Riot Shotgun/flechette - useless? (2.3)

[Telok]

I'm currently running an 'old' build of the 2.3 version, kinda buggy with the saves but it has base invasions. The base invasions are the reason I'm not bothering to kick up to the most recent version yet, I have a save with a base invasion about 30 seconds (real time) away. This is a wonderful chance to test tactics and weapons. Flamers rule in close combat!

My latest run involved an encounter with a average skill close combat guy armed with a riot shotgun, and two Ortniks wearing alien armor. I had been shooting the top side doorway in my base entrance with two grenade launchers from the bottom of the ramp, the riot shotgun was covering them. After two rounds of trading grenade and plasma shots the two aliens walked in while my GLs were reloading and out of TUs. The aliens did not shoot, they walked five or six squares down the ramp, turned right, and walked into my storage room. I was flabbergasted. The twit with the riot shotgun didn't even twitch. Twenty eight TUs, multi-shot reaction on, crouched and ready to burst fire... He sat there while two aliens walked by just one square away, too busy picking his nose to to pull the trigger.

This is not a problem. I can deal with this.

I had Mr. Snot-face go try to redeem himself, the aliens couldn't have gotten very far so he got first crack at them. Sure enough they had stopped just around the corner, just four squares away. The riot shotgun was loaded with flechette shells, and I had 20 TUs left. Perfect, time for some full-autofire funtime.

He didn't drop. The alien didn't drop. There was over a 95% hit rate on that spray and it didn't drop.

I had one of the GLs lob three bombs over there and killed all three of them. No big loss there. But I was heavily disappointed by the utter ineffectiveness of the riot shotgun. Has anyone else had this sort of experience?

P.S. Base Attack Hint: Anyone with a sniper rifle, put that thing in their pack and hand them a flamer. The rifles and long range weapons are useful in certain spots of your base. But you'll get far more kills out of that flamer for the same TUs. Most of the base is tight, tight quarters.

[DanielOR]

Liked the description.     I suppose that happens to the best of us - was too busy staring to shoot the bastards.

Flamethrower in-base - man, the cleaning staff must hate that...

[Surrealistik]

Versus armoured targets? Yes. They rip apart everything else in short order, though unarmoured targets are notably in short supply later on. Overall though, I'd have to say the riot shotgun is decisively underpowered relative to its TU costs, and is mediocre even early game. Of course the last version I've really played throughly was 2.2, but it doesn't seem as though things have changed much from then in terms of weapon statistics.

[Kaerius]

I seem to recall it being decent early game, though I tended to use slugs in three round burst. Better damage but more spread than assault rifle. Quickly replaced by bolter though.

[Telok]

I've come to think that my biggest beef with this weapon is that it becomes obsolete as soon as the aliens start wearing basic armor. This seems to happen in the middle of the second month on this build ( for me, so far, YMMV).

Seems senseless to clutter the equipment screens with something that obsoletes faster then the knife and pistol.

[Mayhem]

The shotgun's advantage over the assault rifle ought to be its versatility, just like the grenade launcher, in a way.

As well as saboted AP rounds and flechettes, there could be Gas "ferret" rounds, incendiary rounds, etc. All ver minimal area effect (ie, not remotely superceding the grenade launcher)  but in some circumstances being a better choice than a thrown grenade (sacrificing area for range).

http://www.hi-vel.com/Catalog__18/Specialized_Shotshell_Ammuniti/specialized_shotshell_ammuniti.html

[hotdog]

What difficulty level was it on? I find that I can use pistols late game on the Very Easy, Easy modes. Sometimes on the Normal Mode.

Also I just used the Riot Shotgun with flechette round (on hard) and dropped an Ortnok of course I was RIGHT next to him but it still killed him off. Could be that you heavily damaged the guy and he was near death.

I also find that using the saboted slugs is better because a burst can kill an alien mid game if all hit. Although I really don't use the SG much I just give everyone Machine Guns.