Best and Worst Designed Nodes
YoMoves
Member Posts: 1,284 ★★★★
So I thought it'd be time to discuss something that we all have to deal with on a daily basis: Nodes on opponents! Some are fun and add a neat little bit of difficulty and challenge to a fight that makes us play creatively and in a fun, unique manner. Some are just painful, whether as relics of a bygone age or simply didn't get enough playtesting and Kabam rolls it out because it gets kills.
Here's my votes.
Best: Breakthrough: An old node but possibly one of the original examples of a challenge node that benefits players for skill. Huge armor at the start of the fight that makes all attacks do little damage, but the more you hit them, the more damage you do, leading up to negative armor and huge hits later on. This was used to great effect during the Sasquatch side quests, and I enjoy simple nodes like this that provide an enemy benefit that goes away in time with good skill.
Worst: Oscillate: This node is the epitome of bad design. Not only do you rotate between a gigantic attack boost that makes anything but intercepts risky, in armor mode you cannot do any damage at all without guaranteed crits, Quake, or some way of dealing lots of damage over time. That on its own is lousy, but the AI also changes with it. In Attack mode, they are hyperaggressive, meaning the only time most champs can do meaningful damage is when a single mistake can cost your your entire life, even against lower level opponents. In Armor mode, they sit in block forever, only popping out to punish you for thinking this is Mordo and that you can heavy them. And even if you do hit them, you're not doing anything.
Pair that with other nodes that punish you for having poor timing or aggression, especially Brute Force and Bane, and this is one of the worst nodes in the game for gameplay that is just an annoying slog no matter what you do.
Post your personal best and worst nodes to fight! Note: _____ Vulnerability doesn't count, since it cannot benefit the opponent in any real way. Insight and Reprisal do count since they reward specific plays and playstyles that can benefit the opponent if you're not good at them.
Here's my votes.
Best: Breakthrough: An old node but possibly one of the original examples of a challenge node that benefits players for skill. Huge armor at the start of the fight that makes all attacks do little damage, but the more you hit them, the more damage you do, leading up to negative armor and huge hits later on. This was used to great effect during the Sasquatch side quests, and I enjoy simple nodes like this that provide an enemy benefit that goes away in time with good skill.
Worst: Oscillate: This node is the epitome of bad design. Not only do you rotate between a gigantic attack boost that makes anything but intercepts risky, in armor mode you cannot do any damage at all without guaranteed crits, Quake, or some way of dealing lots of damage over time. That on its own is lousy, but the AI also changes with it. In Attack mode, they are hyperaggressive, meaning the only time most champs can do meaningful damage is when a single mistake can cost your your entire life, even against lower level opponents. In Armor mode, they sit in block forever, only popping out to punish you for thinking this is Mordo and that you can heavy them. And even if you do hit them, you're not doing anything.
Pair that with other nodes that punish you for having poor timing or aggression, especially Brute Force and Bane, and this is one of the worst nodes in the game for gameplay that is just an annoying slog no matter what you do.
Post your personal best and worst nodes to fight! Note: _____ Vulnerability doesn't count, since it cannot benefit the opponent in any real way. Insight and Reprisal do count since they reward specific plays and playstyles that can benefit the opponent if you're not good at them.
Post edited by Kabam Zanzibar on
14
Comments
Worst: Lifecycle with Limber- Don't even get me started. I just do not enjoy it. It isn't even that hard of a node too. I just really dislike that combo.
I hate do not go gentle
A node I really liked was Do Not Go Gentle. I enjoyed that one, but Power Shield or Flare are more fun
My most hated node is Icarus. I just hate it. Closely followed by Lifecycle.
I also dunno the new AW nodes, so those are missing. All those Mixmasters etc. I am SO happy I can avoid...
I also have a fix for Oscillate: Make it an actual oscillation. During Attack mode, decrease their Armor by 300% if it's Oscillate 3. It's only fair, considering what the name of the node means.
Worst nodes: Do not go gentle (6.2.5 the worst quest in the entire game) No retreat (dumb unavoidable damage for something you have to do often)
Also never been a fan of the mighty charge/heavy handed stun immune combo.
So it is a node that is challenging, but creates no time pressure (Icarus, Lifecycle) or contact pressure (Destructive Feedback). And when you get too many charges, no problem. Just keep distance, wait till AI dashes and intercept it. One hit and out. Repeat that until the charges drop to 0. Also, it requires some little planning at the end of a fight, so that your last combo doesnt give you the charge.
I suppose the main reason why I like the node is, that it is one of the few nodes that really lead players to improve their slightly advanced skills while giving them a no-stress playground to learn
Worst Node: Unavoidable degen in AQ and Act 4
Worst is do not go gentle or strength in numbers.
Any passive degen node
fisticuffs + buffed up
hurt locker + special delivery
spite + combo party
Bane in high level content
I don't like do not go gentle.
I really would like Bullet time if you could dex-stun without having to parry first. Perfect name and it’s fun with what would normally be parry/heavy champs.
There are also quite a few nodes that can be made insanely annoying. Flare+debuff immunity+ safeguard isnt too fun either, but that doesnt make Flare any less fun
Worst: Masochism. I hate it so much after 5.2.4
Worst: Strength in numbers (I truly can’t believe this garbage hasn’t been removed tbh)