Goonhub
03-12-2022, 03:43 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2022, 03:53 AM by Zafhset. Edited 3 times in total.
Edit Reason: wording
)
A long, long time ago (I think it was pre-2015) the 40mm pod weapons were nerfed to include an ammo limit - this made sense at the time, as it was super destructive back then and there were very few options to counter pods.
However, pod warfare options have changed significantly over the years, and the 40mm pod weapon has since went from something you could consider buying to oh-god-why-would-you-even.
It sucks, is expensive, and will likely get you killed the first time you get engaged.
Some of the immediate reasons why:
A) security has significantly gained anti-pod options over the years :
with the armory receiving further additions to what they contain, security has a ton of effective anti-pod options.
From the free laser pod weapons (which will tear the slow firing 40mm pods apart) to the pod seeking grenades that any guy can wield with the riot launcher (with spacesuit + jetpack, they can easily dance around the slow firing 40mm pod, which has no hope of hitting them with their slow firing rate).
This is not counting the various pulse rifles and shotguns that are already present. Nor the pod taser weapons that can indefinitely stun a pod and slowly destroy it.
B) a 40mm pod can be easily dispatched by ANY pod weapon, unless they get lucky:
podfights strongly depends on how often you can hit, and how often you can avoid being hit. This often devolves into a dogfight of both sides firing as much as they can at the other pod. You know what the 40mm loses out on?
1) their ability to sustain fire at the enemy's direction (ammo limit)
2) fire rate (the 40mm's fire rate is glacial)
Yes, even phasers pods. Anyone with a civ-tier pod can facehug your 40mm pod to make you blow yourself up when you fire.
C) Pod warfare had changed to include a number of weaknesses :
Pods can be stunned/disoriented by anyone with a fire extinguisher/toolbox/etc hitting it. This disrupts it from being able to fly away fast enough and also disrupts it from firing.
I mentioned in point (A) that a spacesuited guy can dance around you with pod seeking grenades - any miner with a pickaxe or power hammer will absolutely wreck a 40mm pod unless a lucky shot is landed (which incidentally will also damage the pod from AoE)
D) the current state of the 40mm pod is weak :
With the current state of limited ammunition, a 40mm pod weapon can at most moderately damage 1-2 space facing hallways or departments before running dry. There are a number of reasons why this is.
1) Pod accuracy is horrible as it relies on fixed directionals
2) Pods currently eat roughly 10-20% of their own shots due to pods flying INTO their own projectiles.
3) Reason 2 above sucks less if you have weaker weapons. eating your own 40mm shots HURT bad.
4) For the above reasons, the assault laser is a better pick to cause sustained station damage. it has a more decent chance in a pod fight too, although lasers/strelka will still wreck it.
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When was the last time a 40mm pod has done a good chunk of damage to the station? In the past almost decade of on-off playing and hiatuses, I have not seen it do much.
I don't think people even buy the thing anymore - buying the nades and firing them with a riot launcher works way better.
However, pod warfare options have changed significantly over the years, and the 40mm pod weapon has since went from something you could consider buying to oh-god-why-would-you-even.
It sucks, is expensive, and will likely get you killed the first time you get engaged.
Some of the immediate reasons why:
A) security has significantly gained anti-pod options over the years :
with the armory receiving further additions to what they contain, security has a ton of effective anti-pod options.
From the free laser pod weapons (which will tear the slow firing 40mm pods apart) to the pod seeking grenades that any guy can wield with the riot launcher (with spacesuit + jetpack, they can easily dance around the slow firing 40mm pod, which has no hope of hitting them with their slow firing rate).
This is not counting the various pulse rifles and shotguns that are already present. Nor the pod taser weapons that can indefinitely stun a pod and slowly destroy it.
B) a 40mm pod can be easily dispatched by ANY pod weapon, unless they get lucky:
podfights strongly depends on how often you can hit, and how often you can avoid being hit. This often devolves into a dogfight of both sides firing as much as they can at the other pod. You know what the 40mm loses out on?
1) their ability to sustain fire at the enemy's direction (ammo limit)
2) fire rate (the 40mm's fire rate is glacial)
Yes, even phasers pods. Anyone with a civ-tier pod can facehug your 40mm pod to make you blow yourself up when you fire.
C) Pod warfare had changed to include a number of weaknesses :
Pods can be stunned/disoriented by anyone with a fire extinguisher/toolbox/etc hitting it. This disrupts it from being able to fly away fast enough and also disrupts it from firing.
I mentioned in point (A) that a spacesuited guy can dance around you with pod seeking grenades - any miner with a pickaxe or power hammer will absolutely wreck a 40mm pod unless a lucky shot is landed (which incidentally will also damage the pod from AoE)
D) the current state of the 40mm pod is weak :
With the current state of limited ammunition, a 40mm pod weapon can at most moderately damage 1-2 space facing hallways or departments before running dry. There are a number of reasons why this is.
1) Pod accuracy is horrible as it relies on fixed directionals
2) Pods currently eat roughly 10-20% of their own shots due to pods flying INTO their own projectiles.
3) Reason 2 above sucks less if you have weaker weapons. eating your own 40mm shots HURT bad.
4) For the above reasons, the assault laser is a better pick to cause sustained station damage. it has a more decent chance in a pod fight too, although lasers/strelka will still wreck it.
--------------
When was the last time a 40mm pod has done a good chunk of damage to the station? In the past almost decade of on-off playing and hiatuses, I have not seen it do much.
I don't think people even buy the thing anymore - buying the nades and firing them with a riot launcher works way better.