How do you use catapults? The line of sight is off

maboleth · June 2018

Catapults and meatbags got buffed and dedicated for certain roles, but I cannot use these on the walls. The line of sight is so "detached" that I cannot see where I am aiming. I'm mostly seeing walls around me.

Twisting camera settings doesn't help. Choosing "constrained" over "free" is even worse, especially if you have floor above your siege.

raviour · June 2018

Why are you using Cats and MB on walls Mabo ?

I noticed my scattershots and meatbags are not touching enemy sieges now so I guess this is a thing.

* used a meatbag on a wall once n everyone laughed at me saying I should know better. I was " Wtf Its all I got, 1k dmg better than 0"

IxSTALKERxI · June 2018

You don't. Everyone should stop sieging me.

gp1680 · June 2018

This is item #626252726161 on their list of items to fix in PvP. Be patient...they’re working on it.

maboleth · June 2018

Haha, @rav, I'm not using them for the walls, I'm using them from the walls to hit attackers outside.

And it's nearly impossible to hit targets close to the walls, because you cannot see where catapults are shooting at.

It's like catapults were made for the fields and outside, but since latest patch they are more effective for enemy players than balistas. Unfortunately, only on paper. At least for me.

DemonDruaga · June 2018

It is more or less a tool for area denial. For breaches, flags and other narrow places. I don't think they were designed to be used from above the walls.

red_emu · June 2018

DemonDruaga wrote: »

It is more or less a tool for area denial. For breaches, flags and other narrow places. I don't think they were designed to be used from above the walls.

They are though, stack a few scattershots and you can kill an entire zerg in a breach with light attacks.

Dreyloch · June 2018

I'm very much with you on this OP. They need to make it the same line of sight as ballistas! Would truly be a QoL win-win.

Catapults in RL (yeah i know this is a fantasy game...blah blah) Were not typically used from walls. They had "spotters" to help aim OVER the walls, so they could shoot over them. Problem in this game though, there isn't a ton of space in most courtyards to get many of them up. It also wouldn't effect most attackers unless they were pretty close to the walls. (which they aren't because of ranged defenders and aforementioned ballistas)

maboleth · June 2018

Dreyloch wrote: »

I'm very much with you on this OP. They need to make it the same line of sight as ballistas! Would truly be a QoL win-win.

Catapults in RL (yeah i know this is a fantasy game...blah blah) Were not typically used from walls. They had "spotters" to help aim OVER the walls, so they could shoot over them. Problem in this game though, there isn't a ton of space in most courtyards to get many of them up. It also wouldn't effect most attackers unless they were pretty close to the walls. (which they aren't because of ranged defenders and aforementioned ballistas)

So what do you suggest is the best option for hordes of enemies around the walls? Balistas, again? I hoped they seriously lowered their usability with this patch. Because people tended to overuse balistas for everything.

Diversity is the beauty I think.

driosketch · June 2018

Practice.

No joke, I've gotten pretty good at using siege versus enemies with those less than effective camera angles. (And these were actually updated a while back.)
Though admittedly, I haven't used a catapult in a long time, not since last update at least.

One tip, turn the base game combat scroll on. Fire where the numbers pop up, adjust accordingly.

Dreyloch · June 2018

driosketch wrote: »

Practice.

No joke, I've gotten pretty good at using siege versus enemies with those less than effective camera angles. (And these were actually updated a while back.)
Though admittedly, I haven't used a catapult in a long time, not since last update at least.

One tip, turn the base game combat scroll on. Fire where the numbers pop up, adjust accordingly.

I have the damage scroll from my add-ons. I'll admit some of this is my own fault. I have my mouse scroll up button as my Synergy. That's on me, so I can't adjust camera in and out.I'm basically scrolled all the way out on camera full time. But the camera angle on ballistas don't give me much issue. The one on catapults is just terrible. It just doesn't work =(

Bergzorn · June 2018

They changed the ballista size, placemant distance, and aiming several patches ago (more than a year). As I observe it, this was a huge buff to organized groups (20/20 a keep without much spacing) and to the beloved wallhugging siege heros.

The buffs to catapults are very strong for keep defenders. As a result, players hesitate to push even more than before. It can make for some exciting keep battles, but often it gets just a boring game of who can make/repair more breaches.

I agree that the catapult aiming is not optimal. But changing it in the current state of siege PvP would make catapults with their lingering AOE effects totally overpowered.

TL;DR:

IxSTALKERxI wrote: »

Everyone should stop sieging me.

RaddlemanNumber7 · June 2018

I just got use to firing blind. Through trial and error I found the places on the walls where my character could stand in safety and drop shots right in front of the gate and walls. I have the combat numbers switched on for outgoing damage and dots, so when I shoot the catapult and see a cloud of numbers rising I know I'm aiming in the right place - then I just keep shooting at the same place until the numbers stop. And when the fights over and I quit the catapult I get a couple more big numbers as a nice reward