I’d really like to see the trauma staff given some love on its secondary attack, right now it is PAINFULLY subject to the architecture of the surrounding area and it is has an annoying requirement to aim your targetting reticle upwards to aim it further.
I love the level design for the most part in darktide, but there are really weird cracks and crevices where you can easily lose your attack. I don’t know how to 100% solve the issue, but I can’t help but think that the trauma staff secondary should have large collision so it doesn’t run into these issues. the best way I can think to explain it is that trauma staff’s targeting point should be a large ball, so it cannot fall into cracks.
I think the “magnetized to the floor” style of aiming should go away as well, that style of aiming really falls apart as soon as there are enemies on 2 z axis levels, for example the finale of warren. It’s beyond painful to try to aim upstairs.
I’d like to see trauma staff become more interesting in that you can aim it off of walls or the ceiling, not just the floor.
I’ve said it before but the primary for all staves should be unique and all staves should have a unique special attack. Trauma’s special IMO should have a short cooldown instant(if not a very quick animation) full radius player centered ground explosion knocking everything back.
I’d also like some new kinds of staffs with new abilities. I enjoy the support style of play Psyker has with the shields and the smite debuffs. I wish there was something similar the staffs could do, maybe biomancer type things?
We already have smite, that’s an ability biomancers have. Biomancers can also heal themselves and allies and buff their armor as well (though the healing would be a horrible idea gameplay wise). They can cause bleeding and poison, lower enemy defenses (rending) and make enemies slower at the same time. There’s plenty more they could do, but that’s more in the area of a new class than abilities for a staff.
I want a chain lightning staff that is damage oriented. Like a brain burst that chains, and isn’t a guaranteed one pop but is close, and has less charge up. A “Witness your doom” chain lightning bolt. I don’t like what we got.
As to the trauma staff, if I have my choice when we are charging we could hit ‘special attack’ and toggle it to ‘long range’ wherein the circle would move to 15 meters and out for aiming purposes.
Reworked Beam staff, where the beam is the charged->channelled attack, light attack being the Purgatus’ light.
Lightning Field staff: Same light as the Bolt staff, but charged let you place a slowing/damaging AoE
Sunburst, same light as Purgatus, charged being a heavy damage AoE you can place where you want
Healing really shouldn’t be made to a weapon, neither should buffs tbh, those should instead be brought into new branches for the tree.
For the AoE Aiming, maybe have the Trauma have a “throwing arc” with the AoE targeter at the end of it, kinda like how the Grenades and certain weapons are able to be aimed with the arc visible.
I mean, it would be interesting if you could aim it off of the walls and ceilings, that presents a really amazing option for damaging enemies behind cover…