u/aqfitz622

Mech Buffs
The Mechs are definitely more buffed and far more tankier. Very noticeable and they feel really good now. Not getting bodied or losing an arm by a single charger, then obliterating it for even trying is my new jam. I like the lumberer but the Shield Mech might be a new go to for me until the Patriot either gets Heavy Pen or they revert the hive guard change. More on that later.

Armor Passive
Going fast is super cool and I can see a LOT of people using this, but I also fear it might encourage more of the "Go off on my own" play style that I have grown to dislike in my team game. Superstore Armor drip is immaculate! MORE RED ARMORS PLEASE!

Melee Buffs
Anything to make Melee more viable is good in my book. Good stuff here. Shield Backpack buff is also really nice, even though I thought it was already pretty strong. Buff the Directional Shield next please!

Gas Buffs
THE Sterilizer lives! On the new Spore Bugs, if you are a dedicated support player like I like to be at times, bringing the Sterilizer or Gas Dog will make you the MVP if you stick to the team. Lingering walls of gas is so helpful on this subfaction. Hope we get more gas buffs to keep it on par, but different to fire.

Bullet storm
Han Solo "I like this thing" meme. Expendable Stalwart goes brrrrrr. It coming down in 2 is a pleasant surprise and will probably be in my rotation as a solid backup in the case I lose my main support weapon.

Gallant
Feels nice but I prefer other SMG's. Need to test it more but this slaps on Illuminate front.

Missile Pistol
Feels like something is missing from it. I want to like it but it feels a little underbaked. Maybe more ammo or more damage. I also think I just do not like the lock on guns, because I did not like the Warrant either.

Hive Guard Change
I'll be honest. This is a nothing change to me. By that, I mean its a change that people are REALLY blowing out of proportion, but I also don't really see why AH made this change either. The Hive Guard is such a nothing enemy and will continue to be so. The oversight to how this effects sentries and stuff like the Maxigun and Patriot seems unintended, but still ridiculous. That being said, I like to sentry dive, and let them deal with their stuff while I focus on the stuff they cannot kill, so having to hit Hive Guards once to stagger them isn't annoying at all and is really easy to do, but I still don't like the change and would prefer a different way to make them interesting. (Maybe they can spawn in big pods around nests and link up to form walls?)

Tank Changes
Not a super big fan of this. If its AP4, is it really a weak spot? I always thought tanks were already super well balanced

War Strider and Heavy Dev changes
GOOD STUFF HERE AH!

Biomes
The Art Team at Arrowhead are incredible and can never do any wrong. No shock to anyone that these new biomes are gorgeous. Really like what we got here.

Spore Bugs
Glad they made these guys way more interesting. The speed boost they get makes them far more terrifying and its easy to get overwhelmed if you are not careful. Invest in your gas stocks. The new Bile Titan is a thing of beauty and the sound design is excellent. It being stronger is a welcome change as well.

Overall, I really like this update. I see what AH was trying to do with some of these changes, but it needed a bit more of work.

What should come next?
What I really think needs to happen is for them to make the Galactic War more fun and more interactive, fix Hive Guards, and just do another giant game re-balance that is well thought out. After this next warbond we are getting, just do 3 straight months of core system improvements and balance changes.

I had this idea where, instead of these big balance updates coming out, where AH has all these changes for us dropped all at once, introduce a new system where, say for example, the Bile Titan got a speed buff, and the mechs got even better armor than we got now, and limit the changes to a single planet. Run it as a side order like "A mutation of the Bile Titan is running amok on Headass III, go fight it and report back. Also, Super Earth is doing live field testing on new armor for the mechs." and let the community see if these are good changes before unleashing it on the whole game. (I know this is probably a nightmare to code, if not impossible given the system but I just think its a neat idea.)