I was just in a game with Sensei & SiD talking about scheme changes and I was asking if they knew why Anti-lock was added to BnG but not all other schemes, it was suggested I should make a post, which almost gave me a heart attack
Was this rule added to BnG without asking the community 1st? And all the other added rules in general?
TL;DR - Implementing this rule gives players who use notching to aim a HUGE advantage, they can hit anywhere on the map using math, especially with any wind power using full power shots, and full power grenades, everyone knows how easy it is to do full power shots.
3s grenades, and 5s low gravity grenades are also easy to hit because of the specific position the power is released has visual cues with the cursor making those easy as well, there is a reason why these are the most common shots in BnG.
People who don't use notching, have to guess every time.
Detailed explanation:
To put it simply, this rule helps notchers, and is something we've tried to prevent for as long as I can remember, so i'm completely baffled as to why we are doing the opposite now, which is helping notchers by giving them an advantage over players who don't notch and pretty much guess where to shoot, then adjust it.
1st off let's define what notching is, not to be confused with another method I know a few players used called steps(using the different sprite positions in the same way notching works).
A "notch" is the smallest movement possible by tapping the arrow key very quickly, depending on what keyboard you have, your own reflexes, and the sensitivity, sometimes it will move the distance of 2 or more notches with each press, but it's really easy to find a cheap keyboard which has low sensitivity making people able to go "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc", counting out these shots.
1st off, let's begin by explaining how easy it is to achieve a full power shot(FP for short), you basically hold down the fire button and don't let go until it automatically fires because it reached maximum power, this makes it impossible to miss 100% power shots.
Let's also take into account what was said in the TL;DR section with the visual cues for 3s and 5s LG shots.
Ok, now, "notching" is using this information, specific resolutions, and mathematics to ensure pixel perfect accuracy, especially with 4 second full power grenades which are the easiest shot in the game because of this method, and is a massive reason why repeating shots and generally using 4s full power grenades were sort of looked at as "cheap" in the first place. Notching can be used for almost every type of shot, with and without low gravity, including:
4s FP / 3s / Banks / Transfers / 4s & 5s FP Floorbanks / 5s LG / 4s LG / Bunnyhops / Etc.
People who know notching know how to count out their shots from a perfectly vertical 0 degree aim, so for them anti-lock doesn't prevent this at all, if anything it can help as it always starts from 0/90 degree angles.
Notching also includes knowing exactly where a bazooka will explode by aiming straight up, full power, for every wind power possible, and knowing how many "notches" to adjust it by from 0 degrees to make it hit anywhere, which makes it possible to even shoot through small gaps because they know the math and have the experience of knowing the path the bazooka will follow with each level of wind power aimed straight up with full power.
People who don't know how to use notching, basically people who aren't using math, and rely on adjusting their aim using natural methods like some people use girders to measure distance between kamikazi's and stuff, knowing exactly where to stand on a worms head to place a mine/dynamite by carefully memorizing sprite positions, in BnG people can use a combination of the background, placing their finger over the cursor, land objects and destroyed land, to reset their aim and adjust their shot carefully.
I understand the nature behind the decision to use anti-lock, in theory, it's a fair move, in practise, it opens up a massive advantage for people who are notching.
I hope you can reconsider and remove the anti-lock rule.