Natasha nerf

[Maringue]

God Damnit Valve. You had a perfectly good fix. Just make the slow effect lessen over time. But nooooooo. Your programers are lazy fucks. Too lazy it seems to make the slow effect proportional to the damage done (which is already distance based). Now you've made Natasha totally worthless. I hope all your scout loving programers are happy. The amount of people who complain about a weapon is not proportional to how overpowered it is...

Also, the new kits suck my balls. Like the new heavy kit. The lunch, fucking worthless. I have the GRU, why do I need something that makes me move faster but doesn't let me pull out my gun when I need it? The new mini gun is interesting, but the set bonus? 5% decreased crit damage? Why don't you have lolly pops falling out of your ass the set bonus, that would be more useful.

The new demo kit is just going to encourage more spam. It's like a sticky launcher for people who don't know how to set off a sticky bomb properly.

The medic kit is kind of weird. It feels like something that will have to be game played. But the bonus? +1 to your heal rate? WhooooooHoooooo! Um, yeah. Not worth the set if there are any draw backs at all (I didn't check super hard to see if there were any).

And the new winter crates and keys are just Valves way of trying to drum up support for opening crates. They can see people's inventory and the thousands upon thousands of unopened crates that are out there. Here's a hint valve, how's about putting shit in there that's worth buying a key. Paying $2.49 for a Southern Hospitality gets old really, really fast.

And lastly, I agree with Repoman. If they make me start paying per month just to have Steam, I'll find other video games to play...

[Vivi Hill]

There's still nothing in the game that you need to pay to get that helps you in any way.

[Amplify]

I still can dominate who ever I want.

[John Magnum]

The downside of the Medic Item Set is that you can't have Blutsauger or Ubersaw equipped.

[Smeemo]

Note that I'm completely in the dark re: these updates at time of posting.

The Natascha is useless now? *dances on the graves of the mothers of those who have used the Natascha with any modicum of pride*

[Zclipse]

Heavy's already the easiest class in the game, all you have to do is hold down m1 and shoot in their general direction, Natasha just made the class even easier by slowing down your target and completely removing the need for aim. I'm glad its useless, all it did was make the class with the lowest skill ceiling in the game even lower...

[Toaster]

Heavy's already the easiest class in the game, all you have to do is hold down m1 and shoot in their general direction, Natasha just made the class even easier by slowing down your target and completely removing the need for aim. I'm glad its useless, all it did was make the class with the lowest skill ceiling in the game even lower...

QFT

[Enigma]

Why are people butthurt about the original natascha? Personally, I don't mind using it, or getting killed by it. Now that they nerffed it, I just can't stand using it.

[Toaster]

Why are people butthurt about the original natascha? Personally, I don't mind using it, or getting killed by it. Now that they nerffed it, I just can't stand using it.

It isn't about killing/getting killed. It's that the Natacha slowed down the pace of games. A supported Natacha doesn't let anything by and games draw out way too long or just stalemate(turtlefest)

It's the reasoning for it being banned in comp and it holds true in pubs

[VoltySquirrel]

The downside of the Medic Item Set is that you can't have Blutsauger or Ubersaw equipped.

I actually hate the blutsauger. Why do I need a weapon that encourages me to not do my job? I'd rather have passive healing instead of active for a passive class. Plus, I hardly find the use for the Ubersaw as I often get killed using it. So I find this new medic set to be quite nice.

[Vivi Hill]

Assuming you can aim, the blutsauger is great in pubs if you need to escape from someone. Keeps you alive longer. I don't think it really encourages medics to not do their job since it's not a very good weapon. It's a great last resort though.

As for pugs, it's not very useful because of the increased reheal time. So I think it balances out very nicely.

[Maringue]

Why are people butthurt about the original natascha? Personally, I don't mind using it, or getting killed by it. Now that they nerffed it, I just can't stand using it.

It isn't about killing/getting killed. It's that the Natacha slowed down the pace of games. A supported Natacha doesn't let anything by and games draw out way too long or just stalemate(turtlefest)

It's the reasoning for it being banned in comp and it holds true in pubs

If we are using "banned in comp" as a metric, how come you never hear half as many people bitch about the FaN? It's banned and you don't see Valve nerfing that, do you?

[VoltySquirrel]

Why are people butthurt about the original natascha? Personally, I don't mind using it, or getting killed by it. Now that they nerffed it, I just can't stand using it.

It isn't about killing/getting killed. It's that the Natacha slowed down the pace of games. A supported Natacha doesn't let anything by and games draw out way too long or just stalemate(turtlefest)

It's the reasoning for it being banned in comp and it holds true in pubs

If we are using "banned in comp" as a metric, how come you never hear half as many people bitch about the FaN? It's banned and you don't see Valve nerfing that, do you?

Difference is that the Natasha was OP. I know you disagree, but think about it. Your a pyro. Your chasing a medic with a uber. All of a sudden, you come across a heavy. That's okay though, because you have you trusty Axetinguisher/Degreaser combo, which was designed to murder heavies. But uh oh! This heavy has a Natasha. And then you get ripped to shread. What about the FaN? The reason the FaN was banned was because of it's high damdge output. The difference between the two, is that with the FaN, you need to at least be able to aim. With the Natasha, you don't need to, because your basically hitting a statue. If Valve had only needed the slowdown effects, people would still bitch. Why? Because, just like with Sasha, most Natasha kills are at point blank. The reduced slowdown does absolutely shit in a choke point, where Natasha were abused. So, a long spin up balances that out to give classes who run into a Natty Heavy, like the pyro in our story, a chance to live. The Natasha is still powerful. And you know what? It's as balanced as it ever will be.

[Zclipse]

Valve has already nerfed the FaN, FaN isn't banned in comp, its just rarely used because the scattergun is more efficient, its able to kill multiple targets with its clip instead of just one, and it doesn't restrict your movement to the ground because there is no pushback. FaN does lower the skill ceiling of scout, but not so much to make the class skill less, like volty said, some aim is still required, where natasha requires none.

[Maringue]

The degreaser/axstinguisher combo was no made to kill heavies. I have murdered soooo many pyros who try this with the regular minigun. You only have to land 3-4 bullets on a pyro to kill them at point blank.

Also, people act like there is no counter to Natasha when there is a very, very effect one. A heavy with the minigun. Have a choke point with Natasha? Turn the corner with the minigun and he's dead in like 3 seconds. If your heavy has any idea how to play, the Natasha heavy will get tired of getting rapped constantly and switch.

And as for what I will call the "whaaaaa , heavy takes no skill" argument, my answer is simple. If you want to play a game where only aiming skill matters, go play a deathmatch game, CS:S or even DoD (and rape people with the KAR). Half of the classes in the game take no aiming skill to be good at.

[Mike808]

The downside of the Medic Item Set is that you can't have Blutsauger or Ubersaw equipped.

I actually hate the blutsauger. Why do I need a weapon that encourages me to not do my job? I'd rather have passive healing instead of active for a passive class. Plus, I hardly find the use for the Ubersaw as I often get killed using it. So I find this new medic set to be quite nice.

those are the two most useful update weapons in the entire game in my opinon. but it could just be that i main as a medic

the blutsauger is great if you have experiense with it. having to aim ahead of the target gives people trouble. But i used it for 4 years so it would be pretty sad if i coulnt defend myself with is. i love owning w+m1 pryos with it
and the ubersaw is good if someone comes in close and you can get a good few hits on them. its like a bonus uber charge

[Zclipse]

The degreaser/axstinguisher combo was no made to kill heavies. I have murdered soooo many pyros who try this with the regular minigun. You only have to land 3-4 bullets on a pyro to kill them at point blank.

Also, people act like there is no counter to Natasha when there is a very, very effect one. A heavy with the minigun. Have a choke point with Natasha? Turn the corner with the minigun and he's dead in like 3 seconds. If your heavy has any idea how to play, the Natasha heavy will get tired of getting rapped constantly and switch.

And as for what I will call the "whaaaaa , heavy takes no skill" argument, my answer is simple. If you want to play a game where only aiming skill matters, go play a deathmatch game, CS:S or even DoD (and rape people with the KAR). Half of the classes in the game take no aiming skill to be good at.

Yes, Heavy is so powerful right now that one of the easiest ways to counter the class is to go heavy yourself, and that's all heavy vs heavy fights are, doesn't matter if its natasha or sasha, whichever heavy spins up first(at close range), will kill the other heavy even with a medic. Sure heavy takes skill, just takes the least amount, add natasha in there and the "skill" needed to play the class is virtually gone.

The game is a FPS meaning First-Person Shooter, the game should require aim to play it, not only aim of course, there's movement, dodging, etc, but having a weapon that didn't require any of these is retarded, and valve saw that.

[VoltySquirrel]

Well to be fair, unless the natty heavy has an uber, kritz, gets a random crit, or gets the drop on a unaware heavy, a sasha vs. Natasha+Medic fight will always go to the Sasha due to it's higher damage output.

[critsalyn12]

The medic kit is kind of weird. It feels like something that will have to be game play...

In case of emergency, you can use the medic kit to help other people. It will allow you to be ready and alert if accidents happen. I have medic item sets, and they are always useful to me.

[Patrid]

Here's a solution for the time being until Valve eventually realizes that good scouts are OP: LEARN TO USE THE DIRECT HIT. The concept of the direct hit is great for dealing with scouts. One head-on shot + maybe a shotgun shot would take out any scout from mid-range, milkman or no. It takes time to get use to, but the payoff includes this: ramped up damage + a good way to stick it to WM1's/scouts

[Fiend]

Damn it.

I'm really sad that Heavy gets a bad reputation as a no-skill class. Everyone knows that Heavy isn't a viable class in competitive play for a variety of reasons. It's not that people like to play scout/solly/demo more, it's that being that slow will cripple a team.

Natascha broke game play because the whole game dynamic is based around HP and pacing. Being able to slow a whole team from half way across the map broke the pacing. Natascha was never an efficient killer, just a snare utility. It deserved to be nerfed because it was the only thing in the game that really broke the pacing of a match.

No matter what they do to buff the Heavy, bad ones can still be treated with the same strategies as sentry guns. Edge them, stab them, shoot them from far away. Good Heavies are still a force to be reckoned with, and only used the Natascha when they were bored and trollin'

[Vivi Hill]

All I know is Heavy is still a perfectly viable class. I have the Sandvich and KGB and it's basically the easiest way to top the scoreboard immediately, assuming spies and snipers aren't around or competent.

[TiakerAvelonna]

I've played with the Natscha since I got it, and no one's ever griped to me about using it.

I wonder if it's due to the fact that I suck enough that I wasn't at the top of the boards or dominating everyone within 5 minutes of the match starting.

[Maringue]

We have enough good spies in our servers that I've taken to pulling a "Crazy Ivan" frequently. I'll just randomly turn around for no reason to check my back, makes noob spies think I'm hacking a lot.

[Argent]

We have enough good spies in our servers that I've taken to pulling a "Crazy Ivan" frequently. I'll just randomly turn around for no reason to check my back, makes noob spies think I'm hacking a lot.

The given reference deserves an e-cookie.