General > Discussion

Weapons jamming

<< < (6/9) > >>

eleazar:

--- Quote from: nemchenk on March 14, 2008, 04:41:52 pm ---@ Serrax: Your own argument proves that while mainline troops don't really carry secondary weapons, special troops do.
--- End quote ---
No.  He's simply provided evidence that not all "mainline" troops carry secondary weapons.


--- Quote from: nemchenk on March 14, 2008, 04:41:52 pm ---So, it all boils down to whether PHALANX is a covert organisation fighting the Unknown Threat, or an elite army unit that is a part of the Big Picture.
--- End quote ---
I don't see why that is important to this question.

What it really boils down to is weather the player finds secondary weapons worthwhile.  If he doesn't, he's free to ignore them, and save the space and money.
Personally i've found them to be useful... not necessarily in every mission, but frequently enough to consider them worthwhile... especially for troops that carry TU-hungry or area-effect main weapons.

As long as secondary weapons aren't totally useless, there's no compelling reason to change the rules so they become more important.  After all, they are by definition "secondary".

Serrax:
@Doctor J:


--- Quote from: Doctor J ---I don't think it's so much about being covert.
--- End quote ---
The choice of weapons is depending on the used tactics. And you don't sneak in and kill an alien from behind with a knife or a small, silenced weapon. As you cannot attack by surprise, small powerless but silenced weapons are useless - you need high firepower for open combat.


--- Quote from: Doctor J ---It's about not having a defined front line, reserves in the rear, etc.  I suspect the reason the elite troops carry so much junk is that they have to be self-sufficient for the duration of the mission.  This completely applies to PHALANX.
--- End quote ---
How long do you believe takes a PHALANX mission? Half an hour? One hour? Two hours?


--- Quote from: Doctor J ---Also, unlike a modern infantry unit, PHALANX troops are unable to call upon artillery, air support, and such like.
--- End quote ---
Not yet.


@eleazar:


--- Quote from: eleazar ---Personally i've found them to be useful... not necessarily in every mission, but frequently enough to consider them worthwhile... especially for troops that carry TU-hungry or area-effect main weapons.
--- End quote ---
I also equip some troopers with laser pistols, especially the soldiers with flamers and grenade launcher. And they are not very effective using a secondary weapon. A lack of training for secondary weapons is another counting issue.

cu

BTAxis:

--- Quote from: Serrax on March 15, 2008, 07:40:13 am ---Not yet.

--- End quote ---

Not ever.

kracken:
I see 2 problems with this jamming stuff, I just want to mention them before work is started ;)


* As we don't want to allow saving during mission, I'm afraid jamming won't be that fun. If your gun will jam at a critical time and your best soldier gets killed because of that, you'll probably just be sickened to start the game again just because of a damned random number.
* Game is already rather hard to balance. I guess you plan to have a different probability to jam for all weapons. That means that it would be a parameter to balance like damages, chance to hit,... If you want to implement jamming as an option, that would mean that balancing wouldn't be the same with or without jamming. And therefore that you would need different damages, spreading parameter, and so on, whether the jamming option is activated or not. So IMO, this is not a good idea to make jamming an option, at least on long time range.

Doctor J:

--- Quote from: Serrax on March 15, 2008, 07:40:13 am ---@Doctor J:
The choice of weapons is depending on the used tactics. And you don't sneak in and kill an alien from behind with a knife or a small, silenced weapon. As you cannot attack by surprise, small powerless but silenced weapons are useless - you need high firepower for open combat.
--- End quote ---

Again, secondary weapons are not only for covert uses.  Let's think about early in the campaign, when you only have Combat Armour.  Your soldier carrying the Rocket Launcher comes to a corner or doorway, and suddenly you have a Bug Eyed Monster facing you at point blank range.  You COULD fire the rocket, but you're in the splash radius and will die as well.  My "Rocket Man" drops the launcher, pulls the SMG out of its holster, and saves the day.  I have personally done this maneuver many times.  It could be argued that the Rocket Man shouldn't be going into those sorts of places, but that's another conversation...

It can also be useful when the target is highly resistant to the damage type of your primary weapon.  Let's say the Laser Rifle isn't cutting the mustard, well you're also carrying a Plasma Pistol.

To summarize, secondary weapons are useful whenever you can't or shouldn't use your primary weapon.  Lack of jams doesn't doesn't eliminate the need for secondary weapons, it just reduces the need.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page