general changes

Base class changes:

> Changed afterburn's DPS to 5

> Changed afterburn's duration to a fixed 4 seconds

Reasoning:

Changes made to shift pyro's flames away from passive damage over time to something requiring more input that is more engaging to fight. This is the first step in doing so.

flamethrowers

Changes:

# Flames

> Flame particle damage range changed from 6.5-13 to 3-20

> Ramp-up drain rate set to 225% of the build rate

Reasoning:

The increased max damage puts a higher emphasis on maintaining consistent aim. To keep the damage itself consistent, the ramp up quickly drains instead of instantly resetting to 0. All in all, these changes reward pyro with increased, more consistent damage for consistent aim, while punishing inconsistent aim with reduced damage. The effect is especially noticeable against higher health classes.

# Airblast

> Airblasting costs 20% less ammo

> Reduced damage taken by your own reflected projectiles by 50%

> Removed the movement control loss enemies experience when airblasted

> Removed pitch control

> Vertical airblast component reduced by 50% in relation to its pre-Jungle-Inferno state

> The projectile-assigned part of the airblast box is replaced with a truncated cone of the following dimensions: The larger diameter is 127% of the current box's side lenght, the height is 121% of the current box's side length and the smaller diameter is 64% of the box's side length.

> Airblasted projectiles only do damage to the pyro and the person who originally fired them. Reflected projectiles penetrate players who didn't shoot them.

Reasoning:

Reduced the control airblast gives pyro over his opponent because it's unfair to the opponent. Airblasted projectiles only hurt the pyro and whoever shot them because others should not face the consequences of someone's decision to shoot a projectile at a pyro. The buffs exist to somewhat compensate these nerfs.

The change from box to truncated cone was done to make airblasting more consistent, as the box system massively depends on alignment with the map, while allowing for some deflects at absurd angles.

Damage ramp-up & projectile-assigned airblast box changes graph & visual

flare guns

Changes:

> Increased base damage from 30 to 40

> Direct hits now do 5 DPS over 4 seconds

Reasoning:

Flare guns buffed with extra damage to keep them in line with the global flamethrower changes.

Individual weapon changes

Reworks

THE degreaser

Changes:

> Removed the +25% airblast cost

> Added -20% damage

> Removed the -66% afterburn damage penalty

Reasoning:

The weapon was always a marginally better comboing flame thrower with marginally less damage to boot. Afterburn damage penalty removed due to global afterburn changes. Damage reduction added to shift it from an upgrade to a sidegrade of stock. Airblast cost penalty removed to offset the damage nerf.

THE phlogistinator

Changes:

> Added an alt-fire airblast replacement jolt that disintegrates projectiles and extinguishes teammates

> Added a 13 health point cost per alt-fire

> Added a veto on ubercharge while crits are active

> Removed über effect from the activation period

> Changed "Mmmph" build conditions to instead require disintegrating 4 projectiles to fill the bar

> Removed "no random critical hits"

Reasoning:

Airblast replacement added to avoid crippling team-play, offer personal defense, and steer the weapon away from being an extreme example of a crutch. Health cost added to alt-fire to make the weapon's risk more akin to its reward and make counterplay easier. Ubercharge veto added because such an offensively strong weapon shouldn't ever be so defensively strong at the same time. "Mmmph" build conditions changed to promote risk management and mechanical skill as opposed to WM1-ing. Removed the über during activation to require good timing. Removed the random crit exception because there are no longer random crits.

THE dragon's fury

Changes:

> Added a linear bonus damage gradient from 100% to 0% damage from the center to the edges of the projectile hitbox

> Now has normal airblast

> Added deals 25% less damage against pyros

> Removed the -66% afterburn damage penalty

Reasoning:

Currently, the weapon is shy of stock's power. The new bonus damage gradient makes the weapon more consistent. Normal airblast added to let it handle explosive classes as it should. Damage penalty against pyros makes it more fair in 1v1 scenarios.

detonator

Changes:

> Removed self-damage

> Removed the fire effect from the AOE

Reasoning:

Currently, it is just another scorch shot with a movement gimmick tacked on. This makes it lean further into movement.

THE Thermal thruster

Changes:

> Added instant charge activation

> Retains shotgun on mouse 1 with -50% clip size and -30% damage

Reasoning:

Useless in its current state in part due to slow activation. Made closer to the shotgun to retain some damage potential and to not give too much in terms of movement.

THE gas passer

Changes:

> Changed acquisition rules to match other throwable liquids

> Changed coating so it now also strips overheal and prevents further overheal for the duration of the afterburn

> Removed lingering gas cloud

> Changed coating so it no longer removes itself on ignite and instead persists throughout the duration of the afterburn

> Changed the duration of the applied afterburn from 4 seconds to 10

Reasoning:

Useless in its current state. Acquisition rules changed to make the weapon available for use more often. Coating overheal strip added to improve the utility of it. Applied afterburn duration changed to what it is in the base game because the weapon is limited and easily avoidable while requiring it for its viability. Lingering gas cloud removed because there's no reason for pyro to have area denial.

THE axtinguisher

Changes:

> Changed mini-crits on burning targets to crits

> Added mini-crits on the user while held out

> Decreased -33% damage penalty to -18%

> Removed damage increase being tied to the duration of the afterburn

> Removed the speed boost upon kill

> Removed "this weapon holsters 35% slower"

> Removed no random critical crits

Reasoning:

Damage buffed because the weapon is weak. The tie between damage increase and duration of afterburn removed due to global afterburn changes. Airblasts affecting player movement to a lesser degree is enough to solve the problems of it gaining full-on crits. User Marked-For-Death when the weapon is held out added to offset the damage buff and facilitate counterplay. Holster penalty removed due to being senseless.

THE powerjack

Changes:

> Removed "on kill: restores 25 health points"

Reasoning:

It isn't needed, the weapon is essentially a free speed boost.

THE back scratcher

Changes:

> Changed +50% health from packs on wearer to +100%

> Changed -75% health from healers on wearer to -100%

> Removed +25% damage bonus

Reasoning:

Damage bonus on a pyro melee means very little. Every other stat change made to make it more consequential and thus, more interesting.

Exclusions

Note:

Removals are a big no-no in the community because there’s a strong belief that a trader’s puckered prolapse red outline diamondback may be nerfed into the ground and lose 99% of its value; however, apparently, it may not lose the extra percent in the form of a removal. So as to not grow the worthless weapon pile, or worse, keep some of the atrocities in their current state, we "excluded" such weapons from all play but MvM, because while the traders complain, bots don't.

Weapons that are reserved for MvM in this project can theoretically be kept where they currently stand if you find a way to either: a) fix the weapon without removing its core concept or b) recognize that you’re effectively removing the old and adding a new weapon in its place and creating confusion and/or dissonance. However, you may only choose to do so if the solution you provide is in itself balanced and has a purpose. Additionally, it needs to fit the game and the class and be unique to the other weapons.

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