Incoming Fire Alert vs. Priority Target

[Captain_Rawhide]

When they first changed the Captain skills and made Priority Target a two point skill, I wasn't very happy about it, because I had it on basically everything but DDs.  Now that I've had a chance to use Incoming Fire Alert I find I actually like it much better.  I know it is slightly ship dependent, but I actually like it for most of my Cruisers and BBs.  Just wondering how other feel about it.

[SeaGladius]

Yeah, kind of.  I think that what I like the best about it is that it’s cheaper though.

Interestingly, I don’t use either skill on my Twitchita captain, which is a ship that can really benefit from them.  My captain build couldn’t afford them when I started playing the ship, and I’ve found that I don’t really need them.  I also pretty much never drive that ship in a straight line while spotted though.

[iRA6E]

Priority target just provides a lot more information IMO..  IFA.. can be useful..  But only provides feedback after trigger is fired?    PT is still a must have on most non DD ships IMO.   

[AJTP89]

I think PT is better as it can give you strategic info as well as tactical. How many people want to kill you versus the fact that someone is actively trying. And apparently WG thinks so too as they bumped the cost up. But I'd definitely say it can be worth it now as a cheaper option. Well I still don't think it's as useful as PT on maneuverable ships it is going to be especially handy as you are fast enough to evade when the incoming alert goes off.

[Skpstr]

6 minutes ago, Captain_Rawhide said:

When they first changed the Captain skills and made Priority Target a two point skill, I wasn't very happy about it, because I had it on basically everything but DDs.  Now that I've had a chance to use Incoming Fire Alert I find I actually like it much better.  I know it is slightly ship dependent, but I actually like it for most of my Cruisers and BBs.  Just wondering how other feel about it.

I typically have both on all my DDs and cruisers, BBs just get PT.

Basically, IFA tells when I need to break, and PT tells me if there's the potential for too much fire to dodge, and I need to GTFO or pop smoke. 

Plus, I find PT works too well as IFA for torps, to want to give it up.

[Skpstr]

1 minute ago, iRA6E said:

Priority target just provides a lot more information IMO..  IFA.. can be useful..  But only provides feedback after trigger is fired?    PT is still a must have on most non DD ships IMO.   

What I really like about IFA is that I don't have to try and keep an eye on every ship that can shoot at me, or lose forward progress dodging shells that haven't been fired.

Also, in ships with high ROF, I don't have to keep coming out of binoc view when firing, to know when to dodge fire from a third party. You see the alarm, you alter course about 45°, and never stop shooting.

TBH though, my best use is open-water evasion cruisers. At 15+ km, I'd rather dodge when the shells leave the guns, than when I spot the shells that are already halfway to me.

[ArIskandir]

Different skill with different uses. Both are mandatory in my cruisers. IFA is almost useless on BBs. For DDs both are situational and not as vital as in cruisers.

[Reymu]

I just get visual checks on what BBs and CRs have their guns aiming my way or someone else's, then engage as see fit. PT and IFA make little difference since you get the SA skill for free anyway.

Play as if anyone can start dunking on you, but not everyone has the awareness to do that.

[Souza_SB]

I basically use IFA on ships which have high maneuverability, mainly DD's and fast cruisers, and PT for BB and large cruisers.

[shinytrashcan]

My experience after switching to IFA from PT on most DDs and CAs:

• IFA gives better warning about incoming shells (duh) so it makes dodging a bit easier.
• It kind of works to gauge how much heat is coming your way, though HE spammers really mess with it.
• IFA does not give you the numbers like PT does, so if you get detected on a flank early match you don't get the immediate count of ships on that flank. This is very important tactical information, as it can tell you early on whether you are gonna be outnumbered or not.
• PT allows you to estimate when you are getting torpedoed, IFA is useless for that.

Overall I like PT much better on BBs, CA could go with both but usually it is only IFA because all the builds got more expensive. DDs I used PT as the 1pt skill, but now just to keep my build from before the rework I have to go with IFA, or even ditch it for PM.

IFA and PT surely are interesting skills, but unfortunately with the current system not viable all the time.

[z9_]

3 hours ago, Skpstr said:

I typically have both on all my DDs and cruisers, BBs just get PT.

Basically, IFA tells when I need to break, and PT tells me if there's the potential for too much fire to dodge, and I need to GTFO or pop smoke. 

Plus, I find PT works too well as IFA for torps, to want to give it up.

Same. But I also run IFA on BBs.
Got it from watching utoobers.
Your instinct tells you that the giant piece of junk can't dodge, but most of them can.
With a BB you're usually shooting long range, and incoming is long range. So with
IFA you have several seconds to turn the ship, as well as watch the shells coming toward you.
With a little practice you can turn a BB just enough to mitigate some of the incoming shells.

[Wolfswetpaws]

4 hours ago, Captain_Rawhide said:

When they first changed the Captain skills and made Priority Target a two point skill, I wasn't very happy about it, because I had it on basically everything but DDs.  Now that I've had a chance to use Incoming Fire Alert I find I actually like it much better.  I know it is slightly ship dependent, but I actually like it for most of my Cruisers and BBs.  Just wondering how other feel about it.

Those are two skills I don't bother to spend points on.
1.  I assume that every ship which can see me, is going to target me.
2.  By maintaining situational awareness and an eye on the mini-map, I can observe ships firing and/or planes flying on an approach path to attack my ship.
3.  If my ship is "detected" but no opponent is visible, then I know I'm dealing with something that has out-spotted me.
4.  By using terrain and evasive maneuvers I might be able to fire upon opponents and duck behind islands and/or alter course to avoid incoming fire.  Good timing helps.

[Viva_Palestine]

4 minutes ago, Wolfswetpaws said:

Those are two skills I don't bother to spend points on.
1.  I assume that every ship which can see me, is going to target me.
2.  By maintaining situational awareness and an eye on the mini-map, I can observe ships firing and/or planes flying on an approach path to attack my ship.
3.  If my ship is "detected" but no opponent is visible, then I know I'm dealing with something that has out-spotted me.
4.  By using terrain and evasive maneuvers I might be able to fire upon opponents and duck behind islands and/or alter course to avoid incoming fire.  Good timing helps.

Same. I usually want other skills.

[Delicious_Flat_Chest]

incoming fire alert is the best skill in the game since it tells you milliseconds before the gun fires the round that its coming to you. You can use your situational awareness to figure out who would be aiming at you, which is what PT does, but knowing when they shoot is really valuable especially when dodging shells in cruisers.

[crazyeightyfive]

I've never used either.  Ever.  Assume at every moment you're detected that shells are already on their way.  If there are still living DDS and their last known location isn't the other side of the map, assume fish are already in the water.

That being said, everything I've ever heard says I'm in the minority on this thought process.

[Estimated_Prophet]

5 hours ago, iRA6E said:

Priority target just provides a lot more information IMO..  IFA.. can be useful..  But only provides feedback after trigger is fired?    PT is still a must have on most non DD ships IMO.   

Pretty much this.

The one time I used IFA recently to see exactly what it did, I didn’t.

Did it actually give me any warning? I can’t recall that it ever did. Nothing that caught my eye in any case.

[Depraved_Miscreant]

5 hours ago, Captain_Rawhide said:

When they first changed the Captain skills and made Priority Target a two point skill, I wasn't very happy about it, because I had it on basically everything but DDs.  Now that I've had a chance to use Incoming Fire Alert I find I actually like it much better.  I know it is slightly ship dependent, but I actually like it for most of my Cruisers and BBs.  Just wondering how other feel about it.

I like it if I am not willing to spend on priority target, but I am playing on a 55" screen, so I have found I can miss the Alert if I am not focusing on that area of the screen. 

[Skpstr]

1 hour ago, Wolfswetpaws said:

1.  I assume that every ship which can see me, is going to target me.

 

51 minutes ago, crazyeightyfive said:

I've never used either.  Ever.  Assume at every moment you're detected that shells are already on their way.  If there are still living DDS and their last known location isn't the other side of the map, assume fish are already in the water.

You can certainly do that, and it will help you defensively, but it also hinders you offensively.

For one thing, you will spend more time doing unnecessary maneuvers, which lowers speed due to turning and also increases the time it takes to get places, because you're rarely taking a direct path. You'll also take fewer risks, because you can only guess how much of a risk you're taking at any given time.

Recon of any kind is just as valuable for telling you where enemies aren't, as well as where they are.