What Am I Missing?
This popped-up in a different thread, where it was off-topic. Someone just took a side-swipe at the poor, helpless ballista. A response there would have also been off-topic, so:
Of course ballistae have limits, even the stupid limit of targeting their owners.* All that does is limit their original use to free-fire zones, which you can designate with traps, Dvergr stakes and other impedements to movement. Don't go where the traps are, and you won't get targeted by your ballistae.
Now, you can also give them your most dangerous potential attackers as a target, but if you put valuable buildings in front of them, they can miss the enemy and hit the building. Stupid ballistae!
Maybe I'm guilty of straw-manning, but I can't see what's up beyond an objection to having to take some time and effort to figure out how to integrate less-than-invincible weapons into an effective over-all defense.
*As if the Dvergr would sell us their best.
Of course ballistae have limits, even the stupid limit of targeting their owners.* All that does is limit their original use to free-fire zones, which you can designate with traps, Dvergr stakes and other impedements to movement. Don't go where the traps are, and you won't get targeted by your ballistae.
Now, you can also give them your most dangerous potential attackers as a target, but if you put valuable buildings in front of them, they can miss the enemy and hit the building. Stupid ballistae!
Maybe I'm guilty of straw-manning, but I can't see what's up beyond an objection to having to take some time and effort to figure out how to integrate less-than-invincible weapons into an effective over-all defense.
*As if the Dvergr would sell us their best.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
Polonius Ulf replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 5:01:40 am PST
Skills aren't innate, they're honed.
How is this a SKILL issue if you imply that users don't know about certain mechanic thus don't use it?
Valheim provides many ways to learn in-game, but maybe there could be more.
I'm not saying the devs should die a little every time a player googles the answer. There are google-first players, after-all. (Hey, it's a style)
Meanwhile, we need stuff to spend gold on. Maybe "Helpful Hints from Haldor?"
9:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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FissionChips replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 10:48:54 am PST
We need some stones with Ulf telling us how to use ballistas.Skills aren't innate, they're honed.
Valheim provides many ways to learn in-game, but maybe there could be more.
I'm not saying the devs should die a little every time a player googles the answer. There are google-first players, after-all. (Hey, it's a style)
Meanwhile, we need stuff to spend gold on. Maybe "Helpful Hints from Haldor?"
9:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Rhapsody replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 11:14:26 am PST
We need some stones with Ulf telling us how to use ballistas.
This stone was carved by Ulf to let other travelers know to not stand too close to devises of Dvergr. He did not understand a bow could move and fire on its own and now needs to find a new shield.
9:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Gregomoto replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 11:22:46 am PST
I‘ve targeted my ballistas equally to ticks/seekers/soldiers and gjalls. The other mobs are no issue at all.
9:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Polonius Ulf replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 11:47:42 am PST
We need some stones with Ulf telling us how to use ballistas.
This stone was carved by Ulf to let other travelers know to not stand too close to devises of Dvergr. He did not understand a bow could move and fire on its own and now needs to find a new shield.
9:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Facewound replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 1:50:42 am PST
Ya'll using Ballistas wrong. They're supposed to be used in conjunction with other defenses, namely Pointed Stakes (Dvergr or normal)
These objects draw enemy aggro to them, if you put a Ballista in line of sight, you have a very easy kill corridor.
As usual, a mechanic people think is worthless is, in fact, just a user skill issue.
How is this a SKILL issue if you imply that users don't know about certain mechanic thus don't use it?
12:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Rhapsody replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 2:06:53 am PST
How is this a SKILL issue if you imply that users don't know about certain mechanic thus don't use it?
You mean not knowing about certain objects being high priority for enemies? You can find that out by reading patch notes, the wiki, forums, or just by experimenting in the game. Yet another reason why players should trust not only on dirt walls.
Nobody begins the game or anything else with some magic secret information of course. But it is possible to actually research and experiment with things instead of immediately complain about their apparent uselessness. Or even just ask how things work.
12:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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FissionChips replied to What Am I Missing? February 22, 2023 @ 2:45:49 am PST
Skills aren't innate, they're honed.Ya'll using Ballistas wrong. They're supposed to be used in conjunction with other defenses, namely Pointed Stakes (Dvergr or normal)
These objects draw enemy aggro to them, if you put a Ballista in line of sight, you have a very easy kill corridor.
As usual, a mechanic people think is worthless is, in fact, just a user skill issue.
How is this a SKILL issue if you imply that users don't know about certain mechanic thus don't use it?
12:13 pm, February 22, 2023
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Rhapsody replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 1:49:47 pm PST
Smol update: Spooked hares will escape ballista shots, not sure about unalarmed ones.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936938251
Clockwise from left: Gjall, soldier, hare, seeker.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936938676
It's fiiine. Placing one at the end of the stairs to citadel is pretty good position for targeting fliers.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936938251
Clockwise from left: Gjall, soldier, hare, seeker.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936938676
It's fiiine. Placing one at the end of the stairs to citadel is pretty good position for targeting fliers.
12:13 am, February 22, 2023
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Hobo Misanthropus replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 1:53:54 pm PST
Ya'll using Ballistas wrong. They're supposed to be used in conjunction with other defenses, namely Pointed Stakes (Dvergr or normal)
These objects draw enemy aggro to them, if you put a Ballista in line of sight, you have a very easy kill corridor.
As usual, a mechanic people think is worthless is, in fact, just a user skill issue.
These objects draw enemy aggro to them, if you put a Ballista in line of sight, you have a very easy kill corridor.
As usual, a mechanic people think is worthless is, in fact, just a user skill issue.
12:13 am, February 22, 2023
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Dwarflord replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 10:33:43 am PST
A Ballista can't even hit the only things I need them to hit...fliers. Best defense against everything else is location...a raised island lined with player base items.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
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Faceplant8 replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 10:41:32 am PST
A Ballista can't even hit the only things I need them to hit...fliers. Best defense against everything else is location...a raised island lined with player base items.
What are you trying to hit with them? They can hit Gjall, although they do miss sometimes, which is odd, since Gjall are huge and, and the ballista is pretty short range. Of course, they're not going to hit bats. I don't know about Drake, but Drake shouldn't be a problem unless you're in the mountains.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
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Polonius Ulf replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 10:47:46 am PST
A Ballista can't even hit the only things I need them to hit...fliers. Best defense against everything else is location...a raised island lined with player base items.
That's one I didn't think-of, though I've noticed they don't hit me when I'm in motion. (So, if you need to work in front of free-firing ballistae, just don't stand still? Should work, mostly)
Wouldn't you also like them to hit the seeker soldiers? The fliers aren't as dangerous, it seems to me. A tactic I want to try is to get a seeker soldier facing me with its rear toward a ballista. Of course, if the bolt misses, the player is also in the line of fire. But that's my idea of fun.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
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jonnin replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 11:15:42 am PST
I don't even care if they hit anything. All enemy, no matter how stupid, mostly avoid their cone of fire. This is useful to me for defense. This is the main reason that I have them installed.
They don't hit things well, so bait (like a workbench) or water (make them swim) or similar tricks to get the enemy to stand still is needed for anything not already gigantic and slow. Conversely, agitated enemy run faster and are unhittable. Lighting fires under grey dwarves is not the way to hit them.
They don't hit things well, so bait (like a workbench) or water (make them swim) or similar tricks to get the enemy to stand still is needed for anything not already gigantic and slow. Conversely, agitated enemy run faster and are unhittable. Lighting fires under grey dwarves is not the way to hit them.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
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Rhapsody replied to What Am I Missing? February 21, 2023 @ 11:16:23 am PST
Wouldn't you also like them to hit the seeker soldiers? The fliers aren't as dangerous, it seems to me. A tactic I want to try is to get a seeker soldier facing me with its rear toward a ballista. Of course, if the bolt misses, the player is also in the line of fire. But that's my idea of fun.
Sure, if you're in mistlands. In fact, ballista missiles vs. seeker soldier's bouncy backside is probably the best value you can get out of them. But soldiers won't spawn outside of mistlands.
So, as always, it really depends on circumstances how much use you will find for them.
Meadows base: Seekers spawning at night
Forest: Trolls, obviously, and nightly seekers. Wooden missiles should suffice.
Swamp: Maybe wraiths. Wooden missiles.
Mountains: Drakes, with wood.
Plains: This is where things get a bit tricky. I've never had a base of my own in plains so I can't really comment on that... High-level nightly fulings are probably the worst threat in the biome. You'll need black metal missile to stagger 1* fulings, but 2* cannot be staggered by ballista for now.
Mistlands: Wooden missiles for hares, black metal for the hostile ones. And maybe dvergr if you're particularly cranky neighbor.
9:13 pm, February 21, 2023
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