Misery ships e.g. Pensacola

[Blackeon]

Is it by design or just accident that certain ships are just awful to play and especially grind?

The Pensacola is my example a ship that is worse to play than any of my tier 6 cruisers, I mean it feels sluggish as a BB with the HP of a cruiser. Turrets that can't keep up with the rate your ship turns (still with stock turrets).

Is this really, as the conspiracy theorists claim, just so you spend gold to speed your way past this experience?

If so that is a fail for me because what actually happens is I log in, play one game with the Pensacola, get so fed up with how awful it is to play I then quit the game at the end of the match.

Is it really a design feature to put ships in that make you NOT want to play the game?

[I am sure there will be those who say the ship is great and I just need to LTP, but I do just fine in my tier 6 cruisers and each of them actually felt better than the tier 5]

[Ryouzanpakku]

And that is (one of the reasons) why I am now playing through Cleveland - I will max it and get Pensacola BEFORE US cruiser split!

When it will happen I will have maxed out T6 Pensacola which I never intend to play AND T7 New Orleans ready to sail :D

[DFens_666]

1 minute ago, Blackeon said:

Is it by design or just accident that certain ships are just awful to play and especially grind?

1 minute ago, Blackeon said:

Is this really, as the conspiracy theorists claim, just so you spend gold to speed your way past this experience?

 

Why not? Makes perfect sense imo?

The best thing is having ships which doesnt perform good for most ppl, but getting their asses kicked by same nations higher tier ships which makes u want to play them too. Frustrate u enough that u actually use money to enjoy T10 ships, but not so much that u quit the game.

 

[Captain_Breeze]

The Cola has tremendous guns and very good concealment now. Use that to your advantage. It will teach you different tactics.......that's the whole point.

[dasCKD]

The Pensacola, in hindsight, is actually probably the best traditional cruiser at tier 7 tied with the Myoko. She's just extremely difficult to play, but she does train you for the higher tiered American ships that requires significantly better positioning than any other nation's cruisers as they live for ambushes and engaging enemies that can't return fire.

[pra3y]

It has a 5.6s level rudder shift after you upgrade the hull and use the rudder shift mod. If you call that sluggish then I dunno how you feel about any BB's rudder shift. Moreover  they buffed the concealment of the Pensacola so that it is easier to play it now, unlike when I was playing through it when people spot you halfway across the map. Sure a stock Pensacola is bad but once it is fully upgraded, its a pretty good ship. I enjoyed the grind to NO, well after fully upgrading my Pensacola. 

[Guillotine]

It is very nimble little ship after upgrades, it has very good AP performance that gives any cruiser run for theyr money.

 

It is fragile yes, but it can citadel cruisers from angles other lines can dream of.

[robihr]

pensacola is relatively good after the buff... but yorck... that is a scary ship to grind.

[wilkatis_LV]

Admitably, I haven't played Pepsi much and all 4 games were completely stock, but from thoems I kind of like her. Range upgrade felt like something I needed ASAP, and the next thing to work for is the gun upgrade to get that turret rotation to a more reasonable level. Then again, concealment on her was buffed quite a lot, and those heavy AP shells can work wonders.

You really don't want to get hit, but lets face it - that's as generic of a advice for cruisers as you can get, because pretty much any cruiser seems to just die as soon as a shell touches it.

[RamirezKurita]

Something that's worth mentioning is that soon^tm the Pensacola will be downtiered to T6 once the USN cruiser split happens. She's a respectable performer at T7 (if not particularly strong), so I'd imagine that she'll wreck faces at T6.

 

I'm still holding onto my personal theory that WG realised they screwed up with the powercreep on the newer cruisers (which still isn't as big as the powercreep on the battleships, mind you) and so are planning on downtiering most of the older lines in some way to restore balance.

[Gnirf]

One problem w US ships is that they were more conforming to treaty and ignored torps which are of more value ingame than in real life (apart from IJN)

[ShuggieHamster]

nothing wrong with the pepsicola ... long range BB AP coming right through your stern when you are angled, dodging and its taking half+ of your health is not so great.

 

so perhaps its not the Pepsi thats crap but BBs that are too strong and accurate?

[Blackeon]

1 hour ago, pra3y said:

It has a 5.6s level rudder shift after you upgrade the hull and use the rudder shift mod. If you call that sluggish then I dunno how you feel about any BB's rudder shift. Moreover  they buffed the concealment of the Pensacola so that it is easier to play it now, unlike when I was playing through it when people spot you halfway across the map. Sure a stock Pensacola is bad but once it is fully upgraded, its a pretty good ship. I enjoyed the grind to NO, well after fully upgrading my Pensacola. 

Never said the ship was sluggish, it is the turrets that are sluggish, you can't keep them on target as you turn the ship (when stock).

Also what use is concealment when your range is so feeble?

[Captain_Breeze]

30 minutes ago, Blackeon said:

Never said the ship was sluggish, it is the turrets that are sluggish, you can't keep them on target as you turn the ship (when stock)

The turrets are slow for sure, but challenges you to think ahead as your concealment is so good you need to dictate the fight by going in and out of the fight, being able to disengage and go dark after a quick assault.

You also need to upgrade the ship quickly. 

[JapLance]

4 hours ago, Blackeon said:

The Pensacola is my example a ship that is worse to play than any of my tier 6 cruisers, I mean it feels sluggish as a BB 

 

If you really think this you better stop playing cruisers from tier 5 on. Pensacola is one of the most agile cruisers of the game.

[pra3y]

1 hour ago, Blackeon said:

Never said the ship was sluggish, it is the turrets that are sluggish, you can't keep them on target as you turn the ship (when stock).

Also what use is concealment when your range is so feeble?

 

Eh if i remembered correctly when fully upgraded the turrets also rotate slightly faster?

 

I use to think concealment wasn't that important for my CA. I just played with IFA and dodged shots/minimize using the excellent rudder shift of my CAs. The great thing about concealment however is if you get into a pinch, you just have to stop shooting and reposition. Good concealment also means if your range is lousy it gives you more leeway at the start of a game to find a nice position and let it rip. In the past Pensacolas can die right at the start of the game just because a DD or some other ship spotted them at the start. Now you can actually get into position and use your guns before dying. Trust me concealment is important the higher you advance as a CA. Given the fact that you're grinding the USN line, DM one of the lowest range among the tier 10 CAs, its better to learn how to play yr CAs with concealment.

 

Ps: Perhaps you should amend your post abit cause quite a few of us have thought that you're referring the the ship being sluggish instead of the turrets.

[Blackeon]

9 minutes ago, JapLance said:

 

If you really think this you better stop playing cruisers from tier 5 on. Pensacola is one of the most agile cruisers of the game.

"feels sluggish as a BB" because stock the turrets are slow to turn. Does this go away once upgraded? I don't know because I can hardly stand to play the thing and not felt like that about another earlier cruisers.

Tier 6 cruisers are just fine, they seem to do the cruiser job, but you are right if this is a taste of things to come I'd better not bother.

 

[Blackeon]

10 minutes ago, pra3y said:

 

Eh if i remembered correctly when fully upgraded the turrets also rotate slightly faster?

 

I use to think concealment wasn't that important for my CA. I just played with IFA and dodged shots/minimize using the excellent rudder shift of my CAs. The great thing about concealment however is if you get into a pinch, you just have to stop shooting and reposition. Good concealment also means if your range is lousy it gives you more leeway at the start of a game to find a nice position and let it rip. In the past Pensacolas can die right at the start of the game just because a DD or some other ship spotted them at the start. Now you can actually get into position and use your guns before dying. Trust me concealment is important the higher you advance as a CA. Given the fact that you're grinding the USN line, DM one of the lowest range among the tier 10 CAs, its better to learn how to play yr CAs with concealment.

Your comments are appreciated, but one of the problems is I like to play the Operations and it is very hard to use the tactics you describe in the operations as time is often against you as you fight what are basically suicidal bots.

[Captain_Breeze]

 

Blackeon, don't get down hearted man...... give it a go.....watch this mate 

 

 

 

[pra3y]

14 minutes ago, Blackeon said:

Your comments are appreciated, but one of the problems is I like to play the Operations and it is very hard to use the tactics you describe in the operations as time is often against you as you fight what are basically suicidal bots.

 

No problem. I've checked and researching the turret upgrade will increase the rotatiom speed plus take expert marksman i guess would help with your turret rotation problem. 

[El2aZeR]

To be fair the stock turret traverse is indeed awful as all out. Moving her upgraded turrets to stock would make the grind much more comfortable.

That said Pensa isn't a bad ship as others have already stated. Just ludicrously unforgiving.

 

Then again we all need to remember that she's going to get moved to T6, which would make her hilariously overpowered if T6 MM wasn't as awful as it is.

[Mr_Tayto]

5 hours ago, pra3y said:

It has a 5.6s level rudder shift after you upgrade the hull and use the rudder shift mod. If you call that sluggish then I dunno how you feel about any BB's rudder shift. Moreover  they buffed the concealment of the Pensacola so that it is easier to play it now, unlike when I was playing through it when people spot you halfway across the map. Sure a stock Pensacola is bad but once it is fully upgraded, its a pretty good ship. I enjoyed the grind to NO, well after fully upgrading my Pensacola. 

This. Pensacola is pure, no gimmick heavy cruiser play. If you don't like it you are going to HATE everything else above it in that line :(

[aboomination]

When I played her back in 2015 I had to fight Yamatos with her, I think (iirc MM spread was +-3...or did I fail division back then?).

Can remember a hillarious 15k volley on a Yammy's broadside (first time I faced one)...her guns are still superb and since her camo got buffed I wouldn't call her bad anymore.

[triumphgt6]

2 minutes ago, Mr_Tayto said:

This. Pensacola is pure, no gimmick heavy cruiser play. If you don't like it you are going to HATE everything else above it in that line :(

Couldn't agree more - didn't like Pepsi (original version with awful concealment) but played through to New Orleans - this was also pretty awful and the Baltimore singlehandedly stopped me playing Tier 9!! Only play the Atlanta in the US cruiser range now - still fragile and poor rudder shift but hilarious guns - and the AA is simply god like - had a Saipan try to sink me a few days ago - he didn't and was not a happy bunny at all!

The worst ship I have played has to be the Emerald though - this cruiser is just one big citadel!

[Turnipsi]

On 3.12.2017 at 2:57 PM, robihr said:

pensacola is relatively good after the buff... but yorck... that is a scary ship to grind.

Yorck is quite resilient, has good AA, great HE for long range and devastating AP at short range. If I had to pick a tier 7 cruiser to play, I would take Yorck.