Artillery Barrage - Range doesn't make sense

Artillery Barrage - Range doesn't make sense

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Posted by: Raven.7051

Raven.7051

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere. I searched the Charr sub-forum (and learned how awesome search is on this forum btw ) but I could not find it.

It irks me no end that this Elite skill has a range of 450. It simply makes no sense to call in an artillery strike, effectively, on your own current position. Artillery is something that you call in for with a set of co-ordinates. It is not affected by LoS and other such things.

I fully understand that within a game you have to place certain limitations on skills for balance purposes but considering the weak damage and unpredictable To-Hit nature of this skill I feel that range should not be such a major limiting factor. This should be at least 1200 imho if not more. Not sure what the maximum range possible is in GW2 but it should be that.

The most obvious place where this affects me is in WvW while defending or attacking keeps. I would love to be able to call in a decent strike on Attackers / Defenders but it is almost impossible due to its range. At least while attacking a fortification I can run up to the wall, blow some CDs and call in the strike but as a Defender (where being on a wall already counts for some range) it is practically impossible to place this anywhere useful.

I know there are plenty of other things that people want ‘fixed’ and there are threads to discuss those. I’d like to know if anyone else thinks that this Elite skill should have more range or am I pissing into the wind with this one?

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Posted by: vanco.8957

vanco.8957

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.

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Posted by: Shredicus.8706

Shredicus.8706

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.

Artillery Barrage - Range doesn't make sense

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Posted by: vanco.8957

vanco.8957

Yeah I think I’d have to agree with Shredicus.

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Posted by: JF Brown.7415

JF Brown.7415

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?).

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Posted by: Kravick.4906

Kravick.4906

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.

Stuff goes here.

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Posted by: LameFox.6349

LameFox.6349

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.

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Posted by: clegane.5861

clegane.5861

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!

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Posted by: Bigskyn.9318

Bigskyn.9318

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.

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Posted by: LameFox.6349

LameFox.6349

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…

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Posted by: Lord Aargadon.4135

Lord Aargadon.4135

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)

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Posted by: Daharahj.1325

Daharahj.1325

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.