Change the rocket pod acquisition range from 2000 to 1300

[Viech]

Please vote this issue up :+1: or down :-1: using the thumb reactions to denote your sentiment on the change proposed in the title!

Issue addressed (optional): None Related merge request (optional): None

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Polls may be started by developers to gauge community support for a prospective or existing merge request concerning a small change; usually a moderate update to the default value of a setting that affects the gameplay. The change as such should be completely described in the issue title; a rationale may be given in the comments.

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[Viech]

This is in fact a minor change as 2000 is essentially unbounded and rarely reached. A range of 1300 is where it starts to get interesting: An advanced dragoon may be able to barely hit the pod outside of its acquisition range, though only in an outside area where the goon can shoot in a 45° angle and where the rocket pod is not located higher than the goon. From the 1300 mark, we can re-evaluate and adjust in smaller steps if needed.

[DolceTriade]

What's the purpose of the change? Is this a nerf? If so, why?

[Viech]

What's the purpose of the change? Is this a nerf? If so, why?

It's technically a nerf but you can also think of it as a sanity check. Maps where ranges above 1300 play a role are possibly those that suffer most under the rocket pod, balance wise. You need quite a large room or long hall for this change to take effect. For instance, it makes a small difference on Niveus:

(barely outside the proposed 1300 qu range; note the two blue squares)

(just within 1300 qu)

Note that I'm not even fully convinced that the rocket pod is overpowered since you have quite a few options to play around it, but I've heard players suggest it may be, and I am now mildly traumatized by a match on Niveus where there were four or five of them in this spot and you would die almost immediately if a human player managed to block your attempt to rush into the base with their body. I think it's agreed upon that it can be frustrating, and the effectively infinite range of 2000 qu (maps where this can be exceeded may exist but I don't recall any) seems to me like the ideal knob to turn to not nerf the pod in less frustrating scenarios.

TL;DR: This proposal sets the acquisition range to a saner default, it has effects only in corner cases but we can adjust it in smaller steps from here.

[ghost]

the exagerated range of rockets plus their exagerated agility is a real problem for alien beginners. It's also a state1 defense, which should thus not be that strong, considering the adv goon which have barbs is stage 3 IIRC.