119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #1 Posted February 19, 2017 Lately l have played quite a few ranked battles and the smoke is real. l mean so thick and everywhere to the point l in my BB can't see a target to shoot at for most of first several minutes of battle. Or just fleeting hail Mary glimpses and throw a shot at them. Meanwhile my team is sitting in that smoke getting torped over and over. Combine our side and their side smoke and its reaching epic proportions. Usually in first several minutes of the game this costs my teams at least 1-3 ships (usually DD's). One fella on forum claimed 5 with his torps into a smoke scrum. Along with the smoke the equally huge issue is the lack of spotting and misuse of smoke and crippling your teams ability to see and fight. Personally in the ranked battles where my team did very poorly l believe bad smoke tactics were the major contributing factor. ln 6 of my 58 battles my team lost badly and we sank only one enemy ship and of that six ships l sank 5 of them. l would like to see a discussion here and your thoughtful take on this "smoke meta" and the repercussions thereof. Smoke tactics in general do not seem to be well understood and in ranked the effects are make or break. TY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
83 Zim_Xero Members 765 posts 2,849 battles Report post #2 Posted February 19, 2017 What BB are you playing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #3 Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) Sharnhorst Which BB makes no difference tho if l can't see a shootable target my guns are useless till l can see one. Edited February 19, 2017 by Furysghost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
991 [HELLS] GrandAdmiral_2016 Members 2,971 posts 40,546 battles Report post #4 Posted February 19, 2017 The only solution in ranked is to run ships with radar and/or hydro and smoke. If you don't have smoke or radar (and BBs do not) you either hug the cruisers that do and hide in it alongside them, or use the terrain. Depends pretty much how you equip your ships with premium consumables. I have seen Colorado players hold their own in ranked by sound tactics despite the double handicap of poor handling and low top speed. Colorado players normally can't carry but if they close the range they can dish it out big time in support. The other BBs at that tier have a speed advantage that is useful only to scoot from cover to cover. I have pretty much given up on Ranked at T7, having gotten to R15 and stagnating despite a positive win rate. One game a day is my limit. I won't use a cruiser without smoke in Ranked, and I dislike the Russian line intensely, which leaves me with the good old Royal Navy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3,394 [REVY] Royeaux Members 9,709 posts 7,317 battles Report post #5 Posted February 19, 2017 My opinion is that smoke is balanced. The trade-off for concealment is that everyone knows where you are. Once your smoke is expired and your spotted, they know you can't hide anymore and will focus you. Though it does seem like certain tier 7 cruisers have it a little too nice with their smoke and HE. Destroyers have limited range and a limit to how many shells they can dump in a salvo, so DD HE smoke spam isn't so bad, but on HE cruisers, it's a bit too powerful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,520 Wombatmetal Members 4,515 posts 3,255 battles Report post #6 Posted February 19, 2017 So get a Shiratsuyu, see a smoke cloud, fill it full of torpedoes, smoke countered 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #7 Posted February 19, 2017 So get a Shiratsuyu, see a smoke cloud, fill it full of torpedoes, smoke countered Yeah l hear that seen what that DD can do to our team. Torpedo wall incoming ba bam down 3 ships. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3,940 [ASHIP] Grevester Members 5,454 posts 12,933 battles Report post #8 Posted February 19, 2017 Best way to play ranked is don't do something if you expect something to happen in return. Don't advance to a spot if you need x to happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,183 [PTRGT] mohawkdriver Members 4,535 posts 16,932 battles Report post #9 Posted February 19, 2017 These posts make me want to drag my Belfast into a Ranked (as distasteful as playing Ranked is to me) just to see what all the hype is about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
32 11thCavalry Members 282 posts 2,764 battles Report post #10 Posted February 19, 2017 Smoke and Island hugging, i am suprised i even do as well as i do in the Schranhorst considering i dont like just sitting still with it around island or smoke.. i tend to drive around and get shot at by every livving thing. its insane, i figured i would give a mass a try, nope, failboat.. lol.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
115 cronics Beta Testers 501 posts 3,962 battles Report post #11 Posted February 19, 2017 I'll not be surprised to see smoke get nerfed for cruisers down to %50 duration and only 1 use or something Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
32 11thCavalry Members 282 posts 2,764 battles Report post #12 Posted February 19, 2017 I'll not be surprised to see smoke get nerfed for cruisers down to %50 duration and only 1 use or something nah leave it.. its fine.. just 1 suggestion, give me hydro with my Sch... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,153 [ARGSY] centarina Members 10,326 posts 16,228 battles Report post #13 Posted February 19, 2017 RDF is great for firing torps into smoke who needs radar when you have it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
83 Zim_Xero Members 765 posts 2,849 battles Report post #14 Posted February 19, 2017 Sharnhorst Which BB makes no difference tho if l can't see a shootable target my guns are useless till l can see one. I ask because you have no experience in higher than a tier 6 BB, and none with torped BBs, except in ranked. Experience may change how you cope. Ultimately, all ships have a tight Win/Loss percentage in game and in ranked, so its balanced from that perspective. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
201 ChronicallyChronic Beta Testers, In AlfaTesters 217 posts 26,724 battles Report post #15 Posted February 19, 2017 What's wrong with the game is players who use the term "meta" and act like they know what they are talking about. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,183 [PTRGT] mohawkdriver Members 4,535 posts 16,932 battles Report post #16 Posted February 19, 2017 Okay, took my Belfast into a Ranked (the one and only one I will play) and there was one other Belfast, a Fiji, and two DD's per side. I saw nothing at all unusual. Case closed. Smoke is fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,183 [PTRGT] mohawkdriver Members 4,535 posts 16,932 battles Report post #17 Posted February 19, 2017 What's wrong with the game is players who use the term "meta" and act like they know what they are talking about. The word meta must be the new 'trend'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
27 Slow_n_Low Members 164 posts 2,487 battles Report post #18 Posted February 19, 2017 Okay, took my Belfast into a Ranked (the one and only one I will play) and there was one other Belfast, a Fiji, and two DD's per side. I saw nothing at all unusual. Case closed. Smoke is fine. 1 battle = case closed eh. You must be a science professor. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1,687 1SneakyDevil Members 3,792 posts 23,987 battles Report post #19 Posted February 19, 2017 Smoke is not the issue, it is poor DD play in what you are describing. The DD needs to lay down the smoke for the team and keep moving out of it to spot ships for the rest. Instead you are blind because they sit in it and die from torp walls. Just had a match where a DD is running away & the Fiji that was on him was broadside to my Fiji and I was in smoke. Instead of dodging so I can finish him the DD drops smoke in a panic making me blind. To make matters worse the fool sat still in it and tooks torps for his death. Would he have take some damage yes. Would he have still been alive, absolutely. The guy was so focused on him he didn't even change course after two large salvos of damage. I've noticed this problem regardless of DD type (gun / torp). Just too many players who don't know how to DD thinking they can play ranked with them and hurting their teams. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
432 Kenjister ∞ Beta Testers 1,821 posts 10,838 battles Report post #20 Posted February 19, 2017 Smoke itself is not imbalanced. The smoke mechanics are also pretty well known by everyone. This doesn't mean people make good plays with it though. But that's entirely a player problem. Honestly I just chalk it up to unfamiliarity with smoke to this degree. Not to mention teamwork. The optimal play in a smoke heavy game usually requires a lot of trust. I've seen it pay off, but also seen it lead to a quick and pointless death. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2,850 [D-DAY] _WaveRider_ Members 7,616 posts Report post #21 Posted February 19, 2017 Smoke is real, I can't see the target. Yet as soon as the smoke clears, you can one shot any DD or Cruiser. Is that any less real? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #22 Posted February 19, 2017 Zim_Xero Sharnhorst Which BB makes no difference tho if l can't see a shootable target my guns are useless till l can see one. "I ask because you have no experience in higher than a tier 6 BB, and none with torped BBs, except in ranked. Experience may change how you cope. Ultimately, all ships have a tight Win/Loss percentage in game and in ranked, so its balanced from that perspective." My answer - Good point... in battles l got any kind of traction in l was able to pull 60k+ dmg and at least 2 were a whisker short of 100k having said that l am not a BB main and l don't for a minute feel l'm all that great in them. l appreciate your post and its food for thought. l deliberately stopped at T-6 in BB's recently l decided if you can't beat em join em LOL. Santa gave me some nice gifts you will notice l have not taken my Tirpitz out yet or Atago. When l feel l'm ready for them l will take that plunge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
522 [IN3PT] El_Judarino Beta Testers 1,703 posts 6,511 battles Report post #23 Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) The word meta must be the new 'trend'. You could say that the meta of the forums has shifted to being over-focused on the in-game meta Edited February 20, 2017 by El_Judarino Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #24 Posted February 20, 2017 Smoke is real, I can't see the target. Yet as soon as the smoke clears, you can one shot any DD or Cruiser. Is that any less real? l have received my share of torps, invisi fire, and HE fire spam from DD's and CL's smoked or not and with BB dispersion there sure as hell is no guarantee of any "one shots". l have no real problem with smoke per se sorry if l gave you that impression but how its employed, advantages, disadvantages, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
119 [CCF] Furysghost Members 821 posts 10,380 battles Report post #25 Posted February 20, 2017 Meta police.. Look if you don't have anything positive to add here then move on you don't like my use of "meta" too bad go troll somewhere else. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
