Catapult/Holkins Range

Discussion in 'Balance Discussions' started by eratosthenes, April 26, 2014.

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The range of catapults/holkins are generally...

  1. Too big, small planets become annoying.

    9 vote(s)
    25.0%
  2. Too small, I want to shoot missles everywhere!

    7 vote(s)
    19.4%
  3. Just right, Goldylocks would have picked this range.

    20 vote(s)
    55.6%
  1. eratosthenes

    eratosthenes Active Member

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    So I'm having an internal debate about whether the long range artillery is a little too long range. What do you guys think?

    Here's my take... we all know we can't really play giant planets with smooth gameplay and multiple large planets pretty much just crashes the server. Most games tend to be on 600-800 size main planets and smaller than 600 other planets/moons. The issue is less noticeable on size 800, but on size 600 you can pretty much hit any target on 50% of the planet with a catapult which is a little... possibly OP. On even smaller planets you can easily hit the entire planet with a single catapult, and while I certainly think there should be planets small enough for that... I can't decide if the current range is just too much.
  2. acey195

    acey195 Member

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    I think the problem here, if there is one is the way the targeting works.
    In my opinion, the range of the holkins especially is fine, it does large amounts of damage, but in between shots you could rebuild the entire building that was hit (in most cases of a single target being hit)

    The catapult however I find more problematic, once you lock on to a target (read commander) it will keep locked on to it, even if it goes out of both visual AND radar range I believe...
    this allows one catapult to guarantee a kill on a commander if the commander is not able to get away in time or is airlifted immediately.
  3. eratosthenes

    eratosthenes Active Member

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    Yeah, my emphasis here is on the catapult. It's exactly the relatively high rate of fire and it's accuracy that make its long range so problematic on small worlds. Also, I'm not sure how it autopicks targets but I often find Commanders being targeted automatically. Could just be confirmation bias clouding my judgement.
  4. carlorizzante

    carlorizzante Post Master General

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    A counter to Catapult is needed.
  5. tatsujb

    tatsujb Post Master General

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    simple, remove homing from Cata and it's balanced.
    websterx01, drz1 and EdWood like this.
  6. EdWood

    EdWood Active Member

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    Exactly, the Catapult is super strong, I agree, just remove homing... a strong structure against other structures...
  7. Nothinglessness

    Nothinglessness Member

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    I would have to agree with both the guys above me, whenever I'm playing boxing on a small planet and someone build a catapult, if they target my commander, there is no escape because of the homing
    tatsujb likes this.
  8. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    A tactical anti-ground and naval missile launcher without homing capabilities...?
    Uhh... No.
    stormingkiwi and aevs like this.
  9. eratosthenes

    eratosthenes Active Member

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    Yeah, I think the homing feature is needed.
    aevs likes this.
  10. KNight

    KNight Post Master General

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    What's so special about it that it needs homing when other long range weapons don't? Also maybe that means we should be thinking about completely revamping what the Catapult is and what it does, because honestly, the current catapult is entirely binary really; In Range? If Yes - Hit, If No - Not Hit.

    Not that Missiles don't have potential to be cool and fun weapons mind you. Heck I've designed my fair share of missile weapons for BlackOps and from what I recall off hand, none use Homing like the Catapult does.

    Mike
    Last edited: April 27, 2014
  11. phantomtom

    phantomtom Active Member

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    Wonder how this game woulde have been with 1000 unit`s. kinda like real life, technology is on limeted by fantasy.
    And money ofc :p
  12. Dementiurge

    Dementiurge Post Master General

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    It needs a redesign.

    This boring little missile that lazily wobbles through the sky and gently touches your units in a vanishing puff, is the four-dimensional form of coder art.
  13. phantomtom

    phantomtom Active Member

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    lol puff
    Last edited: April 27, 2014
  14. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    What do you mean "what's so special?"? It's a tactical missile launcher, not artillery, what else is needed?
    If the catapult wasn't homing, it would be artillery without splash damage.
    It would also be entirely useless.
    improvised1 and aevs like this.
  15. KNight

    KNight Post Master General

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    Except against things that you know, don't move.

    Mike
  16. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    Which is why it's range and maybe RoF should be lowered, turning it primarily into a long range defensive structure rather than offensive, leaving offence to artillery.
    But that's just my take.
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  17. phantomtom

    phantomtom Active Member

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    that`s intressting, i like that! But then again. i like alot:D but what happends to someone building it offesive
  18. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    That's where the lowered fire rate comes into play.
    It gives the opponent more buffer time between shots so they could find and destroy it.
  19. phantomtom

    phantomtom Active Member

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    Okay what happends if someone builds it defencive? Just wondering, nothign more
  20. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    It's range wouldn't be lowered to the same as a laser turret, so he'd be able to place catapults closer to the middle of a base, it'd be able to hit an attack force before they reach your base, weakening the force to make retaliation easier.

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