An issue with Ebonite Outbreak warning + Escort Duty mission

[Twichigo]

It's an interesting warning with a mild bonus of having constant Power Attack cooldown buffs. You can even change your power attack upgrade with that buff in mind and once you get Slayer Stout, it becomes even more exciting.

However, the enemies that are not dangerous on their own, spawn rather frequently and keep attacking the drilldozer during Escort Duty. And you can't shoot an ebonite enemy from afar, since they require a melee attack. This becomes even worse solo, because Bosco can't help you out and you are forced to run back and forth every so often during the refueling process.

Some of possible solutions:
1. Ebonite enemies completely ignore the drilldozer and only go after the dwarfs.
2. Ebonite enemies don't spawn when you stop for a refuel.
3. This warning can't appear on Escort Duty missions.

[Vinegaroon]

Fun fact, cryo weapons negate armor and allows you to damage them when they are frozen.

Not saying it's a solution in all cases but it is an option for your tool box

[Chris!!]

Inb4 "dOn'T pLaY sOlO xD"

[Shirojacky]

I wouldn't mind if Ebonites ignore Doretta since Bulk Detonators already display this behaviour, so it can be coded. Removing them from Escort Duty missions altogether would be a bit too much though, that should be reserved only for extreme cases like Haunted Cave.

[kestrel]

i think the bigger issue is that ebonite outbreak is just not a fun mutator

making the MULE be the object to spawn the boosters was a really bad idea. the game already has problems with stretching the MULE thin between four different players who all have different ways of exploring a cave. this isn't normally a big issue, but when all four players need to have the MULE by their side to enable them to kill a specific type of enemy, it becomes a big issue

the way ebonites spawn is also really frustrating. the fact they can show up randomly at any time means you have no real answer to ebonites unless you happen to be close enough to the MULE to get a recharge boost or you're driller
instead of making the event behave like exploder infestation or swarmageddeon, it should've worked more like mactera plague where ebonites have a chance to replace existing enemies in a swarm. that way you'd be able to consistently know when ebonites are coming and adjust your positioning accordingly

[Samaldafadra]

I think the devs could change the ebonited bugs to prevent them from attacking Doretta like they did with the bulks yeah

[Uzkniso o.o]

Originally posted by Samaldafadra:

I think the devs could change the ebonited bugs to prevent them from attacking Doretta like they did with the bulks yeah

+1
Would be nice.

[Twichigo]

Originally posted by kestrel:

i think the bigger issue is that ebonite outbreak is just not a fun mutator

making the MULE be the object to spawn the boosters was a really bad idea. the game already has problems with stretching the MULE thin between four different players who all have different ways of exploring a cave. this isn't normally a big issue, but when all four players need to have the MULE by their side to enable them to kill a specific type of enemy, it becomes a big issue

the way ebonites spawn is also really frustrating. the fact they can show up randomly at any time means you have no real answer to ebonites unless you happen to be close enough to the MULE to get a recharge boost or you're driller
instead of making the event behave like exploder infestation or swarmageddeon, it should've worked more like mactera plague where ebonites have a chance to replace existing enemies in a swarm. that way you'd be able to consistently know when ebonites are coming and adjust your positioning accordingly

You have a good point. It's the same reason Veteran Depositor's second bonus is barely working in co-op, and you don't really need the first bonus with mineral deposit split between 4 players.
Now, smaller ebonite glyphids are easy to deal with in most situations, but bigger dudes are a death sentence unless you happened to be next to the mule or playing Driller. Swarm type replacement actually sounds like the most healthy yet still fun and challenging approach to the issue.

[MrPurple33]

This Is an Interesting Post, as I Didn't Really Think About the New Ebonite Mutator,
I Just Figured It Would Be an Expanded Amount of Ebonite Glyphids Rather Than
the Limited Time and Amount From the Machine Event- Could Be Annoying,
But Overall Pickaxing the Ebonites Is Never Really That Hard

Then I Read the Title of This Post, And I Remembered the ONE TIME the Ebonite
Machine Event Gave Me Trouble, and It Was Solo, on an Escort Mission, and Doretta
was Oddly Parked Right At, and Slightly Over a Short Cliff Edge, So Ebonite Glyphids Were Climbing Directly Up and Slightly Under Dotty and Badly Damaging Her, and I Couldn't Get
At Them to Pickaxe Them, and Of Course, Not Damage Them With Ranged Shots- They Took Out Both Treads of HPs, and I Resorted to Madly Repairing Dotty Until the Machine Event Timer Ran Out, Just to Save Dotty and the Mission

Not Sure If That's a Similar Issue With a Full Escort Mission With Constant Ebonite Glyphids Showing Up- Seems Like It Is- I Haven't Chosen That Mutator Yet, I Read Above That Apparently Molly Kicks Out the Pickaxe Rechargers- Even With a Team, With Escort
In Particular That Might Still Be a Problem

Any Other Mission I Wouldn't Think Ebonites Would Be a Big Problem, Except for Maybe Ebonites Getting In the Way of Shooting a Dread on Elimination, or a Caretaker on Sabotage