So.... Mortars?

[Behelit]

My colony was at the point that I could build Mortars. One of those arming tubes gives 20 shots. I had 2 hits on a mech cluster. The rest just plainly missed. In short: I wasted 20 shells (which costed me resources I could have spend well on other things) and a mortar tube. Am I missing something here? I already felt like mortars being money, time and resource trashcans before but now with that tube it's even worse? I have a scientist with 18 researching. Are you telling me my best scientist can't calculate a basic trajectory? I can launch pods over the globe and they land on target each time (as intended ofcourse).

I normally use a mod that increases accuracy but I figured I do my first expansion run without all that stuff. I want to use mortars more without them being overpowered, but I'm very underwhelmed with the current system. They feel like a really bad deal.

If I'm missing something concerning accuracy please teach me the way. Kinda disappointing about how the current mortar system works, and that it's even more costly than before the tube implementation.

I really enjoy the expansion and I'm having lots of fun! I just wish mortars could be more reliable without being too OP like some mods do.

[RCMidas]

Mortars are, unfortunately, really inaccurate compared to actual guided projectiles. They are useful for a low-cost, low-tech area bombardment, but not good for precision. They are best used en masse, honestly. Stick seven or eight together and carpet bomb the general area you are trying to hit. One or two is simply inefficient. That is basically true in real life as well.

[Xilo The Odd]

there is a mod that takes both the shooting and intellect stat into account for aiming a mortar, decreasing its possible landing zone. think its just called mortar accuracy. its kinda nice, i'll have my high intellect psycaster just buff everyone as they leave for defensive positions, then sit nice and safe lobbing mortars at key locations. or have them launch fire foam mortars at the anima tree if there is a bad flashstorm.

[ZS Maeklos]

Unfortunately, for real life, mortar rounds have a fairly large effective kill radius (about 15 meters for a 60mm mortar, which is about a 45-foot radius, 90-foot diameter) and (for a trained, competent crew, at least), the degree to which a mortar round misses usually means it still winds up with the target within that kill radius.

But in the Rim? Your colonists don't practice with mortars. They don't drill with them like a military team does. They just build them, know how they work, and then fire off the bloop tubes at enemies and hope for the best.

Edit: Here's a really cool article about the Army's competitive mortar teams I found after I got interested in reading up more about mortars.

https://www.army.mil/article/203869/soldiers_live_fire_60mm_mortar_during_inaugural_best_mortar_competition

[Behelit]

Thanks for the suggestions! Carpet bombing with a bunch of mortars sounds like a lot of fun. Perhaps an upgraded, more high tech mortar can be a good addition? I'll check out the mod were the int stat plays a roll in the accuracy. Sounds like a fair system.
Thanks for the info and inspiration!

[Xilo The Odd]

Originally posted by Behelit:

Thanks for the suggestions! Carpet bombing with a bunch of mortars sounds like a lot of fun. Perhaps an upgraded, more high tech mortar can be a good addition? I'll check out the mod were the int stat plays a roll in the accuracy. Sounds like a fair system.
Thanks for the info and inspiration!

no prob, its a mod i've used for awhile, its been listed as an all time popular one for a long time now. its fairly well balanced on its own and helps keep mortars relevant.

before that mod i pretty much stuck to incendiary and anti-grain warheads just because at that point, if it doesnt land on target they still devastate large areas xD.

[adobo]

Its a balance thing. Especially since the enemies can use them too.

[ZS Maeklos]

Check out this mod: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2164607079

It's an addon for the SRTS mod that lets you craft real-world aircraft and send them on bombing runs, either carpet bombing (they drop X number of bombs in a straight line that you designate, from Point A to Point B) or precision bombing (they drop a single bomb at the point you select).

Much more precise than mortars, and really lets you wreck an entire raid or even enemy base (since you can send the aircraft on bombing missions on the world map to support your engaged pawns). But also totally OP... if you have the components and resources necessary to build the aircraft. (Most take 200+ components.)

It's also super heavy on chemfuel usage, as a single flight can easily guzzle down 1000-2000 chemfuel.

[Behelit]

Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:

Originally posted by Behelit:

Thanks for the suggestions! Carpet bombing with a bunch of mortars sounds like a lot of fun. Perhaps an upgraded, more high tech mortar can be a good addition? I'll check out the mod were the int stat plays a roll in the accuracy. Sounds like a fair system.
Thanks for the info and inspiration!

no prob, its a mod i've used for awhile, its been listed as an all time popular one for a long time now. its fairly well balanced on its own and helps keep mortars relevant.

before that mod i pretty much stuck to incendiary and anti-grain warheads just because at that point, if it doesnt land on target they still devastate large areas xD.

That sounds way better than the mod I used a while back that basicly made them really accurate. I used to make a maze, line if with a hay floor and ignite the entrance once all raiders were in. So much possibilities. Hopefully more reliable with the mod you suggested :D. Thanks again!

[Makeithappen]

The upgrade to this would be aerodrone strike and salvos. Which are more of a smart bomb precision attack on a target. Not really good against buildings though. You'd have to become to Knight to get the permit to use them.

1.3.3066 - Mortars now require uncraftable reinforced barrels to build and rearm after every 20 shots. Forced miss radius lowered from 13 to 10. All craftable mortar shells have had their crafting recipes lowered by 10 steel. All 1.3 changes are reversible in the "Classic Mortars" storyteller option.

So it looks like they did increase the accuracy of the mortar attack in the update. It used to be worse.

[Makeithappen]

Originally posted by ZS Maeklos:

Check out this mod: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2164607079

It's an addon for the SRTS mod that lets you craft real-world aircraft and send them on bombing runs, either carpet bombing (they drop X number of bombs in a straight line that you designate, from Point A to Point B) or precision bombing (they drop a single bomb at the point you select).

Much more precise than mortars, and really lets you wreck an entire raid or even enemy base (since you can send the aircraft on bombing missions on the world map to support your engaged pawns). But also totally OP... if you have the components and resources necessary to build the aircraft. (Most take 200+ components.)

Carpet bombing...ahh oh how i miss C&C Generals. Thats one fun thing about that game is the specialized air combat.

[Behelit]

Originally posted by JohnWick:

The upgrade to this would be aerodrone strike and salvos. Which are more of a smart bomb precision attack on a target. Not really good against buildings though. You'd have to become to Knight to get the permit to use them.

1.3.3066 - Mortars now require uncraftable reinforced barrels to build and rearm after every 20 shots. Forced miss radius lowered from 13 to 10. All craftable mortar shells have had their crafting recipes lowered by 10 steel. All 1.3 changes are reversible in the "Classic Mortars" storyteller option.

So it looks like they did increase the accuracy of the mortar attack in the update. It used to be worse.

I guess I was unfortunate with the RNG Gods when I gave my first tube a try. The first launch was a hit so I was really optimistic at first. My pawn probably just had beginners luck, and payed for it for the majority of his other launches.

[Makeithappen]

Originally posted by Behelit:

Originally posted by JohnWick:

The upgrade to this would be aerodrone strike and salvos. Which are more of a smart bomb precision attack on a target. Not really good against buildings though. You'd have to become to Knight to get the permit to use them.

1.3.3066 - Mortars now require uncraftable reinforced barrels to build and rearm after every 20 shots. Forced miss radius lowered from 13 to 10. All craftable mortar shells have had their crafting recipes lowered by 10 steel. All 1.3 changes are reversible in the "Classic Mortars" storyteller option.

So it looks like they did increase the accuracy of the mortar attack in the update. It used to be worse.

I guess I was unfortunate with the RNG Gods when I gave my first tube a try. The first launch was a hit so I was really optimistic at first. My pawn probably just had beginners luck, and payed for it for the majority of his other launches.

Yeah the RNG Gods are displeased with you. I was trying to find the stats on it. I think it used to be 5/114 was a hit and now its like 3/62.

[RCMidas]

Big jump in accuracy. Certainly mortars are good against larger-point raids (whether tribal attackers or entrenched mechanoids) where even missing ensures they hit SOMETHING.

[Behelit]

I downloaded the Mortar Accuracy mod. Tuned it fairly and it feels great! My pawn with 19 int is still missed a few but this felt way more fair and effective (mainly smaller error radius). Awesome!

[ZS Maeklos]

And incendiary rounds are fantastic siege-busters. Because even if they miss, there's a good chance you'll set something critical on fire and cause the besiegers to give up and simply assault your base... or get lucky and cause their own mortar ammunition to explode.