Kylo Ren Frenzy Broken
Product: Star Wars Battlefront II Platform:Microsoft XBOX One What is your issue related to? General Summarize your bug Kylo Ren’s “Frenzy” ability is not breaking through saber wielders blocks. E...
Forum Discussion
I'd gladly test this on Xbox if I had one. Neither do I have the money to buy one, nor DICE is willing to give me one to conduct some testings as I don't work for them. I can upload newer videos post patch of Kylo doing the same thing, I just linked that one because my frenzy timing was very good on that match.
I've reviewed your video, and I was already prepared to tell you again that saber users can start blocking while standing up even before their standing up animation has finished. But that's not even the case. It's VERY clear Luke (loved the Link typo BTW, he is Star Wars Link after all) starts blocking your Frenzy prior to the first strike. And as I said before, Frenzy can be fully blocked if the target remains blocking for its entire duration. This wasn't like that since launch, and I only got aware of it because of your report, as I stated before. But it's a fact, and that you can say is abusive and I agree. Frenzy, as a block breaking ability, should be fast enough to actually hit with a following strike a broken block character from a previous strike.
Also, you seem not to understand what Locked means in this context. If Phasma starts using her staff strikes, you can move away and ignore her while she's still performing the second or third strikes. She'll be swinging in the air while you're already free to chase other villains. With Kylo, even if you dodge away, he comes right into you with the next strike of Frenzy. It's very hard to get out of reach or cancel Kylo's Frenzy just by trying to move away/dodge, he must have some scenario to block his frenzy, or you must suffer some serious forced movement effect to get out of his reach while he's using frenzy. If you remain blocking or dodging away, you are LOCKED doing this: you can't focus on attacking or blocking other enemies while Kylo is in his Frenzy on you. You must deal with his Frenzy, either by blocking, dodging, or getting hit, (or in rare cases interrupting him with a staggering/immobilizing/forced-movement effect) but in no way you can ignore him and try to deal with another enemy while he is in his Frenzy targetting you. This effectively locks an enemy into dealing with kylo for 1 to 2 seconds, which can be a relief for your teammates in HvV. This is a tactical move that Frenzy allows, even if it may not deal any damage.
If you insist that Frenzy must bypass blocks expect a serious damage nerf to his ability as DICE won't allow for such a high damaging ability to bypass blocks freely without a nerf. Currently poor shooters are no match for Frenzy if it's performed well. Hitting 2 times with Frenzy on a shooter hero is really easy, I do that all the time, and just that is enough to remove a considerable amount of their permanent health, as 2 Frenzy strikes deal 250 damage (but mine deal 290 as I use the damage enhancing Star Card).
Oh and I find it very easy to link either pull or freeze with Frenzy, although I prefer to strike normally first once or twice to then use Frenzy. If you find it hard to use frenzy on frozen characters, you're probably using the extended Freeze's reach and activating freeze from a standing still position. You can use it while jumping, so your arc propels you to the enemy while performing th freeze, making you get in reach to use frenzy right after it.
So your experience seems to be a normal experience that I see on PC everyday, the gameplay you presented would happen the same way if it was done on PC. I can't see this as an Xbox only issue by the evidence you provided. It seems to be a matter of opinion: you find Frenzy bad because of its working restrictions. As far as I can tell it's working as intended since the latest changes. The only thing I find weird is it not taking advantage of breaking block with the first strike to actually hit with the second strike. IMO I think the strikes could be sped up a bit to at least allow the following strikes to actually hit if the previous strike broke the enemy's block.
The reason I bring up the specificity of Xbox is that you have multiple gen consoles with very different processing capabilities on the same server and I’m trying to discern whether or not there’s a role being played there.
As for saber wilders being able to “block” while still in other animations that is 100% poor gameplay mechanics which only works to impede good timing on various abilities, including Frenzy.
As far has having to “deal” with Kylo; I can tell you that on Xbox, right now; Kylo will only perform two leaps with his Frenzy since the star card was changed. He only performs the initial leap plus one additional if the target attempts to dodge. If you’re facing an opponent with a high dodge ability then they do have the potential to get away from Kylo in WELL under 2 seconds as they only have to execute two dodges to be free of the lock. This is exceptionally insignificant when you compare that to the disruptive ability of other characters ... Fetts concision or any characters stuns.
As for blaster users, they VERY much can dodge Frenzy, both leaps if timed properly. And as for bypassing block abilities, well, what about Yodas dash? He can execute a maximum of 3 which combined yields more damage than Frenzy, by far.
I’m looking at this from a big picture perspective. Kylo is weak because his abilities give you a “potential” to be effective (just like everyone’s) but because of how much blocking can be done that potential is VERY low in terms of effectiveness.
blocks prevent Freeze and Pull with quite a large AOE, in fact, I’m seeing recurring instances on Xbox where they’re blocked while Kylo is behind the opponent. As for Frenzy; saying that his disruption is a big benefit is just ineffective. In the grand scheme of glameplay it’s useless .. not only is it easily evaded but it’s puts Kylo at risk for additional damage from say Luke’s Push or even Solos Charge.
The few very very minor aspects you’ve mentioned do not, in my opinion, constitute balance. Kylo needs something else; perhaps higher health, faster dodge, faster health regen time ... something to offset the low realistic potential of his abilities.
They’ve made Kylo almost a cheerleader and although I don’t expect him to be a tank his abilities don’t carry the weight in actual gameplay that people think ... at least not on the Xbox.
My rationale for a block bypass is rooted in the FACT that Kylo’s leap range has been reduced, he only leaps twice, the ability CAN be dodged very quickly. ... also keep in mind that between the high amounts of block & dodge that exist among all characters now that creates a unintended nerf to the Frenzy ability simply by way of gameplay mechanic. Kylo doesn’t disrupt anyone for a significant period of time compared to other disruptive abilities (nobody is disrupted for 2 seconds; maybe 1). a block bypass in this scenario would result in only one hit as a given
... plus you also have to content with the in game reality that characters high mobility helps prevent opponents from getting Frenzied in the first place. The restricted AOE plus the need for it to be precisely timed is already a nerf on an abitliy that wasn’t OP to begin with. You’re talking about a nerf on a nerf on a nerf ... it’s too much.
Keep in mind I’m no slouch with Kylo, even post update. I’m very effective at working with and scoring with him. That being said I don’t achieve any of that by leaning on his abilities which constitutes an imbalance. Kylo is basically a scavenger at this point ... effective at coming from behind to pick off someone highly damaged or otherwise engaged with his teammates but as a lone contributor to the battle he’s poor.
He’s weak, his dodge isn’t top tier, his regen isn’t top tier, he doesn’t do more damage than any of his teammates, he can be heavily blocked ... where’s his advantage? Every stat he has is mediocre or sub average and yet there isn’t any stat that’s above which would offset it.
Now whether there are issues specific to Xbox contributing to gameplay scenarios that I’m experiencing which you aren’t I don’t know ... that’s why this post is here; to get the Devs to look into the issue and fix it because as it stands now; he is, no doubt, the most ineffective Villain on the roster.
