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# System prepended metadata

title: 'Boiler rework: Globber boiler'

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# Boiler rework: Globber boiler
## Abstract
Globber boiler is total rework that not only is aimed to affect boiler, but the entire gameplay loop surrounding it in order to achieve an impactful, fun, yet challenging caste that promotes teamplay on both sides to both with it and against it.


<!-- An abstract is a short blurb, about a paragraph or two, succinctly describing your feature. This should mostly be "why", but can include "what". -->

### Terms:
Globber = Boiler, used interchangibly
Durability = HP/armor, how hard it is in general to kill
## Goals

<!-- This is a numbered list clearly detailing your goals for the feature. As per usual, this should be a mixture of both why and what. -->
1. Promote the teamplay loop around boilers.
    - Curently, boiler teamplay loops merely exist and aren't really promoted past the "hey can you hit X when I do Y". This leads to boilers lacking the teamplay elements of frontline xenos, create a lack of fun and promoting soloing.
    - We need to design Globber to promote teamplay

2. Effective, yet counterable
    - In order to promote teamplay for marines and to be impactful, boiler must be effective yet counterable. A danger on the frontline but within reach enough to organize a counter within a reasonable time rather than a nuisance that spawns a temporary block that is far enough away to make pushing unfeasible.
    - This combination will create a fun dynamic where pushes and counter pushes are required to make decisive plays

3. Disrupt the boiler meta, Boilers need skill
    - This would fail if we didn't
    - Having a caste that can be summed up as "point and click adventure" is bad design

4. Reintroduce old mechanics in a modern CM flavor
    - Many fun and intresting mechanics have been streamlined or removed due to MOBA. It is widely accepted that the MOBAization of boiler is flawed and it is apparent due to the introduction of trapper which pretty much the "fun" version of boiler currently.
## Non-goals

<!-- Just like goals, but the opposite! Every feature has boundaries it won't step over. These should be written as if they start with "We will not...". -->
1. We dont want OP/underpowered blah blah
2. Recreate the isses of old
    - This is pretty much a full rework of the caste and the gameplay loops surrounding it. We would not achieve our objective if we just re-emulated the problems of old
3. Be a jack-of-all trades
    - Moving boiler from a backliner to a semi-frontliner supporter or "heavy support" runs the risk of making it too good at both roles.

## Content
### Durability


Boiler will now feature higher armor, health and speed, enough to not be wet toilet paper at the frontline, but not enough to reasonably tank bullets.

This is intended to achieve the xenomorph teamplay goal. By having "just enough" durability to survive, boilers will now need assistance from their bretheren to guard them or distract marines if they want to strike directly at them and merely not block their path with gas. It will also create a skill dynamic to an otherwise "point and click" caste and will also an element of challenge to it's gameplay

In order to ensure that they can't be too close to the front or go solo, a vulnerability to fire has been added aswell. 

### The issue of zoom

Zoom is one of the major balance factors and must be delicately fine tuned in order for it to complement its durability and intended teamplay mechanics while still being 'reachable' by marines. This contributes to the marine teamplay goal.

Too much will result in it being overpowered and hard to kill for marines and too little will result it it being easily counterable. Therefore, making it a crucial balance number that should be revisited first should a balance patch be applied in the future.

Zoom must also be a trade-off in order to complement teamplay, skill and to be counterable, this is why a slowdown has been given to zoom so that boilers must toggle out of it should they approach the frontline or flee. This is to make boiler more counterable to marines, adding to the aforementioned teamplay. Additionally, the fact that it shifts your view forward rather than actually zooming it out is intended as you must trade off back awareness for extra frontal awareness.

### Design theory
These both, in theory, will create a new gameplay dynamic where boilers will still be able to block marine spearheads, but Globber needs to help make a small counter push with their fellow brethren in order for Globber to directly strike at marines and giving the Xenos the choice to either capitalize on their advantage or heal up upon a successful glob.
<!-- Now's where you get into clear detail about everything your feature does. **You should still be explaining 'why' things are that way, *as* you describe what.** Be as detailed as possible. -->

### Abilities 
*(not ordered)*
1. Bombard:
    - Shoot the selected glob within range
    - c/d should ideally be large
    - windup beforehand + sound to add a more natural warning method than telegraphs and to promote marine teamplay in a skillful way. ("Oh shit I hear a boiler charging up! Push it so it can't glob us!")
    - Globs should be avoidable ***if you are paying attention***, rather than an NPC warning telegraph
2. Zoom:
    - Limited zoom (see above)
    - Should slowdown while zoomed
3. Acid spray
    - An instant acid spray that can be used both offensively and defensively. 
    - Intended to as a fun thing to do while waiting for c/d on bombard

4. Select spits: Switch between 2 glob types
    - Acid gas: Same as before pretty much
    - **Neuro**
        - Reworked to remove RNG insta-stun elements and to primarily deal larger,but shorter lasting stamina damage rather than oxygen damage. The balance of oxy and stamina damage is balanced to create a mix of longer lasting and shorter lasting effects. Also deals screenshake causing dizzieness, which affects accuracy.

5. Dump acid
    - ditto
    - The one cool thing from MOBA boiler i'd like to keep. Last ditch self defense ability with some tactical usefulness.



## Alternatives
<!-- Provide potential alternatives to your feature, either ones that align with your design values, or ones that don't that you suspect will be suggested. If you are including the latter, make sure to explain why you didn't choose that. -->
1. Replace with trapper
    - As we know, trapper isn't a perfect replacement for boiler and is designed to complement it as a strain. It is also potentially being removed in an upcoming sister rework to this one.

2. Replace with Grenadier (The planned trapper replacement, design doc tba)
    - Grenadier is designed for an entirely differant niche and is not a good substitute at all.

3. Status quo
    - base Boiler will remain an unchallenging caste that no one really wants to play it, but is forced to if they want to win. Only surface level teamplay dynamics will exist with this.
## Potential Changes
- Too safe/unchallenging/hard to fight as marines
    - Changes to zoom distance, increasing slowdown, etc
    - c/d changes
- Too weak/durable
    - HP/armor adjustments as nessesary 
    - Adjustments/removal of fire vunerability if it is too much.
<!-- Most of the time you're not going to get the best design first try. It helps to try your best to predict what *could* go wrong, and suggest alternatives that can be taken, without sacrificing your design. -->
