Originally Posted by Evo<^|SiNz|^>

Don't write me off. Did you even read my post? Lets just forget I said anything about the spawn raping thing, we all know that's generally unacceptable. I was just using it to frame the conversation. Aside from that, getting shot at spawn is just part of BF2, sometimes it just happens even when it's not a blatantly cheap situation like the one I described.

Like I said, this isn't about sour grapes. I just noticed this tactic and made me thing about what I would do if I found myself controlling an artillery unit, and what's considered acceptable. I just found it to be a bit weird that the mobile artillery was being used this way since it seemed exactly the opposite of what I'd consider the traditional role of artillery. Hell, it wasn't even that big of a deal to us as a squad (and yes, I think you were there Al). We tried 3 or 4 times to neutralize it various different ways, and nothing worked, so we just spawned at a flag to the rear. A single unit isn't worth that many lost tickets.

It's just something to talk about folks, I wanted to what peoples thoughts are. That's the point of these forums, right? We got a new toy, and there's a boatload of conversation on spotting/firing tactics so far, but nothing on zero degree frontline tactics. You may think "it's part of the game" or "war is cheap". It's funny, because there are a couple thousand pubs out there with the same mentality. Its these kinds of conversations that make TG different from all those. So please don't be so quick to discredit the entire thread because you think it's whining.

I wasn't attacking you personally and I'm sorry if I came off that way. You have every right to post your frustrations at the situation. I was simply responding to that post with my own thoughts, thus supporting the 'forum' environment. I'm not discrediting the thread, and I did read your entire post thoroughly.

I'm a bit sensitive to the subject of things being called cheap, as can be seen in other threads on this forum, so my reaction was partly due to that. I still stand by what I said though.

I disagree with the theme of your post, I don't find anything wrong with what the arty piece did. Alot of this, for me, has to do with the fact that we had every flag on the map, and he was just trying to get out of his UCB. It'd be different if he had driven the arty to our UCB, where we were backed up, and just launched point blank shells onto the road leading out.

Also, the fact that you could actually see the arty piece firing at you seems to be the point you're trying to make. I would have MUCH PREFERRED to be in that position than the alternative. Which is, for him to have stayed in his UCB raining down the exact same death without you even having the opportunity to fire an AT missle at him. I actually think this was not a very tactical move on his part.

I highly doubt the admins are going to make any rules against "0 degree frontline tactics" with the arty. Mostly because it really doesn't give you any sort of big advantage. If anything, you're better off staying back in your UCB where the relatively defenseless artillery piece can rain its death from afar.

Here's why:

1. Artillery is relatively slow, it would normally take a while to drive it to a contested flag (that isn't right outside of the UCB).

2. As mentioned above, the arty is a relatively easily killed piece. Drive outside of your UCB, why? No coaxial machine gun against infantry, you greatly up your risk of being attacked by air power, and your armor is pretty damn weak.

3. There is only one artillery piece per side, on a map. Destroying it means it's out of commission for a while (if the user attempts to drive it back up again). If he was thinking about the situation logically, he'd realize his weapon can reach 800m. Meaning, the whole time he spends driving around - he could have been firing helping out his team.

I think you just got caught in a bad situation caused by a new player to the artillery and the fact that you were so close to its spawn.