[rant] The Pensacola and her stupid detection range

[piritskenyer]

Once upon a time, in a game universe known as World of Warships, there was a nation. That nation had a full-grown techtree, with battleships, destroyers, aircraft-carriers, and the branch of our subject today, cruisers.

 

In that line of cruisers, you had something of everything: a  patrol boat, light scout cruisers, a protected cruiser, and a whole bunch of line cruisers both light and heavy. At the 7th stage of progress (tier) of the line of ships was the Pensacola class. The Pensacola class was a pretty big shift after the preceding class (the Clevelands), because they had recieved a slower-loading main armament which was heavier. Also, the Pensacola being older, wasn't as well protected and armoured as her predecessor, but that wasn't the main problem with her, as she was reasonably accurate, had reasonable punch and reasonable speed coupled with pretty good maneuverability. No, her main problem wasn't that she had a big citadel or that she had a horrible stock grind. (All the people who are going to be crying that she's way worse than the Cleveland, are welcome to leave right now, you probably just haven't adjusted to the different style of play)

No. Her problem was that she could be seen from the moon before even firing her guns. Any of her guns. In fact, she's the only midtier cruiser that get's spotted at the edge of her gunrange.

 

I mean what the [edited]?!?

 

There is no logical reasoning for this. Would this ship be in any way overpowered if it didn't get detected from further away than some battleships?* I really don't think so. 

Is this supposed to be a paywall or something? This single thing is [edited]an otherwise good ship right over. This ship is the first to get detected and therefore focused in any match ever. 

There is just no reason for this ship to be hindered in such a way, so pretty please with sugar on top... give her some kind of sensible detection range.

 

*: In the same matchmaking bracket the USS New Mexico (14,2), the USS North Carolina (15.7, same but this one has a fair bit higher range) and HMS Warspite (14,2) have lower detection ranges.

 

/rant

[Trigger_Happy_Dad]

I agree, Pensacola shouldn't have a detectability range like that, she's weak enough already, very easy to citadel her.

[piritskenyer]

I agree, Pensacola shouldn't have a detectability range like that, she's weak enough already, very easy to citadel her.

 

 

 

[_BlaCkShad0w_]

Im getting so F*cking tired of getting spotted by Freaking BATTLESHIPS (Massive ships!!!) before i can even see them....

The last thing i see is a Salvo comming from a ghost OIL TANKER floating 15.7km in front of me that i cannot see... but he sees my tiny speedboat just fine...

Everytime i play the pepsi im thinking of quitting this Garbage game... im really getting tired of this crap!

The Dev's really are a bunch ************************* for not fixing this crap!

 

PS: i just really cant believe im paying for some Premium ships, premium accounts and stuff and them getting so massively Fcked! this way...

Cause im pretty sure this is Wargamings Paywall stratagy.

[Pete_SB]

I always wondered what that big radar like thing was on top of my Pensa, thought my sailors hung their socks there to dry.

[MATREKUS]

Pepsi has that antenna which (according to WG stuff) can be seen from Moon....

[Admiral_H_Nelson]

Pepsi has that antenna which (according to WG stuff) can be seen from Moon....

 

The Moon in question being "Charon"  (which orbits Pluto) ! 

[bug]

The Pensacola is special. It got some bad drawbacks, as being detected so early, other is that its a floating citadel with bad armour. However, I still would say it is the best cruiser in tier 7. It is pretty much the same ship as New Orleans, with a few minor differences. New Orleans is weak in tier 8, as in not remarcable or having any strong sides, but Pensacola is very good in tier 7 with them super guns.

Its a rather hard walk from Cleavland, as it is a very different type of gameplay. But if you master it, its a good boat.

 

I will never sell my Pensacola.

[Ataxia]

I always wondered what that big radar like thing was on top of my Pensa, thought my sailors hung their socks there to dry.

 

Yeah its a spin dryer...my mum has one too but I don't think hers is quite so old

[T_H_0_R]

Apparently her tall mast is the reason behind this, comparison with New Orleans who has a much better concealment in-game:

 

 

In short: get Incoming Fire Alert skill and do not rush in during first 5 minutes but stay back with the fleet.

 

I hope they lower her concealment to something like what Hipper has, 14 km. That would already be of great help.

[piritskenyer]

Apparently her tall mast is the reason behind this, comparison with New Orleans who has a much better concealment in-game:

 

 

In short: get Incoming Fire Alert skill and do not rush in during first 5 minutes but stay back with the fleet.

 

I hope they lower her concealment to something like what Hipper has, 14 km. That would already be of great help.

 

Thanks TH0R, I know all this, but it's still somehow enraging that you can't move together with your allies bcs you'll get spotted and shot.

[FaceFisted]

Pensacola is a paywall, just like Ognevoi. :/

[piritskenyer]

That is unfortunately possible, although it would be nice if it wasn', the Pepsi should be worth more.

[Poster_2015]

Pepsi isnt that bad, because it has by far best guns at its tier. I made this contribution in other topics about playstyle - its a ship that wants to go IN. Avoid BBs, go to the islandish areas where DDs lurk. You have manouverability thats unmatched by cruisers and on DD level, you have actually decent secondaries (they dont have BB accuracy, they actually really do damage). If another cruisers pops at short range, you have best AP shells at this level in game, that many many times got me 20k+ salvos with multiple citadels. 

 

Staying at range is the best way to get yourself killed in a Pepsi. You are visible at same time as your BBs, you WILL get citadeled (everyone who says "you can manouver" forgets about dispersion - you can dodge it perfectly, still something will eventually hit you, and with Pepsi citadel taking around 80% volume of the ship it WILL hurt).

 

Pepsi just needs to run away from BBs, and get very close and personal with other ships to blow them up with its guns (again by far best at tier 7).

 

If they change the concealment to something more reasonable it will make playing her easier, but only because it will be easier to get within range to for close range brawl. even with concealment around 13.5 it still gives you 19.5km when shooting - way too much to snipe. 

[piritskenyer]

I know how [edited]good the Pepsi is, I really love that ship. The only thing that annoys me is that whenever I get the Ocean map, I get picked apart in minutes and not because she's a good ship, but because she's the first CA to get spotted, and best maneuvrability or no, concentrated heavy fire will still wreck you.

 

About dodging: IFA is only partial help. Sure, at range, it's easy to just see it flash, and take a sharp turn, 95% of the time nothing will hit you. In a 1-on-1 at mid ranges however, you can actually observe the dispersion and dodge accordingly, just because the Pepsi is really that good at dodging. No, really.

 

When there are other, "more dangerous" targets around, you can put your full firepower at work, but I think I will make it my mission to kit her out for concealment, and when the blasted fix for her detection range comes, I'll just demonstrate to everyone that whining about the ship being bad in general is a waste of time.

[Mucker]

2 km less spotting distance and Pensa would be decent ship. Regarding the mast, come on WG! You are about to give a 130 mm (premium) cruiser the range of a 356 mm BB, so you might as well "camouflage" the mast of the Pensacola.

[Poster_2015]

Well if they really want to be so "realistic" such tall mast should add to Pensacola ability to detect other ships as well. Ships didnt had tall masts/towers/bridges just so enemy could spot them easier .

[piritskenyer]

I'm pretty sure the tall mast thing was a joke... Or was it?

[piritskenyer]

Shameless (and very angry) bump.

 

Reading news about Indianapolis made me a bit frustrated with regards to this ship still not having been corrected (and as Trainspite so kindly pointed out, the 1944/45 refit took away her tall tripod mast), esp since Indianapolis is looking like she's gonna get lower detection and much higher range (16.9 seems a bit overboard for a T7 CA).

[Admiral_H_Nelson]

Shameless (and very angry) bump.

 

Reading news about Indianapolis made me a bit frustrated with regards to this ship still not having been corrected (and as Trainspite so kindly pointed out, the 1944/45 refit took away her tall tripod mast), esp since Indianapolis is looking like she's gonna get lower detection and much higher range (16.9 seems a bit overboard for a T7 CA).

 

(1) I just bought the Pensacola as a "long-term project" ship.

 

At this rate, everybody will be leaving their Pensacola's in port and buying the Indianapolis instead.
Maybe it's just the latest installment of "Buy a Premium ship to get a competitive edge" plan?

 

(2) 16.9 km range does seem a bit high, when you compare it to Pensacola(15.7 km), or Myoko (15.6 km).
However an upgraded Shchors has 16.8 km (+20% with spotter plane), and an upgraded Yorck has 17.3 km.

 

[Donar79]

Is the Indianapolis a prem CA?

The cola is still my favorite cruiser (still have 20k-30k to NO i think) but i agree with the to high concealment point.

Why o why i'am "nearly" always the one who has to wildly manouver first because of 3 incoming salvos and the bbs around me steaming unharmed towards enemy line....

 

Supporting a buff on this

[piritskenyer]

 

(1) I just bought the Pensacola as a "long-term project" ship.

 

At this rate, everybody will be leaving their Pensacola's in port and buying the Indianapolis instead.
Maybe it's just the latest installment of "Buy a Premium ship to get a competitive edge" plan?

 

(2) 16.9 km range does seem a bit high, when you compare it to Pensacola(15.7 km), or Myoko (15.6 km).
However an upgraded Shchors has 16.8 km (+20% with spotter plane), and an upgraded Yorck has 17.3 km.

 

 

(2) Either we are looking at powercreep (very possible), or we may just have range buffs at some point, although unlikely as Mogami had her range upped to the same level as Myoko had hers reduced. Also it'd seem odd to have a US CA at T7 that can outrange her T8 successor. Now if it turns out that Indianapolis is going to be T8, I think the range will be justified (low HP pool, not-so-spectacular armour), but she'd still outrange her regular counterpart at the tier adn could quity comfily invisifire. We shall see. I'm going to get her either way, but it'd be a bit harsh to have a T7 prem that is so much better than a ship that already requires a (minor) buff.

[S4h3L]

 

Reading news about Indianapolis made me a bit frustrated with regards to this ship still not having been corrected (and as Trainspite so kindly pointed out, the 1944/45 refit took away her tall tripod mast), esp since Indianapolis is looking like she's gonna get lower detection and much higher range (16.9 seems a bit overboard for a T7 CA).

another T7 US premium? 

[MATREKUS]

Now you know why they didnt fix theinsane conc of Pensacola. So you can buy premium Pensa with normal concealment. Disgusting.

[damo74]

I have quite literally been citadelled in a Pensacola within 20 seconds of a match starting. There is at least one map where you can be detected the instant the match starts.

 

This happened yesterday, I couldn't effing believe it.