Am I the only person who doesn't use Priority Target?

[_HMS_RICHY]

So I have been playing this game for a long while now and noticed people mix there builds up a bit. But one thing I notice is, everyone seems to pick this skill.

But it seems I am the only one not to use it on any of my ships.

Here's why.

If I play dd, then the second I get spotted on a flank I just assume everyone and there grandma will shoot me. At least in the first 5 or so minutes. And often way past that point as well.

If I play bb on a flank. Then yet again since I usually push, I assume those who can shoot will and act accordingly, angling slow down ect. Plus I also have time to watch their guns move and shell trajectory generally indicating if I am there target or not. And yes people do use this skill on bbs.

The only class that I can see that benefits the most are cruisers, but if you stick to a flank then you can limit the guns on you.as well as angling as a given.

So do I really need this 1 point skill?.

I see this as a waste of a captain point, but maybe I am alone.

 

[ColonelPete]

I do not use on most DD.

On other ships it is useful.

 

There is a difference between "I am spotted, better angle and avoid damage" and "Most of the enemy team is targeting me, better get out of dodge!".

 

Biggest advantage is to use your full broadside even when spotted, since you know when you are targeted or not.

[pra3y]

I don't use priority target for any of my ships for roughly the same reason, but i use incoming fire alert on my cruiser captains. I think PT would be useful for a BB captain as an additional guage on when to push and when to pull back.

[RenamedUser_92906789]

I only use it on some gunboat DDs where you are spotted most of the time.

On most DDs I use PM.

 

I use it on ALL my cruisers and on most battleships that do not suffer from loosing modules too often.

[thiextar]

Its very useful. You can also use it to see when someone has launched torpedoes at you, since it only shows when main guns are targetting you, so if the number drops by 1, and goes back up a few seconds later, someone has torped you.

[Major_Damage225]

I use it on some BB's and all Cruisers, since knowing how mutch flak you'r about to get, can let me decide to either tank it or gtfo. 

On DD's i dont use it because if im spotted it's safe to assume everyone and theyr motherinlaw will be throwing everything at you (kitchen sink included) 

[belalugosisdead]

I use it on BBs. Cruisers and russian DDs. The  Information to be priotity Target or not even in focus is so usefull.  

[Taliesn]

I always go for PM as the level 1 skill and as the OP says assume everyone is shooting me if spotted. Probably just being lazy about it and nor wanting to re-specc.

[Srle_Vigilante]

I don't use it on anything. Mostly because my playstyle is hyper aggressive and i feel like i have adequate situational awareness to compensate for the absence of the skill. I find the Preventative maintenance, Expert Loader and double fighters way more useful (depending on the ship of course).

[Ferry_25]

I'm starting to lose interest on PT as well. Playing a DD? The spotted sign is telling me enough: PT = Xred ships until proven otherwise. It's not that interesting to see if it's 11 or 10 ships aiming at me. With a BB? For info when a DD might torp at me? I'm using that exact trick against them with DD's: approaching in torpedo view and staying in it so they don't get the number warning for my incoming spread. It has some use with kiting HE spamming cruisers though. When the number is going up too much it might be time to disappear for a while in order not to risk the freak luck RNG shot which cripples me for 80%.

Slight parallel on topic: the incoming sign? I made it a habit of equalizing spotted to incoming until proven otherwise. That saves me yet another skill perk. As of late I'm using expert loader more with BB's and cruisers. The former because the DD's wanted to get blasted by HE. So they can have it. The latter to adapt to dodging cruisers: in much situations I can dump an AP volley in a BS cruiser in a fight.

[Yedwy]

Depends on playstyle and ship in question

[DanSilverwing]

Not on the Royal Navy DDs: Preventative Maintenance was more immediately useful. 

[Uglesett]

The most important use for priority target in my opinion is that it tells you when you are not targeted.

 

Yes, you can play as if you're always targeted as soon as you're spotted, and in many cases that works well. But especially on ships that can out-turn their turrets, spending time avoiding shots that never come means you lose opportunities to use your guns.

 

(Yes, Incoming fire alert is an alternative, but personally I find the information from priority target more useful than incoming fire alert.)

[_HMS_RICHY]

The reason I will not use it on a bb is, your are there to tank hence large hp heal armor. And if you push a flank as I stated in original post you will only normally meet a few other bbs.

[Ubertron_X]

Depending on my capatin builds I use it on some DD and some BB (3x 4-level skills leaves two 1-level skills). On CA I exclusively rely on IFA instead of PT and with good results.

[_HMS_RICHY]

5 minutes ago, Uglesett said:

The most important use for priority target in my opinion is that it tells you when you are not targeted.

 

Yes, you can play as if you're always targeted as soon as you're spotted, and in many cases that works well. But especially on ships that can out-turn their turrets, spending time avoiding shots that never come means you lose opportunities to use your guns.

 

(Yes, Incoming fire alert is an alternative, but personally I find the information from priority target more useful than incoming fire alert.)

If you watch the ships in your view this helps as well.

[Ubertron_X]

1 minute ago, UNTOK said:

The reason I will not use it on a bb is, your are there to tank hence large hp heal armor. And if you push a flank as I stated in original post you will only normally meet a few other bbs.

If you need to push vs a DD it can be invaluable though...

[ColonelPete]

When you sail a BB it makes a difference if you are targeted by up to two ships or six or more.

And as said, you might get a warning when torpedos get launched at you 

[_HMS_RICHY]

2 minutes ago, ColonelPete said:

When you sail a BB it makes a difference if you are targeted by up to two ships or six or more.

And as said, you might get a warning when torpedos get launched at you 

But you still don't know where the torp's are coming from. The dd may be on your left or maybe your right or even directly in front of you. And I have turned many a time into torp's trying to avoid them. Because the dd player dropped 1 set then waited until i started my turn then dropped the others.

[Ubertron_X]

PT is by no means a mandatory skill (like CE is for most bootes). The skill just provides a ton of meta information and it is up to you to understand, comprehend and act on them. Some information can be shared / emulated by other skills, some can`t. For example I found IFA better for the purpose of mitigating damage and maximizing DPM in a CA, however IFA fails short in other areas where PT provides good input. It is up to you to use the (or rather any) skill to full effect.

[Uglesett]

6 minutes ago, UNTOK said:

If you watch the ships in your view this helps as well.

Eeeh.

 

Depends on ship and range, but in something like the IJN and French CAs, the extra time you get from priority target is often the difference between a severe paddling and a lot of bounces and overpens.

 

Besides, the real spankings are often handed out by that BB taking the opportunity to lob shells at you over an island, not the ships that you see and angle against.

 

Bottom line is that it's very useful information that you often can't get in other ways. Targeted by a single ship? Ok, do a quick course and/or speed change to throw off their aim, and look around to see where it's coming from. Targeted by a bunch of ships? Do your best to go unspotted ASAP.

[MrWastee]

i kinda never take it over preventive maintenance. and on the few ships i run 2 lvl1 skills on, it's expert loader as well. in whole i think i run it on like 3-5 ships, rather gunboat dd's.

 

i remember having a discussion on this a while ago, mentiniong that a problem in comparing is that the benefit of pt is obvious, while the one on pm is passive and subtile... and in most cases the one of el is just situational.

[Sir_Grzegorz]

I do not use it on CVs. I find it usefull to know if I have to wiggle when spotted or people have better things to do than shoot at me. In DD I can take 1 on 1 if enemy team is slacking. When doing knife fight I do not have time to observe others but I have indicator. (I know that you should pick your fights).

Taking under consideration that IFA tell you about incoming shells when they are in air and when their travel time is more than 6 seconds (I remember correct?) that is quite limited.

[CptBarney]

i use it on all ships although i can still play even if i don't have the charles martel for the time being a good example of this.

[Armorin]

PT is basically a must have skill for me (apart from maybe CV's which I don't play now because of the pending rework). Even in a DD it helps decide if a dropping a defensive smoke trail is required. Sometimes can start firing and not notice the target counter go up at all.