Widowmaker: ideas for additional effect for ultimate

[domuspopus]

As it stands now, Widows ult is near completely useless on this mode given the empty open space. I'd like to give it some additional effect. Not overly basic / boring (e.g. damage buff) but not overly complicated (as random joiners will fail to figure it), something that feels close in spirit to widow herself and her original ult might be preferable but not a deciding factor. The effect also shouldn't make Widow feel overly different from how she is now and it shouldn't be a huge difference in Widows 1v1.

Current ideas:

• Invulnerability: give her a short invulnerability phase (~10 seconds). Maybe make her rooted in place during it.
• Pushback aura: wide area around Widow that pushes enemies back if the try to enter, pushback scales with the speed the enemy enters at (e.g. Doom punching in will get yanked farther away).
• Air walk: allow walking on air outside of Workshop Island edges making it feel like endless space.
  • [issue] Could be too janky.
  • [issue] This could be a detriment to players who prefer grappling the island walls up and down.
• On-hit effects: shots apply an effect to the enemy. When not scoped a very mild version of the effect, when scoped then stronger version and stronger still depending on charge.
  • [flavor] Pushback/knockback: enemy is pushed away, on fully charged shot also knocked out temporarily.
  • [note] Perhaps pushback should also apply to enemies near the target one.
  • [flavor] Poison: poison.
• On-kill effects: kills result in "something".
  • [flavor] Massive explosions (or better yet poison cloud explosions).
  • [issue] Useless when fighting last or sole enemy.
• Discord gaze: looking at an enemy when scoped grants them discord orb.
  • [issue] Likely to be too slow to apply in many situations, might be solvable.
  • [issue] It's just a glorified damage buff.
  • [flavor] Alternative "gaze" effect might also be considered, such as slowing.
• Crit instakill: headshots always instakill.
  • [issue] Might be too insignificant for bad Widow and lackluster for a good one.
• Enemies extra hitbox: enemies gain additional hitbox aura (for instance a translucent sphere around or behind the enemy). Missing your shot but hitting the aura transfers the damage. Either all enemies or just one Widow is looking at.
  • [issue] Might be a bit too complex for what it will be worth.
  • [note] I considered also scaling up enemy models (instead of creating aura) but it creates several big problems.
• Enemies afterimages: enemies create temporary shootable afterimage when moving, shooting at these afterimages transfer the damage to the enemy they belong to. This means even if enemy strafe you are still landing shots (but not crits). Either all enemies or just one Widow is looking at.
  • [issue] Probably far too complex for what it will be worth.
  • [issue] Too confusing, random joiners won't figure what the hell they are looking at.
  • [issue] "Enemies extra hitbox" idea might be all around better version of this given its simpler implementation and similar viable visual effects.
• Viper: creates AOE poison cloud around herself (poisons and slows enemies inside) and gains poison on-hit effect.

[domuspopus]

Went with "Viper" effect for now. Drafted at draft-widow-poison-ult branch. Not implemented yet: scoped shots should cause same poison effect as the cloud (no stacking), the poison effect should also cause slow, poison cloud should also appear at the edge of island when widow is off the island but only if she is above 0 vertically (to prevent cloud revealing her position too much).

[domuspopus]

Changed my mind. Leaning towards simplest approach: headshots guarantee kill, body shots have buffed damage. Maybe lower the ult duration.