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## Abstract

Change Spitter's abilities to be more consistent, fun, and impactful. Move the caste's damage potential from random high-damage bursts caused by intentionally ignoring the intended ability loop (bypassing spit -> acid spray and just doing acid spray by itself) into a more consistent and enjoyable long range harasser with mid/short range combat capabilities.

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## Goals

1. Fix Acid Spray doing almost random amounts of damage depending on mostly out-of-control factors, adding consistency to the ability.
2. Freshen Spitter gameplay - enhance the fun factor of a very stale and shallow caste.

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## Non-goals

1. Nerf Spitter. Spitter is already weak due to its inconsistent abilities, no permanent damage, low range, slow abilities.
2. Heavily rework Spitter. This is simply a minor rework intended to fix an issue and enhance an existing caste and ability, not rebuild it from the ground up.
3. Add permanent burn damage. This is out-of-scope for this PR which is simply intended to make a janky caste playable.

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## Content

- - Acid spray changes.
1. Acid spray damage is halved on each hit.
- The intention with this would be to keep the damage stacking, as it's possibly the most enjoyable part of playing current Spitter to see some marine accidentally walk into acid up to 7 times. Reducing it each time it happens would let this enjoyable moment stay while ensuring it won't be too overwhelmingly powerful
- Doesn't need to be halved - can be other values.
2. Acid spray slows on hit.
- Counteracting the above, this would give a versatile tool to Spitters that can be used in a plethora of ways: Escaping, chasing, predator fighting, etc.
- Additionally, it will reduce the amount of times a marine can consecutively hit himself on the spray with the reduced movement speed.

- - General Spitter changes to make up for above.
3. Increase acid spit range.
- Spitter currently suffers from what feels like an identity clash: It has a long range harassing ability, but it's slow to recharge, and both Frenzy and Spray demand getting up and close to have any effect. One way to help the issue would be to actually increase the range of acid spit to cover the whole screen, allowing Spitter to actually harass the marines.
- A good way of fixing this identity clash would be to split the caste: Base strain being a long range harasser, and a new 'Vomiter' strain that focuses on the midrange spit -> vomit combo, but this is out of scope.
4. Decrease acid spit cooldown.
- Harassing marines is very hard to do right now because of how agonizingly slow spit is to refresh. Not only is this weak, it's also not very fun standing around waiting for your spit to come off cooldown. Making it faster would help in marine harassment.
5. Replace frenzy with 'Charge spit'
- Instead of having an ability which just makes you... faster for a bit of time, which by the designers' own admission is entirely a filler ability, this would 'charge' your acid spit, granting it the ability to spatter (which it won't have by default), increasing its damage and velocity, but reducing range from 7 to 5 tiles. On hit, it will grant you a temporary buff that increases speed and armor.
- The intention here, is to let Spitter harass from range normally, while giving them their mid-short range combo to deal heavy damage when they charge spit, hit a marine with spatter, use the armor and frenzy buff to get close, and knock them down with aid spray. This will increase Spitter gameplay depth.

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## Alternatives

While I believe the above ability rework is the best option, the intent here is simply to make up for what Spitter loses in the acid spray stacking removal - as it doesn't have much to spare to begin with. These are random ideas I got that could be implemented somehow.

1. Re-Add neurotoxin spit.
- Obviously not as it used to be. Presumably, this would deal oxy damage and slow on hit at the cost of lower range, or something.
2. Shotgun acid spit.
- Not sure about this one. It's too similar to the Sentinel's scatter spit and the close-range option is already acid spray. Perhaps for if Vomiter gets split into a strain with acid spray.
3. Spit leaves temporary acid spray tile on the hit turf.
- Ripped straight from TGMC! Cool small area-denial.
4. Remove acid spray entirely, focus on long-ranged harassment.
- I don't think this is the way forward - It would be very repetitive, imagine base praetorian without dash, acid spray, or grenade. Again, perhaps with a strain split it'd be good.

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