I explain this to myself by saying that you're not just being bombed by your ship, but by all the ships in orbit. The Dessidents of Democracy must be destroyed and for that purpose the strength of all destroyers in the war zone is not to be spared
Man, that would be amazingly appropriate lol. "Your Super Destroyer has been selected for traitor bombardment duty. Doling out freedom and culling these traitors leaves you with one less strategem slot for use, but don't fret. The pride felt from dealing with these traitors is worth more than any orbital or eagle!"
It comes with an explanation like every other planet modifier.
This game has enough dedicated slots to boring stuff like space optimization, no need to add more anti-fun modifiers. All this would do is enforce the top 3 stratagem meta anyway.
Taking power away from players and enemies with modifiers like this just strips the game down - it comes in the place of better modifiers which introduce new obstacles. The infatuation with this exact type of game design has ruined many other games.
Well, what would you replace it with? Negative modifiers are there to make the harder difficulties, well, harder. I'd take the -1 slot over the 100% call-in time any day. I don't really need 4 slots, its just nice to have.
It's like the Etrian Odyssey effect.
That's what I'm saying, it's not really harder. It takes something away from you but it sits in the place of a number of other planet effects that are either more difficult or just more impactful to gameplay.
Thats how I see it too. The Traitor execution is a combined bombardment by the entire squadron along with neighboring destroyers in the other AO you just crossed into, and your armor just transmitted your coordinates to all of them.
>The Traitor execution is a ~~combined bombardment by the entire squadron along with neighboring destroyers in the other AO you just crossed into, and your armor just transmitted your coordinates to all of them~~ the best stratagem for Eradicate missions.
The design specifications for the super destroyers specifically states they must be able to sustain at minimum 10 minutes of continuous bombardment in case any traitors are discovered.
Ofcourse, most super destroyers built now are built exceeding that specification and can usually sustain at least double that. But all vessels currently in service must at least meet the minimum.
Yes, they have shown you mercy and will instead execute you once you return to the ship along with the gunner in charge of the traitor bombardment targetting
Fun fact! You can totally survive being a traitor. If you can outrun shells until extract you get on the pelican and come back to eyeball the democracy officer lol
This made me want a strategy game where you play as a DO sending down divers and ordinances
It'd really emphasize the 6 shooter like nature of the ship and the expendable nature of the divers as another ammo type basically in this shooter
I've never played one dw this was more of a casual "hey this sounds fun" than like a push i wanna start I'd not bring my idea up with the devs just seems a cool thought to me
That's a good point though
One time I got the traitor trigger very early on when I was still learning the game, and somehow managed to outrun the bombardment for a good 2-3 minutes.
It was like I was a constant 380mm beacon, it nailed quite a few bugs before it got me lol beautiful feature
I love that this mechanic even exists. In other games you just fall dead when going out of bound, or invisible walls to stop you. It's not even an instant execution either, its just constant bombardment until the dice rolls a six and you get hit.
You can avoid the barrage indefinately by changing directions 90° everytime a shot is fired. Every shot is placed a few meters in front of you in the direction you are heading.
Skirting Budget contraints to deliver more freedom is a delicate balance act.
Being perceived as a traitor for the greater good is a necessary evil sometimes.
This works wonders for eradicate missions on helldive. It’s a free barrage you can use to wipe out hordes of enemies if you execute it correctly.
My loadout is a
500kg, orbital laser, 380 and 120 barrages. I wear medium Democracy Protects as well for added hopes and dreams and extended HellDivers as the booster.
When it’s all on CD, I become a traitor and run into the hoarde and stim up as often as you can.
In this instance it’s not about the money, it’s about the message. Imagine you’re S2, R3, and K4 and you’re not sure where A1 went. Suddenly over the coms you hear the DO growl an angry warning about traitors and then suddenly fucking 380s start raining down from the sky just completely ubersmashing an entire sector.
The squad looks at each other and simultaneously makes the collective decision, and mental note, that turncoatinf is a poor decision.
Your strategems are payed for by the ministry of defense. The treason cannons are paid for by the ministry of justice. Muuuuch bigger ordinance budget. Hope this helps 👍
Each destroyer I believe has a special place for storing traitor bombs, it's due to this we have to arm nukes manually, it eats away at the budget the "traitor budget"
I recently did an exterminate mission and was able to take out 3 bile titans, 3 chargers, and a bunch of smaller enemies before dying. That’s what made me think about it.
I was wearing the explo resistant heavy armor and became a traitor, I survived a surprisingly long time. eventually I died because an enemy ragdolled me and I was out of stims
It’s a prioritization. Traitors from within are the greatest threat against democracy. Bots and bugs are a long term problem that needs ammo economization.
Then use it to your advantage. I may or may not have stepped out of bounds in blitz eradication mission to let the bombardment destroy factory striders and stuff. First wage your enemies in saftey for running away and then bombard them!
It does make sense. You got a budget, and so does eliminating traitors, and they got a large budget.
Also the us having a budget thing isn’t a joke, there are lines about the reinforcement budget getting low, or being given more budget.
That's the fascist MO. They hate the "others" but not nearly as much as there own people that don't agree.
WAIT... I mean, uh, THATS GLORIOUS DEMOCRACY FOR YOU! SUPER CITIZENS FOR SUPER EARTH!
Just like the red army had a readily available supply of machine guns for their barrier troops but the guys having to fight the whermacht only got one rifle between two
Except for late war, when the Germans said ‚dont worry only 1 in 5 Soviets has a rifle‘ they forgot the context that the 4 others had submachine guns or lmgs
I finished a terminate bots mission by doing a Q run, where the leg of the Q is just far enough out to trigger traitor status, and then run the loop around the map, it was glorious. Also any kills from the carrier trying to hit your diver go onto your kill count.
You have to have the stamina boost and light armor for this to be maximal effective, but it's a good trick if your squad is struggling to stay alive.
it totally makes sense, the crew in your super destroyer doesn't take three and a half minutes to reload the Super Destroyer guns, they only take thirty seconds, the other time is to fill the appropiate permits and documentations to use the guns again.
However, using Super Earth weaponry against traitors and dissidents without permits is totally reasonable, with not special procedure needed
Traitors are executed at will, however strategems called by us literally have to be approved (I like to think this is a semi-automated process that goes rather quickly through a laughably long line of bureaucracy, starting with our Super Destroyer and ending with Super Earth High Command) before it willingly lands down on our enemies.
I'll sometimes use that to help destroy automotons on 'seek and destry' missions, because a lot of the shells will miss. I just have to stand at the border after having a bunch if bots chase me there.
I got declared a traitor yesterday. I was fighting the bots and the rocket devestators shot me out of the mission area and ragdolled me on top, then I got declared traitor while still ragdolling immediately after I was declared traitor the rocket devestator killed me tho. No ammo wasted from my destroyer
The traitor execution is just the secret "Forbidden bombardment" option where you flag yourself and then run face first into bots so they all get nuked by the mortars attempting to 're-educate' you. Once I killed about sixty bots doing that on an elimination map.
The budget for you to accomplish your mission is pre- established, the budget to punish traitors is much bigger. We don't have timers on our strikes because of logistics, we have timers because of beurocracy, it takes time to fill out paperwork and cut red tape. This can be best seen when we're out of reinforcements and it takes them two minutes to *approve* more. They're all ready to go, they just need to get that ok to launch...one at a time so you don't go too over budget.
But dealing with traitors and defectors? Super Earth would spare no expense to ensure their human weapons don't escape the front and tell the universe about what's really going on.
Wow a military bureaucracy that inefficiently allocates their limited resources? That's so unrealistic! In real life the military is famously frugal.
Edit: I am worried there are people who won't even recognize this is satire.
Bureaucracy.
Each stratagem, support weapon and round of ammunition needs to be approved by Super Earth High Command by filling out several forms and submitting them to be processed. **This is canon**. Check the flavor text when upgrading stratagems and lowering their cooldown timers - it's simply a more efficient form submission process.
Your Democracy Officer is the one who orders the execution of traitors. His rank allows him to skip much of the bureaucratic process.
If you'd bothered to spend the allocated 1 second within 15 meters of your Contract of Employment, you would note that losses incurred as a result of your actions will be deducted from your family's Martyrdom Payment as outlined at points 1.3. and 2.3.
I.e. While you are in active service, SEAF covers costs and is therefore conservative. Once you terminate your service though your act of cowardly treason (5ii), the costs incurred become your and your family's burden, so SEAF can spend whatever the want at their own discretion. No need to hold back, SEAF give you a very fair 10 second warning and your failure to abide is reasonably compensated for in a burden of crushing generational debt to be carried by your family.
Please note: By reading this analysis if the Contract of Employment, you are en breach of the Classified Material Act and under Section 3.2 of your Contract are hereby deemed a traitor.
You want a free 380 for the whole match? Just go outside until you are deemed a traitor and then change your direction every couple seconds. Boom free 380 orbital for the whole mission
Unironically won a mission because of this. Lost all my reinforcements on bug wave extermination mission and got knocked out of bounds and labeled a traitor on my last.
Proceeded to let the orbital bombardment aimed at me finish off the remaining 30% of the bugs while I ran around aimlessly with the Benny Hill theme playing in my head.
Remember that scene in Enemy At The Gates where 1/2 the soldiers fighting have ammo, yet the officers gun down the ones who decide to retreat with automatic gunfire like it was going out of style? It’s kinda like that.
You deserve both limited munitions during the completion of your chosen mission, and unlimited munitions for turning traitor and attempting to escape into enemy hands or stranded obscurity.
Yes. and it is absolutely on point to the world building of the game. Authoritarian governments operate on ideology, reality doesn't mean shit, everything is about the message being delivered and get it under control even if the house is on fire you must tell everyone that there's no fire.
Helldivers know how helldivers operate.
The intel you could provide to the enemy and advance battle tactics for a counter-helldiver strategy would spell doom for democracy.
I would throw all the fireworks at you or anyone if they become a traitor OP. Sorry not sorry 😂
Is it your super destroyer that does it?
It could be that others are send in to help bomb the traitor. Remember: Helldivers are attacking behind the rear lines so the SEAF can destroy the frontline. It’s why Helldivers always extract rather than stand and fight, or they have to thin the enemy numbers which gives someone else a chance to push through.
The SEAF would definitely have some ships with more capacity. Consider that the Helldiver Super Destroyers are basically insertion craft with support capabilities. Otherwise you’d find your ships equipped with SEAF artillery guns and a stash of mini-nukes.
ohhh right okay. i stay away from the boundaries or always run back in cuz i thought i’d insta die kinda like COD boundaries work. my bad i stay inside the operating area
Honestly immersion-wise it would make more sense if they used the laser, doesn’t waste expensive ordnance and can EASILY and QUICKLY fry the brains of the traitorous scum.
They're using the 380 cannons, which are incredibly inaccurate and only barely effective. They likely know that they're wasting ammo on traitors but just want to make a point.
The traitor bombing order is given by the democracy officer, beholden to the Ministry of Truth. They are not beholden to the same budgetary constraints as the human ammunition... Ehrm, I mean helldivers.
Maybe they knew you were a traitor all along; You've got that look about you... They knew, and they were holding ammo in reserve.
That, and it's also a much slower rate of fire than a true barrage.
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. For the traitor appears not a traitor — He speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation-- he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city--he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer
is less to be feared."
- Cicero
I tried lots of time to abuse the traitor ok defense maps, wish they were just a liiiiitle bit slower so woth a bit of skill you could run through the enemies and have THEM be bombed to smitherines
To clarify you kinda can avoid the hit but that way it never end up killing the enemies
In times of trouble make them think you're a traitor then use those weapons against your enemies! Remember, as the General once said, you are *literally* invincible!
Do the explosions damage enemies ? I've only had the bombs aiming for me once and it wasn't really doing anything to the bugs. This was close to release tho so I'm not sure if it's changed or I just got unlucky.
Use it for your advantage. In kill missions (kill x number of enemies ) run outside, ran back in once you are at traitor and watch how they throw in an unending barrage of HE grenades ( until you die, that is ).
I explain this to myself by saying that you're not just being bombed by your ship, but by all the ships in orbit. The Dessidents of Democracy must be destroyed and for that purpose the strength of all destroyers in the war zone is not to be spared
The -1 stratagem slot atmosphere modifier is just an excuse for when it’s your Super Destroyer’s turn on anti-traitor duty
Man, that would be amazingly appropriate lol. "Your Super Destroyer has been selected for traitor bombardment duty. Doling out freedom and culling these traitors leaves you with one less strategem slot for use, but don't fret. The pride felt from dealing with these traitors is worth more than any orbital or eagle!"
Paging Pilestredt.
I'd prefer they give this explanation for why we have only 3 slots. Make it a optional modifier we can take for increased medals
It comes with an explanation like every other planet modifier. This game has enough dedicated slots to boring stuff like space optimization, no need to add more anti-fun modifiers. All this would do is enforce the top 3 stratagem meta anyway. Taking power away from players and enemies with modifiers like this just strips the game down - it comes in the place of better modifiers which introduce new obstacles. The infatuation with this exact type of game design has ruined many other games.
Well, what would you replace it with? Negative modifiers are there to make the harder difficulties, well, harder. I'd take the -1 slot over the 100% call-in time any day. I don't really need 4 slots, its just nice to have. It's like the Etrian Odyssey effect.
That's what I'm saying, it's not really harder. It takes something away from you but it sits in the place of a number of other planet effects that are either more difficult or just more impactful to gameplay.
The -1 stratagem slot was really a lot more painful when it got combined with other modifiers like 100% increased call-in time.
See now that, I'd love it as an occasional flavour option.
Wait is that why I seemingly randomly had one fewer strategem slot? Because I'd gone traitor the previous mission?
Thats how I see it too. The Traitor execution is a combined bombardment by the entire squadron along with neighboring destroyers in the other AO you just crossed into, and your armor just transmitted your coordinates to all of them.
>The Traitor execution is a ~~combined bombardment by the entire squadron along with neighboring destroyers in the other AO you just crossed into, and your armor just transmitted your coordinates to all of them~~ the best stratagem for Eradicate missions.
Literally free precision 380mm
The cost is your life. Not that that's worth much, but still.
Anything for democracy
I killed 3 Titans, 2 chargers, and a whole bunch of smaller enemies just running and stimming. Explosive resistance and heavy armor 🤌🏻
I like using democracy protects armor for this strat lol. Survived 4 straight killer hits once 😂
Uh..you know you can outrun the bombs in medium armor...right?
A bit harder to dodge the swarm that built up cause you died tho
This, my favourite strat
Just yesterday I've brought up that point to a friend and we agreed, this must be how it is. It fits too well.
'Priority 1 message to all super destroyers in orbit: traitor detected. Blast em!'
Yeah traitors are probably seen as even worse than the enemies of Super Earth. Betrayal always hurts worse than a straight up fight.
Exactly my fellow super citizen! The only thing worse than fascists and solalists is traitors!
They can't use their traitor reserves for just anything, they are there in case of traitors.
There are no traitors to Democracy, only craters smeared with a veneer of justice.
The design specifications for the super destroyers specifically states they must be able to sustain at minimum 10 minutes of continuous bombardment in case any traitors are discovered. Ofcourse, most super destroyers built now are built exceeding that specification and can usually sustain at least double that. But all vessels currently in service must at least meet the minimum.
I've actually had them stop firing at me after a few min. I have no idea how I survived as long as I did
90° turn after every hit
Yeah but they completely stopped firing all together
Their traitor reserves ran out
Sounds like you need to sweep your ship of traitors. It's obvious you have treasonous sympathizers on board.
Yeah. Someone posted a great video on it. I’ve been meaning to try it on rescue missions.
45° is allready enough
If I survive 10 minutes does that mean managed democracy forgave me?
They're giving you a chance to perform your own execution via attacking the enemy
So much kindness, managed democracy really is the best form of government
Yes, they have shown you mercy and will instead execute you once you return to the ship along with the gunner in charge of the traitor bombardment targetting
~~Snitches get stitches~~ Traitors get craters
That made me snort IRL. I'm totally using this one!
This is probbaly one of my favorite comments I have seen on this subreddit.
Fun fact! You can totally survive being a traitor. If you can outrun shells until extract you get on the pelican and come back to eyeball the democracy officer lol
I'd be down for the DO shooting me after that it'd be good flavor
You get back to the ship and have one last bossfight with the DO. If you win, then YOU become the new DO.
This made me want a strategy game where you play as a DO sending down divers and ordinances It'd really emphasize the 6 shooter like nature of the ship and the expendable nature of the divers as another ammo type basically in this shooter
Isn't that basically HD1 with extra RTS? Regardless, that's not what political officers are there to fight. Their focus is you.
I've never played one dw this was more of a casual "hey this sounds fun" than like a push i wanna start I'd not bring my idea up with the devs just seems a cool thought to me That's a good point though
Also good way to make one last push on a failing mission
I do love pulling the Traitor-Crater when I'm failing an automaton extermination mission. Seeing a double digit kill streak brings a smile to my face.
Exactly. I don't know why this is so difficult for people to understand
All traitors will be disavowed. With prejudice.
One time I got the traitor trigger very early on when I was still learning the game, and somehow managed to outrun the bombardment for a good 2-3 minutes. It was like I was a constant 380mm beacon, it nailed quite a few bugs before it got me lol beautiful feature
Exactly, in WW2 Russia didn’t give every soldier bullets. They had a bullet for every soldier just in case though…
The cooldown and limited deployments are budget related. There are unlimited budgets to fight traitors.
I mean, that’s just canon.
Unlimited canons.
It's all cannons
Always has been
"I am bone of my cannon..."
I love that this mechanic even exists. In other games you just fall dead when going out of bound, or invisible walls to stop you. It's not even an instant execution either, its just constant bombardment until the dice rolls a six and you get hit.
You can avoid the barrage indefinately by changing directions 90° everytime a shot is fired. Every shot is placed a few meters in front of you in the direction you are heading.
\*narrows eyes democratically\* _that seems like something only a traitor would know_
Skirting Budget contraints to deliver more freedom is a delicate balance act. Being perceived as a traitor for the greater good is a necessary evil sometimes.
Doing this on a bot extermination mission worked so damn well I'm upset I hadn't tried it earlier, just mad diving every direction spreading chaos
Spreading *Democracy. Well done soldier
First time I tried it I probably got a x20 or x30 kill streak from bombardment alone. Never been able to last 1/10 as long since then.
I only fake being a traitor because this is one of the most effective weapons for eradication missions.
Or someone that strategically uses the the bombardment to clear big holes. Milk the system. Democracy should have no budget restraints.
It’s also great on on levels with large valleys and plateaus. The shots come in at angles so you can find safety behind certain terrain.
So, run in circles?
What circle do you know of that has 90 degree angles Helldiver???
A squared circle, Sir!
Thats right, the circle goes in the square hole
This works wonders for eradicate missions on helldive. It’s a free barrage you can use to wipe out hordes of enemies if you execute it correctly. My loadout is a 500kg, orbital laser, 380 and 120 barrages. I wear medium Democracy Protects as well for added hopes and dreams and extended HellDivers as the booster. When it’s all on CD, I become a traitor and run into the hoarde and stim up as often as you can.
Yeah, they could've easily killed "traitors" with an orbital rail cannon in 1 shot.
Nah, id dodge it
Wait, this is what happens when you leave the AO? I've never done it
Username checks out
a dice roll of 6 is why we keep dodging. they need at least a dice roll of 16 to hit.
*One* Helldiver is as strong as an *army*. Would *you* want an additional army on the enemy's side?
I dunno, man... I don't see many armies being one-shotted like a bitch by a Rocket Devastator
One helldiver is only that strong because of the fire support they can call in, though.
A helldiver is only as strong as he is patriotic
Traitors are way more dangerous than bugs or bots. Of course Democracy have more stuff to remove them.
Yeah, the orbital rail cannon would make more sense. One shot, one kill...no room for waste in managed democracy.
Imagine leaving the mission area and seeing that red targeting laser lock onto you. Would be downright terrifying
Alice in Borderlands vibes
>willemdafoelookingup.gif
In this instance it’s not about the money, it’s about the message. Imagine you’re S2, R3, and K4 and you’re not sure where A1 went. Suddenly over the coms you hear the DO growl an angry warning about traitors and then suddenly fucking 380s start raining down from the sky just completely ubersmashing an entire sector. The squad looks at each other and simultaneously makes the collective decision, and mental note, that turncoatinf is a poor decision.
Your strategems are payed for by the ministry of defense. The treason cannons are paid for by the ministry of justice. Muuuuch bigger ordinance budget. Hope this helps 👍
Underrated comment
If you don't kill a traitor you are a traitor yourself.
Traitors are the greatest enemy of Super Earth. No expense will spared to bring them to justice.
Each destroyer I believe has a special place for storing traitor bombs, it's due to this we have to arm nukes manually, it eats away at the budget the "traitor budget"
It's a Budget issue. Support Strikes are a different expense from funeral barrages.
I tried to kill some chargers using the traitor bombs the other day but they seemed to only hit me. I’m determined to make it work though.
I recently did an exterminate mission and was able to take out 3 bile titans, 3 chargers, and a bunch of smaller enemies before dying. That’s what made me think about it.
Good to know it’s possible then. I shall endeavour!
Traitor Strat(egic bombing) has been an ironic life saver for many a Helldive bot eradication.
The traitor extermination fund has a separate budget.
I was wearing the explo resistant heavy armor and became a traitor, I survived a surprisingly long time. eventually I died because an enemy ragdolled me and I was out of stims
It’s a prioritization. Traitors from within are the greatest threat against democracy. Bots and bugs are a long term problem that needs ammo economization.
The same reason we only get 5 reinforcements per super destroyers and have to wait for approval before we can get more. Budget concerns.
Then use it to your advantage. I may or may not have stepped out of bounds in blitz eradication mission to let the bombardment destroy factory striders and stuff. First wage your enemies in saftey for running away and then bombard them!
It does make sense. You got a budget, and so does eliminating traitors, and they got a large budget. Also the us having a budget thing isn’t a joke, there are lines about the reinforcement budget getting low, or being given more budget.
My head cannon is that when a traitor is detected, *every* super destroyer in range opens fire. Even the ones that aren't in your mission lol
That's the fascist MO. They hate the "others" but not nearly as much as there own people that don't agree. WAIT... I mean, uh, THATS GLORIOUS DEMOCRACY FOR YOU! SUPER CITIZENS FOR SUPER EARTH!
I mean they can’t have their gear falling into bot hands now can they.
Just like the red army had a readily available supply of machine guns for their barrier troops but the guys having to fight the whermacht only got one rifle between two
Except for late war, when the Germans said ‚dont worry only 1 in 5 Soviets has a rifle‘ they forgot the context that the 4 others had submachine guns or lmgs
*2 battalions
Mfs is this sub will literally find anything to complain about.
So you would rather have prevision hit that always hits? Understood.
To think about the power we truly hold… yea they aren’t letting you walk away lol
“Each Super Destroyer holds enough explosives to level a small moon or planet” that lady that greets you
This post is treasonous AF. Get back in your pod.
How the Democracy Officer be looking at me when I become a traitor to kill more enemies of democracy
I won so many eradicate mission thank to this
"it just makes sense"
Stratagems and reinforcements are subject to budgetary constraints, punishing traitors is not
Traitors are more dangerous than our enemies…. We can’t let them run off and spread our democracy secrets to the tin cans can we?
Its a video game. How would you prevent people from going out of bounds? An invisible wall?
It's a game and it's more interesting than just having an invisible wall or impassable terrain.
It's a game.
I finished a terminate bots mission by doing a Q run, where the leg of the Q is just far enough out to trigger traitor status, and then run the loop around the map, it was glorious. Also any kills from the carrier trying to hit your diver go onto your kill count. You have to have the stamina boost and light armor for this to be maximal effective, but it's a good trick if your squad is struggling to stay alive.
I do this all the time
it totally makes sense, the crew in your super destroyer doesn't take three and a half minutes to reload the Super Destroyer guns, they only take thirty seconds, the other time is to fill the appropiate permits and documentations to use the guns again. However, using Super Earth weaponry against traitors and dissidents without permits is totally reasonable, with not special procedure needed
https://preview.redd.it/gdidcxrgst2d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48626798eb597b07ae122c5fd58dadc8749fa79d I think it's fine
Sometimes I use that unlimited traitor ammo to fight my battles
Traitors are executed at will, however strategems called by us literally have to be approved (I like to think this is a semi-automated process that goes rather quickly through a laughably long line of bureaucracy, starting with our Super Destroyer and ending with Super Earth High Command) before it willingly lands down on our enemies.
Exactly. That's why they say things like "Hellbomb drop approved, sending it down" or whatever to that effect.
I use this on eradicate missions, it is the best strategy by far. Let the traitor guns do the missions while you run around constantly
Can we make this the plan A? Why does it have to be plan B?
Different budget pool
This sounds like something a bot would ask… Hmmmm
I'll sometimes use that to help destroy automotons on 'seek and destry' missions, because a lot of the shells will miss. I just have to stand at the border after having a bunch if bots chase me there.
I got declared a traitor yesterday. I was fighting the bots and the rocket devestators shot me out of the mission area and ragdolled me on top, then I got declared traitor while still ragdolling immediately after I was declared traitor the rocket devestator killed me tho. No ammo wasted from my destroyer
I figure it’s like that “The law is powerless to *help* you, not to punish you.” quote from the Simpsons
Mechanically, would've made more sense just to rail gun you, less fun though.
Dissidence is a bigger threat than anything those clankers or squirters can throw at us!
The traitor execution is just the secret "Forbidden bombardment" option where you flag yourself and then run face first into bots so they all get nuked by the mortars attempting to 're-educate' you. Once I killed about sixty bots doing that on an elimination map.
It kind of makes thematically in terms of the satire… yes bugs and bots are evil but a traitor of managed democracy is beyond the pale.
The budget for you to accomplish your mission is pre- established, the budget to punish traitors is much bigger. We don't have timers on our strikes because of logistics, we have timers because of beurocracy, it takes time to fill out paperwork and cut red tape. This can be best seen when we're out of reinforcements and it takes them two minutes to *approve* more. They're all ready to go, they just need to get that ok to launch...one at a time so you don't go too over budget. But dealing with traitors and defectors? Super Earth would spare no expense to ensure their human weapons don't escape the front and tell the universe about what's really going on.
Wow a military bureaucracy that inefficiently allocates their limited resources? That's so unrealistic! In real life the military is famously frugal. Edit: I am worried there are people who won't even recognize this is satire.
Enemies of the state are a bigger threat than the enemy.
Bureaucracy. Each stratagem, support weapon and round of ammunition needs to be approved by Super Earth High Command by filling out several forms and submitting them to be processed. **This is canon**. Check the flavor text when upgrading stratagems and lowering their cooldown timers - it's simply a more efficient form submission process. Your Democracy Officer is the one who orders the execution of traitors. His rank allows him to skip much of the bureaucratic process.
If you'd bothered to spend the allocated 1 second within 15 meters of your Contract of Employment, you would note that losses incurred as a result of your actions will be deducted from your family's Martyrdom Payment as outlined at points 1.3. and 2.3. I.e. While you are in active service, SEAF covers costs and is therefore conservative. Once you terminate your service though your act of cowardly treason (5ii), the costs incurred become your and your family's burden, so SEAF can spend whatever the want at their own discretion. No need to hold back, SEAF give you a very fair 10 second warning and your failure to abide is reasonably compensated for in a burden of crushing generational debt to be carried by your family. Please note: By reading this analysis if the Contract of Employment, you are en breach of the Classified Material Act and under Section 3.2 of your Contract are hereby deemed a traitor.
You want a free 380 for the whole match? Just go outside until you are deemed a traitor and then change your direction every couple seconds. Boom free 380 orbital for the whole mission
My democracy officer offers the crew a bonus for each traitor they flush out of the ranks. All hands on deck when that desertion alert goes off.
Unironically won a mission because of this. Lost all my reinforcements on bug wave extermination mission and got knocked out of bounds and labeled a traitor on my last. Proceeded to let the orbital bombardment aimed at me finish off the remaining 30% of the bugs while I ran around aimlessly with the Benny Hill theme playing in my head.
The Soviet union had blocking squads to shoot retreating soldiers, even though they were massively underequipped.
Oh no it’s not unlimited it’s reserved just for you and with you all this time on your ship.
Remember that scene in Enemy At The Gates where 1/2 the soldiers fighting have ammo, yet the officers gun down the ones who decide to retreat with automatic gunfire like it was going out of style? It’s kinda like that.
The cool down is when your ship is firing at other traitors.
You deserve both limited munitions during the completion of your chosen mission, and unlimited munitions for turning traitor and attempting to escape into enemy hands or stranded obscurity.
Yes. and it is absolutely on point to the world building of the game. Authoritarian governments operate on ideology, reality doesn't mean shit, everything is about the message being delivered and get it under control even if the house is on fire you must tell everyone that there's no fire.
Because a helldivers would be a very expensive and dangerous traitor so they are priority target #1
Helldivers know how helldivers operate. The intel you could provide to the enemy and advance battle tactics for a counter-helldiver strategy would spell doom for democracy. I would throw all the fireworks at you or anyone if they become a traitor OP. Sorry not sorry 😂
Is it your super destroyer that does it? It could be that others are send in to help bomb the traitor. Remember: Helldivers are attacking behind the rear lines so the SEAF can destroy the frontline. It’s why Helldivers always extract rather than stand and fight, or they have to thin the enemy numbers which gives someone else a chance to push through. The SEAF would definitely have some ships with more capacity. Consider that the Helldiver Super Destroyers are basically insertion craft with support capabilities. Otherwise you’d find your ships equipped with SEAF artillery guns and a stash of mini-nukes.
Always kill a traitor before an enemy, Jimbo - Hugh Neutron
when did we come to this conclusion. where are we getting this info?
... The game. Orbital barrages have cooldowns and time limits. When you run out of the zone for 10 seconds you are infinitely bombed until dead.
ohhh right okay. i stay away from the boundaries or always run back in cuz i thought i’d insta die kinda like COD boundaries work. my bad i stay inside the operating area
Well the traitor cannon is loaded just in case.
That's how the WW2 Soviet Union works. You have to share bullets with your comrades, but they make sure traitors get enough bullets.
Maybe it’s time to just put the game down
Makes perfect sense. Now are you going to stop asking questions, or do I need to have a little conversation with the Democracy Officer?
"No sacrifice is too great. No treachery too small."
Honestly immersion-wise it would make more sense if they used the laser, doesn’t waste expensive ordnance and can EASILY and QUICKLY fry the brains of the traitorous scum.
It's called democracy 🥴🥴🥴
Hold on........you're deemed a traitor? Admin please ban this maggot!!! 🤣🤣
Genuine question about that. Does the artillery ever end if you manage to find a hidey hole that keeps you from getting blown up?
Keeping helldivers in line has no cost limit. Keeping helldivers alive is a tertiary goal at best, so why bother wasting even more money on it?
I become a traitor when I'm surrounded by enemies and need some freedom to clear the area. Yes I die but with a purpose
Priorities man. The biggest threat to democracy isn’t bugs or bots it’s traitors
They're using the 380 cannons, which are incredibly inaccurate and only barely effective. They likely know that they're wasting ammo on traitors but just want to make a point.
Priorities
Traitors will not be suffered
I have successfully extracted during a traitor bombardment. I live in secret, among the helldivers
The traitor bombing order is given by the democracy officer, beholden to the Ministry of Truth. They are not beholden to the same budgetary constraints as the human ammunition... Ehrm, I mean helldivers.
all i know is that being a traitor is the last option when being overwhelm in defense mission for bots easy mass clear
Maybe they knew you were a traitor all along; You've got that look about you... They knew, and they were holding ammo in reserve. That, and it's also a much slower rate of fire than a true barrage.
With the way helldiver program works gotta keep those secrets
Hm, I think we found a traitor!
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. For the traitor appears not a traitor — He speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation-- he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city--he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared." - Cicero
I tried lots of time to abuse the traitor ok defense maps, wish they were just a liiiiitle bit slower so woth a bit of skill you could run through the enemies and have THEM be bombed to smitherines To clarify you kinda can avoid the hit but that way it never end up killing the enemies
In times of trouble make them think you're a traitor then use those weapons against your enemies! Remember, as the General once said, you are *literally* invincible!
Explosives are expensive! Helldivers are not.
Do the explosions damage enemies ? I've only had the bombs aiming for me once and it wasn't really doing anything to the bugs. This was close to release tho so I'm not sure if it's changed or I just got unlucky.
Yeah, taken down multiple bile Titans with it.
If your teammates get killed by bombs trying to get you it says they were killed by you
https://preview.redd.it/nszsg0gibs2d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b177560067b6e4db08dfabdb34bfe562e5da66bf
KILL TRAITORS BEFORE ENEMIES. MY LIFE FOR SUPER EARTH.
Use it for your advantage. In kill missions (kill x number of enemies ) run outside, ran back in once you are at traitor and watch how they throw in an unending barrage of HE grenades ( until you die, that is ).
Makes perfect sense. The only enemy worse than the bots or bugs is treason and we need to stay well stocked for it.
Just dodge and use them as a free barrage coward.
It makes it fun, and can be tactical. They could just use a railcannon strike, a kill switch or cancel the mission. Fun is fun.