Engineer

Engineer has a couple default skills that are really inconvenient to use, which are receiving major changes. Additionally, his turrets have received a lot of adjustments that affect item synergies.

Base Character (nerf)

• Base damage reduced from 14 (+2.8) to 12 (+2.4), to match most other survivors in the game.

Comments: Engi is very strong and can afford to lose a small amount of damage in this standardization.

Default Primary | Bouncing Grenades (buff)

• Grenade damage is increased from 100% to 140% (actual damage increase is much less due to the base damage reduction).
• Grenades persist slightly longer after striking terrain, making them feel a bit bouncier.

Comments: Engineer's primary feels extremely awkward to use. While a rework may be coming in the future, right now it is getting a damage buff to compensate for engi's base damage reduction, as well as a bit more longevity to his projectiles.

Default Secondary | Pressure Mines (buff)

• First arming stage completely removed.

Comments: Does anyone even use these things? They always go off way too early and almost never get as much value as Spider Mines do, despite being theoretically more powerful. With this change, Pressure Mines will not go off until fully charged, guaranteeing a max damage blast at the cost of not being able to deal damage at a moment's notice.

Alternate Secondary | Pressure Mines (tweak)

• Damage increased from 600% to 700%.

Comments: Spider Mines need a slight damage increase in order to make sure they still one-shot beetles and lemurians after the base damage reduction.

Default Utility | Bubble Shield (rework)

• Shield duration is reduced from 15s to 6s, but cooldown is reduced from 25s to 15s.
• Allies that enter the barrier gain 1 stack of Shielded per 0.4 seconds, up to 5 stacks. Shielded grants 5% of the target's max health in shields per stack, and lasts for 6 seconds (meaning that it caps out at 25% bonus shields after being in the bubble for at least 2 seconds).
• No longer blocks ally projectiles, and more consistently blocks enemy attacks.
• (Indirect) No longer counts as a combat skill for Red Whip and the reworked Warbanner.

Comments: A huge rework is desperately needed for the extremely niche Bubble Shield, and this is my solution. A shorter duration and cooldown makes repositioning easier, and it now provides defensive benefits for a short time after being in the shield, granting it some purpose even while on the run or when facing melee enemies.

Default Special | Auto-Turret (tweak)

• Now has 20 base armor, the same as purchasable Gunner Turrets.
• Base damage decreased from 16 (+3.2 per level) to 10 (+2 per level). Base damage reduction is compensated for by increasing attack damage from 70% to 100%.
• (Indirect) No longer receives benefits from Spare Drone Parts.

Comments: A slight buff to default survivability of the stationary Auto-Turrets, but with much lower base damage their scaling with items is significantly weaker.

Alternate Special | Carbonizer Turrets (buff)

• Mobile turrets range increased from 25m to 40m, and optimal targeting range (how close to the target the turrets will try to get) increased from 15m to 20m.
• Mobile turrets now always sprint when following the player or chasing enemies (not while strafing though).
• Base damage decreased from 16 (+3.2 per level) to 10 (+2 per level). Base damage reduction is compensated for by increasing attack dps from 200% to 275%.
• (Indirect) No longer receives benefits from Spare Drone Parts.

Comments: Carbonizer Turrets' range is so short that they often can't hit Voidling, and many flying enemies. This is a huge problem that severely limits their effectiveness. On top of fixing this, the turrets will now sprint more often, helping them engage in combat quicker and allowing them to make better use of certain items associated with movement. Other than that, they have the same changes as Auto-Turrets in that their item scaling via high base damage is reduced.