Let's Discuss Shaft!

[Benefactor 6,888]

How does one train their reaction time if the shaft kills you before the laser even comes up? What if they hide it like any skilled shaft? 

I wouldn't bother. It can now kill a medium hull of the same level. I will always assume they will drug DD, so just run for cover and take it.

[katgra 7]

 

"....but now, with those decreased up-down angles, this shaft weapon is a totally crap, you cant use it except for flat and long maps, we can say bye-bye to maps that we loved to play with shaft, etc....."

 

Well, first of all it is UNFAIR. I explain. One can say that shafts should adopt this change because all other weapons has to move up or down to get an enemy. However this is not correct since other weapons can use the accelaration or the stop to snipe up or down because they move. Shaft has to STOP in order to shoot. So it is unable to reply to a (say railgun or thunder) that shoots from an upper level.

 

I count a couple unfair changes against shaft:

1.inability to shoot behind a teammate or through an enemy with double kill (which for railgun remains)

2.reduce up-down move (which for vulcan is very wide in abnormal way from the point of experience of a real machine gun)

Devs had not reason any of these changes.

 

I do not care about laser. A experienced shaft can hide it and in cases of quick/arcade shots it doesn't matter.

 

A general point about tactics: charging in advance is a double blade knife. You can have a powerful shot but you can also loose your target or even worse be killed by surprise. Comrade shafts, do not underestimate the enemies mind. They will not go where you want.

[DESTRUKCO 51]

"Just use health"? Simple as that?

- Health kits are temporary. You can re-charge shaft again before another RK can be used.

- Many tankers like no-supply battles so using an RK not an option

- Dying one second after spawning is ridiculous.

 

I doubt many (any?) tankers were laughing when 1 shot took away 80% of their health. The next tickle destroys them.

By the time you are able to charge another shaft shot the person is long gone or has killed you. Shaft before had to wait 9 seconds before unleashing another fully charged shot which is plenty of time for the opponent to kill you or run away.

 

The increase of the sniping damage devalues the medium hulls power. I think we can both agree that mediums are pretty much the best hulls overall. They are a good mix of armor and mobility. I own a account with m2 wasp, hunter, and mammoth. I almost exclusively use hunter unless its a polygon cp or a really big map.

 

Point is, medium hulls were very common and light and heavy hulls were much rarer. Now there is actually more of a purpose to use a light hull to avoid the shaft shot with speed or take the shot with the high health of a heavy.

 

As for the laughing part, in test server, whenever I saw a shaft laser i just tanked it pressed health and annihilated the shafter. I didn't laugh out loud of course, just in my head. I knew that any turret can easily beat a shaft at close or medium range provided that they are mounted on a medium hull. The only one that I can think of that would have trouble would be a railgun. I just assumed that most people thought the same way that I did.

 

In no supply battles don't forget that a shafter has to charge up for whole 4 seconds which is plenty of time to get into cover unless you are in a wide open space. I have had instances when I was able to land a almost fully charged shot before they slipped around a corner, which did not kill the medium hull.

 

I can't really say anything about being spawn-killed, since I avoid team games. I don't like the probability of not earning 1 crystal per experience point earned that comes with a team battle.

 

A sniper should be feared on some level. I feel like any fear of a sniper was almost non-existent unless they were in a light hull. 

 

Edit:

 

Couldn't you just get protection against shaft if you seem to hate it so much? I know that a viking needs protection from railgun, hammer, and thunder the most, but if shaft is such a bug threat to you then why not get protection against it?

Edited March 1, 2017 by DESTRUKCO

[lVlr.Destroyer 10]

I have m4 shaft and the alts, i can either fire 3000 damage at 4 seconds, or 3900 at 8 seconds, the alteration is such a letdown since they made the base damage more OP, tbh i loved shaft before this patch update on it, i could 1 shot m4 mediums in 6 seconds and was worth it, i should be happy since they made it stronger, but i like to use the alt and an additional 4 second for 900 damage, where in 2 arcades i could hit more in that time, they need to rework the 100k alt or revert these stats a bit

[Desty 275]

Am I only one who does not care about that decreased angle update that much? Out of interest, on which maps(expect madness, I guess? never liked that map), it actually changes things? 

 

+1 on that 3k damage! Never enjoyed more 1 hitting M4 vikings. 

 

I'll shoot some video soon about being mobile viking/shafter. I been loving this turret so much with viking - multi functional. Camp if you need, get flags and 1 hit those flag carriers even when they use health.

[DESTRUKCO 51]

Am I only one who does not care about that decreased angle update that much? Out of interest, on which maps(expect madness, I guess? never liked that map), it actually changes things? 

 

I don't really care too much about it except when I'm on a ledge in polygon and trying to shoot down or when I am on the ground and trying to shoot someone on a ledge.

[Benefactor 6,888]

Am I only one who does not care about that decreased angle update that much? Out of interest, on which maps(expect madness, I guess? never liked that map), it actually changes things? 

 

+1 on that 3k damage! Never enjoyed more 1 hitting M4 vikings. 

 

I'll shoot some video soon about being mobile viking/shafter. I been loving this turret so much with viking - multi functional. Camp if you need, get flags and 1 hit those flag carriers even when they use health.

It sucks. I cannot reach the high point of the rooftop from the beach in Rio anymore.

[Desty 275]

It sucks. I cannot reach the high point of the rooftop from the beach in Rio anymore.

What you taking about?

 

 

From both locations you can shoot roof.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Desty

[Benefactor 6,888]

I used to be on the flat grass part near the wall and able to reach the roof.

[Desty 275]

Polygon:

 

This the line you do not want to cross when shooting:

 

This took probably half hour of practise to get it right every time:

 

Also, quick arcade/snipe location, which I find very useful:

 

Perfect location for shooting every Poly shafter should know:

[DESTRUKCO 51]

 

 

 

This took probably half hour of practise to get it right every time:

 

 

 

 

Does this move work with mammoth?

[bwana 16]

it does if you are playing n a team battle and using nitro to build up speed, you have to use a team-mate to help you up though. It kind of relies on a glitch in the game, so it doesn't work reliably. Good advice for medium-light hulls

[enri_chill 265]

"Just use health"? Simple as that?

- Health kits are temporary. You can re-charge shaft again before another RK can be used.

- Many tankers like no-supply battles so using an RK not an option

- Dying one second after spawning is ridiculous.

 

I doubt many (any?) tankers were laughing when 1 shot took away 80% of their health. The next tickle destroys them.

The camping out on spawn points is an issue for almost every turret. Too often one team overruns the base of the other team and you spawn where an m3+ firebird roasts you before you can do anything at all...or an M3 thunder on DD does the same. Truly, having played fairly extensively with all the medium turrets I don't thing the shafts are OP with the buff (post-arcade shot being reduced over distance). I loved the buff at first with the arcade shot smacking 600+ points of damage across the entire board. Now, it is much more difficult once an enemy is midrange or closer.

[LittleWillie 3,199]

The camping out on spawn points is an issue for almost every turret. Too often one team overruns the base of the other team and you spawn where an m3+ firebird roasts you before you can do anything at all...or an M3 thunder on DD does the same. Truly, having played fairly extensively with all the medium turrets I don't thing the shafts are OP with the buff (post-arcade shot being reduced over distance). I loved the buff at first with the arcade shot smacking 600+ points of damage across the entire board. Now, it is much more difficult once an enemy is midrange or closer.

There's two types of spawn camping:

 

1) The type you mention here where one team is getting its ass kicked. Those games are usually (not always) lost causes anyway.

 

2) I use Siege for a prime example. Siege is a huge map yet one team has all their spawn points in one tiny spot. A Shaft a mile awy can cover that plateau and zap spawns the instant they solidify. This is not fun nor does it reflect skill. It reflects poor design is all.

 

(I really really hate Siege. The odds of a fair close fun battle on the map are slim. The odds of being camped high. Why the spwn sites are not spread out on such a large map is a mystery.)

[Desty 275]

I loved the buff at first with the arcade shot smacking 600+ points of damage across the entire board. Now, it is much more difficult once an enemy is midrange or closer.

 

Was playing Serp yesterday, m4 shaft, DD and long distance shot did 134 damage! The guy had 46 against shaft and probably DA, but still, that is the lowest number I ever seen. I do agree with devs, shaft needed arcade nerf over distance(that thing with alternator was just crucial. I actually had quite many matches in Poly DM, when people left asap when they saw me), but I still think they should give back ability for multiple kills. I so miss that.

[Amagi 1,728]

Just 20k more XP so I can get 1340 Double powers and rain fire upon the earth.  B)

[wolverine848 13,097]

The camping out on spawn points is an issue for almost every turret. Too often one team overruns the base of the other team and you spawn where an m3+ firebird roasts you before you can do anything at all...or an M3 thunder on DD does the same. Truly, having played fairly extensively with all the medium turrets I don't thing the shafts are OP with the buff (post-arcade shot being reduced over distance). I loved the buff at first with the arcade shot smacking 600+ points of damage across the entire board. Now, it is much more difficult once an enemy is midrange or closer.

What you are speaking of is an imbalance of teams, enabling camping within the base. Different (and frustrating) situation.

 

In contrast a shaft does not need to visit opponents base to spawn-kill them. Can do so safely from behind a bush in their own base.

M3 Thunder.... it's going to be doing a lot less damage. Even with DD at close range it would take 2 shots to kill a medium.

[enri_chill 265]

There's two types of spawn camping:

 

1) The type you mention here where one team is getting its ass kicked. Those games are usually (not always) lost causes anyway.

 

2) I use Siege for a prime example. Siege is a huge map yet one team has all their spawn points in one tiny spot. A Shaft a mile awy can cover that plateau and zap spawns the instant they solidify. This is not fun nor does it reflect skill. It reflects poor design is all.

 

(I really really hate Siege. The odds of a fair close fun battle on the map are slim. The odds of being camped high. Why the spwn sites are not spread out on such a large map is a mystery.)

I confess I haven't played that board (that I remember). I have boards I play shaft on (Kolhoz, Highways, Brest, etc.) and boards that I use thunder/smoky.

 

You are totally right about the "lost cause." I hate that. I have joined too many of them and instantly get out now. No need to waste anyone else's time;)

[AliceTreatPU 92]

They say shaft is noob turret, and twin and hammer is pro

[r_I_already_won0 2,339]

They say shaft is noob turret, and twin and hammer is pro

"They" are noobs.

[Amagi 1,728]

Out-killed massive drugging Hammers during a DM  B)

 

 

 

 

[enri_chill 265]

Out-killed massive drugging Hammers during a DM  B)

 

 

 

 

Wow, you certainly dominated...I'm obviously nowhere near your skills with the shaft (or any turret for that matter). Congrats!

[DieselPlatinum 5,121]

Was playing Serp yesterday, m4 shaft, DD and long distance shot did 134 damage! The guy had 46 against shaft and probably DA, but still, that is the lowest number I ever seen. I do agree with devs, shaft needed arcade nerf over distance(that thing with alternator was just crucial. I actually had quite many matches in Poly DM, when people left asap when they saw me), but I still think they should give back ability for multiple kills. I so miss that.

 

How about NO? :mellow:

[DieselPlatinum 5,121]

"They" are noobs.

Well, they don't like getting rext by a shaft so easily :P

Edited March 7, 2017 by DieselPlatinum

[Desty 275]

Still OP as hell in DM.

 

https://www.screencast.com/t/WkeM1RidN3

 

I so love 1 hitting m4 Vikings! Best update ever.