SPGs Am I missing a trick?

[Kamikazi Watermelon183]

So I got myself the M108 figured I would give it ago.
But I am puzzled the game calls them Artillery but I thought they fired in a high arch yet this just barely arch at all, Its basically a normal tank without a scope a weak shell and poor accuracy.
Is there a key I am missing that deploys it into a artillery? Or does all the SPGs in this game basically suck at there given role.
I did not like the Artil in WoTs but at least I could fire over objects rather than drive right up to the enemy and say hi before missing.

[Ozman Mohammudhan Zemon Von Boom]

The smoke and phosphorous rounds are currently the only 'indirect fire' SPGs have.

The Echoes of War exclusive SPG, the MSTA has a shell with a more plunging arc, but that's it.

As it is now, SPGs are like your impression are; slow moving, thin armored, low HP, inaccurate tank destroyers locked in HE shells that can't pen anything but the smallest vehicles that everybody can atomise just as fast or faster than you already.

Oh and you are also the very top priority on the AI kill list and even if you stand behind everybody on your team, the bots will be gunning for you.

Enjoy.

[CEPHY]

I got myself the Pzh 2000 (Tier 9 Arty) and the burst fire makes up for some of the downsides, but oh boy, the only time you're not completely worthless if when you're parked on a hill and denying enemies from capturing a spot by spamming phosphorous on it.

[3 Wire]

Originally posted by CEPHY:

I got myself the Pzh 2000 (Tier 9 Arty) and the burst fire makes up for some of the downsides, but oh boy, the only time you're not completely worthless if when you're parked on a hill and denying enemies from capturing a spot by spamming phosphorous on it.

Sounds basically like an exercise in futility. Yikes.!!

[Kamikazi Watermelon183]

Sounds like they are basically pointless to play. If any devs read this I beg you could you actually make them artillery. You know high arch fire support able to shot over objects and basically be more useful.

[Arpente Reves]

On paper, SPGs are really amazing. In theory, they are proably the worst class, and given that the devs don't listen or test their things they only have the paper part

Yes, they are cardboard boxes throwing chip damages HE that are just useful to make an enemy move. WP and smoke are barely useful with a regular team
btw IRL modern SPGs would have this kind of arc, the range you use these machines is so ridiculously low in game

[Tigger]

If you wish to play artillery as long range fire support you have to pick the right maps and learn the right places to go to cover areas.

They can be very powerful and do a lot of damage in indirect fire but are not the easiest to play.

Personally I use them as a derpy TD in direct fire so the PLZ-89 and Akatsiya (Chinese tier 7 and Soviet tier 6) are my favourites on the odd time I do play the class, The ability to fire off their ready racks pretty quick then the WP before ducking back into cover makes them more interesting for me.

[Kamikazi Watermelon183]

Originally posted by Tigger:

If you wish to play artillery as long range fire support you have to pick the right maps and learn the right places to go to cover areas.

They can be very powerful and do a lot of damage in indirect fire but are not the easiest to play.

Personally I use them as a derpy TD in direct fire so the PLZ-89 and Akatsiya (Chinese tier 7 and Soviet tier 6) are my favourites on the odd time I do play the class, The ability to fire off their ready racks pretty quick then the WP before ducking back into cover makes them more interesting for me.

Well one of the tags listed on them say Artillery and if you ever look up pictures or videos of Artillery being fired you will see they are firing in a high arch to cover long range indirect fire support, that's how they should be in this game its the only way to make them useful.
You can't pick maps in PvE its just wait an see what is currently up and whats the point of a vehicle type only being good on a handful of maps.

[CEPHY]

Originally posted by Kamikazi Watermelon™:

Originally posted by Tigger:

If you wish to play artillery as long range fire support you have to pick the right maps and learn the right places to go to cover areas.

They can be very powerful and do a lot of damage in indirect fire but are not the easiest to play.

Personally I use them as a derpy TD in direct fire so the PLZ-89 and Akatsiya (Chinese tier 7 and Soviet tier 6) are my favourites on the odd time I do play the class, The ability to fire off their ready racks pretty quick then the WP before ducking back into cover makes them more interesting for me.

Well one of the tags listed on them say Artillery and if you ever look up pictures or videos of Artillery being fired you will see they are firing in a high arch to cover long range indirect fire support, that's how they should be in this game its the only way to make them useful.
You can't pick maps in PvE its just wait an see what is currently up and whats the point of a vehicle type only being good on a handful of maps.

I think there's only 4 maps that are somewhat decent for arty gameplay; Harbinger, Cavalry, and 2 others that I can't seem to remember.

EDIT: "Umbrella" is another decent one. Probably the best, if you can get to the other end of the map without getting nuked by ATGMs.

[3 Wire]

Originally posted by CEPHY:

EDIT: "Umbrella" is another decent one. Probably the best, if you can get to the other end of the map without getting nuked by ATGMs.

Heck, that's tough to do even in a stout MBT like the Merk 4 or a shred-o-matic Ramka 99. lol

Snakebite is very similar since it's based on the same airfield map.

[KDM 16AAB]

Not tried an SPG in PVP yet as not got one of high enough level, but in PVE they are pretty good.

Without the zoom capabilty that the other tanks have they are still very accurate if you use them without using the stock SPG scope. All I do is zoom in on the hull as close as I can get and aim over the top and just let the target circle zero in and fire. You can snipe quite reliably doing this without using the stock SPG scope, and the dmg you do is very nice.

[CEPHY]

Originally posted by KDM-16AAB:

Not tried an SPG in PVP yet as not got one of high enough level, but in PVE they are pretty good.

SPGs are locked to PvE and Global Ops.

[Ozman Mohammudhan Zemon Von Boom]

Originally posted by KDM-16AAB:

Not tried an SPG in PVP yet as not got one of high enough level, but in PVE they are pretty good.

Without the zoom capabilty that the other tanks have they are still very accurate if you use them without using the stock SPG scope. All I do is zoom in on the hull as close as I can get and aim over the top and just let the target circle zero in and fire. You can snipe quite reliably doing this without using the stock SPG scope, and the dmg you do is very nice.

Assuming you have the lower tier M108-M109.... you realise that... by the time you are done doing all that careful aiming thing with the tiny crosshair that wobbles around over ever little obstacle... A tank around that tier, like the Sheridan will have done the same, faster and with 3 to 4 times the damage?

While actually having enough speed to move around the map, flank enemies, shoot that 152mm HE at engines and do secondary objectives.

I'm not even going to bring the T4 Shilka to the comparison of role and DPS output because that just trumps everything else.

The only reason to play an SPG is because you like SPGs (Which I do, nothing beats the sound of a 155mm firing out of zoom in this game) and be at ease with the fact that your team will have to carry your useless self through the map.

Sure, you can pull nice shots, like ambush a stupid tank like a Crab or Sphinx this game never runs out of and obliterate them for 1000+ damage. The thing is that a lot of other tanks can do the same, and yet they are not locked in that one-trick pony role like SPGs are.

SPGs just aren't really bringing anything to the team that others can't do better.

*Shrug*

[Tigger]

Originally posted by Kamikazi Watermelon™:

Well one of the tags listed on them say Artillery and if you ever look up pictures or videos of Artillery being fired you will see they are firing in a high arch to cover long range indirect fire support, that's how they should be in this game its the only way to make them useful.
You can't pick maps in PvE its just wait an see what is currently up and whats the point of a vehicle type only being good on a handful of maps.

Depends on the range required, type of round and a whole host of others things not least in that artillery tend to fire at distances over 7000m and not under 1000.

Seen enough fire in RL - towed and SP guns, fired quite a few mortar rounds as well from 2" and 81mm mortars :-) - which are the real high arc close in weapons (and at one time just before the big arty change due to be added).

[Tigger]

Originally posted by KDM-16AAB:

Not tried an SPG in PVP yet as not got one of high enough level, but in PVE they are pretty good.

Without the zoom capabilty that the other tanks have they are still very accurate if you use them without using the stock SPG scope. All I do is zoom in on the hull as close as I can get and aim over the top and just let the target circle zero in and fire. You can snipe quite reliably doing this without using the stock SPG scope, and the dmg you do is very nice.

I tend to aim with out the arty scope - wait till the pointer goes green in direct fire and fire when I use arty in derp TD mode (which is pretty much every round)

[Tigger]

Originally posted by Ozman Mohammudhan Zemon Von Boom:

Originally posted by KDM-16AAB:

Not tried an SPG in PVP yet as not got one of high enough level, but in PVE they are pretty good.

Without the zoom capabilty that the other tanks have they are still very accurate if you use them without using the stock SPG scope. All I do is zoom in on the hull as close as I can get and aim over the top and just let the target circle zero in and fire. You can snipe quite reliably doing this without using the stock SPG scope, and the dmg you do is very nice.

Assuming you have the lower tier M108-M109.... you realise that... by the time you are done doing all that careful aiming thing with the tiny crosshair that wobbles around over ever little obstacle... A tank around that tier, like the Sheridan will have done the same, faster and with 3 to 4 times the damage?

While actually having enough speed to move around the map, flank enemies, shoot that 152mm HE at engines and do secondary objectives.

I'm not even going to bring the T4 Shilka to the comparison of role and DPS output because that just trumps everything else.

The only reason to play an SPG is because you like SPGs (Which I do, nothing beats the sound of a 155mm firing out of zoom in this game) and be at ease with the fact that your team will have to carry your useless self through the map.

Sure, you can pull nice shots, like ambush a stupid tank like a Crab or Sphinx this game never runs out of and obliterate them for 1000+ damage. The thing is that a lot of other tanks can do the same, and yet they are not locked in that one-trick pony role like SPGs are.

SPGs just aren't really bringing anything to the team that others can't do better.

*Shrug*

There are many players who will say the same about just about any vehicle - I have seen plenty of arty do more damage than most of the others on the team (I even have blue stars in some of mine using them in direct fire because thats how I like using them).

The OT-64 revilled and claimed to be useless - yet I like it and do fairly well - took it out for the first time in months yesterday - tier 6 PvE hardcore match and came top (only tier 5 all the rest tier 6)

I see claims the Abrams line or the Leo line are useless and not worth it, that MBT's are useless with all the autocannons around now