Artillery Barrage - Range doesn't make sense
No I definitely think that artillery barrage should have more range. I was pretty disappointed by the skill and now just use the “call your warband” as my elite and find it far more interesting and helpful.
It was pretty OP in BWE1 when it knocked down, had a huge range AND did good damage, but for whatever reason they decided that every single one of those things had to be annihilated and it’s probably the worst elite in the game now.
Yeah I think I’d have to agree with Shredicus.
I feel the same way. It’s way under powered for an Elite Skill. Artillery is a long-range. If it needs to be balanced, make it a bit weaker on the damage or AOE, but it should have the range of, well, an artillery piece (a Charr mortar maybe?).
There is one place and one place only that I use this skill, and its in AC explorable. Artillery Barrage is extremely, EXTREMELY, effective at killing graveling mounds. That skill alone can take out a mound all by itself in a matter of seconds.
It does seem a bit stupid to give it a range SO SHORT that it can’t even be used from a wall. Then again, the way this game calculates range for ground targeting is stupid anyway. If I can throw a grenade (which explodes on impact) 1500 (of whatever measurement) horizontally, then throwing it from height it should go further not the equivalent of 500 or so (again, in whatever that measurement really is).
And the artillery barrage is already coming from… what, orbit? Pretty far away anyhow. All you’re really doing is signalling it. Shouldn’t be that hard to throw a flare as far as you can throw a cannonball/boulder.
As Kravick said, it is immensely helpful in AC exp runs.
so please don’t force common sense into it, because if common sense interfered then I could not use it underground which would be a pity!
I thought long and hard about what elite to pick (other than Moa/time) and picked barrage. It may not be perfect, but having that AoE for some things has been wonderful. . . even with the range. I don’t regret the sp spent.
I noticed today that the range of barrage is literally its radius (if you count explosions, not direct shell impact). I guess you can just barely avoid blowing your foot off…
The skill in general needs buffed, meteor shower has 30 second recharge, 1200 range, longer duration, more projectiles, and I think nearly identical damage(some needs to confirm validity of that last part). Playing a charr engi, it is by far the worst elite and not even on par with other utility skills. Heck Id prefer a second grenade barrage or overpowered shot over it.
Suggestion to improve it- make its range better and/or add random condition on hit(blind-smoke shell, 1/4sec daze-concussion shell, and bleed- shrapnel shell)
Racial skills are all pretty weak overall (except maybe some Human ones), I guess they didn’t wanna make it so it’s mandatory to play X class with Y race.