I was messing around with Multiloader today–the Helix option that allows Benedict to charge a 2-rocket spiral shot. Here’s the problems with it, as I see it:
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Holding primary fire is supposed to charge the 2-shot burst, but it only works properly in the most neutral of conditions, when no other rocket animation is active. If try charging in the middle of a reload, it usually won’t work. If you try to start the charge while firing a single rocket, it almost certainly won’t work. Sometimes, when the launcher is actually charging, the animation doesn’t play. Due to all this, getting consistent Multiloader shots is almost impossible.
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The charged shot is supposed to consume multiple rockets, but it rarely works properly. Most charged shots improperly decrement one rocket from a full magazine, while two are decremented otherwise. When the magazine is at 1/5, a charged shot pointlessly fires a single a rocket. Sometimes, a fully-charged shot fires a single rocket for no apparent reason. Combined with all the reload glitches still in the game (such as the one that empties your entire magazine when cancelling a reload), plus server lag, the only somewhat-reliable way to use Multiloader is from a full rocket magazine, with very careful timing.
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Multiloader completely screws up Benedict’s ability to fire rockets in a rapid sequence. Without Multiloader, Benedict’s fire rate naturally hits maximum by holding primary fire. With Multiloader, holding the fire button now initiates a charge, and rockets are fired releasing primary fire. Even when properly timing the tap-and-release action to get single rockets to fire–which is difficult, because a mis-timed tap will cause the launcher to fire nothing at all–Benedict’s fire rate is horribly crippled with Multiloader enabled.
In short, Multiloader is a bug-ridden, useless mess.
Here’s what I would like to see Multiloader become:
- Multiloader: Benedict’s rocket launcher automatically charges a 2-rocket shot when fully loaded.
As per the description, Multiloader would automatically begin its charging animation whenever the magazine is at 5. If the charge completes, the launcher fires two rockets, and the magazine decrements to 3. If the charge is incomplete, the rocket fires a single rocket normally, and the magazine is decremented to 4.
I see this change as similar to the one made to ISIC’s after open beta. Granted, ISIC’s old charge method was far more functional than Multiloader, but it proved that charge firing mechanics that involved switching between tapping and holding a button didn’t really work all that well in Battleborn’s shooter environment. What’s good for Mega Man isn’t good for everyone else.
I do like the concept of Multiloader, of shifting the cadence of Benedict’s damage output, to put more of his burst damage in the front. If it was fixed, I think it would be a step to bringing some versatility and differing play styles back into the character, without enhancing or decreasing his usefullness. That’s what a Mutation should be doing, right?