Thoughts on Huntsman

[Mar]

From Yoshi:

Here's a few clips from the weekend. I got the Huntsman on like Friday night, so this is pretty much me trying it out on pubs and seeing if it's worth using. Enjoy.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDCb29qHiIg&fmt=22"]TF2 Huntsman Montage[/ame]

Unfortunately it's not that much of a reliable weapon and I'm probably going to put it away for my sniper rifle. I'm hoping valve will tweak it just slightly so its more worthwhile to use.

Positive things:

• First I can already use the sniper rifle at medium range, so the fact that I can down soldiers, demos, etc now with much faster to charge headshot is a definite plus.
  
• It is fun to use and it's sometimes challenging to predict the path of enemies.
  
• Moving faster when scoped is nice.
  
• The taunt kill is nice too.
  
• I like the fact I don't have to zoom to headshot, its like a noscoping sniper rifle that can headshot (aside from the obvious fact its a bow)

Negative things:

• The projectiles are extremely slow. Anyone with half a brain to dodge will only be hit by complete luck, at any range. The weapon is dependent that your opponent either is running in a straight line, standing still, or runs into it.
  
• The speed bonus over the sniper rifle doesn't actually matter too much. If you do snapshots with the sniper rifle, you return to full speed faster than the bow where you charge it up to get maximum damage (the entire point of equipping it).
  
• The sniper is fairly weak in terms of HP. 125 HP means even the worst of soldiers and demomen can simply spam you when you're even close enough to use it (the speed penalty, while its an improvement over the sniper rifle, still doesn't help in this situation), and their weapons are actually reliable and will hit you. Because of this, it discourages snipers from getting into medium range in the first place, and they simply use the huntsman improperly and use it as a long range weapon where they know they'll be in no danger.
  
• You're usually still completely screwed if anybody gets close to you and can actually aim right. You usually have one shot to hit lets say a scout in the head, meanwhile during the long reload process he can get an easy 3 scattergun shots in. I know snipers are supposed to be weak at close range, but for a unlock that is supposed to encourage snipers to get closer, you'd think the weapon would be a little better at close range.

Side note: Jarate is a great support weapon. It's exactly the kind of SMG unlock I was looking for. I was a bit worried when I first heard about it but it's extremely useful.


Discuss

 

[DJive]

i...need...that...unlock!!

 

[Void]

I don't care how good or bad it is. It pins bodies to the wall. And if it doesn't? There's an arrow in their ass.


Also, got enough threads yet?

 

[The Political Gamer]

Nice, it is so funny how it takes so little time for stuff like this to pop up.

 

[Mar]

Nice, it is so funny how it takes so little time for stuff like this to pop up.

It is really funny. The update has been out for 5 days and people are already making frag vids of it.

 

[StoneFrog]

I don't care how good or bad it is. I'm used to holding down the button to charge and releasing to charge, like in TFC. I'll take it just so I can get over this mental block towards having to actually CLICK to SHOOT.

 

[Corion]

Agreed on all points, especially:

• You're usually still completely screwed if anybody gets close to you and can actually aim right. You usually have one shot to hit lets say a scout in the head, meanwhile during the long reload process he can get an easy 3 scattergun shots in. I know snipers are supposed to be weak at close range, but for a unlock that is supposed to encourage snipers to get closer, you'd think the weapon would be a little better at close range.

I don't care how good or bad it is. I'm used to holding down the button to charge and releasing to charge, like in TFC. I'll take it just so I can get over this mental block towards having to actually CLICK to SHOOT.

Yeah, it pisses me off how after you shoot you can't just hold down left-click to automatically nock another arrow to fire. You actually have to let go of the button, then click again to nock/charge an arrow. This troublesome control scheme is further compounded by the fact that the visual difference between a nocked arrow and an arrow you just reloaded is minimal in your peripheral vision when you're busy looking at opponents (and not at your weapon). I wish an arrow was only in your hand when it was nocked.

 

[drp]

yep. i agree 100%.
not worth it.
its fun for a bit, but it gets ridiculously frustrating not to hit anything and it feels like most of your hits are by random chance.

 

[eerieone]

i definately love it, i got to admit, the sniper got better unlocks than the spy
the bow-jarate combination is quite a strong on, you are in midrange, provide good firesupport, your team pushes in front, and should they get under heavy fire you throw the jarate and turn the tide with your yellow tide
shots over a long distance definately feel lucky and other snipers pwn your ass, e.g. at the last stage of pipeline, since you only see a small pixel moving, and he has you lifesized on his screen :/
i definately prefer the huntsman on more cramped maps than the open field

 

[Ninjilla]

I think it really depends on how much you practice with it. I just got the bow today, Im horrible with it, but I have seen the people that are great with it, and they were kicking our asses! No Matter the range they kept headshotting our whole team

 

[Ravidge]

It's a very fun weapon, but I will never consider using it when I want to play seriously.
The rifle is still more accurate, reliable and can be used at all ranges without penalty.

Also, the bow has a max damage of 360 (full charge headshot with nodamagespread), which means I can't take out a heavy-medic combo even If I wanted to.
It does however do a lot of damage on charged bodyshots (120) but the sniper rifle does more (150) on uncharged headshots.

But yeah, It's a weapon I might use when I just fool around and play for fun. Because it is fun, no doubt.
http://213.115.191.55/~ravidge/images/ctf_system_a10006.jpg

 

[Mick-a-nator]

I find the huntsman is very temperamental in different maps. I borax, on defence, I pwned...In Pipeline, it's very hard to stay alive and get multiple kills in one life. I do over all prefer it though. It's fast paced and very very funny, and I find it safer to use than constantly scoping out to see if anyone is around, trying to kill you.
<3 Huntsman :wow:

 

[Penguin]

I really love the Huntsman, but it could use a buff.

Foe example, it should add a 5% slowdown for each arrow lodged in a target's body.

I can't tell you all the times I've sniped a Scout in the legs, but that hardly stops them.

I mean, you have an arrow IN YOUR BODY. You should be slower.

 

[Loc_n_lol]

Works well for me but that's because I'm a rather bad sniper usually.

And frankly, I think the 'cool' and 'fun' factors alone justify it

 

[An Icy Mouse]

I really love the Huntsman, but it could use a buff.
Foe example, it should add a 5% slowdown for each arrow lodged in a target's body.
I can't tell you all the times I've sniped a Scout in the legs, but that hardly stops them.
I mean, you have an arrow IN YOUR BODY. You should be slower.

Nope, no way, are you out of your mind?!?
There are all ready too many stun/knockback type things as it is without another. (Personally I don't think the sandman's stun is at all out of place) but what I do hate is knock back and slowdown. Natasha and the FaN are evil, pure evil. Screwing over your control isn't something an FPS should do, removing your control completely like the baseball's stun is ok since you always have full control when you have any control, it's patial control that should never happen.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

removing your control completely like the baseball's stun is ok

*gets out the mouse trap* >:|

 

[MrAlBobo]

you know...i have to agree with icy...the knockback from the fan is far far more annoying then the stun

and ive found that valves goal for the huntsman actually seems to have worked, it has created a sub-class within the sniper. People just need to learn the new uses of the huntsman sniper and not be expected to fill the role of the normal sniper. From what ive seen it looks like the huntsman sniper can be used in a very similar role to a demoman or soldier at mid-range, but instead of an explosion with splash damage you have a small shot that does high damage to a single person. Its a terror for taking out sentries, with the same 2 full charged shots kill it that the sniper rifle has, the difference being the incredibly short charge time. It makes me laugh when I see people with the huntsman halfway across the map trying to snipe people, it doesn't work.

Before this having more then one sniper was detrimental to the team and each snipers ability to kill. Huntsman seems to be the exception to this, from what ive seen the number of people playing with it does not effect their ability to deal damage, though as with any large number of a single class, it likely will be a detriment to the team with more then 2-3. I assume of course when saying this that people realize that the more spies and snipers your team has the more effort the other team with put into impairing those class.

And of course you can't forget the fun involved in pinning someone to the wall, or to the payload cart

 

[Phobos]

I agree with Bobo, the Huntsman gives snipers a completely different playstyle. Mid-range combat , more mobility, hard hitting with a short charge time. Add Jarate to the mix and you actually have a team compatible sniper. Still, snipers with the old rifle will eat every Huntsman wielder alive.

I think it's still too early to see if the bow needs adjustments. And please no slowing down or pinned-to-the-wall-alive crap.

 

[MrAlBobo]

Still, snipers with the old rifle will eat every Huntsman wielder alive.

This im not so sure about...yes in long range its probably suicide, and yes if they see you and you respond by instantly trying to close the distance, (think heavy running up to a sniper then stopping to charge his minigun) you will also probably die. However there have been plenty of times when ive seen a rifle user get impatient with waiting in his perch and advance, this moves the rifle within easy range of the bow and usually ive seen the bow win.

Ill freely admit i would get far more kills with the sniper rifle as opposed to the bow, but with the bow your closer to the action and actually helping your team take out the important targets as opposed to taking out what may become the important target. Not to mention that I personally do much better as the huntsman sniper then I would as either demo or soldier (note my last post).

 

[drp]

I agree with Bobo, the Huntsman gives snipers a completely different playstyle. Mid-range combat , more mobility, hard hitting with a short charge time. Add Jarate to the mix and you actually have a team compatible sniper. Still, snipers with the old rifle will eat every Huntsman wielder alive.

I think it's still too early to see if the bow needs adjustments. And please no slowing down or pinned-to-the-wall-alive crap.

i agree.