Messages

16

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Toolkit Suggestions for Gunners

« on: August 22, 2013, 05:56:30 am »

Coolant System (a.k.a. bucket of water)
For a Gunner, fire kinda sucks. You almost certainly won't have an extinguisher to take care of it, and that periodic damage will sap away at your precious DPS. How about if you could make your gun immune to fire damage? Basically, when the Coolant System is active your gun can't be set on fire. It won't remove fire after the fact- you need too're likely to face Flamethrowers.

Heatsink ammunition?

But I like your first idea, a version if impact bumpers for guns.

17

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Displaying fields of fire.

« on: August 21, 2013, 04:03:21 am »

This is merely a suggestion for another tool in a toolbox.  I don't understand how this would be dumbing down anything.

My response to people who are reacting to this suggestion by saying it would "dumb things down" is: "So?"

Who has said that this specific idea would be dumbing down?

18

Guides / Re: Aboard a Junker

« on: August 20, 2013, 06:16:52 pm »

Pickle, I'm surprised you don't use a frontgineer setup.

Basically the same setup you have but the main engineer mans the front gun and repairs the hull from underneath.  This way you never have to worry about your chaingunner not being ready, you can build trifectas, and the main engi is close enough to the lower deck to provide engineering assistance and fire control.

I would, if I regularly had an engineer that could hit the hull from underneath!  Mostly I'm playing PUGs, so I need something simple that will work with anyone willing to learn.  I know play Engineer so rarely, I'm not sue I could hit the hull from below reliably enough.  The trifecta is good, but only if there's no incoming - rare in CQB - so there isn't a third pair of hands to man the third (forward) gun.

I loaded up with Phoenix Claw for a few games this with the Junker at the start of the evening, and didn't touch it once.  Kerosene I use frequently, in CP and DM.

19

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: New Ship Design (Drakken)

« on: August 20, 2013, 08:06:13 am »

This ship has brutal frontal firepower with its 2 medium guns and 1 small gun on the front.

That worries me, even before you get to the high speed bit.

I've thought about similar 2x medium gun ship designs, but the having effectively a heavy-pyra able to deliver a double heavy carronade or double hwacha salvo in the direction of travel just sounds too OP.  Add in a light weapon (mortar or flak) to the same salvo and I think it would be almost impossible to balance.


PS
the image is a 50x50 pixel thumbnail, it needs to be about 500x500 pixels to be readable.

20

Q&A / Re: What to do if abandoned?

« on: August 20, 2013, 07:55:52 am »

I've found myself in a few situations where I'm captaining a junker and all players on my supporting ship have abandoned me leaving only AI's. Personally I've found a decent strategy is to retreat to the friendly ship so it can at least be used for support fire. Has anyone else found a solution to being abandoned?

If you're not going to surrender, that's a pretty decent strategy.  It also works in 3v3 DM when you lose one ship on the team, forming the other two up around the abandoned ship prevents it being used for easy kills (although it will be blind-spot vulnerable) and you get some benefit from AI fire support.


The ultimate solution is to find better Captains to team with.  Use your Social lists to Friend players that play well and Block those that play badly (including rage-quitting).  Take screenshots of the teams so you've a reminder who you've played with.

21

Guides / Re: Aboard a Junker

« on: August 20, 2013, 07:25:25 am »

I was away anyway Kyren.. catching a bit of the Fringe at the Edinbugh Festival.

I'll have a think about thus guide over the next couple of weeks and see if I can come up with some more.  I know there are other pilots that also pretty much fly the Junker exclusively, if I see any of them in-game I'll try and grab their tips too and point them at this thread.

I might have been too hasty knocking back Phoenix Claw so completely, I do sometimes use it with the Junker but compared to the slow turning speed of the Pyra it's not absolutely essential.  Drogue chute is probably more useful given the ability of the balloon to soak up damage when shielding components, and my standard tool bar for Junker is Drogue Chute, Kerosene, Tar barrel.


Crewing a Junker, my take on it..
Captain - Pilot, tools as above, role - to steer, use the main deck guns to finish off an opponent, make repairs to balloon and steering engine
Gunner - Gunner or Engineer, role to stay on the lower deck and operate the lower deck guns as directed by the Captain, to operate the bow gun in pursuit, repair main engine
Main Engineer - Engineer, make repairs to the hull and deck guns, standard repair build with no buffing, available to jump on deck gun as directed by Captain
Deck Engineer - Engineer, make repairs to deck guns, balloon and steering engines, to use main deck guns as directed by Captain, normally standard repair build but sometimes buffing

I've had some really good Engineers in the Deck Engineer role - and it takes a very good Engineer to use a buffing build in this role.  Other then the Gunner, the remaining three crew members must carry the same ammunition choice to avoid blocked guns.  I also insist that anyone that jumps on the deck guns hits "R" for reload when jumping off.  It's too frustrating to jump on a Mortar or Flak and find only one round left in the clip, just after the Gunner has stripped their armour.

22

Gameplay / Re: Ship Tier List

« on: August 20, 2013, 07:03:50 am »

All any lower level player will see is pyramidions, no matter their skill level. It's just annoying seeing nothing but pyramidions EVERY game. I haven't seen a spire in at least 30 games.

Beginner matches - inspiring false confidence since 2013.

It's going to come as a shock when large cohorts of beginners who've never ventured outside the little league games suddenly find they've levelled up and can no longer qualify for entry to them.  "Shit, there's more than just Pyras to this game? - I just got my ass kicked by a ****ing Squid!"

23

Guides / Re: Aboard a Junker

« on: August 20, 2013, 06:56:49 am »

Great guide, although I disagree completely with you on a few things!  But that's the Junker for you, it promotes very different styles of play.

I always put the Gatling on the lower deck with a Gat-Flak or Gat-Mortar Junker - it's important that the Gatling is firing all the time, and the lower deck is the natural position for the primary gunner (whether Gunner or Engineer).  The Mortar of Flak only needs a burst of attention at just the right time - easier for the main deck Engineer or the Pilot to do.

Gunners can use the forward gun, but it's important they know when to come off it because the Captain is trying to bring a broadside into play.  I often wish I could leave the forward mount un-gunned because of stubborn Gunners.

Don't confuse manoeuvrability with speed.  The Junker is very manoeuvrable, it's just slow - although with Kerosene it will (just) out-pace a Pyra with non-boosted engines.

Phoenix Claw is of very limited value given the base manoeuvrability of the Junker and the greater relative benefit of almost any other Pilot tool.  Including Tar Barrel which can come in very useful for deterring faster pursuers from closing and concealing a change in aspect to surprise them with a broadside once they've worked their way past or through the tar.

The piloting position gives the Captain and lot of options, s/he can choose to repair balloon or steering engines quite easily (pointless staying in the helm if they're both down), or take up the main deck guns.  As a Junker Captain I am very often running to the Flak or Mortars on the main deck when the Gunner is calling "Armour down" and this frees both Engineers to make repairs.  It's not unusual to get into a running broadside exchange with another ship whilst in a Junker (usually against other Junkers or Pyras) - I can often set the helm to match speeds and jump down to a deck gun and we'll run alongside each other firing.  Having me (as Pilot) on the second gun and both my engineers repairing gives me a very good advantage over the opposing Pilot who is standing at the helm just because that's his role according to Piloting 101.


It's probably worth pointing out that the Gunner is usually responsible for repairs to the main engine, but that unless a Junker is trying to evade pursuit or racing after a CP point, repairs to the main engine can usually wait until the calm between engagements.  However the steering engines are very important, and one of the deck Engineers should be keeping an eye on them.

24

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Engineer control of Engineer AIs

« on: August 20, 2013, 04:03:34 am »

Hmmm.. I start a game with three AIs and I'm getting on fine.  Some random player joins mid-game as engineer and starts assigning the AIs where *he* thinks fit so that he can go play on the guns all day long.

No.  Don't like it.  I'm a control freak.  That's why I'm the Captain.

25

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Displaying fields of fire.

« on: August 15, 2013, 06:29:04 pm »

If they implemented this, some people would complain that it removes the intelligence factor from the game. Real gamers find their gun's traverse limits by hours of experimentation in game, not by looking at a handy chart.

It's fine if it's in the Ship Customisation screen.

On the HUD it would be terrible.  Most of the complaints are about dumbing down the HUD in-game.

26

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Jumping in starting lobbys

« on: August 15, 2013, 05:12:16 am »

We ran out of Howard's attention span last time this was suggested, he didn't apparently make it as far as the bottom of the first page of this thread.. https://gunsoficarus.com/community/forum/index.php/topic,368

It's also been requested before that.  It doesn't seem to be a Muse priority, no matter how popular it would be with players.

27

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Suggestion: Better crew reactions/interactions in combat

« on: August 15, 2013, 04:58:15 am »

Having crew members take physical damage would change the game dynamic and would shift its ethical dynamic.  I like that it's not an "I'm killing X" game.  If I wanted a FPS I wouldn't be playing GOIO.  See the boarding threads for more discussion of this.

The damage indications are subtle but very visible.  If you can't see them, you're not paying attention.

28

Q&A / Re: Tips for beginner Engineer?

« on: August 15, 2013, 04:48:26 am »

Buff Hammer.. always ask the Captain in the match lobby before the game starts whether he wants you to bring a buff hammer.  If you're one of two or three crew members that have all brought buff hammer, expect to get bawled at by the Captain.  Avoid indiscriminate buffing and stupid errors like buffing engines on one side only.  Buffing steering engines has an extremely noticeable effect on manoeuvrability if the buffing is uneven. Buffing the balloon can come as a shock to the pilot is he doesn't know you're doing it.

29

Gameplay / Re: Perhaps it's time to discuss mercuries, competitive play and general play.

« on: August 14, 2013, 05:52:29 pm »

There is a risk that competitive play is given too much attention when it comes to balancing the game, when it occupies an insignificant and rather unimportant niche of no consequence to the vast majority of players.  General play as experienced by the majority should be the priority over catering to a minority self-styled elite.

But in the case of the Mercury, the problems have been experienced by most players.  Something was needed, whether what we got is right or not is another argument.  And opinions are like arseholes.  We've all got one.  And you'll never please everyone.

30

Gameplay / Re: Pyra being op?

« on: August 14, 2013, 05:31:53 pm »

The fact that you almost never see 2 pyras in a 2v2 competitive match I think helps back my point.

It's an irrelevant point, in my opinion.  Competitive matches are between experienced players with practiced communications.  As such competitive play is the least relevant aspect of the game.  It's a tiny fraction of the number of games played by an insignificantly small proportion of players.  PUGs are what most people play, and intra-team communications are hit or miss.