Orbitals Vs Eagles

[Zombiesbum]

These two types of bombardments will never be balanced if they functionally behave in the same way (Does X damage with X cooldown). Eagles are very good for precision attacks, and these types of attacks are what matter in an engagement. By the nature of how enemy engagements work, you're not looking to hit around them with orbital strikes, but rather to kill the enemies you're engaged with using Eagles. And if Orbitals were made better instead of different, then Eagles would be the armament that's unused.

However, I think there is a solution to get the effect of what Orbitals are meant to be compared to Eagles. And that is to make orbitals last until cancelled and balance them around ammo alongside cooldown. This would mean you can throw a 380mm into a nest and instead of it cancelling after it's duration, you'd have to manually cancel it, otherwise it will keep firing until all your ammo stores are depleted. At which point you wouldn't be able to use it anymore (either until the ammo replenishes over time, or is restocked after a mission).

This sort of change would allow for an additional tool to differentiate Orbitals from Eagles, And even Orbitals from other Orbitals outside of cooldown. As now maybe Gatling Orbital could have enough rounds to last 10 minutes in one area, where as Airburst Orbital could have enough for 1 minute (this is just an example).

And Imagine the satisfaction of 4 people throwing 380mm + 120mm into an enemy stronghold and seeing it be liberated with democracy as you pull up a chair and sip lemonaid liber-tea.

[Tiramisu]

Originally posted by Zombiesbum:

pull up a chair and sip lemonaid.

I think you mean liber-tea.

[Zombiesbum]

Originally posted by Tiramisu:

Originally posted by Zombiesbum:

pull up a chair and sip lemonaid.

I think you mean liber-tea.

True brother!

[Steak]

OBs would be at least reasonable if 90% of them weren't just outright bad. Even if i could have 3 120mm on a 2 minute cd would i use that over the eagle airstrike? no lol

[BEEP!]

I honestly don't like many of the Orbitals except maybe that laser & rail-cannon & that's it for Eagles I really like the first 3 you unlock

[Zombiesbum]

Originally posted by Robert_Robusto:

OBs would be at least reasonable if 90% of them weren't just outright bad. Even if i could have 3 120mm on a 2 minute would i use that over the eagle airstrike? no lol

Not sure if you understood what I was getting at. The suggestion isn't to give orbitals "charges" like eagles have. But an extended duration suitable for static objectives and tunnel breaches.

[Bregastor]

I think the orbital 120/380 should have a different trigger.

Like, instead of the usual beacon to throw it should be usable from the minimap, being able to place it the middle of huge bases aint that bad.

The problem right now is that to do so, you basically have to walk up to the base and then run away

[Steak]

Originally posted by Zombiesbum:

Originally posted by Robert_Robusto:

OBs would be at least reasonable if 90% of them weren't just outright bad. Even if i could have 3 120mm on a 2 minute would i use that over the eagle airstrike? no lol

Not sure if you understood what I was getting at. The suggestion isn't to give orbitals "charges" like eagles have. But an extended duration suitable for static objectives and tunnel breaches.

I'm agreeing with you, most OBs need to just be way bigger and more consistent than they are atm.

[Steak]

Originally posted by Bregastor:

I think the orbital 120/380 should have a different trigger.

Like, instead of the usual beacon to throw it should be usable from the minimap, being able to place it the middle of huge bases aint that bad.

The problem right now is that to do so, you basically have to walk up to the base and then run away

I had the same idea too. Tho i do imagine the devs are worried by 4 ppl just clearing all the outposts with strats while not even in render distance.

[Bregastor]

I know but an artillery barrage is supposed to have that effect, as it is right now id unusable

[Silverlight]

Originally posted by Robert_Robusto:

OBs would be at least reasonable if 90% of them weren't just outright bad. Even if i could have 3 120mm on a 2 minute cd would i use that over the eagle airstrike? no lol

But the two best ones , rail cannon are laser are so great it makes up for it.

[the_bat_turtle]

Plus orbitals get screwed over way harder by modifiers than eagle stratagems. Orbital scatter makes everything except the laser and railcannon (even more) useless, and eagles have much shorter call-ins and rearms than orbitals so they're impacted far less by those modifiers too.

[Iron Breaker]

Originally posted by Bregastor:

I think the orbital 120/380 should have a different trigger.

Like, instead of the usual beacon to throw it should be usable from the minimap, being able to place it the middle of huge bases aint that bad.

The problem right now is that to do so, you basically have to walk up to the base and then run away

this especialy 320 since if you dont use +throwing range armor at max throw the blast zone covers you as well :l so if you dont gfto you will be hit because most of it is close to you than the fkn beacon

[ImHelping]

They share the same problems of "Some of these are garbage/overrated or unreliable"

Debuffs nonsense probably is not helping matters. When they start spamming longer cooldowns and longer call ins, even ignoring randomizer effect. Orbitals get ♥♥♥♥♥♥ by global debuffs more (even if I think there was some anti air anti eagle building I keep forgetting exists).

I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ love airburst these days, even if my top cause of teamkills is "Remember, it is huge, and still going." *teammate rushes into the third salvo after staying alive the first two* But even that gets rocked by debuffs more than eagles, which is probably skewing people favoring eagles more.

Meanwhile, my sometimes best friend eagle rocket loves to miss enemies or sniper towers because ♥♥♥♥ you today. and I am jealous of everyone claiming when THEIR 500 bomb is resting against the base of a tower, the explosion still reaches high enough to pop it. If I needs to handhold a giant bomb I might as well bring precision strike anyways.