HC-HE rounds allow the cannons to function as a glorified Grenade launcher, for when you need the power of a grenadier but don’t have time to prime grenades. Consider using it when an agent is too weak to carry a Rocket Launcher. Take care when firing these near objects you want to recover as they will destroy any object on the ground.
An unconventional but possibly effective tactic, is to prefer HC-HE ammunition for use against lower armoured races, (Sectoids, Floaters, Snakemen) rather than armour piercing rounds or beam weapons. This is because high explosive rounds create a blast radius, which means that aliens can still be killed even when the soldier firing it does not score a direct hit. They thus require less real firing accuracy to be effective. You still only get six shots per clip, however, so for long missions, keep a laser rifle in your backpack for when you run out.
HC-I rounds are generally useless for direct confrontations due to the unusual way the game handles Incendiary damage. They do however make for compact portable light sources and are useful for starting small fires. If given sufficient time and fuel for burning, aliens can be slowly roasted to death. Unconscious units and objects will not get damaged in fire.
Heavy and Auto-Cannons become extremely safe to use on Personal Armor troops. As long as you don’t get an underside hit from a point blank explosion, you will never suffer more than scratches when using these weapons in short range combat. This is an excellent combination in any indoor setting such as UFOs or even enemy installations.
I really liked all the micromanagement of choosing and switching ammunition in the original game. Currently in Phoenix Point, we already have to manage spare ammo amounts, including weight and inventory slots, just without the additional benefit of actually having a variety of ammo to choose from.
Heavy Cannon was one of the most fun pieces of equipment, and Hel Cannon sure as Hel (hah) looks like a perfect place to start adding AP/HE ammo variants. Phoenix Point has other good candidates that could be changed from having a whole different weapon (poison crossbow, AP assault rifle) to simply being able to manufacture and use different ammo (poison bolts, AP ammunition) in the existing weapons.
Yes, I have been thinking of it for a while. One of the complaints was that PP has no personality. What if rather then learning to manufacture other factions weapons PP would adapt them for their own use? Rather then make armor piercing/poison/neural sniper rifle, develop that type of ammo for their own equipment?
Factions rifles could still be the thing, we just couldn’t manufacture them. The of course we run into the problem of class specific weapons which PP has no access to nativelly (like crossbows or melee weapons).
Alas, it’s probably too late for such sweaping changes to progression.
Fully agree many new and existing Weapons could be improved and made in some variety (incl. notorious crossbows :))))
So, this “HC proposal” could be viewed similarly:
Introduce variety of ammo for existing weapons (incl. Virus, Acid …) but remember Armor Piercing and Heavy explosion ammo … Thus making it more strategic and weapons using longer. Surely, with better weapons bonuses could also improve. This could apply to different effects of fraction weapons (e.g. Lasers pure and free, Virus effects to Annu, HE to New Jericho … as example)
I though same and I just don’t have any idea why the gel cannon does not have aoe damage at all even 9 tiles. It’s not explosive and not ap. It should have at least 9 tile of aoe.
For multi ammo, to be honest when I got the game I already thought there are multi ammo choose in this game because the devs are from first xcom. So I don’t think they will miss this. When I saw there non, it was a huge disappointment.
Yes. I’m still hoping that it’s more of an issue of priority, and once the devs have time between all these patches and upcoming DLC’s (and I like that they’re been so active), they’ll use the existing mechanics to add different types of ammunition.
This would allow to ‘mod’ a weapon with a different munition before each mission (like in Xcom2). It’s more likely that something like this could be implemented rather than different ammo clips in the inventory a la old X-Com.
Then I’m left wondering why we even have these ammo magazine items at all. Yeah, ammo scarcity and having to spend resources to bring extra magazines is a decision players have to make. But if the game does not intend to use these magazine inventory items in any other way, why not just remove them and add a number somewhere that shows the amount of extra magazines each soldier has, for each weapon (that you’d still have to purchase and replenish)?
As the game planned to have 6 DLC, I think we are here just at early development. There are so many things extra to kill the balance and everything already planned for future. So all the people here talk about any kind of balance and gameplay but I think we will have much more, rich and different things when the game DLC run is over.
For example at next next DLC we will have air fights… with who? how? I can’t imagine how this will change many things and many things we talk here and there will be already changed beyond our imagination.
So there is an ammo system for weapons and mod system for armors. It’s sure that we will have multi-ammo and modable weapons in future somewhere. Devs just are putting the base code to use later.
For this reason, every economy balance chances are very temporary too.
I don’t think it’s impossible for Phoenix Point to have an RPG level of customisation in the terms of building a squad and/or an individual trooper. X-Com was superficially complex but basically, you had 5 classes who scaled into the game if you could keep them alive. PP has 7 skill trees based on class, a random skill tree (?) and the ability to dual class. Plus multiple weapon and augmentation options. Balancing the gameplay is probably the last thing that happens when building game like this.
Sometimes balance is overrated. You can enjoy something “cannot be balanced even you want to do it”. So you choose to have to go cool way. You create your dream team and go for it. Devs can use different ways to make it harder for you if you still want a challenge.
Xcom2 got tons of mods with rpg elements with them and even you use 100’s of them, you still can have a challenging game. Yes, not everytime you will get a balance, you will have maybe very easy moments and very hard ones in your game but this is life. Today, everything could be so nice to you but tomorrow your life can be ruined.
There is time for Pp to balance everything and nobody can say anything before the development is done. Then we will have modding to create your own “balance”. Don’T forget that your balance could be my doom and my balance could be your babywalk… The point is “enjoy” because it’s a game. But enjoyment is different for everyone too…
+5 acc scope won’t change the game balance when the weapon mods added, or an HE ammo option for cannon won’t make you win the whole game, but they will be lovely additions to make the game rich.
As a minigun freak, if i could mod that, I would me it more powerful, faster, better. This will break balance for you, but will make it better and more enjoyable for me.
So again… balance is overrated and depend on people.
A deep, multi-level balance (balanced) It will Always be interesting, even for players of quite different experience. (except in extreme cases - full noob / mod hardcore)
