Tactical implications of archer weapon trails

[Greyman_tle]

Originally Posted by Zas_

In the current implementation, this isn't a "very slight nerf".

As an example, i had a nice fight yesterday at doorless L4 Shaana on Horus, i hit my lovely enemies a long time before they notice me and bother to send someone to make me stop.

With current implementation of trails, my position will be so obvious i doubt i last that long.

No, some players don't scan around enough, this is their own fault. With trails, no need to scan, position is immediatly obvious.

As I said

Originally Posted by Greyman_tle

As long as the trail is kept very short - so it looks like an arrow - then i also dont see how it could be used as a 'tracer' for concentrated fire, and archers allready concentrate fire.

Also, id assume that the smaller it is, the less processing it will require so more people can see them.

I'm all for it, AS LONG as the 'trails' are small enuf.

Yes I agree completely that the current system is...um...pants

[veluchami]

I am kinda sceptical of this update, for very different reasons stated above.
I play both a barb and a marks.

This 'feature' is gonna skew realm balance more in favor of Syrtis. They having more archers, means firepower can be concentrated on one target in a fortwar.
When I play with a group of marksmen, I target the person who is being hit by most of my marksman mates, so we can ensure the kill. Any experienced player knows its better to team up against a single target rather than trying to kill your own target.

As a warrior now, I have no way to hide behind the incompetence of (some) Syrtis archers, as with this update, it doesn't take experience to hit the target that everyone is hitting.

[Gideon_Slack]

Originally Posted by veluchami

I am kinda sceptical of this update, for very different reasons stated above.
I play both a barb and a marks.

This 'feature' is gonna skew realm balance more in favor of Syrtis. They having more archers, means firepower can be concentrated on one target in a fortwar.
When I play with a group of marksmen, I target the person who is being hit by most of my marksman mates, so we can ensure the kill. Any experienced player knows its better to team up against a single target rather than trying to kill your own target.

As a warrior now, I have no way to hide behind the incompetence of (some) Syrtis archers, as with this update, it doesn't take experience to hit the target that everyone is hitting.

It looks like arrow trails are implementing "raid assist" by the backdoor.

Probably what will happen is ranged characters will follow the senior archer in the party. He will fire first, indicating the target; then the rest will pile on.

Obviously, this will mean for more concentrating of fire power, and also some satisfaction of team play. As has been said, this is at the expense of the "run and gun" archer who will be more obvious.

Still, if you want to implement group targets without breaking the immersion of the game (with arrows or glowing circles on the ground), this is the way to do it.

[veluchami]

You like it because you are an archer. My archer side likes this, but on the other hand my barb side loathes this. Now it becomes too easy for the noobs to pick the right target. Because the better archer has done it already for them.

Against an archer realm like syrtis, you get no second chance as a warrior.
It is tactically gives an unfair advantage to marksmen. I really don't understand why all the marksmen here cry about it :S

[Zas_]

Originally Posted by Gideon_Slack

It looks like arrow trails are implementing "raid assist" by the backdoor.

Probably what will happen is ranged characters will follow the senior archer in the party. He will fire first, indicating the target; then the rest will pile on.

Obviously, this will mean for more concentrating of fire power, and also some satisfaction of team play. As has been said, this is at the expense of the "run and gun" archer who will be more obvious.

Still, if you want to implement group targets without breaking the immersion of the game (with arrows or glowing circles on the ground), this is the way to do it.

Veluchami wrote a good point.
Target designation is too easy with all those trails.

I vote for removing of these long trails, but add a power to be used by archers (tricks tree), to designate a target.

[tjanex]

I like the trails and I don't think they will give any advantage to the archers themselfs. And as knight/barb you just have to be aware of the envoirement.

[ncvr]

Originally Posted by tjanex

And as knight/barb you just have to be aware of the envoirement.

I don't understand. With "invisible arrows", knight/barb has to be more aware of their environment than with these laser beams. In a fort war, the advantage of easier target selection may slightly outweigh the disadvantage of standing out in the crowd, but in smaller group fights and while hunting, there is no advantage.

[Zas_]

Originally Posted by tjanex

And as knight/barb you just have to be aware of the envoirement.

LOL, i think they are, but with trails, a barb will die even faster from marks, for sure.

From archer POV, i don't like trails as already said here, because they reduce tactical possibilities.

So from warrior, mage or archer POV, trails are bad

[UmarilsStillHere]

Archers used to use Death Sentance to 'mark' a target because it was a obvious highlighter for a target and made attacking the target more effective, there are already ways to mark targets if you pay a bit of attention.

Constant obvious spells like mana burn are also good, if any spell should be a 'marker' then Death Sentance should be changed so the target is constantly highlighted by the 'target' effect and the damage magnifier should be increased (now that everyone is doing less damage then back when it was 50% a higher bonus isnt as bad, 50% is still a bit much but 30%~ would be fair)

[linearguild]

Originally Posted by veluchami

Against an archer realm like syrtis, you get no second chance as a warrior.
It is tactically gives an unfair advantage to marksmen. I really don't understand why all the marksmen here cry about it :S

Focusing fire was already possible through several ways without broadcasting the attackers' locations. I wouldn't mind eye candy with shorter trails (shorter in length and in duration), but it's annoying to be forced to fire these tracer arrows since it reduces the possible archer tactics.

I don't think these trails automatically mean better targeting for archers anyway. You're assuming that people will actually follow that senior archer, but self-absorbed people won't magically get teamwork sense just because NGD implemented weapon trails I think. It's more likely that some excitable guy will start shooting the nearest target (like, say, a rushing Ao1 knight) and then all the other excitable guys will copy this target.