Normal Guns vs High Velocity Guns

[[*~MAJA~*] Mandragoron]

Ok i dont get it why high velocity Guns für Tanks etc.. are not better then the normal guns. You need to research it, and still not a upgrade? Bug? Or what i am missing?

The Stats for a Light Tank as example:

60mm Howitzer Gun
Effekt 400 Fire Power
1,3 Ammo
150 Weight
Cost incr: 30 Metal, 20 IP

60mm High Velocity Gun
Effekt 400 Fire Power
1,3 Ammo
150 Weight
Cost incr: 30 Metal, 32 IP

It just costs more IP, why should you research this tech, and "upgrade" your units... what i am missing?

And yes i know for infantrie its a upgrade, but tanks? Arit etc.?

[Jorg Hammond]

High velocity is for anti-tank models, howitzers for anti-personnel ones.
I have not advanced enough in my games to tell if there a more balanced later techs though, but I suspect there should at least be an upgrade from the howitzer, and an even better armor piercing weapon.

If you want to increase your tanks' anti-personnel capabilities, I'm almost sure you can simply put a bigger howitzer on them.

[Steelpoint]

As Rashtex stated, High Velocity is for anti tank and howitzer if for anti-personnel.

Generally speaking, you want to use Howitzers on Light Tanks, especially in the early game when most enemies you will come across will mostly be using Infantry.

High Velocity you should use on Medium Tanks, Heavy Tanks, AT Guns and similar, with these being dedicated to engaging enemy armoured forces.

I must emphasize that having even a few Light Tank battalions can give you a massive advantage in the early game against minor regimes. Its the difference between World War 1 style of 'human wave attacks' versus a more modern view of combined arms and mechanized warfare.

-----

Another question I'll answer that someone may have. "Is there any reason I should not use the largest size gun I have?"

For any vehicle, you need to account for the vehicles weight versus its engine power. If your vehicle weighs more than what your engine can support then your vehicle will (as far as I can tell) significantly increase its fuel consumption, and likely impact its combat capability.

Furthermore, the more powerful engine you use the more fuel it will require.

As such, you could justify using a smaller gun size to allow you to slot in a less powerful, but more fuel economical, engine. This all depends on how much fuel you have access to on your planet, if you have a large amount of fuel then this may not be a concern.

All my knowledge comes from the early game, so I can't account for if later game technologies upset this.

[corisai]

If you had looked into manual (you really should!) you would know that (p325):
* Howitzer Gun get -50% to hard attack and defense.
* High Velocity Gun get -75% to soft attack and defense.

[corisai]

My own IMHO you should stuck with HVG. Tanks aren't "silver bullet" and shouldn't attack massed entrenched infantry alone, have more then enough soft attack to deal with small groups of infantry or retreating large forces, plus as mobile unit they often will be send to deal with enemy mobile units (=need strong anti-venicle capabilities).
Of course it's depending on situation. But I would prefer APC infantry+artillery to deal with massed infantry then tanks.