I use Viking. My dictator and viking have the same armor rating, and if you have to move fast, the Viking will at least outrun a Mammoth. How do you keep from getting head shot with that dictator? ;)

More disappointment on Monte Carlo: lost the third game after winning two in a row because: 1) another shaft user bumped me from my spot then either left or fell asleep 2) I was killed twice because I moved to where the Double Damage drops (I don't usually take it) because the enemy had DA on their Isidas (don't pop like they should when shot) -- two noobs decided they wanted the DD as I was being sniped by an enemy shaft 3) NO ONE was keeping the jumpers from just taking our flag - this is the major problem - I could do it, but then I would get potted in the butt when the enemy strolled over the low bridge. Despite the problems, I killed 40 (10 Isida), died 5 times. But the 30 minute battle was a 1-10 romp for the Blue. We need a "school for shaft" so the newbies learn what they need to do, to make it work for the team. Which Red team is playing better defense? http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/dfoofnik/media/different.jpg.html

After much ado, there *was* a problem found with Rio, but strangely it was only affecting one or two servers, as I pointed out in #440 above. Waiting for fix this coming week.

Umm... 1) didn't the game do that ALREADY...? 2) as opposed to just leaving the battle in the normal ways...? 3) HOW? Garage is *way up there* on the bar -- cancelling after you are already opening it (too slow!) would make sense Since this feature is widely promoted, did it need a popup to tell players what they already knew and expected? It is almost like the old Windows button "are you sure you want to do this?" 99% of the time, it will be "Yes, duh."

On the other hand, maybe you should look at that thing called Upgrading. There are 3.5 good reasons to drug: 1) you are so far from home that you just need one extra chance to survive (Repair) 2) the enemy is drugging DA so to have a chance, you use DD 3) respawn will cost you a flag (DA or DD worth the cost to win the battle) ...and...one player has killed you three times, and you just want to make a point -- you will be their rank one day ;-) I use NO MORE than 5 DA, always when I have just been killed so that I just get a shot before it happens again (with spawn killers, it's time to press Pause and wait for the end of the game)

Yeah, I used it in a "deathmatch" and it pretty much told everyone where I was before I could line up a target. On the other hand, shooting through keyholes (e.g. Monte Carlo) is pretty surprising to someone who thinks they are totally out of sight until they explode. :-P Everyone should play Shaft at least once so that they know where the danger zones are when they are just moving from place to place. (If I can see him, then someone may see me) -- some are so subtly exposed that they were probably designed before shaft came out. Go to the home flag point on Monte Carlo, look right and you can see the enemy overpass, BEHIND the wall : I have killed and been killed by this fluke.

Increasingly depressed by the quality of players on Monte Carlo, especially the other Shaft. They see me camped at the turn,and never fail to bump, jostle, or climb over me, especially when I am clearing the bridge or helping our guys get across for the flag. From the constant kills that I'm posting, the other shaft users think there must be easy pickings -- they will shove me out of the way or even off the field. When they get to the "great spot" and there are no easy shots for 30 seconds, most just wander off leaving the position unprotected. If they stay, they get shot or do a crappy job, costing everybody crystals. When I go on chat to tell them it is *vital* to our victory for me to be right where I am, not bumped, jumped, or recharged, I find that they don't even speak English...but are on the EN servers... :wacko:

New bug last three days: EN1 server, ONLY in the battle "Rio" response is uneven, lagged, slow, and jerky -- sometimes rebooting Flash helps, other times it will stop eventually. But it is ONLY this battle and ONLY this server where this is happening, regardless of time of day, number of players, server status, etc.

Yeah, I can never fire at less than 100% with the scope. A lot of my arcade shots are pretty weak, although the 99% arcade is set to the same damage as snipe. Here's another short Esplanade story: I was knocked on edge, left behind, when a flag stealer flees across the roof. His escort Isida drains me about 95% but gets potted, so the flag guy takes off. As he's running, I flip myself over, pivot and fire just as he reaches the far steps. I doubt he ever knew that the guy he left for dead was his killer. We won by 1 flag (actually, I played both teams as Red and each time my side won by 1 flag).

>> I do not think this problem of tanks annoying other tanks by climbing on other tanks happens that often Happens to me EVERY DAY in either Monte Carlo or Esplanade: 1) go to Esplanade by joining a team that is either way ahead or hopelessly lost 2) climb the steps to the parapet and look out of the open sniper hole 3) wait for someone to push you or climb on top of you Monte Carlo: Teammates who are little brats like to push shaft users off while they can't drive their tanks.

>> Why can't all tanks have self righting mechanisms - even if it takes 10 seconds? Self-destruct that takes 10 seconds? Why? You can't stop it, and a self-righting that lets you stay where you are would be great, rather than 10 seconds for destruct, 5 to 10 seconds for respawn, and another 15 to 20 seconds to get back to where you were when you got accidentally flipped. This needs its own thread in ideas and suggestions!

Monte Carlo : snipe vs shoot-and-hope Railgun with auto aim is only limited by its up/down, but it can be pitched up for a shot. I can always tell a railgun trying to get elevation when I pot him with shaft. It's like "if I can rock back at the right time" but few have mastered it on demand. I have my shaft set for "minimum impact" in case I hit a friendly, so you won't see me flipping anybody even with a "head shot." I get the impression that a friendly feels a sledge hammer from an enemy shaft, but from me it's like getting knocked sideways with a pillow. :huh:

delete

Player: ARES0000 (big pink dictator) pushes, shoots other teammates in several battles How did he get to be a CAPTAIN? Or is he using a family member's account? You obviously would have no chance to win with him disrupting every phase of the battle. NONE of the other team players stayed in the battles on EN-3. Time and place: Monte Carlo *** you may have SEVERAL reports about this same player *** UTC1530 Jan 29, 2015 Video at : delete

What irks me is that I shoot somebody three times with shaft, and he's NOT a brigadier with 300 armor. Then I drug with DD and "poof" he's a soap bubble. I think at some point they give shaft arcade damage even when you are sighting.

Second screenshot -- http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/dfoofnik/media/wiki2013/DebacleInRio.jpg.html Even allowing for a player or two who left / joined, and some self-destructs, the "destroyed" total for Blue (360) is 143 less (28%) than the "lost" total (503) for Red!

I went into a Monte Carlo that had been "given up" by its team, there were *no Red players* except me. The game counted my 8 "deaths" but gave me no credit for my one lucky kill with 2 minutes left. See the 5 points I received? Is this a known problem not showing Destroyed credit? In the past I just dismissed it as "someone else shot some of them at the same time..."

Which more than compensates for its infinite distance and substantial killing power. You forgot that even with arcade, a shaft can be eaten alive by fire, ice, or blood-sucking Isidas, because you can't get a second shot off. There are no noob turrets, only noob players. Shaft is just an equalizer at long distance, not a close range weapon except in Esplanade. ;)

It did seem kind of impotent when you couldn't aim over as fast as someone jumped out. I am VERY used to it now and appreciative.

Other than railguns, what would you use on Monte Carlo when you are barely within Thunder range? (except for the fools who wander close enough to get hammered). You can have a Smoky if your guys command the field :-) It is a railgun paradise with the auto-aim, but Shaft is needed for the angle shots and looking WAY up or down, e.g. an enemy on your back rank who is backstabbing you. Here's a story of how shaft vs shaft worked: two enemy gunners on the back (lower) spawn area are cross-firing at anything that threatens their guys crossing the low bridge. But then two shafts take up positions at their end of the bridge, and the tables turn. Now the snipes become the prey, along with anybody who tries to cross. The only thing better than a talented flag-jumper is to control that low bridge between home grounds.

I use Wasp, Hornet, and preferably Viking, depending on the turret and the battle needs. Occasionally you need a Titan. We were on Monte Carlo being cross-sniped to death, down 3-0. When a Titan appeared at one end, and I changed to my Titan on the end near the flag, and one other shaft player as well. With these shafts and a friendly little Isida, we wiped the enemy off the top rows. It was a thing of beauty when we had three Titans blasting the enemy flag watchers. Then some jumpers went over and we won 6-3. The only thing a Titan really has over a Viking is the ability to take that extra bit of punishment while waiting for the medic. BTW, the fastest way to move your Titan on MonteCarlo is to respawn! ;)

ANOTHER experience with the symbiotic role of Isida, admittedly on a lopsided battle. I teetered atop the jump ramp with an undrugged Thunder Viking and a little medic getting the XP behind me. I killed 3 railguns and 4 shafts at the enemy flag before the battle ended.

I call them "little vampires" and it is so annoying when you are getting somewhere and one sucks your blood from out of your line of sight. Also, you HAVE to target them first if they are helping a powerful gun stay alive (my Twins on Polygon lasted forever with an Isida feeding me health from the little cave). Otherwise, you do +50% damage on a guy you have to get past, and the little medic puts him back to full, to kill you off! I shoot the big guy once and the Isida twice!

What you say! I have used miniguns/gatling guns on other tank games. It depends on how powerful it is and what its continuous firing limits are. If Twins had a reload wait, I would never have bought it. In one game, there is a fast cooldown on the barrels so you can fire for 10-15 seconds cyclic and then have to slow down but still an effective rate.

The one advantage to twins is not having to wait to shoot. The disadvantage is less damage done. But on a recent game in Rio, one change (a shaft to twins) swung the score. The other team had no answer. It was 11-5, then faded to 13-13, then with the one change, it went to 27-14 in 10 minutes. Twins works well with a Hornet or Viking so that it can take some punishment without needing "drugs" (double armor, double damage). The only real value to using Repair is if you want to stay exactly where you are and there is no Isida to come to your aid.