*SPOILERS* Weapon Analysis

[Sarin]

Well, close skill is used only for secondary weapons, and that's how I treat it. No specialists.

[Nutter]

I generally prefer my combat done at long to medium ranges.
IE; Snipers and riflemen with a heavy or two. Everyone with a pistol. Even if only for looks rather than function.
But I do sometimes turn to the SMG as a primary weapon on one of them and designated medics and grenadiers have a tendency to have single-handed weaponry issued. Of course, these guys generally don't get much in the way of gunning hostiles down.

[Hertzila]

I don't meant to hijack the thread, but I'm curious how people feel about the "close" skill. Are you happy with your close specialists? Do you find they get as much use as other specialists (assault,heavy,explosives,sniper)?

I am looking at the weapon/damage distribution and from what I can tell, the close specialists seem to be at a bit of a disadvantage.

I have a close combat specialist with a shotgun and I'm inclined to agree that close skill isn't as good or lasting as others. Assault skill gets a new primary weapon from every avenue (laser rifle, plasma rifle, particle rifle...), heavies also get a new weapon (as well as keeping flamer, which is better in close combat than close skill itself and keeps its usefulness) and explosives get upgraded munitions to their weapons, while close skill only gets secondary/backup weapons instead of specialized close combat weaponry.
Snipers grab a bit of a short stick in the mid-game too, where lasers enroach on their territory while they pretty much have to stay with the basic sniper rifle for accuracy. However, by the late-game they have the coilgun and get their job back.

[Nutter]

To be honest, I generally always keep a standard sniper around all the time.
Coilguns are just too bulky to fully rely on.

But an actual high tier close range weapon that's actually designed with Homo Sapiens in mind would be rather lovely.

[Unisol]

I have a close combat specialist with a shotgun and I'm inclined to agree that close skill isn't as good or lasting as others. [...] flamer, which is better in close combat than close skill itself [...] close skill only gets secondary/backup weapons instead of specialized close combat weaponry.

With little hesitation I second Hertzila's post. Close combat proves itself invaluable in close quarters with civilians and aliens mixed together - take any building assault as example. What is needed here is something powerful(like one shot-one kill powerful), highly accurate and with high fire rate - range, obviously, isn't an issue. In-game weapon that fits here best would be particle beam pistol. Something that doesn't fit here as good as PB pistol would be flamer, stun stick, plasma pistol, plasma blade(my personal favorite) and some of the old shotguns and SMGs. That arsenal seems to be impressive, and it does suffice in most situations. However, it would be really cool to see some human-designed advanced strictly close combat weapon - like overcharged laser pistol that renders itself inoperable after dosen of shots, or maybe plasma blade crossbow, or human-modified plasma pistol(grip that is more convenient for humans, higher precision and plasma temperature), or pocket needler.

[Tamanfodder]

My only close combatant is my dedicated medic, who doesn't even fight. (I use only one person as a medic, because i find everyone carrying medcits odd, yes i know i am intentionally hindering myself) Because alien weapons are generally better at close range. My "doctrine" involves a lot of snipers and lasers. If no lasers available then snipers and spotters. (Though when opprotunity arises, i do order my men to stab the aliens with combat knives for the fun of it)

[Duque Atreides]

I´m very displeased with the sniper rifle. I think that the spread must be lower. Look at this: the AR have a spread of 1 with aimed shot, but there´s no scope, only iron sights. The sniper rifle have a 0.9 spread in AIMED shot, but have a scope... is seriously ridiculous!!

I think that the SR must be 0,6 in spread, and the laser weapons 0,3. By this way, the SR will have more sense.

Another way, is to include a laser sniper rifle, with enough firepower to do 120 points of damage with overcharge, and only 5 or 3 shots to balance the game.

[Sarin]

A "hidden" feature is, that different weapons gain different accuracy bonuses when crouching. AR doesn't get much more accurate, but SR...

[Nutter]

Another way, is to include a laser sniper rifle, with enough firepower to do 120 points of damage with overcharge, and only 5 or 3 shots to balance the game.

It's called the heavy laser.

[Duque Atreides]

Naaaa, the heavy laser only have 55 points of damage. For 120, you must fire a pulsed fire. And, its a heavy weapon, so the stats used are the heavy weapons, not sniper.

I tell about a laser for a single shot of 120 hits points, using the sniper stats.

I think that heavy laser is a waste of time.

[Sarin]

Lasers should probably be changed a bit...give us real laser sniper rifle, and modify heavy laser to work more like a machinegun...probably using several cartridges at once to get good firing endurance, a bit less damage than now per shot but high ROF modes...and less accuracy, can be justified by weight of weapon and high temperature fluctuations of chamber due to high output.

[Nutter]

You do realise a heavy laser isn't supposed to replace the MG, right?
And I'm pretty sure a laser sniper rifle would be even heavier and bulkier than the heavy laser which is supposed to be a bitch to carry. See where I'm going?
Not to mention that having friggin laser beams in every role would be boring and unfeasible.

And who the hell even uses wave fire anyway?

[Duque Atreides]

You do realise a heavy laser isn't supposed to replace the MG, right?
And I'm pretty sure a laser sniper rifle would be even heavier and bulkier than the heavy laser which is supposed to be a bitch to carry. See where I'm going?
Not to mention that having friggin laser beams in every role would be boring and unfeasible.

And who the hell even uses wave fire anyway?

I don´t see the point of a laser MG. The MG in crouching position is very lethal at longer ranges with a good soldier. But, the sniper rifle is very outclased by the laser rifle or the heavy laser.

If not a laser sniper rifle, the heavy laser must be used like a sniper rifle, with sniper stats, not heavy. The sniper rifle is a 20 mm gun; what about the weight?? I only used one time the HL and i belive that is a piece of .....

Or, the SR could have a spread of 0,6. Holly god!! it´s a sniper rifle!!

[Nutter]

Or someone could add in a version of the bolter that isn't designed to cause more inconvinence to the user than the enemy beyond spitting distance...




I really have to figure out how to do that one day.

[Duque Atreides]

The bolter is another useless weapon. It´s so inaccurate....

This is another weapon to fix, i think. Being a early weapon, it need a very trained soldier to use it effectively.