Lately, in the higher tier arcade games I’ve suffered an inordinate number of deaths, by teammates, by the random use of smoke in arcade games…
I have had instance lately where an enemy pumped smoke and I was unable to kill him because I was unable to use the reticule to find a pen spot and he eventually killed me… so I’m not against it as a tactic in legit circumstances (even when I’m the one being killed) but it is when it is used as a knee jerk reaction to damage when other team mates are in the vicinity…
To give a few examples… Imagine there are 4 teammates closely grouped (around a capture point for instance) and 1 teammate gets a damaged track… Instead of relying on the collective firepower of 4 working guns, he pumps out smoke that makes the whole group blind. In this situation we cannot see the enemy and defend ourselves but conversely the enemy can see where we are gathered and we get pumped mercilessly by enemies firing into the smoke cloud…
This blinding smoke cloud also allows the enemy to advance on us into more strategic and lethal positions without us seeing or being able to counter…
I actually removed smoke grenades from all my vehicles because when they are hit by the enemy they explode into an unwanted smoke cloud an I am unable to defend myself…
I can see how this tactic may work better in REALISTIC battles but in arcade everyone has the markers showing where we are…
Another “FUN” behaviour is when, during the start spawn in a new game, players use the ESS smoke from behind their moving vehicle (or let off their whole supply of smoke grenades) from the get go when the whole team is trying to get into their chosen strategic positions…
The whole team is blinded and delays getting into positions by minutes which is enough to allow the enemy to be lying in wait already defensively positioned…
My position is that if you still have a working turret with a working gun then that gives you a better chance to protect yourself than pumping smoke randomly…???
I could use some player feedback on the use of smoke protection in arcade battles that you have experienced and do you REALLY give it that much thought when employing it…???..
Thanks
JDDFIFE