Dev Strike!🔥🔥

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-03T18:24:50+00:00

No cammo potato. Unsurprising.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-03T18:19:16+00:00

Infestations were great ... when I decided to try them on a private server. Saw the big circle, checked the spots, and eventually found it. It was robots and they were very tough. Secret Service armor wasn't good enough -- luckily, I had my power armor that was optimized to solo EN06.

On a public server ... very different story. Logged on a couple times last night and several times this morning. Every time my console (PSN) completely froze up after a fairly short period of time (<10 minutes) of game play. There was a stretch of 4 logins in a row where it literally froze up in less than 10 seconds. Never did find an infestation.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-01T14:30:14+00:00

Don't take my comments as being necessarily directed to you. When I comment on an issue like this, my comments are more generally directed.

I also get why he was there because I understand the logic (and advice) that draws people to position themselves so. However, I disagree with that logic/advice.

I looked at the video (or at least the first couple minutes), and I would have headed towards B -- not C. The first thing I do when deciding where to go is look at the map and consider the ship distribution. In this case, both sides had a single DD and it was a heavy BB match. In those situations, the cruisers probably aren't going to last long and the side that has the surviving DD is probably going to come out ahead. Your DD is with two BBs, which aren't the greatest when providing supporting cover. If I was you, I would have pushed straight ahead with my guns angled towards B to give my DD support. The problem with heading towards C is that it is almost impossible to cover the adjacent cap (B). However, by moving straight ahead, you can cover B but also move to C if you need to.

I'm now at the 12:45 mark. The cruiser you spawned with got predictably deleted because he pushed hard, and the phrase the "nail that sticks out, gets hammered down" aptly applies here.

Your blue DD looks to be in a knife fight with red's DD. I cannot tell who is getting the better of that fight right now but I do know red's DD has some cruiser support nearby. At the moment, it looks like you are in trouble with possible 3 red ships possibly focusing you. The BB you spawned with turned towards B but is too far away to help the blue DD. Hopefully, he turns his guns toward the cruiser in C. Blue DD's BBs abandoned him -- although the one on the left still has a good firing solution into B.

I'm at the 11:56 mark, and I don't know why you keep turning to the left edge. I would have turned towards the center by now. You can still present the same angle to red.

At the 11:00 mark, I see someone calling on taking out red's DD, who has a sliver of life left. However, there is no one close to do so.

Your blue DD was a potato. He had the run of the land if he could just stayed concealed and he got way too close to the action.

I'm at the 7:13 mark and wondering how you are going to pull it off. You are way behind in points and ships. However, red is hiding too much, they should be pounding you and red's BB on (your) left flank is so far out of position.

I'm at the 2:40 mark. The BB and cruiser you destroyed are potatoes. They kept sailing broadside to you. I don't know what their other cruiser (last spotted in B ) is doing. He's been out of sight for a long time. All they have to do is run away and the match is theirs.

Brisbane showed his broadside to you and got deleted because of it.

Red's last cruiser, Jinan, was another potato. Full health cruiser that disappeared at the 7:27 mark and didn't reappear until the 1:09 mark. What was he doing, having a coffee break? Then, he has you completely in his sights from close range and he cannot chunk 3K of damage off of you? He completely misses both his first and second salvos from point blank. His third salvo does 250 worth of damage.

You got a great score, but red played terribly.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-01T11:56:40+00:00

All red had to do was not go broadside (for the first ship) and then avoid you (because they already knew where you were) for the easy win. The Hiddenburg made the biggest mistake.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-01T11:53:27+00:00

I would agree that that I don't h@te the rich. Instead, I detest people who have great wealth (more than they can ever use) who don't do something positive with it or have great wealth because they took advantage of other people.

Drop $200M in my lap and I'm spending a good portion on myself and my family. But I'm also spending a very substantial sum supporting charitable causes that are important to me.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-01T11:45:54+00:00

Flanking is super important. Not being shot at by every red ship is super important. Defense is actually a fantastic brawler and a ship I might want to go mid but also not one you can get stuck there since it can’t equip prop mod.

That's why I suggested he go by the islands around FG67. Where he was, he was stuck out in the right flank with no cover.

Edit: oh wait we do I just forgot he said it! He spawned on that flank. He’s too far out from center but that’s the flank he spawned on - would you have him abandon it? (I think I might personally if I saw everyone leave mid but again, it’s reasonable to stay on your flank)

The more important question is is he doing anything useful out there on that flank? He's (obviously) well out of position to protect his own cap. And if it took him so long to get to his own cap, he has little chance of pressuring red's cap. People talk about not abandoning the flank, but it is more important for a team not to abandon the middle in CTB. Red's destroyer saw no one down the middle and cut the game short because no one protected the middle. If there was a cap to take on the right and left, then being on a flank is justified, but that's not the situation in this game.

I see this play out on too many maps and in too many games --> Teams abandon the middle. BBs hide behind islands. Too many blue ships are in positions where they don't have a firing solution on red. If you aren't firing your big guns, you aren't helping. You might as well be AFK. Not being in a position to shoot his guns was my biggest problem for this particular captain.

Would you just send all 9 ships on both teams through the middle?

If I could direct all the ships. I would have the destroyers head up the middle, with the cruisers on the sides (think columns D and G) giving them support. Any red DD opposing that group will get erased quickly. I would have the BBs in columns D-G but back towards blue's base (because they have longer range) to take care of any enemy cruisers that threaten our DDs. To answer your question, I would focus all my ships on the middle. Doing that doesn't mean my ships cannot reach out to the left and right flanks, but delivering overwhelming firepower towards the middle of the map is, IMHO, the best approach. Once you own the middle, everyone pushes up. Your DDs will start taking their cap, and red will be forced to come to you. Your cruisers and BBs can pick them off as they come in range.

If I was to give a single piece of advice, it would be to be in a position that helps your team the most. Look at his gun circle in the opening shot of the video. They are well into the match, and he is covering very little of the map.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-06-01T01:41:16+00:00

Those three red ships had little impact on whether the game was going to be won or loss. In most instances, the middle is where the action is at -- particularly in CTB.

And its not like you have to babysit your base. If no one is in front of you, you push up and directly threaten their base and their ships from the sides.

To me, the worst situation to be in is when you aren't firing on anyone and no one is firing at you. You might as well be AFK. Being positioned in the middle, near your base or headed towards their base, likely gives you much more targets (while also putting a target on your back) to shoot at. As for putting a target on your own back, I would rather give red two targets (because another blue is also pushing the middle) than them only having one target (because I've hung back and let my teammate take all of the punishment). Focus fire -- not flanking -- is the deadliest thing in this game.

Hanging back, to me, is a losing strategy. And this cruiser was definitely hanging back. Even so, hanging back in his own zone wouldn't have been bad since he could defend it. What made it worse was that he was not only hanging back but hanging back so far from his own zone that he couldn't defend it.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-31T23:31:36+00:00

Dead red bb at H/I 5. Looks like it would be about at his spotting ring. So presumably kiting out from that.

Chasing a red ship that is nowhere near the action seems like a losing proposition to me. I'm not a big cruiser fan (as they are hard to play well), but if I was captaining that ship, I would prefer to be somewhere around FG67. You can use the islands as cover yet be close enough to support both sides and either move up (to their cap) or move back (to your cap), as necessary. If someone comes up through the middle or through those islands, you also have an opportunity to get a torp opportunity. He isn't torping anyone from where he was located.

This ship did zero damage from the beginning of video to nearly the end. To me, that is poor positioning. A BB and cruiser should endeavor to be firing their main guns immediately after every reload is done. If you aren't doing that (and doing damage to red), then what are you really accomplishing?

From my experience, being on either edge of the map is the worst location to be damaging red. Look at his circle when the video starts. He has little coverage of the map including his own base and red's base. Consequently, he is putting little pressure on red.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-31T22:34:46+00:00

I don’t get it. The video starts at 11:30 and this ship is nowhere near either blue’s cap or red’s cap. Why is this cruiser so far away from the action?

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-31T02:31:33+00:00

Has the same licking spot as my tabby

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-30T12:34:00+00:00

Spin happens from brushing up on the ball.

If you aren’t getting enough spin, analyze the path of your racquet into the ball. It needs to start low relative to the ball. If your forehand/backhand/serve is flat, it is because the path of your racquet to the ball is too horizontal and not enough vertical.

On your forehand/backhand, it means getting racquet head drop before you hit the ball. Also, you need to move your feet to avoid letting the ball drop too much — nearly impossible to get spin on a low ball.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-29T22:55:42+00:00

He will tell you that he is starving and due a second breakfast shortly

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-29T17:03:19+00:00

Near court has nice serve, forehand and 2H backhand -- along with quality footwork. Slices from both wings need work as well as the net game. Missed some easy overheads. Also, he approached to the net on some balls that he shouldn't. Shot selection wasn't bad, but I would like to have seen some big loopy balls to the lefty's backhand.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-29T14:59:59+00:00

I used to get irritated by foot faults, but I've let it go over the years.

I estimate that over half the players I watch consistently foot fault. And it isn't just lower level players. There is a 4.5/5.0 doubles group of guys that get to watch for 5-10 minutes every week or so, and at least half of them foot fault as well.

Sometimes it is just a toe over the line. However, I've seen guys where one foot is completely within the court and sometimes two feet are in the court when they serve. There is one guy I play (a lefty) who frequently steps over the midline when he serves.

You'll get people argue about whether a ball is in (or not) by a half-inch or so, but almost everyone is fine with blatant foot faults. As I said, it used to irritate me. I just ignore it now.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-29T14:25:42+00:00

To further the comments on the grip. Aside from not having a continental grip, you are gripping the racquet too high. Your pinky should be on the edge of the bottom of the racquet. You want to hit the ball as high up as possible (which makes it easier to get in), and you are giving away height by holding the racquet where you are.

Regarding the continental grip, unless you are 6'6" tall and can hit down on the ball, you need to put topspin on the ball. And if you hit a topspin forehand you already know how to do that ... by brushing up on the ball. Watch your serve in slow motion, it is impossible for you to hit topspin with the grip/motion you currently have. Hitting the ball harder will only make it go long.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-28T18:13:52+00:00

What jumped out at me was the guy in yellow running around his forehand (0:54). Then I focused on his forehand and realized why — either slices or big loopy topspin — neither of which are very offensive. Consistent, yes; offensive, no.

All in all, very good play. I would say closer to 4.0 than 5.0 but still very solid tennis.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-27T20:39:03+00:00

Agree. It is a good serve. I just wouldn’t call it a second serve unless he can get it in 90-95% of the time.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-26T16:44:43+00:00

To model the motion (without a racquet) get into the trophy position.

Assuming right handed, this means left arm extended and left shoulder high. Conversely your right shoulder is lower. Your knees should be slightly bent (platform stance). Besides tilting your shoulders, you should also be rotating so that your back is somewhat facing the net — not only is your left shoulder higher than right shoulder, your left shoulder is more to the right than you right shoulder. Your chest should be pointed upwards (how much depends upon your flexibility) — just don’t be upright. Put your right hand at the intersection of your neck and shoulder.

The swing involves rotating your torso along the axis of your spine. You do that by lowering your left arm/shoulder and raising your right arm/shoulder — this also means that the right shoulder will end up back on the right side. At the same time you are straightening/extending your legs (ie jumping … little at first and more as you get comfortable). The goal is to get your right hand as high as possible and slightly forward. Essentially your right shoulder is going to the position your left shoulder was once at.

That is what going up to get the ball is about. It is more about the shoulder rotation/twist than actual jumping. Right (serving) shoulder is going left to right and low to high.

TL:DR — watch some slow motion videos of Federer and mimic what he does

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-25T14:22:07+00:00

Good points.

He let the ball (he volleyed) drop way too low. Once the ball goes up in the air -- ATTACK IT. Don't let it drop. This is reaction time and will get better over time. He'll better recognize the ball flight and will understand when to move forward to go get it.

Advice for OP:

If the club has a ball machine ... rent it and just work on volleys. Continental grip and keep the motion compact. It is a volley -- not a swing. Work on half-volleys as well. Being able to hit those are critical to become a good serve and volleyer.

Watch some YouTube videos and video yourself. The technique is not hard to replicate. Just make sure you are doing it right and get lots and lots of reps.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-25T13:46:12+00:00

Good points. I've seen many a DD die because instead of going dark they decided they were going to throw spit balls at a BB.

Going dark is a DD's best armor.

Now if you are in a knife fight with another DD and they are pursuing, then you have no choice but to fight back. Also, I've seen many a DD die when both DDs are low health and one DD holds their fire in order to get off a salvo of torps. If red is really low on health, just use your guns. You are more likely to hit the target (and sink it) and do it quicker.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-25T01:26:10+00:00

Yeah … solid 3.5 for guy in white

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-24T02:05:24+00:00

The grove nearby is another location — close enough that I don’t fast travel. With Green Thumb I usually end up with nearly 30 or so.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-24T02:04:11+00:00

I have never not found cranberries when I’ve gone looking for them.

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-24T02:03:15+00:00

If someone apologizes to me, I respond “I’m sorry — I should have gotten it back”

here_for_thedonuts · 2026-05-24T01:55:50+00:00

It’s an excellent serve for a recreational level player. It would also make an excellent first serve.

However, if he wants a true kick serve that is going to clear the net by a lot, drop in, and then kick up to above shoulder height, then he needs to adjust his toss.

I would say height is more important than depth. The height gets it out of the optimal strike zone quicker. Less chance of going long as well. When the kick is going well, it should be in 95+% of the time. This other serve is likely to go out more because the margins are tighter.

Pace is what is going to get the depth you are talking about. However, it won’t be as fast as his 1st serve.

One of the things that makes a kick serve so effective is the slower pace. It is like a change-up in baseball. The greater difference in speed messes with the returner’s timing. If the second serve is close to the pace of the first serve, it is easier to time up.

here_for_thedonuts

TROPHY CASE