useless due to the “APS” turret, then in the end - for “H” there are only 2 weapon options left, either this is a machine gun, or - Lewis machine gun.
Well, let's say - okay, a sledgehammer can still make sense due to the damage, but as a rule it is suicide, with a benefit of only 1-2 kills of opponents who can quickly recover thanks to the defibrillator...