fewer soldiers around?

[Vainiac]

Anyone notice that alot fewer people are playing soldier now? It seems like pyro is the default class of choice. It could just be the games I've been playing in but more often than not I've been going soldier because noone else on the team is. Just wondering if anyone else noticed this

 

[Lafinass]

Full splash damage to self.

Nuff said.

 

[DuckDastardly]

^^
What he said...I was throughly enjoying the class till Valve made that change.

 

[Xioyn]

I have noticed fewer soldiers I have also noticed that valve spells it Solcier in the top performance screen

 

[HardHat]

Some people have found new love in playing a class thats a bit more mobile, but packs plenty of firepower, ie. the demo!

Oh, and the full splash damage is a big turn off as well.

 

[foxtrotniner]

I've noticed this lately and just realized its true while reading your post. I still love to play soldier though but sometimes I do feel that the solder clip should be more than 4 rockets, rockets still don't cause damage like a pyro's flamethrower or a demo's stickies. Seems underpowered to me. Hopefully valve will release a soldier achievement pack soon.

 

[westside]

rockets coming back at you 4tl

 

[Dark Deity]

True enough i have noticed that Pyro takes precedent over soldier.... heck i've even seen demomen taken over soldier. But I still really like soldier.
Though i at least now understand that "full splash damage" is the reason i've been killing myself in close combat too much lately.
Now i like demoman, but i can't get the kind of kills like the soldier. maybe its my tactics, but i think the one thing i would wish for is that the pipe bombs would shoot just a little straighter.

 

[HardHat]

Practice with the stickies instead, they're pretty much rockets with manual detonation and an arc in their trajectory. Much more efficient than rockets since you can trap players, or detonate one after another in mid-air like mortars.

 

[midget31394]

since the pyro class update came out I've been playing soldier more, I went from about 2 hrs to about 13 hrs in a week, I think the pyro updates make it more fun and harder to play soldier and sniper, I love playing as a soldier with pyros firing rockets back, its like target practice and it helps you dodge them as well, the same thing goes as a sniper trying to dodge flares.

And the thing about splash damage is: I don't think the rockets were designed for close combat, use the shotgun or shovel instead.

 

[!Woodstock!]

Soldier = too slow for me.

 

[Beta]

im a soldier person myself. but when valve fooled with soldier's Rocket jump, the only thing i really play now is pyro/spy/medic

 

[RESPAWN]

^^
What he said...I was throughly enjoying the class till Valve made that change.

Don't forget that it now also takes 3 rockets to kill a non-buffed pyro wielding the backburner. If I come across a pyro-medic combo in close quarters such as the vents on turbine, I may as well hit my suicide ("bind f8 explode") key because there's no way I'm getting away alive. And, unfortunately, pyro seems to be the most popular class these days.

And the thing about splash damage is: I don't think the rockets were designed for close combat, use the shotgun or shovel instead.

The problems with that are threefold. For one, the shotgun really doesn't do a heck of a lot of damage. Two, every other class's primary weapon can be used in close quarters with few detrimental effects (even the demo seems to suffer less from nades up close). Three, unless you're playing with a bunch of newbs, you're not going to have time to switch to your shotgun in most situations. Even on a wide open map, if you round a corner, and bump into an enemy, you're going to pull the trigger on your rocket. Period. Unfortunately, these days you have about a 50% chance of killing yourself. Especially when so many of the classes on the server are pyros who can outrun you, so they stay close to you.

In fact, yesterday, I had 120 health, rounded a corner, bumped into a scout and pulled the trigger... and I died. No chance to finish off the scout.

It's pretty rare, but I also think the rocket jumping detection isn't perfect. I somehow managed to kill myself with a rocket to the feet when I had 150 health last night.

In all, I think the latest soldier nerfs are worse than when they decreased the amount of ammo he can hold. They have almost completely invalidated the soldier as a front lines class and have relegated him to a long distance "spam and pray" class since that's the only sure way to keep from killing yourself.

Maybe I'll go back to playing engineer...

 

[Ephyu]

I'm a pretty steady Soldier player, but it's admittedly a LOT harder to do since the pyro update. Aside from the full splash damage, compression blasts left and right prevent you from hitting anything at a distance, even if the pyro wasn't your intended target. I think once the pyro rush settles down things'll be easier.

Still, for those soldiers that are persevering, don't try to rocket in melee range, and if you know you'll be in tight quarters, get that shovel out. If you're facing a pyro, try to rocket THEIR feet and juggle them to keep them away from you.

 

[NinjaFluff]

I'm a pyro, so I'm getting a kick out of these replies....


First class I learned to play was soldier. Solid, straightfoward, no gimmicks about him. I discovered the joys of demoman and pyro shortly thereafter, and have barely looked back since. I have greatly enjoyed this pyro update, and look forward to the Demo's update as well!

 

[FiRESAUCE]

I'm a pretty steady Soldier player, but it's admittedly a LOT harder to do since the pyro update. Aside from the full splash damage, compression blasts left and right prevent you from hitting anything at a distance, even if the pyro wasn't your intended target. I think once the pyro rush settles down things'll be easier.

Still, for those soldiers that are persevering, don't try to rocket in melee range, and if you know you'll be in tight quarters, get that shovel out. If you're facing a pyro, try to rocket THEIR feet and juggle them to keep them away from you.

I agree with this..

The days of being a lazy soldier are over...

You stay moving, you constantly jump and keep tabs on EVERYTHING in a 360 degree radius of your self..

The pyro is harder to kill.. but i do not mind juggling one up a wall and making a bloody poster out of him...

Make sure your engie's know when its ok to advance dispensers and SG's .. it's imperative to even get a few extra health and your stockpile replensihed BEUCASE YOU DEFINATLY need it now..

I still find a very well played demo man the thorn in my side... and i also have no problems head hunting medics as i launch down from above..

The key is aiming your rockets and choosing lower HP targets, the worst thing that can happen is you allow foward resupply stations to be built, and the enemies injured players to be able to take advantage of that instead of having to stare at a respawn timer.

My 2c.

 

[I-Die-Often]

I find myself "exploring" soldier more... I would play him more if he moved faster... move slow... fire slow... it would be nice if the pack included a faster pair of shoes or something :lol:

 

[IceFox]

i trust the way valve updates each class. the ammo reserves nerf was for the better cause there's no more crazy spamming, esp by the demo. i remember the day before the nerf, i was spamming like crazy around the first corner of dustbowl stage 3. after that, i was frustrated but i can tell the game is much more balanced, and engy dispensers are much more important than just giving health.

if you jump before doing the rocket jump as a soldier, it does less damage. if you do it right, you won't lose as much health. if you use it to get to higher ground, there is no landing damage. if you don't jump, i think you lose about 1/4 - 1/3 of your health, but the advantage is that medics can now build their ubers SO much faster with a soldier grinding. the only thing i'm really frustrated about is that i barely get any crits these days. i remember getting 3 or 4 in a row, but i almost never get 2 now. but maybe i've just lost my touch with soldier :/ i hope the soldier pack is more of a buff for the class. heat seeking missiles anyone?

 

[Booster37]

I'd just like to take the time to say thanks a lot, Valve. You took my second favorite class and more 10,000 more people play it. It's not fun to jump in a server with 3 other pyros and not have another class that is crucial to victory.

I'd play soldier anyway. About 80% of pyros are equipped with the backburner, so you could kill them with a crit to the face. The problem comes when they are buffed. A soldier CAN'T kill a buffed Pyro with a backburner (Max damage of a direct crit is 270). I also think that people played Soldier for cheap kills anyway, and with the backburner of the Pyro, anybody can just spray and pray that their opponent is dumb enough to run backwards, which is of course, slower than running forward, but you get killed that way too, leaving you to an inevitable death...

Valve better come out with the other weapons soon, because it's making some maps annoying...unless I play Pyro myself

/rant

 

[Beta]

i hope the soldier comes next after the heavy. demos can still kill a pyro with crit stickies FYI. soldiers are pretty screwed either way.