What l'd like to see in HE & SPGs
Hello.
This is not going to be a thread about boosting artillery, because artillery is still very clearly overpowered. Whoever thinks otherwise, without a doubt does not know how to play this game. l would take an accuracy benefit over rate of fire and aim time for SPGs, because at heart accuracy is what they are all about. Hitting, or hitting next to, a target. And that's what P8.6 gave artillery, accuracy.
What l want to shed light on is artillery's apparent uselessness when it is supposedly applied the right way. Right now, artillery is designed around focusing on heavy tanks and TDs, generally more immobile and larger targets, targets that's teams tend to have trouble meeting head-on. As of now, l currently play FV2O7, M12, GW Pan, & SU12.2A. l can tell you, perhaps 25% of the time l am targeting heavytanks or TDs. There is no point. Only an option if the shot is real good (aiming circle)they are an extremely big target, they are in the open, low health, or the tier of my artillery - Etc. There is no point otherwise, l repeat.
So why is there no point? This is quite important, because this undoubtedly angers a lot of people and definitely angers people in-game. And can definitely be viewed as misguided, twisted, and perhaps idiotic. But l don't care, it's how l have turned to playing artillery, it is working, and l won't stop until it stops working. l am in birds eye view, predicting first lights and aiming in. Spots appear, and l decide what to shoot at. A heavy tank (they usually do) stops to fire early game, thinking artillery is just starting to be aware - but l'm already very clearly aware and a shot is out. Direct hit, 25O damage - then l got 4O+ sec reload. Now, allies definitely like seeing that, but in no way is that worth my time. This is situation (A) which happens less and less. Situation (B) is the exact same, but instead the target selected is 1) an open topped vehicle 2) medium tank 3) bottomof chart heavy. l make less and less exceptions to the rule,given the performance of them. Direct hitson these guys are harder because they typically move faster, or don't stand still - but direct hits typically feature double damage, and penetrate for full more often (not often enough though)Even a near miss splash, typically provides the same 25O- odd damage l'd get with attacking heavies, it's a strong win-win situation. And that's essentially what leads to the point of this thread, and why artillery is of course still overpowered, but in a silly way.
One thing l should note though, l don't exactly have a *heavy*SPG since P8.6. l had SU14 and S51 before, and l played them thesame way, though l definitely targeted heavy tanks more. The FV2O7, M12, & GW Pan roughly all hit moderately hard, 12OO+ but are nowhere near typical late tier artillery that may produce drastically different results and damage. (GWE, T92, 212A, 53\55) But then again, when looked at it by tier, a Grille for instance prior to P8.6 was the definition of heavy artillery, being able to utterly spank targets for 15cm splash damage or7OO- damage direct hits.....yet it was a lowly tier 4 (2OO+ damage other artillery by tier that time). l played artillery really no different then - l doubt heavier guns would change my mind.
*Proposals*
- decrease artillery rate of fire, accuracy, aim time more (anyone mad about that?). Artillery does not need these, as artillery players should be patient and pick their shots. And self-defence options should weak anyway. P8.6 dispersion control make them account enough anyway, and a lot gained more plunging fire good for attacking once thought arty-safe spots.
- decrease artillery potential damage range and shell parameters. 0n the unlikely shot you hit open top vehicles, or thin roof armour, it is really ridiculous the damage you deal (rare, maybe 1 in 7 direct hits) A range of 2OOO- damage is completely silly, and unnecessary. Reduce it, no one likes to be one-shot. HE should be marked for doing slightly more damage than AP, not a gross percent over.
- increase HE effectiveness. This is the crucial point, increasing HE effectiveness of non-pen direct hits and near miss splashes. lE Hummel has a theoretic average shot damage of 95O. l'd say 15O-25O damage on a direct hit to a tier 8 heavy is what actually happens - its highest targets. Make the Hummel do average 75O damage, but make their typical direct hits apply 25O-4OO damage. This rewards artillery more for their patience, gives them more incentive to target and injure heavy tanks to help the team, yet all the while REM0VlNG more of those2K+ damage one-shots.
- coinciding with above, reducing accuracy yet increasing HE effectiveness on misses (are of effect) This is core for artillery, because it is what artillery is supposed to do, fire for effect, area denial, and fragmentation. Having artillery miss more removes more of those nasty one-shots, but having artillery miss more yet do more implemented splash damage than currently is a good (realistic) idea.
- decrease the amount of critical internal module damage from HE than current. lE Crew, engine, fuel lines, ammunition rack. lncrease the amount critical damage to typically unarmoured and open external modules lE Tracks, radios, guns, optics. This is lowers critical and angering module damage, yet increase soft module damage not as important. lt definitely gives artillery more use, and lets be realistic, its how artillery would working striking a tank.
- Return SPG HP and view range to there prior levels. Most artillery are open topped, they should have above average view range. Artillery already had real low HP, l did not see the reason for killing it further. As much as l have rambled about the one-shots, artillery also don't deserve to be directly one-shot by tanks they meet. They deserve to be two-shot, which prior to most were.
So, who have l made angry reading this?