Time on target should be better for its price

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 10:37 AMSerrith

Three attributes make this ability worth less than the cost you pay.

Time until the barrage starts
Small area of effect
Short barrage duration


The delay in barrage time means its near impossible to land even on stationary troops, the small area of effect means troops do not have to move far to dodge it, and coupled with the short barrage duration means its poor as area denial.

A generous buff to any of these would make it of use.

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 08:59 AMkingdun3284

Sometimes it can't even destroy a lefh. Simply overpriced when compare to axis off-map.

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 15:01 PMJae For Jett

A "buff" to those would also go against the ability's use case though. Its strength is against static targets - Flak HQs, ambient structures, bunkers. The small area of effect is an important part of that, the barrage duration is kind of a non factor (maybe you're asking for more shells?), and the time until the barrage starts is a balancing factor to make sure it can do high amounts of damage to a small area without being overpowered.

I get why spending 180 munitions for this kind of thing can feel like a bad trade, but it makes destroying forward flak HQs pretty easy - making it able to do so at an even lower cost could result in a balance issue. Overall, I think time on target is a much cooler concept than basically every other arty ability which all come down to "deny an area," and a lot of these qualities are important to its current use case.

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 23:12 PMaerafield

I honestly don't know if it truly is underwhelming or if the other abilities are just too strong and annoying

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 21:33 PMSerrith

A longer barrage duration like the british concentrated fire operation, base howitzer barrage or major artillery that has shell drops spread over a long duration aiding its area denial.


I also agree that the primary use for the ability is destroying forward headquarters, but USF has tons of off map artillery options and they all perform this role adequately but are more flexible in their other usage.

Jump back to quoted post10 Mar 2019, 01:02 AMJae For Jett

...but it's not meant to be used for area denial - at least not in it's current state. It has a current role (one thats fairly unique within usf), and it performs really well within that role. Fair enough if you think its role should be changed, but you haven't made that argument and haven't given reasons why this would be a good idea.

And sure, other USF offmap artillery options perform the role adequately (though I'd personally argue a little less than adequately). Time on target, though, performs this role really well.

Jump back to quoted post10 Mar 2019, 01:41 AMkingdun3284

No matter what role it is providing, it is simply overpriced.

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 08:59 AMkingdun3284

Sometimes it can't even destroy a lefh. Simply overpriced when compare to axis off-map.

Jump back to quoted post10 Mar 2019, 01:55 AMdistrofio

no matter how overpriced it can be, its easy to use, unique and does its job

Jump back to quoted post10 Mar 2019, 02:13 AMkingdun3284

Not as easy to use as Stuka diving bomb, not as unique as SDB, not does its job like SDV while having similar price as SDB.

Jump back to quoted post9 Mar 2019, 08:59 AMkingdun3284

Sometimes it can't even destroy a lefh. Simply overpriced when compare to axis off-map.