Ship battles far too swingy
January 11, 2017 5:19PM
edited January 2017
It's something I've been having an issue with for a while, but today I finally got the perfect case to illustrate it.
I battled someone with a very similar team to my own (fleet power about the same, very similar ships, slightly different allocation of credits, but overall very similar):
Home One flagship
Biggs
Wedge
Vader TIE
Ahsoka
JC
We used slightly different reinforcements (he used regular tie fighter, clone sargeant and GS, I use Sun Fac, Bistan and GS), but they are hardly even important to the illustration.
First battle he got a very early target lock on me (his Biggs went first and critted). He also took out my Vader before it got a turn, and from there on I got roflstomped. After about 4 rounds I finally managed to take out his Biggs (which kept regaining taunt, and got shield/health regens from H1 and JC), but not before Ahsoka and my own Biggs were dead. That was pretty much GG.
Second battle, he didn't get an early target lock and I did. My Biggs critted and I got the early target lock. I roflstomped his Vader and his Ahsoka soon followed. From there I just kept my own Biggs alive and taunting, and played my way to a flawless victory.
The entire battle turned upon who got an early target lock, which with most toons, including Biggs, is complete RNG (especially given the added problem of his taunt randomly bugging out). There is no skill, and no fun. And more often than not, battles are simply decided this way. At least in squad battles you can complain that it's all about speed, but there's a clear something you can look at and try to adjust around. Ships have no versatility (there aren't enough ships to tailor your lineup to deal with a specific tactic) and are entirely RNG based (unless you completely outclass your opponent, or vice versa). It's just plain silly.
I battled someone with a very similar team to my own (fleet power about the same, very similar ships, slightly different allocation of credits, but overall very similar):
Home One flagship
Biggs
Wedge
Vader TIE
Ahsoka
JC
We used slightly different reinforcements (he used regular tie fighter, clone sargeant and GS, I use Sun Fac, Bistan and GS), but they are hardly even important to the illustration.
First battle he got a very early target lock on me (his Biggs went first and critted). He also took out my Vader before it got a turn, and from there on I got roflstomped. After about 4 rounds I finally managed to take out his Biggs (which kept regaining taunt, and got shield/health regens from H1 and JC), but not before Ahsoka and my own Biggs were dead. That was pretty much GG.
Second battle, he didn't get an early target lock and I did. My Biggs critted and I got the early target lock. I roflstomped his Vader and his Ahsoka soon followed. From there I just kept my own Biggs alive and taunting, and played my way to a flawless victory.
The entire battle turned upon who got an early target lock, which with most toons, including Biggs, is complete RNG (especially given the added problem of his taunt randomly bugging out). There is no skill, and no fun. And more often than not, battles are simply decided this way. At least in squad battles you can complain that it's all about speed, but there's a clear something you can look at and try to adjust around. Ships have no versatility (there aren't enough ships to tailor your lineup to deal with a specific tactic) and are entirely RNG based (unless you completely outclass your opponent, or vice versa). It's just plain silly.
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Replies
With Mace/Endurance and Plo Kloon you can Taunt Dance - which is effective - but not if they get a few good Target locks and outright kill a ship. I won a little better when switched to Mace, but I still fare better if I Auto the battle.
There are a few opponents I go against in arena in which the whole match is decided if my sun fac counters or not with an initial AOE.
Or if palp blocks X or not... etc.
In ships I go against a team with FOTP and Biggs... if his biggs get taunt game over... I win if not.
Vader tie will keep reappling target lock and then biggs keeps gaining taunt
Vader tie also reduces all the tenacity of the opponets making it easier to apply target lock.
This is the reason I focus on killing vader tie firs.
1.) A high level / power tie fighter is almost necessary. Mine always goes first and instead of using his basic, I use his special - it's a guranteed foresight and helps keep him alive a little longer.
2.) Take out Plo first, then JC, then Ahsoka otherwise you'll be chasing a taunt through the whole match.
3.) If you can keep taking ships out, you'll force the AI opponent to use his reinforcements instead of it's specials.
4.) Home One squads are so much easier to take down than Endurance squads - at least in my experience.
Ahsoka, 5's, Vader can all dispel, for 5's and vader to work they opponent must be target locked.
This is definitely true, but of course the reason my Vader got killed and his didn't (and vice versa in the second battle) is because RNG target locks caused Biggs taunts and dispellers are too late and there's no way to no mods for speed.
Maybe having my tie fighters up to snuff would help, but between Biggs himself, Vader and reinforcement Bistan I don't really have an issue applying target lock. My problem is with the swinginess.
I disagree that it's so pronounced in squad arenas. I absolutely sometimes have the feeling that I lost to bad RNG, or won due to good luck, but the battle is usually close, and it just happens to be fortuitous targeting or a lucky crit that swings a close battle one way or the other. Haven't seen squad arena go to flawless victory one way or the other due to RNG (unless you count rolling good mods as RNG too
Hint unless your really fortunate to have vader as strong or stronger than the most part of your crew have him as 1st reserve. And have an assist caller as your alternate 1st reserve. As no good calling vader in when biggs is low on health.