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Old 09-27-2022, 02:34 PM   #11
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Default Re: Wall tanking

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Originally Posted by Parody View Post
I'd also add that wall crawlers have been a common arena design for the entire time I've played Car Wars, going back to the 80s. If you were to kickban everyone who tries that design style you'd run out of players pretty quickly.
It was a byproduct of the "updated" Target Speed Modifier rules -- the two best methods for minimizing speed mods were "fighter jet" [Front-to-Back, and vice versa], and "broadside" [Left-to-Right, and vice versa]; trying to shoot F-mount weapons at L or R meant taking the full speed mod, whereas the two mentioned previously tended to be as near 0 as made no odds.

As to "perfect strategies": That's where die rolls come in. I still remember the NOVA event where someone ran up to my cat with an ATG, fired, hit -- and rolled three "1"s for damage.

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Old 09-27-2022, 04:13 PM   #12
Tom H.
 
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Default Re: Wall tanking

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Originally Posted by Aleph View Post
If it's a problem that comes up often, and you want to discourage the tactic in general, then you could do it with arena design.
I like the arena design solution.

Here is my twist:
Have the design motivate vehicle movement.

For example, there could be a point system that rewards capturing "flags" or bypassing checkpoints.

Other less contrived but less effective ideas:

a. Require distinct arena entrances and exits forcing vehicles to eventually cross unsafe territory.

b. Maybe there could be a "timer" that disqualifies a contestant that shelters too long or avoids combat too much.
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Old 09-28-2022, 08:51 AM   #13
Sam Mitschke
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Default Re: Wall tanking

I don't believe it's a problem that needs solving. He came in dead last in a 4-player game. It's not a particularly effective strategy in 6e — just a boring one — and y'all DID counter it.

I would get in his way and make him either turn away or ram my car. If he tried this tactic over multiple games, I would equip a large rear gun and drive in front of him. He'd have to either commit fully and keep taking shots in his nose, or turn away from the wall and expose his weak side.
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Old 09-28-2022, 10:30 AM   #14
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Default Re: Wall tanking

There are a couple of variations on the wall hugger. One is to sit in the corner. The other is a moving one that keeps one face to the wall.

For the corner guy:

Use foam and smart positioning of your vehicle on your last move to minimize his effectiveness (let your gunner lay down an offensive strike before dropping the foam).

Actually, foam and smoke are extremely disruptive to wall huggers - they provide free shields and give the ability to maneuver around so that a different side is facing him when your vehicle is exposed.

Collisions will strip off armor and structure fast, if you're willing to pay the price. It's always good to sweeten the pot with some bumper spikes or a well-placed mine to push them onto. The advantage of being the moving vs. non-moving vehicle is that you can try to use different sides for the collision to spread the damage around.

The moving vehicle that keeps one face against a wall is a nuisance. One that a few well-placed dropped weapons can solve.

Another option is collisions. The key thing here is to try to push their vehicle so it faces a wall but doesn't hit it. You want them in a position where there isn't enough room (less than a car length) to avoid the wall without stopping and a slide will, at best, only delay things. This way he hits the wall without you getting hurt again.

Tire shredding may seem counterintuitive general counter against a wall hugger. But if you've got a fire weapon as well (or even better, using incendiary machines guns), properly shredded tires can make fires very tough to put out, as there are strong odds that the other player doesn't have much in the way of extra control tokens to extinguish the fire(s).

Ultimately the game is one of positioning. A player who is good at positioning their vehicle relative to the others will generally have the advantage. And a car that hugs a wall or hides in a corner will lose in this.
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Old 09-28-2022, 11:59 AM   #15
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Default Re: Wall tanking

Wall hugging makes your position and facing predictable.

Having your position and facing predictable makes you dead.
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Old 09-28-2022, 12:51 PM   #16
Aleph
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Default Re: Wall tanking

Sitting (being stationary) in the corner is a bad idea. Zero speed means zero speed dice for defense rolls.
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Old 09-28-2022, 04:15 PM   #17
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Default Re: Wall tanking

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Originally Posted by Sam Mitschke View Post
I don't believe it's a problem that needs solving. He came in dead last in a 4-player game. It's not a particularly effective strategy in 6e — just a boring one — and y'all DID counter it.

I would get in his way and make him either turn away or ram my car. If he tried this tactic over multiple games, I would equip a large rear gun and drive in front of him. He'd have to either commit fully and keep taking shots in his nose, or turn away from the wall and expose his weak side.
Actually, he was third, and he and the last two opponents all had 2 or less durability on the PP. So different dice rolls in the last round and things could have gone quite differently. He also had a roll cage so wasn't particularly worried about collisions.

But I will take all the advice from everyone to heart. Thanks.
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Old 09-28-2022, 04:41 PM   #18
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Default Re: Wall tanking

I prefer Magesmiley's options -- "ganging up" isn't a reliable option.

I know in OG CW, the counter to "circle-strafers" involved using dropped weapons to force him away from the wall, then coming around to take shots at his weak side when he did have to turn away. (Magesmiley's comments on Positioning enters here.)
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