The flash needs a purpose outside of borg murdering

[Zilenan91]

Currently it's utterly worthless as a defense weapon, and why every head gets one is beyond me since they don't do anything anymore.

Hippie station does them where you need two successful flashes to stun somebody, where the first one gives them drunk movement, and the next stuns for about 5 seconds. Something like this would dramatically improve the head experience during rev.

[Oldman Robustin]

Oh my god Zilenan are you ever correct about ANYTHING?

Flash is useful as:

1) Way to blind/subdue people without the risk of a sudden disarm/push giving them your baton/taser and killing you with your own weapons.

2) Clicking the flash while in hand offers an AOE blind that is extremely useful for escaping tight situations or setting up an easy arrest

3) You can stun a hulk for as long as the flash lasts since they cant really do anything at all with a blank white screen

I use my flash against humans DAILY, as a head of staff your flash is the best way to set up for a baton stun without the risk of push RNG getting you killed instead.

[Zilenan91]

I'm not saying it's totally useless, but do you think it's in need of a buff? Currently it's just not good at much besides mild disorientation and blinding.

[TechnoAlchemist]

The flash is amazing as it is. The aoe destroys those slippery greytiders who keep slipping by your stun baton, and using it to disarm people with 100% success unless they have glasses is amazing.

[Zilenan91]

But the thing is is that it's just a better version of disarm that has limited uses.

[newfren]

But the thing is is that it's just a better version of disarm that has limited uses.

"just"

[Zilenan91]

just barely a better version of disarm since you can't meme on people with pushing

[lumipharon]

The flash is annoyingly robust.

If a flash gets emp'd, it triggers (as well as dies), so that means if you emp a guy with a flash (keeping in mind you can't usually tell if they have one on them), while standing next to them (emp flashlight/ready to stun baton them/etc etc) you en up blinding yourself, which gives them a few good seconds where they can just stunbaton your dumb ass.

Has happened more thena couple of times.

[Steelpoint]

The Flash used to be pretty powerful in its own right, until it was nerfed somewhat to what it is today and the tele baton's where given to the head's to compensate.

Edit: When I say powerful I mean it's usage against Humans pre nerf versus post nerf.

[CPTANT]

It's annoyingly robust against emp lings. When you meet an officer and emp their stuff, the flash blows up in your face and leaves you stumbling for a couple of seconds.

[MMMiracles]

It's annoyingly robust against emp lings. When you meet an officer and emp their stuff, the flash blows up in your face and leaves you stumbling for a couple of seconds.

That's why you get some sort of eye protection, officers aren't meant to just be loot pinatas y'know.

Flashes are great as is, zilenan pls stop.

[Gun Hog]

Like the others are saying, you are using the flash incorrectly if you feel it needs a buff.
The flash is:
- Like a parapen to borgs, making fighting them a complete joke.
- Short range AoE blinding ability, allowing one to approach a human and apply a stun without risk of being targeted in melee.
- Blind + Confusion when used in melee, while not a stun, makes the target highly vulnerable to your next attack.

[Super Aggro Crag]

i just wish you could repair them after they burns out

buff pepperspray tho

[Anonmare]

Pepperspray really is the thing that needs the buff, flashes are hilariously robust in the right hands, and right now most officers, that I know of anyway, that use peperspray dump the capascin for something more spicy like CL3 since firestacks bother people more than capascin in the eyes.

[ShadowDimentio]

Flashes are fine, Zil is just bitching about nothing like usual

[Amelius]

> The flash is utterly useless.

Holy shit what is wrong with you? Flashes are 'I WIN' buttons for security in any engagement with anyone who does not have glasses. Spam it every 2~ seconds so the flash doesn't wear out but you don't burn it too quickly? 10~ seconds of blind to EVERYONE in a large area that you have to navigate by memory and DODGE through memory, while having no way of defending yourself. Bonus points for triggering a flashbang whilst flash spamming and tossing it while they don't even know you're throwing one.

Applying it on someone is useless compared to the old short knockdown, but flashes are still really really powerful. You can guarantee a kill on any traitor or ling that doesn't have ear and eye protection without being able to be attacked, or for them to see it coming.

[Super Aggro Crag]

Pepperspray really is the thing that needs the buff, flashes are hilariously robust in the right hands, and right now most officers, that I know of anyway, that use peperspray dump the capascin for something more spicy like CL3 since firestacks bother people more than capascin in the eyes.

how do u get cl3 in there

[TheNightingale]

Chlorine trichloride? For every three units of chlorine, mix with one unit of chlorine. Spray in someone's swimming pool to disinfect it.

[PKPenguin321]

flashes are actually super good
pro tip: AoE flashes
pro tip: rig flash to voice trigger thingy and put it in your backpack/box, if you get stunned by an assistant then scream the codeword

[lumipharon]

same way as any other spray bottle - empty it and refill.

Edit: Flashes can be wired to trigger mechanisms? Jesus christ that's hilarious.

[Drynwyn]

flashes are actually super good
pro tip: AoE flashes
pro tip: rig flash to voice trigger thingy and put it in your backpack/box, if you get stunned by an assistant then scream the codeword

This is the best thing.

[TheNightingale]

That's actually really good. If a borg ever stuns you, shout the codeword and they're stunned for longer than you are.

[Zilenan91]

Not if they're emagged, in that case they just disabler then laser spam.

[PKPenguin321]

flashes are actually super good
pro tip: AoE flashes
pro tip: rig flash to voice trigger thingy and put it in your backpack/box, if you get stunned by an assistant then scream the codeword

This is the best thing.

yeah but actually two three things,
1. you need eye protection or it doesnt really work that well
2. it actually has to be in your pocket for the voice trigger to hear you speak, so you need to sacrifice a pocket for it
3. if you're stuttering from being stunned then it wont recognize your voice
its still super good though

[lumipharon]

if you keep the trigger phrase very short, you can still (usually) trigger it even when drunk or stammering. The longer it is, the more likely it will fuck up.

[lumipharon]

I use 3 character codes (not some retarded shit like .:/ either), and have yet to have someone (other then me) accidentially trigger it.

[Zilenan91]

A few weeks ago a scientist on Hippie set all his bombs to trigger when someone said, "Race War Now!"

Needless to say, science was a hole by the end of the round.

[Atticat]

remove detective telebaton

[Malkevin]

>EMPing security without flash protection

Why are people dumb?

The following has easy access to flash protection:
-Engineers
-Atmos techs
-Robotocists
-Scientists
-Miners
-Cargo workers

Assistants can probably ask cargo/raid maint for a welding helmet pretty easily, as can the mime and clown if they're smart enough to say its for a costume.

Leaving the bartender, chef, botanists, and medical as being the only ones without easy access to flash protection - even then they can ask cargo for it.


Even when flashes used to stun they were always considered last resort weapon, the only reason most picked flashes instead of a pepper sprayer loaded with water was because it was the only way to counter borgs.

[John_Oxford]

-snip-

To add on to that.
The bartender spawns with a pair of sunglasses,
Medical have access to a pair of sunglasses on meta, in their back room.
Medical has chemistry, chemistry stuns > any other stun ever
Botany is able to produce 100 pot death nettles, which do like 75 burn or something ridiculious.

If you know how to use a flash, it is a extremely robust weapon. This thread was created because you don't know how to use a flash.

Overall: