Additional Darts for the Blowpipe

  • TheDrakyle
    Seafarer

    With only 4 darts to use, one of which is only good for goofiness and wont truly trick probably 95% of the playerbase, i think the blowpipe could use a few more additions that while not elevating it to being a go to choice in PvP at all times, does make it have some more uses to consider it in.

    Lightningrod Dart: As the name implies, it would not create lightning but rather draw electric based attacks and natural thunderbolts from the storm to the location of the dart. Handy against pirates during a storm or just to keep the lightning away from kegs on your ship when trying to sell them, the dart can only draw one storm strike or 3 electric orb things from the ocean crawlers.

    Fog/Blind Dart: Probably would be too op but the dart would 'blind' it's victim or just cloud their vision with fog so it's harder for them to see you from a distance. Given how powerful such a dart would be the effect would have to be very short lived (about 3 seconds), long enough to get some sneaky hits in or just to keep your enemy from hitting you too easily. Maybe a comm/achievement would exist for killing someone while under the effects of a blindness dart?

    Sickness Dart: Would cause the target to after a delay, pause movement and vomit. The effect would trigger 2-3 times before wearing off. The brief halting of movement would create opportunities for attacks.

    Peace/Pacify Dart: 3-4 seconds of being unable to use weapons when it hits a pirate, in PvE the enemy would just ignore you for that duration. Maybe wouldn't be too broken to have the effect last 10 seconds if hostile actions instantly undo the dart's effect. ((this wouldn't stop ship interactions like bucketing, repairing, anchoring, altering the sails and Cannons would still be useable.))

    These darts have been thought of while trying to strike a careful tightrope of not being too broken and also sticking to the theme of being very saboteur/ninja like. I would love to know if these would still be broken as currently imagined, how that could be changed (if possible) or if there is other darts that could exist.

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  • MisereNZ
    Captain
    Insider

    @thedrakyle
    New darts would be great but they need to be a better option than killing the other player .

    Lighting rod dart would do that but only in very specific instances.

    Fog dart could have some use if fired onto a cannon to prevent other players using it to fire at your ship but would be more useful as a boarding tool. Fire at the ladder to make it harder for them to knock you off.

    Sickness dart, I would rather hit them with a damage causing dart to kill them. An alternative would be a food poisonings dart. You stick them and the next time they eat they throw up losing health instead of gaining it. So you can sneak on, dart a bunch of pirates without them knowing then attack.

    **Peace/Pacify Dart: ** I would rather hit them with a damage causing dart to kill them.

    Reverse mimic Has been suggested before Causes enemy player to look like you. Makes it harder for you to be targeted

  • TheDrakyle
    Seafarer

    I tried to make it a mix of damaging and mischief because lure dart is only ever useful for PvE and Mimic dart only tricks absolute swabbies, though i do like that modified idea of the sickness dart, , so long as it's in effect they cant rely on food which makes it easier to threaten them with direct combat.

    But yeah fog from a dart like some kind of smoke bomb just generally would be helpful in both supporting a teammate and sabotage on your enemies efforts.

    I briefly considered Lightning Rod dart summoning a lightning strike but figured that too strong so instead it's more to keep the storm out your way when carrying explosive cargo or not wanting random lightning strikes hitting you in the middle of combat.

    @MisereNZ

    Reverse mimic sounds more like it should just swap the appearance of you and the target and activate friendly fire so their teammates can attack them.

  • BurnBacon
    Vanguard
    Insider

    Pretty much you want curse balls turned into darts

  • TheDrakyle
    Seafarer

    @burnbacon said in Additional Darts for the Blowpipe:

    Pretty much you want curse balls turned into darts

    Other than the peace/pacify dart, i dont see much overlap with curseballs.

    EDIT: Venomball exists and does functionally the same thing as the Poison Dart. the difference? Darts would be localized effect or require you hit the target which is a lot harder than hitting a ship, on top of that, if you use the blowpipe you are now limited to following up with whatever is in your other weapon slot and any throwables you have available to you. Comparitively a cursed cannonball can be followed rapidly by an onslaught of cannonball fire. There is little harm in a small overlap with them or having a weapon that performs similarly to the green curseballs. As it stands, blowpipes are really the only weapon that there is no point in using.

    The harpoon gun even in PvP is useful, the blowpipe, just barely useful in PvE and no one is asking for faster/better PvE tools. All the blowpipe needs is a few more darts to make it worthwhile carrying in your loadout.

  • MisereNZ
    Captain
    Insider

    @thedrakyle

    Pretty much, the friendly fire side of things would require some testing but i can see how making the other person look like you could be useful. I don't think a 1 to 1 swap is wise as that would make the mimic less useful.

  • TheDrakyle
    Seafarer

    @miserenz

    Fair. Though i dont think the mimic has ever been useful honestly XD

  • Zherron Vorse
    Captain
    Insider

    Tuck player here and blowpipe main.

    Most of these darts feel to niche and would rarely get any use in my opinion.

    Lightning Dart would only be implimented to add a new color of dart, its damage would be unreliable if it was RNG based and only usable in extremely specific situations.

    Blinding Dart would actually be good but it would have to be. The poison dart already aflicts vision a decent bit but a dedicated dart that only blinds would have to be more potent. It could last longer say 10 seconds but be disabled by taking damage or at least 20% damage to avoid people just stepping into fire.

    Sickness Dart would have to be like a Grog Ball but that wouldn't have any unique things it brings and just do something another tool already does.

    Peace Dart is the same, just reusing another affect on a single weapon.

    Three darts I would personally like are..

    Tracking dart that lasts for 10 minutes but can only have one active per player. So you could tag a fleeing ship or a chest with it and see it on the map. Breakable like a lure dart.

    Beacon Dart that creates a cone of light into the sky for everyone to see. Breakable like a lure dart.

    Heal Dart that allows you to heal any player or entity up 50hp. That way you can help noobs play better if they are on your crew, or play guardian angel to players you are tucked on.

    Also the Mimic Dart is amazing for tuck plays. It is good for switching hiding spots during a tuck if you feel you have to move, or to make it more confusing during fights with bigger crews or alliances.

  • TheDrakyle
    Seafarer

    @zherron-vorse

    the lightning dart wasn't a PvP focused dart idea and the blowpipe already can be a bit of a niche but i am happy to hear from a blowpipe main as you would have a better idea of the tool than others.

    Blinding dart kinda already had a better idea come into discussion which was 'Fog' Dart to basically obscure the area it hits to make it harder for people to aim cannons or see when you are climbing up or such.

    Sickness dart is another that the idea got changed by discussion into a more food poisoning themed dart that interferes with hp recovery from food.

    Peace Dart yeah it overlaps with a curseball just as the venomball overlaps with poison dart but i've already mentioned how there is a vast difference is how followup from using a curseball is from followup after a dart would be.

    Now onto the darts you mentioned.

    Tracking does sound cool, is it only you who sees the tracker or anyone in your crew?

    Beacon seems like what people would use to invite others to a ship when they lose to it though it might also double as a distress signal or something people during HG would use to alert a friend when a match starts to have them rush over.

    Heal Dart, definitely would love that, especially if you run low or out of food during PvP.

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