In one of the videos, two journalists complain that, while they think Tusk’s heating blade looks super cool, they were disappointed that it does not have specific effects on gameplay. That somehow this cool effect should not be only eye candy and be actually useful.
What do you think about this? Do you think it would be possible to balance something like that in ±20 days?
Nah, don’t think it should. It basically means Tusk does more damage just by “doing really good stuff” that forms his entire gameplan already, like pressing amazing half-screen buttons in neutral that you’re scared to try and challenge. He doesn’t need to work hard to build up the heat on his sword, it just happens.
I like it as an effect and nothing more. It’s a pretty cool effect, too.
I did think it was strange that the blade heating up did nothing. What it when the blade got too hot, tusk would actually build potential damage on himself or maybe suffer a short cool down. Then during instinct, these effects could be nullified.
well it would be pretty lame if the effect was simply a potential harm for himself isn’t it? I was thinking of something else
I could imagine that there was going to be a gameplay effect tied to it at some point, such as maybe increased damage. Then they would’ve decided to scrap it during testing, but since it looks cool they decided to leave the effect in.
I could see you coming back to this comment in 6 months thinking, “I ■■■■■■■ hate this effect, so many ■■■■■■■ casuals keep nagging for extra damage just because they pressed stMP a bunch of times.”
I thought the exact same
Tusk already has alot of tools to work with, and some that even seems rather OP. Giving him something like this as well just makes him seem even more OP. Not sure that’s a good idea. 
Personally I would like to see the heated blade have some sort of in-game effect, even if it meant his regular damage needed to be nerfed so that a hot blade dealt the damage he normally does now. This would promote an aggressive style of play, or at least give you the chance to manage the heat by using measured, timed attacks to prevent cooldown.
This is assuming every sword attack (even in combo) would increase the heat, getting combo broken would immediately remove all heat, and being in Instinct would give Tusk full heat, which would return to a normal cooldown afterwards (similar to how Arbiter’s shield remains after Instinct).
If the effect remains an effect only, I’m plenty OK with that, too. It’s just that it’s such a cool effect that it really seems as though it should do something!
No. Add more damage to this character and he’d be too good.
the key is, as always, balance.
I would like it if the heated blade widened the deflect window a little. It doesn’t increase damage, but increases the chances for Tusk to deflect an attack. Good idea? Bad idea?
Anyone have an idea what Tusk’s Instinct is?
Instinct: he can cancel special moves into other specials.
for example, he can do his DP, and then come out of it midway into that sword slam thing overhead.
So I was going to agree that it was kind of dumb that it did nothing and give a “what if” situation, but so far my design philosophy has been lining up with IG’s in an uncanny way. SO I’ll risk it all by saying that there’s a very high chance that earlier in development, the blade’s heat was a meter/visual indicator of sorts. When it was full, you’d be allowed to do a single cancel in the style of his instinct.
It’s simply inconceivable that it never did anything; the effect is far too pronounced (in that it’s clear that they wanted to show exactly how heated the blade was at all times), and the fact that it heats up at all is too outlandish of an effect to be just for show.
OMFG - using the sword AS a meter bar.
That’s just all sorts of awesome epic!
hehe
Sanjay
Good point!
Why not?
It really makes sense.
I think it should have an effect. When Tusk pops instinct his sword is always heated up and his tattoo as well I think outside of instinct if you get the sword to heat up fully you should get a one time effect from it like in instinct he can keep hitting you with that jumping downward sword slash over and over.
When normal it cools down pretty quick so when you have it fully heated up you have like what maybe 3 seconds to use the effect or it goes away until you can get it again. That is a very short window when you realize you have to open someone up and do a specific combo to use it effectively. I am thinking kind of like Cinders trait where he heats up every now and then more or less.
This wouldn’t increase his damage or give him ways to get potential damage maybe at the most just help him again very mobile fighters or ones who just block everything the whole match.
If worded correctly, I know I didn’t do a great job at explaining I think this would be a good feature for Tusk.
Yeah giving him a single cancel when fully heated just makes perfect sense. Maybe they just hadn’t implemented it yet in that build. Or maybe they’re keeping some stuff secret until the stream like arbiters parry and grenade to the face.
Yeah, I am glad you agree. I am excited for the stream tonight especially because I plan to main Tusk. Hopefully we see something like this but if not that’s ok he still looks great to me.
That may be a good idea. As an effect its gorgeous, but something like that, an effect that fills up progressively has often signified a build-up to an added advantage or some sort damage increase. It feels like it should do something other than look pretty, but given the faith I have in IG’s balancing, there’s a reason for it. The single cancel idea is pretty good though, wonder if they’ll consider it, maybe we’ll have the chance to test it out in the lab ourselves before they can add it (theoretically in practice with Instinct on, Tusk would have his Special Cancels available, all we’d need to do is heat up the sword and then perform a special cancel to see how good it is)