I get that you need to do more with less and recycling existing models is easier than making new ones. But the experience of using the single stubber still feels pretty lame. There is too much cognitive dissonance over how powerful the weapon is versus how powerful it looks/sounds. This is the same gun I’ve used before, but now I only have one instead of two, and it does ten times the damage just because I’m shooting one bullet at a time instead of dozens? It just feels wrong, and that sense will nag at your brain the whole time you are using it.
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Again, I know we’re here because of asset recycling but I still think some improvements could easily be made on the cheap in terms of developer effort:
Make the shells in the ammo drum visibly bigger than the ones used by the double stubber so that my brain doesn’t constantly and subconciously believe I’m using a weaker gun.
Make the impact of bullets on the target visibly bigger and louder, by at least 3x. Especially the impact of bullets against armour, really sell the idea that this is a powerful armour busting gun.
Make the sound of gunshots much MUCH louder, recycling the stubber sound for a single shot gun is no good because it looks and sounds very weak, it would be like making the Ius autopistol single shot. We need “BOOM BOOM BOOM” not “tup tup tup”.
Increase the thickness and length of the gun barrel even more, as well as the muzzle flash. Really sell the difference in gun power over the stubbers to the player visually as well as in other aspects.
Once you’ve done all that call it an autocannon instead of a stubber.
Do not underestimate how much these simple changes will increase player satisfaction, you don’t have to rework the weapon entirely, just change the aesthetics a bit and it will be much more enjoyable to play.
Even if they have to scale it down a tad from the anti-vehicular types like we saw in Only War and make it an “anti-infantry” autocannon. It’s a big Imperium and there is room for lots of different patterns.
nah autocannon should be its own thing. light and heavy marks only. I enjoy these stubbers, the asset borrowing is a little lazy but I only dislike how underwhelming they sound. its like plinking with a .22.
I agree with both a lot of OPs points and this. The current stubbers are pretty good and fill a similar niche on Ogryn as an infantry lasgun. In fact they’re kind of just better infantry lasguns that won’t give you tendonitis, albeit with a slower swap. The Achlys is almost comparable to a bolter instead.
The part about OPs post I agree with though is that they don’t feel high caliber enough for what they are. Definitely needs a sound overhaul. I like their aesthetics though.
But yes, an autocannon, if it’s even on the table, definitely needs to be far more heavy duty than this in actual usage. I’m thinking comparable to voidstrike cannon balls or a plasma gun, gameplay wise. Maybe even with an actual overheat mechanic.
Why would an autocannon overheat? It has no internal mechanisms in the way of a plasma gun and the only thing likely to overheat is the barrel which is actually much more likely for the heavy stubbers with their much higher cycle rate. It’s already a cosmetic thing that happens with them. With no internal system to regulate itself and shut down or vent, it would, realistically, just explode or shred the barrel due to warping. And, if we are introducing that level of realism, how would we explain just reloading and the gun being all better again?
If they do make the autocannon as large bore as you are suggesting, it can be easily balanced by ammo constraints. Small mag and reserves.
But they have introduced pretty much no anti-vehicular weapons yet -apart from the krak grenade- so I don’t think they really intend to. That’s why I suggest a scaled-down autocannon to explain why a single bullet hits harder rather than have magically deal more damage when you unbolt the two guns.
Speaking of non-anti-vehicle weapons a multi-las would also be awesome.
The issue I have with this is that I’m suggesting it should be on the level of a voidstrike staff or a plasmagun, and you’re suggesting it should have a small mag and reserves. Those weps are infinite ammo and big mag/big reserves respectively though. Should probably break the curse of making every ogryn weapon horrid garbage, unless we’re talking bigger caliber than both of them combined.
Fair enough about the overheat thing though I pretty much just think new guns should be a little interesting mechanically, it doesn’t necessarily have to be realistic.
