Should machine guns have an ammo backpack like the auto cannon?

[Marcus]

I feel the machine gun doesn't really have anything over the standard guns. It has just two clips which is a very low ammo count for a machine gun. Also for accuracy you have to lie down to hit anything which makes you vulnerable.

I think it would help a lot if it did had a lot of ammo which would make it good at suppressing an area. The mass ammo would be on a backpack. I find I run out of ammo very quickly (especially when you face the bugs) and then start to wonder why I didn't go for another weapon. What are your thoughts?

[Logen Neuf-Doigts]

with mg43 and hmg i bring ammo backpack everytime , i can send bullets all day, with recoil reduction passive its perfectly shootable standing up , take the +2 grenade for bugs and explosion dmg reduction for bots and you're good to go

[Katitoff]

You pick machineguns if you picked specialist primary.

You want Stalwart or MG if you go with Eruptor, Crossbow or plasma punisher.

[Midas]

I would say no simply because you can just take an ammo pack.

It would be cool to get something like a minigun with a backpack though.

[Sanglaine]

No because requiring a backpack is more limiting and the machine guns are fine currently as they are. (HMG could use a small buff though)

[RayRay Jackson]

Try using the armor that reduces recoil by 50% when crouch or prone (it helps a TON with MG). Don't reload clips early. Don't full auto, use controlled bursts. If you don't wanna carry ammo backpack, you can take the passive that lets special weapons fully reload from ammo crates.

[Lucky Cat]

if LMGs need backpacks like the Autocannon, then bring the Resupply Backpack. What they really need is a extended "Beltfed" backpack, combine all of the current total carry-able ammo into a single "Magazine" and then slap another Magazine total by another to alleviate whenever you're on your "Last mag" and to resupply, which btw, can only be done by Resupply boxes. This doesn't have to just affect the LMGs, it can work as a extended Heatsink for Laser Cannon or Grenade Launcher to forsake the need to reload as much but the downside being is you have to deal with reloading for a long time to get back into action but its consistently the same regardless of Support Weapon with this backpack on.

So, for the Stalwart for example, 250 rounds x 3+1 magazine (this is including what's currently loaded) and it has a total of 1000 in use as a single belt, and then another when you need to reload it with another 1000.

Might seem extreme when using Stalwart as a example but that's the "On paper" idea. I do hate the HMG being this powerful but lacks the idea that a HMG has so little ammo with a terrible reload time.

[dayofmone]

Originally posted by Katitoff:

You pick machineguns if you picked specialist primary.

You want Stalwart or MG if you go with Eruptor, Crossbow or plasma punisher.

When you run MG + Backpack, there is no reason to use a primary,

[Katitoff]

Originally posted by dayofmone:

Originally posted by Katitoff:

You pick machineguns if you picked specialist primary.

You want Stalwart or MG if you go with Eruptor, Crossbow or plasma punisher.

When you run MG + Backpack, there is no reason to use a primary,

Eruptor, diligence CS and plasma punisher beg to disagree.

[dyra55]

Originally posted by dayofmone:

Originally posted by Katitoff:

You pick machineguns if you picked specialist primary.

You want Stalwart or MG if you go with Eruptor, Crossbow or plasma punisher.

When you run MG + Backpack, there is no reason to use a primary,

There is a reason to use it when you ran out of ammo and there's no time to reload

[Das Trojanische Pferd]

still sucks that the resupply pack doesn't give full ammo because they are not supply packs apperently just take the syringes and grenades out and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ give me full support weapon ammo -.-

[Neo Delphi]

Use the ammo backpack.

[Sokaku]

MGs (and grenade launcher) have a backpack, it's just optional.

As for "no reason to bring an MG" Few stratagems can clear swarms as efficiently as a good MG, without killing the rest of the team, especially when you need to deal with something like a Jammer. The smoothest high level runs I've done have an MG-er as they can quickly erase everything capable of calling in a reinforce.

[Enkidu]

I could see it, but only for the HMG. The Stalwart is the SAW of the bunch so it's meant to be light and mobile and the 200rnd belt concurs.
The MG43 maybe you could argue a backpack for but as a medium machine gun it's right on the fence between a squad weapon and a crew served machine gun.

But crew service is a more interesting idea. Currently any weapon stratagem with an attached backpack has the ability to be crew served. If the HMG went with a backpack you could have a team reload mechanic implemented.
And before anyone says "it probably wouldn't be that much faster" lets consider the mechanics of loading a gun vs a launcher.
With a shoulder fired weapon the gunner can't really do anything to help the reload, but there's fewer steps involved so an assistant doing all the work isn't too bad.
A machine gun does have more steps to load, but as it's in front of the gunner and not ON the gunner he can do some of the tasks.
Gunner holds the charging handle back and clears the feed tray while the assistant opens the top cover then feeds the new belt.

Probably wouldn't need to rebalance the gun, either. It already reloads slow AF as is, and the limited ammo capacity means you'd be reloading it fairly often. To be fair, since you ARE giving up a backpack slot maybe give it 3 reloads instead of the normal 2.

[Sokaku]

Originally posted by Troja:

still sucks that the resupply pack doesn't give full ammo because they are not supply packs apperently just take the syringes and grenades out and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ give me full support weapon ammo -.-

Use those grenades, and take a stim enhanced armour for like 6-7 seconds of near invulnerability and unlimited stamina. Also hit up the POIs and make sure your support weapon is reloaded then pick up some of the ample ammo boxes. (reload all of your weapons before picking it up for full benefit)

[Das Trojanische Pferd]

Originally posted by Sokaku:

Originally posted by Troja:

still sucks that the resupply pack doesn't give full ammo because they are not supply packs apperently just take the syringes and grenades out and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ give me full support weapon ammo -.-

Use those grenades, and take a stim enhanced armour for like 6-7 seconds of near invulnerability and unlimited stamina. Also hit up the POIs and make sure your support weapon is reloaded then pick up some of the ample ammo boxes. (reload all of your weapons before picking it up for full benefit)

still doesn't change that the "supply" backpack should benefit from superior packing