07-03-2020, 10:46 AM
I know this isn't a popular opinion, but I genuinely, honestly think that the nukie loadout vendor, or at least the current implementation of such, is a massive step backwards and, in fact, a pretty significant nerf.
One of the central reasons is storage space. While I believe the intent was to help deal with the significant inventory problems that plague nuke, I feel like this has only exacerbated them.
Prior to the patch, nukies (with two exceptions) effectively had 14 inventory spaces that could take (almost) any item. Heavies and marksmen effectively had 7, short of obnoxious inventory juggling/dropping your backpack or weapon during a firefight.
Now, you can still get 14 inventory slots: Buy a fanny pack with your token, and use the fab to make a satchel or backpack. Picked the assault rucksack? Well, you're shit out of luck then, since that means at absolute best you're going to be able to grab a utility belt (iirc there aren't enough for all the nukeops), giving you ten basically unrestricted slots and 7 slots limited to small items. Buy the satchel? You're totally fucked then, you just wasted your storage option. It's objectively inferior to the other two choices, and you can use the fab to make a satchel anyways.
Now, even if you do manage to maximize your inventory you still run into the sidearm problem. The sidearm comes with more ammo than it used to, and that takes up valuable inventory space. The sidearm belt is totally worthless since it has fewer inventory slots than a fanny pack or utility belt. They inevitably end up littering the floor of the Cairngorm, like the old cyanide capsules (that nukies no longer get), only a medic can't stuff them into a syringe gun and shoot them at the crew.
I'm also not convinced that there's even more choice/customization options there. Let's take the heavy weapons specialist. You take that, you basically have to forgo a backpack. That's two of the storage options gone - you either buy a fanny pack, or you fuck yourself over. Now, in that fanny pack you lose three of its slots to carry your ammo, bringing you down to four. Your sidearm and its ammo will take up three slots for the revolver, or four for the pistol. So if you want to actually carry literally anything else, like meds or whatnot, you either have to do inventory juggling with boxes (which I would not recommend doing with your main ammo, since boxes automatically close if you move) or take the revolver. If you go heavy, then fanny pack/revolver is really the only viable choice short of leaving part of your kit behind. And if there's only one viable choice, then there's no point in even having a choice to begin with. It's just an unnecessary time sink and way to screw newer players over.
Maybe things are better for other classes, but anecdotally people seem to be leaving more of their kits behind and taking fewer freebies after this change.
I'm also not entirely sure why the vendor is even necessary, when you could just have the uplink let you choose a free sidearm and storage option.
One of the central reasons is storage space. While I believe the intent was to help deal with the significant inventory problems that plague nuke, I feel like this has only exacerbated them.
Prior to the patch, nukies (with two exceptions) effectively had 14 inventory spaces that could take (almost) any item. Heavies and marksmen effectively had 7, short of obnoxious inventory juggling/dropping your backpack or weapon during a firefight.
Now, you can still get 14 inventory slots: Buy a fanny pack with your token, and use the fab to make a satchel or backpack. Picked the assault rucksack? Well, you're shit out of luck then, since that means at absolute best you're going to be able to grab a utility belt (iirc there aren't enough for all the nukeops), giving you ten basically unrestricted slots and 7 slots limited to small items. Buy the satchel? You're totally fucked then, you just wasted your storage option. It's objectively inferior to the other two choices, and you can use the fab to make a satchel anyways.
Now, even if you do manage to maximize your inventory you still run into the sidearm problem. The sidearm comes with more ammo than it used to, and that takes up valuable inventory space. The sidearm belt is totally worthless since it has fewer inventory slots than a fanny pack or utility belt. They inevitably end up littering the floor of the Cairngorm, like the old cyanide capsules (that nukies no longer get), only a medic can't stuff them into a syringe gun and shoot them at the crew.
I'm also not convinced that there's even more choice/customization options there. Let's take the heavy weapons specialist. You take that, you basically have to forgo a backpack. That's two of the storage options gone - you either buy a fanny pack, or you fuck yourself over. Now, in that fanny pack you lose three of its slots to carry your ammo, bringing you down to four. Your sidearm and its ammo will take up three slots for the revolver, or four for the pistol. So if you want to actually carry literally anything else, like meds or whatnot, you either have to do inventory juggling with boxes (which I would not recommend doing with your main ammo, since boxes automatically close if you move) or take the revolver. If you go heavy, then fanny pack/revolver is really the only viable choice short of leaving part of your kit behind. And if there's only one viable choice, then there's no point in even having a choice to begin with. It's just an unnecessary time sink and way to screw newer players over.
Maybe things are better for other classes, but anecdotally people seem to be leaving more of their kits behind and taking fewer freebies after this change.
I'm also not entirely sure why the vendor is even necessary, when you could just have the uplink let you choose a free sidearm and storage option.