As someone with an unholy amount of MvM playtime, this is a list of changes/improvements/reworks I'd like to see in a potential "MvM Refresh" update. All of these changes should be easily attainable without much new code since they are simple tweaks to stats, and reuse of existing elements.
Commentary is included in block quotes for each change.
The overall 'theme' of these changes is to break up the meta without invalidating that playstyle. When possible, classes once considered invaluable in most circumstances will have some of their functionality attainable by other classes, allowing folks to fit needed roles in a match without being forced to play specific classes. Similarly, weapons that were considered must-runs now have some competition.
- Money pickup radius behavior changed.
- Money is now marked for collection upon entering range of the player. It will still visually gravitate toward the player, but once it enters their radius, it is guaranteed to be collected after 1 second regardless of any other factors. Money marked for future collection this way will not burn even if its timer expires.
- Money pickup radius no longer cares about line-of-sight; money behind walls and props will be collected as well.
- New class upgrade: Money Radar ($400, 1 rank). All money on the map will gain an outline for the player, visible through walls, similar to game objectives.
Goal: In public lobbies where inexperienced players are prone to kill bots in seemingly random areas, an experienced money-collector could take this upgrade to ensure they find all of the money. In an experienced lobby where they feel comfortable enough, they can skip this upgrade. Acts as a safety net.
- Added Projectile Penetration upgrade ($200, 1 rank).
Goal: In a situation where you're playing Scout and have a Medic capable of healing enough to not require Mad Milk usage, you can run the Guillotine to deal some area damage in a line, similar to a Sniper using The Huntsman with the bleed upgrade. Also very handy for picking off Sniper bots.
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Recharge rate upgrade changed from +15% per rank (4 ranks, $250 each), to +30% per rank (2 ranks, $250 each)
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New upgrade: Milk Cloud (2 ranks, $300 each). Mad Milk impacts leave a cloud that coats enemies that enter it with milk, similar to the Gas Passer. Cloud lasts 4 seconds per rank, up to 8 seconds total.
- Ball Marks Target upgrade changed to allow multiple targets at once, not just one.
Goal: Make The Sandman not simply an expensive ranged alternative to the Fan o War, but potentially a late game upgrade over it, for players that can aim the baseballs well enough.
- Firing Speed upgrade changed: Was +10% per rank, $200 each, up to 4 ranks. Now +10% per rank, $100 each, up to 4 ranks.
Goal: In missions with little starting cash, Soldier starts off as the weakest damage class by far. This tweak will help Soldier players in $400 baseline missions like Gear Grinder by allowing them to take a rank of Reload Speed and Firing Speed, rather than just Reload, or even commit fully to max Firing Speed. The $400 difference will have little effect on late-game economy or upgrades.
- New upgrade: +50% Radius (2 ranks, $250 each). Buff radius increased by 50% each rank, up to +100% total.
In larger maps, banners often don't reach teammates.
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New upgrade: Uber Denial ($200, 1 rank). Robot Medics coated in gasoline cannot activate their Ubercharge.
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Explode on Ignite upgrade tweaks:
- Cost changed from $400 to $200.
- Explosions deal 75 damage (was 350).
The Gas Passer has a notorious history in MvM. This weapon was previously capable of dealing more damage than the rest of a good lobby of players combined, regardless of their classes, with comparatively very little skill involved - simply throw gas at a crowd of enemies and rise to the top of the damage charts. While it might be fine to allow Pyro to fill a similar function as Demoman or Sniper when it comes to picking normal Medics, the amount of damage this weapon dealt by itself was wholly unmatched. These tweaks allow the Gas Passer to still serve a skilled support function, while not allowing the Pyro to be such a dominant all-around damage-dealer.
- Recharge Rate upgrade no longer affects damage-based charge generation.
This quirk was wholly unique to the Gas Passer; this same upgrade type did not behave this way for other weapons like Soldier's banners. In addition, it meant that a fully damage-upgraded Pyro using their Flamethrower on a Tank would fully replenish their Gas Passer charge in one second.
- The Disposable Sentry now has twice as much ammo as before.
- Building Health and Sentry Firing Speed upgrades now apply to the Disposable Sentry.
The Disposable Sentry was previously a waste of an upgrade, because it did very little damage, died quickly, and was expensive to purchase. With these tweaks, it can serve as a viable tool for picking off support roles like Snipers.
Frankly, what would be far more useful in MvM instead of the Disposable Sentry would be a secondary Dispenser that only dispenses ammo - but this would be far too difficult to implement in a simple 'refresh' update.
- Dispenser Range: When upgraded beyond rank 0, Dispensers now ignore line-of-sight for healing and ammo dispensing.
In MvM, dispensers are meant to always serve the front-line, rather than acting as a resupply area in a safe retreating position. Unfortunately, their LoS breaks often by props, especially when range is upgraded. This was made even worse with the Dispenser bugfix from Jungle Inferno.
Medic has two problems. While their single target healing is exceptional, their team healing is often beaten by Mad Milk scouts. By adding AoE healing, this issue is mitigated, especially in a team composition that lacks a Scout (Money Spy). Their second issue is damage - in tours like Gear Grinder, running a full-time Medic often means you lack the damage necessary to punch through the sheer number of high-health robots and Tanks you're faced with. By adding AoE Ubercharge, Kritzkrieg helps the team far more in these situations, and giving AoE to traditional Ubercharge makes it viable to run in the first place compared to Kritzkrieg.
- New upgrade: Aura Healing ($300, 3 ranks). Healing and Ubercharge shared with players near your heal target, +150 HU per rank. Secondary healing is only 30% effective. Ubercharge area sharing does not drain Uber meter faster.
- New upgrade: Jarate Cloud, (2 ranks, $300 each). Jarate impacts leave a cloud that coats enemies that enter it with Jarate, similar to the Gas Passer. Cloud lasts 4 seconds per rank, up to 8 seconds total.
Identical to proposed Mad Milk upgrade, gives Sniper a bit more team support and helps counter Spy bots if they all spawn on the Sniper.
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As a baseline ability, Spy now gains overheal for money collected, similar to Scout. For Spy, this overheal is gained at half the rate as Scout.
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"Movement Speed" and "Jump Height" upgrades combined into a single upgrade, Movement Specialist ($200, 3 ranks). Each rank grants +10% movement speed and +20% jump height. Previously movement costed $200 per rank and jump height costed $100 per rank.
This is done purely to allow room for the 2 new upgrades.
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New class upgrade: Money Radar ($400, 1 rank). All money on the map will gain an outline for the player, visible through walls, similar to game objectives.
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New class upgrade: Money Radius ($200, 2 ranks). Money is collected in a radius around the player, +125 HU per rank, capping at 250 HU (same as Scout).
All of these changes combined serve to allow Spy to fill a similar role as Scout. Many players already play a "Money Spy" playstyle, but without some degree of ability parity, this playstyle feels massive inferior. Even with these upgrades being added, Spy will still take initial investment to reach a similar level to what Scout implicitly has, but it is still viable.