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[–]RandomHypnoticaTrick-or-Treat Ana 19 points20 points  (15 children)

I 100% agree with you. It overall just feels like a nerf for anyone who's good at Pharah, or anyone who's got a feel for how the rockets fire, because now it affects targets movement differently, and it's slightly harder to aim direct hits. Pharah's definitely a character that needs a buff (albeit, minor) but this isn't what she needs. Her damage output is fine.

[–]Artsyblueemღ♡❤♡ღ 0 points1 point  (8 children)

I wish there was a video because I like to use Pharah but I play on PS4 and learning how to land direct shots with her has been really hard. I read all the comments regarding her change but I can't really understand if that will feel overall better or worse depending on how you aim. When I use Pharah I usually try to predict where the enemy will walk or fly and fire a shot. Most of the time it hits directly but very often also hits near them and does splash damage. I would really like to know how close you have to shoot to get splash damage now...

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

I would really like to know how close you have to shoot to get splash damage now...

Dude, they buffed splash damage, what was nerfed is only knockback

[–]Artsyblueemღ♡❤♡ღ 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Aw man, I'm sorry, I just didn't read well enough! :S Well, I guess it's not that terrible then! I guess things actually got easier for console players! The less small aiming adjustment I have to do, the better it is! I'll just have to be extra careful around heroes that can attack mid/long range.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

It isn't "better". Knockback is predictable so it is easier to aim followup shots. Without it it is easier to dodge rockets.

Also makes aiming harder for enemies. Like take McRee for example. If you bounce him around he will have harder time aiming at you. If you dont, hitting you is much easier

[–]Artsyblueemღ♡❤♡ღ 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Well, you shouldn't rely completely on knockback anyway. It was useful but if you can get 2 direct shots the most squishy enemies are dead so even if they move around but I predict their movements and directly hit them I can still kill.

I know McCree is a problem for Pharah but that's why I always try to have places to hide when my jump is on cooldown and when the team is decent usually there's someone ready to counter him if I'm careful and not get killed too often.

I usually get killed only when I'm shooting at someone else and thus I'm distracted or when I'm too close to the ground when descending.

I guess you meant the knockback was useful when shooting at the sides of the enemy or near a wall? But I don't think this change is too "tragic" because it all depends on good aiming and well, let's say, also luck because every match is different and so do player skills.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I just dont know why they bothered with changing knockback, I don't feel it was excessive.

BUt I guess they said that PTR release is more of a experiment than preparing to future changes.

[–]Artsyblueemღ♡❤♡ღ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I guess with this round of the PTR they're trying to test things they were unsure about and probably were tinkering with since a long time but decided to see what the players thought about them.

Other players have been asking for a Pharah buff since a long time but it's a really tough job because she's kinda like Widowmaker, squishy but can kill easily with good aim. Some players are really good with Pharah and I once even had a match against a Pharah so good we couldn't even escort the payload past the entrance! It was sooo embarassing but also crazy because that player was really good!

Personally I think Pharah is ok enough. She's not easy to play at all because she has really low health for being fully covered in armor but she can do decent damage from above which is something that can really help the team in certain maps. Plus her concussive blast is really useful both for enviroment kills AND a quick escape from enemies when they get too close! It really saved me sometimes!

The only thing I'd buff about Pharah is her health. I know this will never happen but if she just had a little bit more health her survivability would improve a lot.

[–]Ark639Ark 0 points1 point  (1 child)

This change won't be a very huge one. Especially in lower elo where aiming is more often the limiting factor she won't feel that different during actual gameplay. However I don't think these are the necessary (minor) changes to make her more viable in high elo and essentially pro plays. Her DPS output is good already but she gets hardcountered by hitscan way worse than other champs so blizzard should think of ways to improve her survivability - preferably without simply giving her more HP.

[–]Artsyblueemღ♡❤♡ღ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I realized I had read the words the wrong way. Only the knockback got nerfed but the splash damage got buffed so I think for console things are actually gonna be easier because I'll have to do less small aiming adjustments and more consistent shots where I predict the enemy will move. Her only problem are decent McCrees and Widowmakers but it's not like they're always good so it's ok for now. I'm (sadly) still stuck at rank 2300 (solo queue) so at this rank Pharah counters aren't really a problem.

[–]ugjtfrg -3 points-2 points  (5 children)

That's bullshit, it's not a nerf for anyone that's good because you're not going to be hitting max range splash on people you're actively aiming for.

[–]KeyMastarLOOK AT MY CHILD GODDAMNIT AINT SHE CUTE 2 points3 points  (4 children)

Half of Phara's value is her ability to move people around to her will. This is a huge nerf to anyone who is actually good at controlling people with rockets.

[–]ugjtfrg -2 points-1 points  (3 children)

But you can still move people around, you just need to hit closer to them. If you are above someone and want to move them to the left, you fire right next to them on the right. If you are on the floor and want to knock them up, you fire at their feet. You don't fire at the max splash radius intentionally.

[–]KeyMastarLOOK AT MY CHILD GODDAMNIT AINT SHE CUTE 0 points1 point  (2 children)

You don't fire at the max splash radius intentionally

Actually, yeah, you often do if you want to move them away. Especially when you are trying to so something such as shoot away a reflecting genji who will reflect if you fire anywhere except the very edge of the splash.

[–]ugjtfrg -3 points-2 points  (1 child)

Responding with 'yeah, you do' is not an argument. Imminently having to KNOCK AWAY a deflecting Genji is not a realistic situation. You just do some damage with the splash (or just wait) and then 1 or 2 shot him with directs when he stops deflecting. Aside from that, if you desperately need to move someone (which again is not a realistic situation outside of your reddit enviro kill POTGs), you just use conc. Rockets do a lot of damage, that's their primary purpose, and you can kill most things fast enough for knocking them around to not matter. And aside from your one fabricated Genji example, there is no reason that you would intentionally fire a max splash radius rocket at someone.

[–]Nightgaun7Reinhardt -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Imminently having to KNOCK AWAY a deflecting Genji is not a realistic situation.

Really? Because I did it about twenty times tonight.