Catapult/Holkins Range

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.

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.

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.

A counter to Catapult is needed.

simple, remove homing from Cata and it's balanced.

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

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

A tactical anti-ground and naval missile launcher without homing capabilities...?
Uhh... No.

Yeah, I think the homing feature is needed.

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

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

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.

lol puff

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.

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

Mike

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.

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

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.

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

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.