Hi, this is a proposal to make roof mounted machine guns a modification. In several cases, vehicles have probably been used without the external machine guns (the machine guns mounted on hatches and the like) mounted, whether it has been in connection with maintenance, repair of the weapon, cost-related reasons or simply because things are better without.
I have one example from the Norwegian military, of all their Leopard 1/2 Tanks; The wagon commander had enough to do with analyzing the fields, giving commands and the other tasks a commander has, if he didn’t also have to operate the MG on the tower roof, it was then natural that the loader got that job. The mg on the commander’s hatch was then removed.
You can find pictures of two machine guns being used, but as a rule they were not used on the commander’s hatch. I am reasonably sure that this has been, and is being done in more countries than Norway.
I thought for a bit, just making the commander’s machinegun a modification seems a bit stupid, as the same should really apply to all the external, removable machineguns as it is not wrong, and gives more possibilities. So what I recommend is that the machine guns (on the roof) or in several places of course, which are removable historically, are made into a module/modification that can be clicked off/uninstall from the vehicle based on the individual player’s wishes. Some players may want that little historical detail, and others may want to remove the machine gun(s) for other reasons
Agree. Some roof mounted MGs are detrimental to survivability (visibility, HE death trap, etc.)
One would have to decide between having an MG to fend off helicopters or being less visible/survivable and having one less module to repair in the field.
Works for me. It’s up to individual choices. Doesn’t forcefully impact gameplay. Yes please :)
This would be good way for making those internally operated roof machine guns better. In game they usually they have limited angles or cause a big weakspot.
The problem is that making them a “modification” means that stock they come locked. Which means you are proposing to take away the choice not give it. At least until it’s spaded. One of the ways to grind a cripplewared tank is to go after light and open topped vehicles and to “ping” enemy tanks with MGs for the lolz n’ RP. This means you can’t do that.
Historically, crews always opted for “MOAR GUNZ!!!” not less. It really wasn’t a choice either. MGs would have been on the inventory and would have been required by commanders to be carried/used.
Doctrinally, roof flex MGs were for AA and more importantly anti-infantry defense. US lessons learned in SE Asia and the Arab Israeli wars is why the M1s not only have a TC’s MG but the Loader has one too.
I get that removing the forest of junk on top of a turret gives a game advantage, but its just that, a game advantage that is divorced from reality and could have game balance consequences.
Likewise many of the shells you have to research were standard equipment. Same thing with all kinds of smokes, rangefinder systems and thermals. Fire extinguishers are likewise a big thing in game, but not all tanks had them. A non researched machine gun you can at least consider as just non mounted if that’s a big thing. It’s hidden in one of the storage boxes, trust me.
I would prefer total end to telepathic roof MG control.
-1 with the sole exception of all vehicles that don’t have roof mounted MGs right now (like say a field modification to a tiger E to give it a roof 12.7mm mg).
I’d take a trade : have the “rooftop MG” replace the “spare parts” as a tier 1 mod.
Edit : War Thunder is a (F2P / Freemium) game. Of course all this researcheable nonsense has no real life bearing. It’s made to entice people to spend money in-game. I have no gripes with this as long as a stock grind is not utterly atrocious (cough HEAT at BR 11+ cough). Missing a rooftop MG I can perfectly live with while the spare parts mod has been annoying for the entire lifetime of the game.
I don’t think the modifications has to be researchable? (Unless it was researchable before) Just kind of a module, that can be installed/uninstalled in the modifications folder
That way, it would not affect the gameplay or grind (in terms of changes, no additional grind or cost), as the vehicle would come with the mg’s i stalled but with an option where the individual player can go in and uninstall it if the player wishes to do so
if for example a m113 of some sort uses a .30 cal machinegun, but another (identical) m113 uses a .50 cal in the exact same place? So people can choose wich machinegun they want on it then
