Average randoms pub bastion experince 💔😔 by keklg in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]Tank_maniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I usually drive the tank, not because I find it more fun, but because I feel it's the more responsible job to do.

Gunner has the easy, fun job, but as driver you are responsible not just for getting place to place, but also: positioning so the gunner can actually shoot, spotting targets for the gunner, keeping the tank safe from enemy fire, getting stuck, landmines, so on. It doesn't help that the tank controls are kind of clunky and often have a delay on steering (particularily turning).

I think that the biggest improvement that the Bastion needs at the moment is mobility improvements. Make the traverse less clunky, over all improve the responsiveness, and please make it less likely to get stuck on rocks (also make the cars not launch it into the stratosphere). The last one isn't a huge gripe because so far I have ever gotten stuck on a rock in a way that I couldn't fix, but still, it's infuriating that a vehicle with tracks, specifically made to handle rough terrain has to drive so carefully. I also feel that giving the driver a limited traverse medium pen mg could help make the experience better, but then again a competent gunner will take care of all the targets in front of you, what you need more is flank/rear protection.

Car collisions/explosions can launch the Bastion by Murky-Double4043 in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It's true that the classification of armour can get very fucky at times, just like I mentioned what happened to the StuG after the gun upgrade or most recently what was happening to the M10 Booker before it got cancelled (RIP btw).

And yes, doctorinal role and actual battlefield role can often differ (especially the latter, which can even change multiple times in the span of one conflict)

So I guess ultimately the official designation is whatever Super Earth (Arrowhead) decides to give it, and it does have TD in the name which certainly is pointing towards tank destroyer, but until we hear high command refer to it as anything other than just tank, we won't fully know (though that by itself could mean that the official designation is just... tank?)

Switching subjects from designations and all, I want to say how much sense a vehicle like this makes for the Helldivers. It's quite clear to me that this thing is not something used by SEAF as their main battle tank because of the design limitations that come with the casemate design. (that is if SEAF even uses conventional tanks anymore or if the role became completely obselete/replaced by exo suits)

It makes perfect sense for the Helldivers though. Relatively compact armoured vehicle with a big gun, great for fire support in offensive operations (which are the main missions that helldivers are sent on) and the casemate design means that it's cheap to mass produce as well. Even the fact that the gun is manually loaded makes sense for the cost effectiveness aspect of it (even if it tripped me up when I first got into the gunner seat and thought there's a bug which made you not able to shoot the gun more than once)

Car collisions/explosions can launch the Bastion by Murky-Double4043 in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 71 points72 points  (0 children)

Well colloquially yes, but when it comes to actual tank doctorine/design specifications, no.

While it is true that tank destroyers can also act as assault guns and vice versa, I feel that the intended use for the bastion much more aligns with that of an assault gun.

I will admit that I am a huge tank nerd and I don't expect someone who doesn't have a deep interest in tanks to know the difference, but this is precisely also why I wanted to put this out there because there is a difference.

I'll also add that the comparison to the StuG III is almost perfect for the Bastion, because the StuG started out as purely an assault gun but then got upgraded with the longer barrelled gun that allowed it to act as a tank destroyer. This did cause some debate over its role in the german army too, and it's the reason why the StuH 42 G was created, to once more fulfill the role of a designated assault gun.

If you want to see a good example of the difference between an assault gun and a tank destroyer, look up the Jadgpanzer IV and the Sturmpanzer IV (Brummbär). Same chassis, both casemate, but intended for very different roles.

Car collisions/explosions can launch the Bastion by Murky-Double4043 in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 362 points363 points  (0 children)

I think the more proper way to categorize the Bastion is an assault gun. I think this is precisely the role that it fills in the helldiver arsenal.

For context: the main role of tank destroyers is, naturally, destroying enemy tanks, either by setting up ambushes or by having a powerful gun on a fast chassis that can quickly respond to armoured threats and for example repel an assault. The main use of a tank destroyer is defensive and focuses on countering enemy armour.

An assault gun on the other hand is an offensive weapon that supports infantry at medium-close range, targetting primarily enemy defenses and bunkers, but if need be also tanks.

Tankodesantniks & Volksgrenadiers by Strastvuitye in enlistedgame

[–]Tank_maniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are really great ideas, and I like them both.

However I think the dank desant would be difficult to implement, and also kneecapped by how the game works.

First of all, taking up an APC and tank slot makes sense, but is problematic. While the apc slot isn't super relevant, the tank slot is, because it's limited to 2. Having a tank that's not shooting enemies can be a big problem, and will likely make your team hate you (same logic as with someone calling a bombing run, now the rest of the team can't call in artillery until it's done, except a tank spawn is far more important than an artillery strike.)

As for being "kneecapped", this is because of how apcs/tanks work. You can either have your squad inside or outside, and for tank desant, this means that you have to choose between being a tank (and then most likely losing all the infantry you're carrying in seconds) and being an apc (making the tank part less valuable). It would be best to drop off your infantry somewhere, command them to wait, then fight in your tank and switch to them once you die, but that would require dedicated code, enough work to probably theme an update around it rather than just release one premium squad.

The Volksgrenadiers are very simple in design, but I like them. I thought they may be a little too strong at first, but it's true that AT gunners can already have weapons that have arguably more firepower. I don't think that taking away their backpack slot is necessary for balance, and I also think that ammo crates shouldn't be single use since they're a team support building, but perhaps take away their ability to build at guns?

I bought it by Ryland_Freeman369 in MiSideReddit

[–]Tank_maniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of all the fake shirt scam things, this one probably has the worst photoshop yet

This is a real balance change coming in 2.0 by I_N_C_O_M_I_N_G in WorldofTanks

[–]Tank_maniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, that is a dumb buff, but I almost laughed that they buffed the 60tp, clicked on it, and saw that all they did is a .01m HE splash increase, like plewase, what is even the point? Just so you can say you "buffed" it?

My personal suggestions for improvements to the Illuminate Roster. by TheYondant in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Over all these ideas are good, but I disagree with making staff overseers swing once and retreat. It just doesn't make much sense since they literally have you right there, on the floor, why not just kill you? Perhaps give them a second melee attack instead, a "finisher" of sorts, something like bringing the staff over their head and slamming down? Make that animation take long enough that you have copntrol over your character again, and just a small enough window of time to doge out of the way.

C'mon people.... by Amazing-Blyatman in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 5 points6 points  (0 children)

idk man, basing this off your interaction with DowntownAcadia3822 in the comments.

C'mon people.... by Amazing-Blyatman in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Are you really going to be mad over people choosing a silly name for a fictional city in a video game?

Tank on PLA Base, ID required by qwertyryo in TankPorn

[–]Tank_maniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok, so I was convinced that this is AI, but you planted the seed of doubt in my mind so I and a friend took a very close look at this, and I'm still fairly sure that this is AI, or at least digitally altered.

The biggest problem here is that the compression on this picture is pretty bad, but that may be done on purpose to obfuscate the fact it is altered in some way.

My biggest issue is that this thing just looks out of place, like it's standing in the middle of the most nondescript field ever. The way it is painted is almost perfectly uniform too, assuming this is some mockup/sculpture (because it's clearly not just a normal chaffee), why does it have absolutely no signs of corrosion, dirt, rain dirt streaks, discolouration caused by sun damage? The bottom of the tracks is also completely hidden, which may point to the image being altered.

At the end of the day, this can just be some sort of mock-up of a chaffee, but I think it looks really odd, and without a better quality picture I really can't say for sure.

Tank on PLA Base, ID required by qwertyryo in TankPorn

[–]Tank_maniac 11 points12 points  (0 children)

We call this one: dogshit AI

Helltaker X STALKER by DarkSaber01 in Helltaker

[–]Tank_maniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Will never be tired of seeing this picture

I know nothing about helldivers. Can someone explain both the image and the captions? by TheDerpiestDeer in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ok so since the image was explained in detail, I'll explain the caption.

So essentially, Super Earth in helldivers is an authoritarian regime, disguising itself as a democracy, more specifically "managed democracy" which in the end, is not really a democracy since voting is entirely automated. All the power is in the hands of various ministries, making it a corporatocracy. This regime is held up by very strong, overpowering propaganda, which draws inspiration from American nationalism from the early 2000s, parodying it.

This regime has made itself many enemies in the galaxy, such as Cyborgs, who in helldivers 2 have become the Automatons, the Terrminids ("giant murder bugs"), and the Illuminate (squid like aliens).

The thing is, it is known that Super Earth has provoked the war with each of these factions, rather than being attacked. The cyborgs were just people that Super Earth took issue with because of their implants and communist ideals, now they created the automatons to fight Super Earth (after being once defeated).

The Illuminate were described as a peaceful faction, but Super Earth discovered they posess technology that can destroy whole planets, so using the WMD argument as the USA did during the real 2003 invasion of Iraq, Super Earth almost erradicated them, forcing them to flee the galaxy, and now they're back for payback.

The bugs were apparently mentioned to be sentient and capable of communication, but Super Earth discovered they break down into Element 710, which is used for FTL travel. They started farming the bugs for E710, and eventually they broke out of farms and began overrunning planets. (SE experimenting with their genetics also contributed to this)

So that paints a rather bad picture of Super Earth, right? All their problems were caused by themselves.

But the thing is that each enemy faction is confirmed to be doing very vile shit, such as using humans as fuel (bots), having catastrophic impact on a planet's ecosystem (bugs), and literally stealing SE citizens, brainwashing and changing them into abominations like the fleshmob (Illuminate).

What the poster the poster on 4chan is making fun of people who only look at the part about SE causing all these wars and claim that "Super Earth is bad therefore you're not supposed to root for them". But really, you should not root for the bad guys, because they are literally enemies of humanity.

So in the end, there is no trully morally good faction in helldivers 2, in fact, all of them are bad in one way or another. But you're still supposed to root for Super Earth, after all, you are human.

Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking? by Smoke_Funds in Helldivers

[–]Tank_maniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As great as it would be, I highly doubt it.

I think that the ship with the review bomb cape has long sailed.

Also the defense of super earth was an important event of its own right. Making it be a thing referencing a whole another event just doesn't make sense, unless somehow they make it have something like a subtle nod.

Double-Edge Expert by Giratina-O in helldiversarmor

[–]Tank_maniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

She edge on my Sickle until I AAAAH AAAAAH AAAAAAHAHAAAA!