Am I progressing properly as an Artillery player?
Warning: Opinions. Yours, mine, theirs. Share your thoughts but don't be a 'tard about it.
I'm relatively new to this game, with less than 2,000 battles under my belt.
As of late, I've found that artillery can be great in solo-random-game to carry teams from the shadows.
I feel effective, and I've been told that I'm effective -- but I'm not convinced.
I seek to better myself, but SPGs are poor, misunderstood machines, and I find it wholly difficult to get straight opinions.
I'm aware it's not the most skilled thing ever. I've never deluded myself into thinking I'm doing anything other than clicking on icons. There are very subtle things which come into play which set skilled artillery players apart from bad, or even average artillery players. Said things (abusing firing range and shell drop, predicting enemy movement, using shell deviation to your advantage, etc.) often go entirely unnoticed.
Artillery is not about skill, it's about tactics and strategic play. I believe that this is the sole reason you see players do horrendously (ranking in the bottom 4-5 on the team, sometimes having done nothing) in artillery. Because they don't have the right mindset. They come in thinking "Point and click; Get sick fr4gz", which is absolutely not the right mindset.
...But is mine correct?
As such, I've aspired to ask: Am I doing it rite? Have I successfully shot web? Have I earned the right to point the finger (of god)?
I'll try and describe my thoughts and style the best I can without sounding overly pretentious or naive. Please bear with me though--I've come for opinions, and you should fully expect to run into mine. There are wrong opinions, and mine might indeed be wrong (which is the entire reason I'm here).
Let's jump in. I've divided this into categories for ease of reading.
Wall(s) of text inbound.
Mindset
My play, decisions, etc. are all influenced by the battle taking place. There are few times where I ever go into battle believing I can just sit in one spot and assist X area of the map, and there has never been a time where I've done so willingly. I gather information from watching my teammates and my enemies. What are their habits? Who can I rely on, and who can I leave to die knowing they were no use to me alive anyway (rare occurrence--you need to be willingly detrimental to the team for me to not even rank you on my ye olde grande liste ofe teammate importance, or whatever. I have in fact sent blue players back to their garage, as they immediately presented themselves as a completely non-accidental threat to my teammates).
I do not aim to ****, I aim to keep my teammates alive.This is my number one defining rule. If my shell flies at you--it's because you need to be knocked down a notch. I aim to make the fight unfair for the enemy. Why do I do this? I very rarely trust my teammates to be competent enough to take anything down on their own. This being said, they aren't useless to me.It's no secret that a vast majority of random battle regulars are utter garbage, but not always because they're legitimately bad. Sometimes they need a push in the right direction. So knock some health off of that big, angry tank they're fighting. Wreck his modules, **** his crewmen. Force him to waste consumables. Make him angry, make him fearful.Suddenly the incompetence of my teammates becomes a lesser concern. You can't make your teammates any smarter (you can, but...), but you can directly turn the tide of battle by bringing the enemy down to your team's level -- this is my number one goal.
Ethics
Short and simple: I find it fun to be the last person alive against five very angry enemy tanks. It gives me the opportunity to go do something stupid before I die. Go out fighting, and don't dither about and waste everyone's time and well-earned exp/credits. You pay the repair cost either way, you might as well get some compensation credits/exp. Maybe something humorous will happen when you shotgun some poor ******* in the face--it's always worth it.And you absolutely never know--it's possible (though unlikely) that you can still win the match. I have never committed ritual scumbag ******* (other than for fun when my team has already won ), and never will. It's a waste, and a **** move.
Scouts are given a priority increase, particularly competent ones. This is the one time I ignore my normal doctrine. If I can assassinate the only thing standing between my scout and a run at the enemy base, I will absolutely do so. I'll be repaid with glorious knowledge, and perhaps the opportunity to wipe out enemy artillery--which is always my priority if I know their position, regardless of absolutely everything else. I know that a scouting run can turn guns, which may be just the thing your team needs to gain an advantage and bowl over the enemy team. Sometimes your little friend just needs some help. In the initial phases of the battle, while everyone is jockeying for position; get me the spots, and I will get you the spotting damage (hopefully.STOP MISSING GOD DAMNIT).
Playstyle
[Ping]
"Artillery, wtf are you doing over there?"
"Arty, back up"
"Wat is fv304 I don't even"
It's safe to say I take more risks than most artillery players do. Many artillery players are content to sit as far as their shell range will let them shoot, and just herpderp away at the enemy. I prefer to get closer to the action and maximize my effectiveness. No balls no glory, mate. A lot of artillery players have never experienced the difference it can make; positioning yourself closer to the battle. Suddenly, leading targets isn't a hit-or-miss operation; your accuracy is no longer at the mercy of RNGesus (well, not as much). I prefer to move up to "the third line", just behind the snipers. This isn't always possible, of course, but damn does it make a difference.
Of course I know when (and how) to abuse distance, too. The FV304/Bishop are great at hitting tanks sitting behind reasonable cover due to their high shell trajectory at the edge of their range. Abusing this is very, very fun (and effective).
Fight or Flight? Well, where are the closest teammates who I can hide behind (literally, sometimes)? Are they close enough that I can reach them safely and not get decimated? Then run. Let them handle the threat and try to stay alive the best you can. Take opportunistic shots at the threat and hope your teammates protect you. Keeping your big gun in the game is important in the last few minutes of the battle.
If not, protect yourself. If I know I am wholly screwed, I will do what I can to waste their time, and cripple their vehicle. You don't always get the shot, but it's worth it to you to try.
I make gratuitous use of direct fire, fear tactics in city streets. It's exhilarating to park up behind your bigger friend and blast some poor sod across the way. When they finally realize what just happened, they undoubtedly will turn their gun at you and try to murdalize you--you're artillery, that's how it works. Abuse that. It's fun. I try not to be stupid about it though. If I know exposing myself will, without any shadow of a doubt, get me ******--I will not do so. I said earlier I aim to cripple the enemy team. It doesn't always have to be done through damage. Sometimes you can make them go potato for just a moment while they adjust their aim to get ineffective shots at something not worth their while, while your bigger friend makes short work of them.
Does this sound... sound? I expect harsh criticism, and a vast amount of tl;dr. Are these thoughts appropriate?
Am I on my way to doing it rite guiz? Are there any tips or thoughts of your own you'd like to add? Please do so.