How Often do You Use the Heavy Cannon?

[chaosshade]

So in working on my own mod, I was left with a "problem" in wondering if I should leave the Heavy Cannon in the game or remove it entirely.  I know the Heavy Cannon has its place, especially in Superhuman mode because it can carry more ammunition than the Rocket Launcher, but it's nowhere near the "workhorse" that the Gas Cannon is in TFTD.

[Solarius Scorch]

In vanilla? Pretty often, in early game.

Many people prefer the Auto-Cannon for its auto fire. I used to think so too, but grew out of it; the auto fire is pretty situational, for example with IN ammo. Heavy Cannon is stronger, more accurate and quite fast.

I'm not doing the poll right now, because the answers aren't logically linked to the question. "How often" doesn't mean "at which part of game", so I'm not even sure what you're asking about.

[Meridian]

Early on, I use:
- 60% rifles
- 25% heavy cannon + HE ammo
- 10% rocket launcher
- 5% heavy explosives

[davide]

Autocannon instead of rifle

[Starving Poet]

I use the heavy cannon all the time - I only use the autocannon with IN ammo if I'm expecting early game Cyberdiscs.

[hellrazor]

I prefer Rocket Launcher and or Auto canons....

[Arthanor]

With a proper mod and ufo extender accuracy, I find Heavy Cannons to be quite useful in the early game. Aim at the floor in front of an alien to create a descending shot or at a wall nearby and you will be very likely to create an explosion near enough to kill it, much better than missing by a hair's width with direct fire. It also kills reapers in 1-2 shots for those floater terrors. Without extender accuracy, the auto-cannon is probably better, but with it and a reasonable tweak (making the heavy cannon more accurate at range and the auto-cannon focus more on the auto-fire), they can both be very useful.

Obviously, by the time you have laser weapons, it becomes less useful, and is totally irrelevant when you get plasma. So the question is confusing, as Solarius said. How often do I use Heavy Cannons? A lot in the early game, a little mid game, not at all end game. Do I value it as a weapon in the game? Certainly.

[chaosshade]

In vanilla? Pretty often, in early game.

Many people prefer the Auto-Cannon for its auto fire. I used to think so too, but grew out of it; the auto fire is pretty situational, for example with IN ammo. Heavy Cannon is stronger, more accurate and quite fast.

I'm not doing the poll right now, because the answers aren't logically linked to the question. "How often" doesn't mean "at which part of game", so I'm not even sure what you're asking about.

You are correct, Solarius, my poll options are not really all that relevant to the question.  I wasn't sure how to phrase it, but the posts alone tell me that, if I feel so inclined, I can safely remove the Heavy Cannon from my mod and almost no one will miss it.

[Arthanor]

But.. having two heavy weapons enables you to diversify the arsenal by creating two different weapons for two different roles. I struggle to see how that's a bad thing, unless you are trying for a minimalist approach?

[chaosshade]

But.. having two heavy weapons enables you to diversify the arsenal by creating two different weapons for two different roles. I struggle to see how that's a bad thing, unless you are trying for a minimalist approach?

I actually have a wide selection of heavy weapons in my mod and, just as a hint for the next update, it's going to expand further.  As of now (the most up-to-date version of it) the Heavy Cannon has been removed in favour of a Grenade Launcher.  I don't really agree with that change so I'm looking at ways to expand things.  It mainly means I just have to add some extra code and a new set of sprites.

[IMBACORE]

I use the heavy cannon all the time - I only use the autocannon with IN ammo if I'm expecting early game Cyberdiscs.

Whoa. Discs are weak against incendiary ammo? 0_0

Newbie here.

[Solarius Scorch]

Whoa. Discs are weak against incendiary ammo? 0_0

Newbie here.

Even veterans don't necessarily know this, because incendiary damage isn't very widespread in vanilla, and it gets obsoleted by lasers very quickly. I only learned about it myself when things like flamers arrived on scene.

[Starving Poet]

Whoa. Discs are weak against incendiary ammo? 0_0

Newbie here.

IN  ammo is special.   If it hits it does 5-10 damage regardless of where it comes from + damage over time.   Most 4 tile units are weak to incendiary - due to the nature of being 4 tiles and taking 4 times as much damage.   Discs just have extra resistance to explosives, so the meager 5-10 (20-40) damage x 3 (60-120! autoshot) of an IN round wins out over a grenades or even heavy rocket.

When taking out single tile units without autoshot, IN loses much of its glamour.  I never use IN rockets or heavy cannon unless I need light.   Even then, I'm more likely to use flares.

[IMBACORE]

Thanks for the info guys. Really eye opening!

[kharille]

I use heavy HE rockets at the start until I get lasers, and then my initial troops still stick with rockets.

Love it that I can move rookies to the front lines, especially the weak psychic ones.