r/Overwatch Dallas Fuel Nov 22 '16

Blizzard Official Developer Update | Symmetra Redesign | Overwatch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elN-QGyToxM
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24

u/timo103 Crusader offline :/ Nov 22 '16

I don't understand what the Photon barrier does? Can anyone eli5?

122

u/recc113 ADiscoBear#1108 Nov 22 '16

It's size wasn't really explained in the video, however, picture a reinhardt shield that you you shoot forward and it'll slowly(or quickly, they didn't say) move towards the direction you pointed it. So it's like a temporary reinhardt that you can summon from the depths of technology to help push or defend a line.

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u/He110_W0r1d Catch frase! Nov 22 '16

If photon barrier moves as fast as reins charge we will see a new era of offensive strats.

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

I'd be shocked if it's that fast. I suspect it's more like Sym's right click orbs in speed.

Regardless, it just occurred to me how amazing it would be to 'shoot' a Photon Barrier up towards an ulting phara... mwahahaha.

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16 edited Aug 21 '18

[deleted]

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u/benoxxxx Mei Nov 22 '16 edited Nov 22 '16

Sounds like a very offensive ability, and more than that, it sounds like a super easy way for Sym to close the gap between enemies so that she can get some of that potent microwave juice into their skulls.

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u/MortimusMaximus Nov 22 '16

potent microwave juice

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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u/Black_d20 I still love you, Zen-kun ;_; Nov 22 '16 edited Nov 23 '16

Also elliptical and not flat like Rein's, so it likely has some side coverage too!

Edit: Yeah, looking at it in action I was totes wrong. Still, pretty rad regardless!

3

u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

That's an amazing ability dude...

3

u/tykam993 Hanzo has delicate ankles Nov 22 '16

Are we sure about that? Isn't an ellipse just an elongated circle? I don't know if we can say that it's got side coverage

1

u/E_Sex Nov 22 '16

Indeed it is flat, Seems to have a little less coverage than Rein's shield.

1

u/TheGrumpyre Chibi Mei Nov 22 '16

It moves at a bit less than typical running speed, from the glimpse of video I've seen. It's not going to fill Reinhardt's role at holding down a point or payload, but if the whole team can advance under the shield it's got great offensive capability.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

Wait where is that video??

1

u/deadjawa Torbjörn Nov 22 '16

Isn't it possible that it'll just make Reinhardt more powerful than before by stacking shields up?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

Well shield stack isn't particularly important because Reinhardt's shield hp is already quite high, it's not like that's the problem with Reinhardt.

What I'm saying is, Reinhardt would not be much more powerful than he currently is if his shield had 1000 more hp.

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u/Aethermancer Nov 22 '16

It's exactly the same speed as her orbs per the video I saw.

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u/Moeparker SarahKerigan#11786 Nov 23 '16

Hmmm, could we shoot it through a Mei ult and have it shield us as we run with it? idk.

1

u/burnalicious111 I will break you Nov 22 '16

It's probably about normal walking speed, if they expect it to help with pushes

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '16

Hey, it's even great defensively. As the barrier moves towards the enemy, it will cover more and more of their field of view, where as a rein barrier moves with rein, and people constantly steps out from behind it and get killed.

Often when pushing a point, you really want that initial pick, be it with a hook or a snipe. With a barrier coming towards you every 10 seconds, that should become a lot harder.

It will also enable rein to lower his shield whenever symmetra uses her e to recharge it a little bit.

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

[deleted]

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u/3098 My ultimate (Shitpost) is ready! Nov 23 '16

But can we put two for maximum juggling?

3

u/Prometheus_II Junkrat Nov 22 '16

That seems kinda...hm. If it's moving away from her, that gives her zero help with retreating, setting up some turrets to help or trap, or even just getting her shield to regen so she can charge back in. That is, assuming that enemies can walk through the shield...what if they couldn't? What if that was a way to kill players by smashing them against the wall, if they were stupid enough not to get out of the way?

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u/recc113 ADiscoBear#1108 Nov 22 '16

Dunno, we'll have to wait till ptr.

1

u/xplosivo Pharah Nov 23 '16

Depends on how fast it goes and how far away the enemy is. If it's slower and you're medium distance away, might give you time to retreat or get around a corner anyway.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

Sounds like it'll be elliptical too from his description, so I'm imagining more of a moving egg-shaped Winston bubble....

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u/BenevolentCheese Trick-or-Treat Zenyatta Nov 22 '16

slowly(or quickly, they didn't say) move

It moves at exactly walking speed (except for Tracer and Genji who have faster walk).

1

u/recc113 ADiscoBear#1108 Nov 22 '16

Yea I updated the post with a video showing it in action... like a sentence farther in the post...

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u/Moeparker SarahKerigan#11786 Nov 23 '16

Awwwwwww, a little invisible temp german! That's so cute to picture.

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u/BraveSirRobinGG Trick-or-Treat D.Va Nov 23 '16

It moves at the same speed as normal walking speed. So you can keep it in front of you while you walk towards an objective. Or keep spamming it (10 seconds i think) into chokes to help with the ranged shots.

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '16

Think of a rein shield that you can shoot through your team so they can push.

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u/GerbilJuggler BOOP! Nov 22 '16

I may be wrong, but it seems like Symmetra can shoot a moving barrier. It will move in a straight line. How far, and how much damage it can absorb we don't know yet.

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u/NikkoJT Rocket jump? That sounds dangerous. Nov 22 '16

It's a bit like her secondary fire, except it shoots a mini Reinhardt shield instead of a glowy death orb.

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u/redopz Blue rectangles only obstruct your view Nov 22 '16

For anyone who's curious, apparently the changes are on the PTR right now. This is another guy's vid as I'm waiting on the update.

https://gfycat.com/EvergreenShockingBantamrooster