Cal Predine
StarKnight Security
37
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Posted - 2012.12.02 09:54:00 -
[1] - Quote
I'm guessing that this thread was started by a vehicle aficionado, but here's my Isk 0.02 anyway...
Paran Tadec wrote:My point is the forge is too good at everything, and not bad at anything..
I can chip in here, since I actually *use* a forge gun when the situation demands, and by that, I mean when there are suitable targets on the field. When there aren't suitable targets on the field, I play regular infantry, since a forge gunner isn't particularly useful in most situations, is expensive to train and equip, and will get taken down by regular infantry pretty quickly. As in the real world, Dust warfare is a highly complex game of paper/ stone/ scissors.
And on the subject of "suitable targets" it's important to differentiate hard "point" targets such as vehicles and emplacements from soft "dispersed" targets such as groups of infantry.
The Forge is, I have to agree, probably the most effective weapon at damaging point targets. It's not effective at destroying them, only at damaging them. Once that point target (be it a vehicle or emplacement) has taken it's first Forge hit, it will respond, either with force (and any point target has more then enough firepower to take out a forge gunner before the lengthy charge-up time allows a second shot) or (in the case of vehicles) driving them off to repair and return soon after.
Against dispersed targets (like groups of infantry), the forge gun is pretty much ineffective. It may (and I emphasise *may*) take one infantryman out before being destroyed, but you'd need to catch them stationary and at moderate range. Being one of the few weapons which can only be fired "from the hip" (i.e. unzoomed) means it's not effective at long range except by blind luck. this is correct and as it should be.
I'd argue that the HMG fits your description more closely, being able to engage many point and all dispersed targets effectively, but that's a debate for another thread.
The problem we have here is, that there isn't much which actually represents a credible *threat* to well-prepared vehicles, especially Dropships and HAVs, to such an extent that just one of them can and will frequently utterly dominate a match, and that rather smacks of one wealthy player (or a small tank/ dropship crew) rendering everyone else (on both sides) feeling rather bored and obsolete - great fun for the minority, I'm sure, not rather poor gameplay value for everyone else.
A Cavalry Major I used to work with described his beloved tanks as "pretty much dead without infantry support". That's certainly not the case in Dust, so I'm harshly opposed to seeing one of the few weapons that Dust vehicles can't ignore being rendered less effective. |