Something has to be done about smite

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide General Discussion
82

"And when Smite is combined with Psychic Leaching and Charged Up, you can quickly restore up to 60% of toughness to your squad by just pressing LMB a few times (with Smite you can turn the charges, up to 3 of them, into toughness pretty quick)."

Yes, I get where your coming from. You’re concerned that limiting secondary Smite attack would limit how often Psychic Leeching can restore toughness to teammates, a valid concern. Hear me out, and I’ll explain how Psychic Leeching will be just as effective at the end.

If Smite secondary fire was limited, it could be given a much more versatile and arguably easier to use function than it currently has.

By making it a linear bolt that is fired without charge up required, Psykers would be able to deploy it much faster, with much more accuracy, and to greater effect as Psykers would be able to use their weapons during the duration of Smite’s stun. The linear bolt would also be able to travel much further than Smite can reach right now, before impacting the initial target, then arcing to surrounding enemies.

It would also be much easier to justify Smite being able to stagger Bosses with the 3 charge limit, which would be an absolute game changer for Smykers who happen to be the last player alive.

We’re talking about using Smite to create priceless breathing room on aggressive melee bosses - an enemy Psyker struggles to deal with on the majority of builds, time that Psyker can use to rescue teammates or get to a safer position. As Smite exists right now, there’s no way Fatshark could allow Smite to have effective stagger on Bosses, as that would be absolutely overpowered with infinite uses.

Back to Psychic Leeching, it would still be just as available as it is right now with Charged Up. Psychic Leeching would proc on Smite primary fire, and primary fire would still have unlimted uses.

83

if 3 other people are striving for an efficient run, it’s 100% about if the team finds him useless and have to drag him along.

in singleplayer, sure.

the moment the rest of the team finds him a roadblock, the “right for fun” ends at the expense of others.

sure there’s premades but random matches ain’t a carde blanche to mess around either, it’s still 3 other people expecting efficiency.

those in question want to have fun? that’s what malice is for.

and it is the right place for people lacking the faculties for split second decision instead of turret mode button press.

all the more reasons to stay out of havoc or even auric maelstrom.

why the urge to be in a difficulty that’s uncomfortable for both parties?

sorry, but this reads like someone’s mother forces one to drag his younger brother along despite no one else wanting him to be there.

it “trumps” nothing, if 3 others consider this player a burden then he rather gets “dumped”

this i totally agree with, but keep in mind if stuff gets rougher (which I’m 100% supporting) smykers will really be left to fend for themselves for people will have less free capacity to look out for em, cause they’ll fight for dear life.

a cluster of twitching crushers aint gonna prevent that wipe.

decades ago we had a dude in battlefield 1942 who hung around in sparring matches when a place was vacant.

he had no aim, no reflexes, no skill basically.

his “claim” was he was helping by “supporting “ the team with anti air and mine placement….stuff like that.

thing is, while he sat in his anti air station buddy pirx and me obliterated the whole enemy team on foot, tank and certainly they didn’t get an aircraft up.

but not thanks to the support dude but because we camped their base 5 minutes into the match and slaughtered them from spawn.

the moment we were competing seriously, he was out, for his “support” skills would have been gifted points for the enemy.

what is it nowadays with everyone has to participate in everything even if he lacks the requirements?

84

If it’s a static group for challenging content - yes, if it’s PUG in base difficulties- nope, nobody owes anybody anything, except for not being a douche deliberately. Your fun comes first, as long as you are doing some bare minimum and don’t die constantly, it’s fine to play any build that makes you happy. When I join a PUG, I assume I may get teammate that are generally bad, or just play meme builds, comes with the territory. It’s just another difficulty modifier, makes things more interesting. And when playing meme build myself, I won’t accept any demands of “playing a proper one”.

Works in any game. The rest of the team needs to factor such possibility in before clicking the “Quickplay” button, if winning the match is that important to them. If they can’t handle a couple players like that on their team on the difficulty they aim at, they should lower it, or find a static team. Or they can just leave the match.

I’m not sure why are we talking specific difficulties though, the fact that certain build doesn’t work in high lv Havoc or hardest difficulty modifier of Auric played by minority of players doesn’t justify removal of certain type of builds from the part of the game played by majority of them. Havoc players can moderate this issue by controlling who can join their squads anyway.

No, it’s like a bunch of total strangers, each of which have fun in a different way, gathered together to do a common task - and they try their best to do so, in their own ways. To me, it’s an interesting random factor to generally pretty stale (already) game on itself.

Sure, but that’s a big “if” still. Like, I’ve played different kind of meme builds up to damnation difficulty, like weird vet infiltrate builds and vet brauto Execustioner Stance machinegunner builds, and, yup, smite psyker builds lol - wasn’t called out or kicked out even once. Neither I ever saw a player being kicked out on any team I’ve played. So you probably need to be either notoriously bad, or be “lucky” to land on a team consisting of exceptionally competitively-minded players, or something. Or it’s not really an issue and everybody understands they can’t expect too much from total strangers online. If they kill 20 elites and 10 specialists each, do some minigames, remove chaff and don’t die every 3 minutes - they are doing good enough job. If they even can fend off Bursters and have some useful utility in their build - they are totally ok.

85

I don’t think I encountered them either that much. I think they quickly die out before even reaching Damnation difficulty, as in contrary to OP’s strory, Smite is nowhere that good, especially comparing to other Psyker’s Blitzes. And it doesn’t scales that well with difficulty either, you won’t be able to hold everything in place in Damnation as you could in Heresy, and you’ll be often just left behind by your team if you’ll try, as the higher the difficulty, the more about running it becomes.

Smite Psykers I met there were using the ability when things went south quickly, and when we hold our ground for some time, sparingly. If you are so into CC, you probably will be using the Voidblast staff anyway, while taking some damage-dealing blitz instead of Smite. Smite doesn’t really combine with anything else Psyker has, and that’s the only issue I see in it.

86

What do you mean by “limited” though, exactly? Making it “fire and forget” while causing the same CC effect would make it pretty OP, even if it would be limited by replenishable charges. If not replanishable on itself, but with grenades pickup, it will be kinda against psyker’s general design, with all warp abilities having endless amunition.

What difficulties are we talking about, I’m curious? As I said I rarely encountered Smite psykers on Damnation+, neither I think I ever saw somebody doing any real damage or CC to boss with Smite. Or is it what you propose as a buff to Smite?

But what I actually had in mind was something different. I honestly believe the skill isn’t that bad in general (despite OP’s weird idea of it being OP and spammed by everybody what I honestly wonder happens where exactly? Haven’t seen Smite used much since leaving Heresy behind), it’s kinda meme, situational skill, good for newbies while they are learning ropes because it’s simple to use and it’s hard to blow yourself up when smiting.

It could be buffed by increasing its damage, may be adding a choice of how you want to go about it, if you charge it and press LMB too soon, it will have more CC effect, and if you charge it to the max level, it will have much less CC but much more damage. So you would be able to choose what kind of AoE effect and in what proportion you need right now.

But I would also like them to enhance its synergy with the talents responsible for replenishing tougness to the group. Here is the idea:

  1. If you just quickly tap LMB currently, you start a weaker version of Smite and stop it almost immediately. But it still consumes Empowered Psyonics charge and heals 20% toughness to everybody via Psychic Leaching talent. So you can imitate a combat healer of sort by switching to Smite just to quickly heal everybody, then get back to fighting, if needed - what is imo really neat optional usage of the blitz
  2. But it looks and feels weird. You still shoot some lighting from your hands at enemies while doing so, it doesn’t feel like your are healing your mates - and this is actually means a lot, in a game, for many people. People who like playing support builds need visual confirmation of them supporting others, to scratch that itch constantly, getting some instant gratification for trying something like that. Just knowing it happened isn’t enough. People care about how things look like, or paid customizations wouldn’t be a thing :wink:
  3. My suggestion here is:
    • Quick LMB tap while in Smite mode now have a new, special animation if Psychic Leaching talent is included in the build and there are charges to spend
    • Your psyker makes some quick soothing gesture with their hands and some humming sound is heard and there is some “healing” greenish aura around their hands
    • Other players also see some quick visual and sound effect notifying them their toughness has been now replenished. When Psychic Leaching is used with BB or Assail, there will also be such visual and sound effects presented both to Psyker and the squad members - but no special animations for those skills, as they don’t have a room for that, neither they are really of “support” nature anyway
    • Finally, if Psychic Leaching is used with Smite specifically, and only if it’s activated by fast taping LMB, spending the charges will also have some small chance of replenishing small amount of HP to your teammates (but not yourself). This will give Smite a unique niche in the ecosystem, together with the vet’s “golden toughness” and zealot’s corruption removal.
87

“If not replanishable on itself, but with grenades pickup, it will be kinda against psyker’s general design, with all warp abilities having endless amunition.”

Smite RMB could be like Arbites Shock Charge. 3 charges, one charge replenishes every minute. Assail is also similar in nature to this design already, except with 9 shards and a shorter regeneration period.

The recipient of the initial bolt would recieve stagger comparable to that of a Bull Charge from Ogryn and a decent amount of damage, while everyone else in a large radius around the initial target is thrown to the ground and recieves Electrocution status effect for a period of time. The Electrocution tic damage would be buffed by Empowered Psionics, and if Enfeeble is taken all enemies with the status effect would recieve extra damage during this time.

“Quick LMB tap while in Smite mode now have a new, special animation if Psychic Leaching talent is included in the build and there are charges to spend.”

That would be a nice QoL adjustment. Perhaps a green pulse - like when Medipacks are dropped, emitting from Psyker when LMB is used with a Empowered Psionics charge.

88

Somehow I didn’t seem to suggest reworking the smite, let me say so then, because everyone thinks that I’m a defender of the smite, I just don’t care.

Option 2:

  1. We take the smite and give a limited number of charges (let’s say 5). For the enhanced action, we will have enough elite(10-15) enemies in the radius of action, with the selected talent, and without all enemies, we will limit the number of enemies to 10-15 pieces per action, the duration is, let’s say, 5 seconds. With the left button, we throw forward (unlimited in distance) a lightning ball - which in a small radius will work like a smite, again 5 seconds, but on all enemies (and here you can effectively control shooters and get away from builds with a dome). Charges are used for both actions.

  2. We remove the smite and change it to something else, but so that everyone is not offended, we return it to the electric staff for enhanced action. Right button (supported as current smite - hold it down and it works) - 10-15 enemies all in a row will be stunned with little damage (you can add a talent selected in the staff - only/in priority for the elite). Left button 3 enemies with big damage (but a big percentage of overheating).

Something like that.

89

they need to suck pretty bad on the brink of sabotage (not entering an airlock for example for >30sek even if the way is clear) to earn a kick.

but in the best manner of “market regulates itself” we had some funny case yesterday where even the other rando didn’t bother keeping up with his sh!t anymore.

always lagging behind, not adding anything of value but lo and behold, the 3 of us busy with a boss, mixed horde, cornered in a narrow hallway the laggard (way back) went down to a dog and some poxers.

the fun part was the toddler-like outrage “aint no way no one turned around to get me”.

yes my dude, there’s every way no one’s gonna babysit your 4ss when the groups busy fighting on forward.

like you know, the way to the exit….

needless to say he left after that, not even having the patience to wait for a pickup, the run was so much smoother for that :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

absolutely agree on that :+1:

90

It’s funny how people talk about “toxic elitists” when in my experience it’s only ever the really bad players that throw tantrums and start sh!t-talking in chat.

91

my experience as well.

mainly due to the fact the got all the time in the world being downed, all the while you’re busy seeing the match to a successful end

can’t write while clutching :face_with_tongue:

92

this.
anyway, isn’t it weird when belonging to an elite is used as an insult.

93

I think there is a difference between belonging to an elite and self-identifying as it along with other people doing the same.

94

I agree with this, however if something is effecting the enjoyment of other people, tbe onus is on Fatshark to change it. Which is what we are asking for here.

95

I don’t consider myself elite but when I say things need to be nerfed I am apparantly an elitist🤷‍♂️

96

That’s what I want, but I’m absolutely positive on that day we’ll hear back from the one guy in the world who likes current electro staff for something other than lmb jankery, lol.

I am not sure if it’s even worth coming up with a suggestion this deep into the thread but whatever I’m bored.

  • Increase smite’s peril generation per enemy stunned so Auric hordes can’t be stunlocked for more than 3 seconds without Venting Shriek/Scrier’s Gaze.
  • Give a damage AOE for doing the force push with smite. Doing the AOE locks smite out for some time.
  • Damage AOE has an inner and outer radius. Peak damage is only good for hordes and eating maybe 400hp off of elites at melee range. Outer damage is whatever and ends at 8m.
  • Damage AOE correctly synergies with the rest of the psyker.

And that’s it. Death to bubble smyker L2melee

97

Because of this, your pfp is also a racist white ogryn troll I’m told (thx google translate!), but he looks more gray to me.

98

Layer upon layer of dead skin, big guy hasn’t washed himself in years.

99

I have a turbo taunt Ogryn with the nuke purely to help my friends who are learning the game stay safe. If they get overwhelmed by enemies, it’s quick for me to pull them all off them. They get swamped with enemies and I can’t get o them fast enough, nuke. Outside of that, the build is… so… so boring to play.

Smyker I did once and wanted to die from boredom… I have a singular build with smite, and I actually use it augment the two handed force sword strikes lol. Also works great when you use the smite to get out of sticky situations sometimes, but the main use is to augment melee strikes.

100

my suggestion:
left click - works as is, extended lightning flow, but only affects normal human-sized enemies (not elites or specialists). if it’s a weak team - will help stop the wave of zombies and groaners. and for a good team it will never hurt to stun a bunch of small shooters hiding behind cover (this is what I like about smite).
right click (charge) - releases a short powerful lightning strike that stuns everyone as current smite (except bosses) for 3-5 seconds, after which the ability goes on cooldown for 20-30 seconds.
it would also be fair to remove the safety threshold from smite, so that upon reaching 101% of the peril, psyker does not automaticly stop, but explodes, as happens with shards and brainburst

101

Never killing anything is not how you support your teammaes in this game and why would you ever rely on your teammates when you can do it yourself? I would rather a psyker spam a trauma staff all game and rend armor and kill everything and cc it all game as Opposed to someone holding enemies in place all game not doing any damage. You are absolutely not supporting your teammates if all you are doing is ccing enemies. The only thing a perma smite psyker is supporting is their inability to engage with the game or be of any use to anyone but themselves. Smite psykers have no boss dps, often times no horde clear due to no venting shriek, and they dont have any range capabilities either because of no brain burst and often times limited range with a staff. Also most people with thousands of hours or people who only Play hi shock/maelstrom dont need anyone to cc and only cc enemies to win our games id rather you just wipe the screen and kill everything. A good question is what happens when a smite psyker has to clutch or what if they have to duo to their teammates that need rescued and a boss spawns? They just stand their of little to no use to their teammates who of course they totally depend on to do everything. Sorry but id rather a psyker be able to kill a distant sniper or grab a trappers head and pop it amidst chaos than someone smite ever in my games. Smite is useful when there are dogs, mutants, someone needs revived, or poxbursters are coming in thats it. Whereas killling things is always useful but smite psykers are allergic to that while simultaneously telling themselves theyre playing support. Whose playing support me on an inferno psyker doing 600k+ damage in a run or the cc smite psyker whose name never pops up in the killfeed? Its also hilarious so many psykers suck so they play bubble and claim theyre playingn support even tho bubble is garbage in most situations and youre better off playing with venting shriek. Why would I ever play with a bubble when I can support my teammates by killing everything with my staffs? If I kill everything and manage all the threats all game with my surge staff and my illisi and do top damage im supporting my team far more than some garbage bubble smite fake “support” player ever will. Also nobody whose even remotely half decent at darktide needs anyone to smite ever in like 98% of situations in this game but players like you will continue to insist its good. Its not more utility than brain burst and its not more useful than killling everything and it never will be. Bad psykers dont exactly know how good the stagger of the inferno staff is or that the trauma staff is the best cc in the entire game and it does damage and knocks enemies over enabling your melee ogryn and zealot to kill them. Bad players will continue to abuse smite and continue to think theyre playing support which is hilarious. Ill keep blocking perma smite psykers as I have been. Unfortunately they have completely taken over the auric board and maelstrom so until smites completely reworked were stuck with them.