Caustic Buff Recommendations

[ACGenius]

Caustic Buff Recommendations:

• Gas Damage: Rework. The damage of Caustic’s gas/poison should be reworked, this can be done by implementing new mechanics to how the gas/poison damage functions and/or increasing the base damage the gas/poison deals to players.

• Gas Trap and Gas Grenade Radius: Increased Radius. The radius of the gas/poison AOE should be increased to allow for better entry denial due to gas/poison AOE.

• New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #1: Increase Damage Over Time. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison to deal an increasing amount of damage the longer a player remains in the gas/poison AOE. This will benefit Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to better deny entry to an area/building. The threat of increasing amounts of damage from the gas/poison will encourage players to immediately leave the gas/poison AOE.

• New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #2: Base Damage from Trap Trigger Over Time. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison to inflict a base amount of damage that will remain on the player even after they leave the gas/poison AOE. This damage will slowly drain (tick damage over time) away a set amount of health over time unless the affected player heals (from any source). Additionally, if the player does not leave the gas/poison AOE the initial base damage will be applied, along with, additional damage over time from direct exposure to the gas/poison. This will help Caustic by Allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to better deny entry to an area/building. The threat of a lingering damage over time from exposure to the gas/poison along with the standard tick damage from being in the gas/poison AOE will encourage players to leave the gas/poison AOE immediately and heal and/or wait out the damage over time, immobilizing them for a short time.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #1: Damage to Shields and/or Helmets. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison to inflict damage to shields and/or helmets. This damage would reduce the level of their shield and/or helmet (example: level 3 shield + gas/poison AOE exposure = level 2 shield + gas/poison damage). This damage could be permanent, or it could be countered by using a shield cell (only affecting the shield) after exposure. Additionally, if the affected player is damaged, from a source other than the gas/poison, before they can restore their shield (with a shield cell) it should permanently reduce the level of their armor. Also, if the affected player is wearing any level 4 armor (that has a bonus perk) the perk should remain regardless of damage reducing the quality of the armor. This will help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenades to better defend a position/area as it will debuff a player if they are affected by the gas/poison AOE. Additionally, the threat of this debuff would discourage players from advancing on a reinforced (with gas traps) position, allowing for better defense from advancement.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #2: Spreading Effect. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison to inflict a lingering effect to players who are affected by the gas/poison AOE. This effect should have the gas stick to them (refer to New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #2: Base Damage from Trap Trigger Over Time) and carry the gas/poison AOE with them if they leave the initial gas/poison AOE. This would effectively spread the gas/poison AOE outside of the initial radius. This additional gas/poison AOE would trail behind the affected player, potentially leading back to the players squad mates. If the players squad mates encounter the trail of gas/poison it would not reapply this effect, instead it would deal the standard gas/poison damage (plus additional damage if they remained in the gas/poison AOE trail). The original affected player should have the effect outlined in New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #2: Base Damage from Trap Trigger Over Time, and the trail would disappear after the referenced effect ends (if the damage over time finishes and/or if the player heals prior to damage over time completion). This would help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to better defend an area/building. The threat of damage from the referenced effect would cause affected players to seek out their squad mates for protection while they healed and/or waited out the damage over time. Due to them seeking out their squad mates it will also damage them further dissuading them from advancing, effectively immobilizing them for a short time.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #3: Slowing Effect. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison damage to apply a slowing effect to any affected players. The affected player would be slowed so that they can not quickly retreat from the gas/poison AOE, effectively allowing the gas/poison to damage the player further. This would help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to act as an immobilizer/trap. The threat of being immobilized in an area that will damage them would encourage players to avoid reinforced areas.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #4: Stunning Effect. This mechanic should allow the gas/poison damage to apply a stunning effect to any affected players. The affected player would be stunned so that they have impaired vision while in the gas/poison AOE, effectively preventing the affected player to attack/retreat with any precision. This would potentially immobilize the affected player until the effect wore off. This would help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to act as an immobilizer/trap. The threat of being immobilized due to lack of vision would encourage players to avoid reinforced areas.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #5: Weapon Debuff. This mechanic would allow the gas/poison AOE to inflict a weapon debuff effect along with standard gas/poison damage. This weapon debuff could apply a few different debuffs to the affected player, such as slowed weapon fire rate, reduced weapon damage, reduced weapon accuracy or damage to weapon mods (refer to New Gas/Poison Mechanic #1: Damage to Shields and/or Helmets). This will help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to better defend an area/building. If a player advanced through the gas/poison AOE and became affected by the debuff, they would become less of a threat depending upon the debuff applied. Also, with the threat of being debuffed the player would be encouraged to avoid the gas/poison AOE.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #6: Weapon Buff. This mechanic would allow the gas/poison AOE to buff Caustic or his squad mates. The buff would be applied to their weapons, which could be applied a few different ways, such as increased weapon damage, increased weapon fire rate or allowing damage done by buffed weapons to apply a slight damage over time effect along with standard weapon damage (refer to New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #2: Base Damage from Trap Trigger Over Time). This will help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to enhance Caustic or his affected squad mates. Depending on the buff applied, it could potentially allow the affected player to better defend themselves.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #7: Healing Gas. This mechanic would allow the gas/poison AOE to apply a healing affect to Caustic or his squad mates. This healing affect would only take place while the player was in the gas/poison AOE. This effect would end once the gas/poison AOE dissipated. This affect would stack with other healing devices. This would help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to support his team with passive healing in or out of combat. Also, it would discourage other players from advancing on Caustic or his squad mates while they were in the gas/poison AOE due to their passive healing.

• New Gas/Poison Mechanic #8: Coughing Effect. This mechanic would allow the gas/poison AOE to apply a coughing affect along with standard gas/poison damage. This effect would cause the affected player to cough repeatedly over time after exposure to the gas/poison AOE (refer to New Gas/Poison Damage Mechanic #2: Base Damage from Trap Trigger Over Time). The coughing would be audible to Caustic and his squad mates and would allow an audible tracking of the affected player. This will help Caustic by allowing his gas traps and gas grenade to apply an effect that will allow Caustic and his squad mates to track an affected player. Additionally, this will dissuade players from entering the gas/poison AOE due to the threat of being tracked back to their squad mates, potentially compromising their position.

• New Gas Trap Model: Size Reduction. This new gas trap model would be smaller in size. The size of the gas trap would be reduced by half the current height. This would have no effect on gas/poison AOE, gas/poison damage or trap triggering distance. This will help Caustic by allowing his gas traps to be harder to detect and potentially allowing them to be placed in new positions.

Summary

The outlined recommendations above do not all have to be applied and they could even be further modified to fit other functions. Several of these recommendations have synergy with one another and it is recommended that these all be employed so that Caustic has greater utility. All of these recommendations do not take into account other legends that may be in Caustics squad and/or the legends that will be affected by any of these changes. Also, these recommendations do not take into account the weapons that players are using (except for New Gas/Poison Mechanic #5: Weapon Debuff and New Gas/Poison Mechanic #6: Weapon Buff). The idea behind these recommendations is to bring Caustic up in terms of utility and versatility.

[ProvenMarine]

It might be nice to add his passive to the team members.

[javi060108]

I don't think it would be fair to completely buff him. I mean he is able to throw out 6 cannister of poison gas plus his ult adds even more to that. He can use a small buff but no to this extent.

[ACGenius]

As he stands now he isn't much of a "trapper". Me personally, I use his canisters to monitor player moment through nearby buildings. Seeing as the gas traps have low potential to kill a player outside of combat, I just watch to see which ones detonate to gain a rough idea of where players are. 

If any buffs like these are implemented I think that it would allow him to better fill a specific roll. Whether that remains as a "toxic trapper", or if he is reclassified as something else. It's just that right now he is not competent to fit his current classification.

[bryce1337]

I fell like he needs a small buff to the amount of damage his gas traps do.

[Aejan]

I think it'd be interesting if Caustic's smoke only dealt damage to health (not shields), but would deal damage UNDER shields. It would threaten even the most decked-out enemy team with death, since once they run out of health, they die, even if they had full armor and a helmet on. Health is also much harder to recover than shields in a fight, since Syringes take longer to administer than Shield Cells. 

It would add a bit more bite to his smoke without making it more powerful early on in the match.

[ProvenMarine]

Because they would be literally breathing it in. 

I had had an idea that it would be corrosive to armor at the very least in a way that amor would melt off extremely quickly while in the gas. 

Your version makes sense too because because they are breathing without a filter. Maybe pathfinder is the exception. 

[MELLOWautomata67]

I still agreed but keep on mind his gas trap have small range and they can stack dmg too and little bit blind to see if they are In the gas with caustic it doesn't effect it because of passive it can highlighted enemies In gas don't know can other caustic enemy see other caustic enemy because his immune own traps. 

[TrueDivinorium]

I like the size reduction and maybe give the gas damage straight to the health/extra damage on armour.

But what i really want is his ultimate to be in a weapon instead of a grenade. I mean the fact that hist ultimate has a grenade range is horrible, why "deny" area with a slow * tick damage using his ult if i can just throw a normal grenade and force everyone to run?

If it had more range i could use it to force people out of camping spot, while i can keep my "camping spot", as a defender that should be his play style, staying in position and defending the area.
That would fit his play style and also give him the option and make his ult more interesting, i use it to force people out of a place or i run them down use it on our feet and make use of my passive?

As it stands his ultimate is.... bad. even if you change the damage it does.

[odieman1231]

I would like to see the traps be able to stick to any surface.