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Group combat is a bit garbage for archers

Discussion in 'Release 41 Feedback Forum' started by Burzmali, May 9, 2017.

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  1. Burzmali

    Burzmali Avatar

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    I've been spending more time grinding with my guild and the more time I spend, the weaker the combat feels.

    Group combat agains a single target like a dragon seems okay, it's burdened by the system in general, but it works. Group combat against a group of monsters is just a mess, at least from the perceptive of an archer.

    As an archer, when my party engages a group of monsters, the melee immediately degrades into a mass of technicolor, I can't see anything and end up blindfiring into the mass cycling through targets until I no longer get a red reticule. If the enemy includes ranged attackers, I either select a target and spin around widely trying to find them so I can close in and attack or I pick out a target and cycle through targets hoping to find them, and often realizing that I'm aiming at a friendly summons.
    The only times I move is to close in when my reticule isn't red and when something big decides to target me. Cover is worthless, it affects my shots if it affects an enemy's.
    Combat by myself isn't perfect, but at least I can and need to manuever, position is more than "Am I in range?"
    Given how important group combat is to the game, could we get a little love so that ranged DPS is more than cycling through cards and targets until nothing is left standing?
     
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  2. MrBlight

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    Generally i just shoot blindly, not using rapid fire when grouped. Rapid fire = like 5 taunts on crack.
    Trying to target things, i either get angry trying to shuffle, or angry trying to click on things. Then angry again when ive changed friendly target, trying to click on the mob.. making me buff someone else.

    All in all, as an archer i just avoid doing much dungeon crawling because targeting is a pain. Outside tis a tad better, but yea.

    That being said, i have no productive solutions regardding how they could fix it, just that i dont have these issues in other games.
     
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  3. Burzmali

    Burzmali Avatar

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    Thinking about it, I think adding a "In melee" flag to targets that grants them protection like Cover if they are within x feet of a hostile would be a start. Combine that with melee moves that inflict a "Vulnerable to ranged" status and implement a better cover model, so that ranged combatants can snipe each other and provide covering fire for melee players.
     
  4. Quenton

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    Got a screenshot of this?
     
  5. MrBlight

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    ? Of what?

    Every group fight anywhere except an open field, is rough at best.
     
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  6. Burzmali

    Burzmali Avatar

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    Even open fields are rough, one person will have have fire shield up, another will be calling down meteors, a third will be spamming CE and the last will have a pet of the same type as the monster we are fighting.
     
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  7. Rennik

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    In the Release 41 Portmortem, they said that they were hoping to have a larger active target reticle in the next release, so hopefully that will help some.

    I'm an archer as well, so picking a single target from a huge melee/particle effect maelstrom can be maddening... but I got used to it playing City of Heroes for years. If I can see which target I want to select, I'll run near him and "Select Next Target" which will pick the enemy nearest me. Otherwise, sometimes I'll run to the other side of the maelstrom for a better view. Perspective is everything. ;) Also, I'm not sure, but I think if you select a teammate, then hit an attack skill, it will attack that teammate's target. If not, that's what it SHOULD do.
     
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  8. Lexie

    Lexie Bear Queen Emeritus

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    That's correct, it's great for archers. Of course, you need to be in range of the mob. It's fun to assign one person in the party to be the target and then just watch the mobs fall one after the other.
     
  9. liz_the_wiz

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    you can type /assist but, there really could use an ability to either assign it to a key in the UI or a button of it in the combat bar..
     
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  10. Quenton

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    of this:

     
  11. The Hendoman

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    doesn't need a picture - its the cacaphony of movement and spells and names and all in motion. stills wouldn't capture the overall point of not being able to see wtf is going on/targeted,blah.

    some way to gray out or transparency other members/elementals would be handy
    certainly to stop gpu punishing ice fields and elysiums... make spells o a tranparency slider ;)

    THE HENDOMAN
     
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  12. MrBlight

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    Uhhh yea i could try.. tho as stated.. wouldnt really do it justice. Maybe this weekend ill do a quick vid clip and show why some archers feel the way.
     
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