PC Power attacks feel redundant now.

FranticDan

FranticDan

Well-known member
I know the power attacks needed a slight nerf, but I feel they are nerfed to the point of redundancy.

From what I'm noticing, a power attack uses TRIPLE the stamina to deal only DOUBLE the damage, plus on top of that, there's the 3 second stamina regen delay (which is 30 stamina on top of the triple stamina cost)

Now I might be missing something, like perks that reduce stamina costs and regen delay as I'm not that far in my current playthrough.

 
I know the power attacks needed a slight nerf, but I feel they are nerfed to the point of redundancy.From what I'm noticing, a power attack uses TRIPLE the stamina to deal only DOUBLE the damage, plus on top of that, there's the 3 second stamina regen delay (which is 30 stamina on top of the triple stamina cost)

Now I might be missing something, like perks that reduce stamina costs and regen delay as I'm not that far in my current playthrough.
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They didn't intend power attacks to be the main attack hence the nerf to power attacks. So attack with the LMB first using weapon of choice (bow/clubs/whatever) then finish off with power attack when they're on the ground. I hear you get bonuses when they're stunned (on the gorund). I can't tell myself what the bonus is. All I know is that its easier to kill Zs now on the same difficulty. I use the power attack to finish them off when they're on the ground.

 
Power attack was never meant to replace the primary attack so when that happened in the previous builds they retuned it to be more in line with what they wanted, a special attack used for melee combat. Now the primary attack has been buffed and so is great for mining and stamina efficient fighting and is absolutely capable of dealing with Zs but now if you get certain perks such as deep cuts, stay down, or heavy metal those vastly increase the damage the power attack does to downed enemies which makes it more and more viable to use as a finishing blow the more you level up.

 
if you get certain perks such as deep cuts, stay down, or heavy metal those vastly increase the damage the power attack does to downed enemies which makes it more and more viable to use as a finishing blow the more you level up.
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I'd like you to carefully focus on marked parts in context of FULL description of the perks.

Take all the time you need.

 
I have played more and noticed these perks, I've been playing on nomad this time around (was warrior on b208) and I'm killing everything so far with ease without the need for power attacks. I can see these being well worth the perk points on higher difficulties! Nomad and lower they are unnecessary.

 
After work I was able to play the new experimental. Did a clean server wipe and played around 3-4 hours. I thought I would hate the nerf on power swings. Honestly though, I think the buff on normal swings is just fine for zombies and when I was using an iron pick axe (level 6 I found on day2 PogChamp) for stone it went pretty well just using the normal attack. Not bad at all once I was able to catch my breathe from all that stamina lost getting to the boulders lol.

 
My sentiments are the exact opposite. In its current iteration, power attacks are simply not meant to be spammed. Others have already provided the appropriate usage of it.

The server I'm playing on decided to have zombies on max difficulty and sprint. With the reduced power attack spam of sledgie... I'm really feeling the ♥♥♥♥ fissures. At lvl 36 and 112 game stage, starting to see a lot of ferals and dreading when radiated zombies start turning up.

 
Buy the perk that does 200% power attack damage to staggered enemies.
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and thats nice. sadly, stone does not stagger... so... yeah :D

I do like the current system more than 208, BUT I feel a LITTLE less stamina usage (but keep the small staminarecovery break) for all power attacks would work wonders.

So its more like "do you want a little bit fast and after that needing a break or do you want to do it for longer, beeing overall more efficient?"

but using the powerattacks currently allows you AT MAX to destroy one stone/kill 1 zombie.

Which I could have done nearly as fast AND more efficient with light attacks.

Granted with perks, it becomes more effective... just saying on early levels there is NO REASON ever to use a strong hit.

 
but using the powerattacks currently allows you AT MAX to destroy one stone/kill 1 zombie.Which I could have done nearly as fast AND more efficient with light attacks.

Granted with perks, it becomes more effective... just saying on early levels there is NO REASON ever to use a strong hit.
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I tested this on my b208 character and with 9 STR and some perks, I was one shotting normal zombies with a regular attack with a steel ax. Big boys like bikers needed two regular attacks which is no different than when it needed two power attacks before b221... aside from that small chance to head explode.

 
Personaly stoped using power attacks completly. Too big stamina usage and most importantly, they stop stamina regen. They also deal only 2x more dmg and some rare effects with perks for a price of spending most of stamina and being unable to fight or run for few next seconds. Just power attack benefits doesn't justify their price, atleast surely in higher difficulties where enemies sponge much more hits, in easy modes that's propably viable to one-shot something with power attack insteed of risking getting hit back.

 
I'm having several issues justifying rmb as a power attack. The main problem I see is that PA use is very situational. For normal downed enemies I'm one normal hit away from killing them, so why use additional stamina?

That being the case, perking specializes power attacks, but we'll be using regular attacks the majority of the time. For all the talk of specialization, perking into a weapon branch gives small results, which will only be justified for special infected. I'd like to see the perks apply some benefit to regular attacks, earlier than level 30.

The stamina that would have been regenned needs to be taken into account. Therefore the upfront cost needs to be lowered. I can see the stamina regen halt as leaving yourself open to attack, but either I'm prepared to swing and I expend a lot of effort, or I'm exposed after over committing, not both.

Or, apply the idea of a deficit when you're below zero and you can have it both ways. If an attack costs more stamina than you have, you can do it, stamina regens as normal, but doesn't become positive and enable another move until you've made up the difference. Apply it to both regular and power attacks and you'll be back to having parity, and the player can choose their tradeoffs.

If power attacks are a situational move, they need to be fast enough that I can connect when responding to the situation. Cops aren't staggered that long and never fall down, and now wraiths aren't down that long either.

 
Personaly stoped using power attacks completly. Too big stamina usage and most importantly, they stop stamina regen. They also deal only 2x more dmg and some rare effects with perks for a price of spending most of stamina and being unable to fight or run for few next seconds. Just power attack benefits doesn't justify their price, atleast surely in higher difficulties where enemies sponge much more hits, in easy modes that's propably viable to one-shot something with power attack insteed of risking getting hit back.
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When you get enough perks I think the power attack can be pretty usefull. The problem is, as you mention, the stamina regen stoping. It makes it really really bad to use on low level.

I've made some test and it's clearly a mistake to use power attack in early game (not because of the stamina usage, but because of the stamina regeneration stoping)

I think the problem is that power attack becomes usefull too late in the game, at a point I've adopted another way of playing (yeah like I don't have time anymore for POI's, let's go my way with a good AK47, so I'm not really concerned about power attack anymore)

I think the good way to be to delete the stop of stamina regenation, but add a perk :

- On level 4 and 5 of this perk, you get something very usefull on power attack, but you get the stamina regeneration stoping for 3 seconds like right now.

You could add it to an existing perk like "Stay Down". It wouldn't be abused because it would be exactly the same for an end game player, but it would make the power attack usable for a low level player.

If you think that people need to "regulate" their ways of using power attack, you can't make it worthless, or it will disappear.

Now for those saying that power attack stays good on low level,

On level 1, bagpack empty : Until you get 2-3 zombies, you get enough stamina to kill them all with a club without any stamina problem, using simple attacks, and power attack only when they are down (assuming you don't run everywhere of course, or miss all your shots).

Over 2-3 zombies, if you use simple attack and power attack when they are down you will have stamina problem and start to wait for hitting

Using simple attack, you can get easily the 3 zombies without any stamina problem.

So that's easy, don't use power attack on level. Then, depends how you like to play, if you like looting POI with melee, go for it, but if you're like me and prefer into zombie mass murder with an AK47, then just forget about power attack for ever.

 
Power attacks are impossible to balance perfectly.

TFP have to consider Early and Late game with the same mechanic.

So... you get perks that make your Strong attack do more damage.

Great..... for late game. Not so great for early game.

If they alter it and make Strong attacks easier for early game, late game gets too easy and boring.

I don't envy their job in this regard.

 
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The only thing I find myself using power attacks for is knocking down a zombie in fewer swings to reduce the risk of getting hit myself. As a finishing move power attacks are absolute garbage, the stamina penalty overall just isn't worth it. With the sledge I don't even use power attacks for knock down as it'll leave me with stamina for just one normal swing, so I'm better off just using normal attacks. With the clubs though I sometimes use the power attack for the knockdown, though that is probably ill-advised. If they gave power attacks a smaller damage bonus, removed the stamina regen penalty, and made head and leg hits always knock down the zombies it would probably be a lot more useful.

 
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