Why is the Grenade Launcher so poopy?

[Renomaki]

You know... I thought Big Red would be a perfect map for the Grenade Launcher, a spec weapon that is so rarely used that I nearly forgot it existed.

Everyone always harps about how the Sniper is rubbish or how B18 armor is a waste of a good coin, but no one ever talks about the Grenade Launcher because it is so rarely used that people just assume it is a myth. I can understand it not being all that useful on maps like Jungle and Ice, but Big Red... It almost seemed like it was MADE for it. So, I decided to give it a shot the moment I was able to get spec.

It was then, after getting put in a bad situation where xenos had us surrounded in a tiny room, I realized just how rubbish it was. Making shots connect is almost impossible even in tight hallways, and the fact that grenades are picky things that sometimes bounce off of walls or cover you are standing right next to, they tend to be horribly dangerous. We ended up getting slaughtered, and I left the game feeling like an idiot who wasted his chance to play Spec for the first time in months.

Why is it that the Grenade Launcher is so rubbish compared to all the other weapons?

With the Sadar, you get a high-powered rocket that, while a pain in the ass to reload, gets the job done most of the time (the only other flaw being that once you get a rocket installed, it has to be fired, no swapping).

The Smartgun, while not great against Crushers, does a fine job against most other xenos, it most effective against T1s and T2s.

The Sniper Rifle is best for suppressing boilers, but can still do a decent enough job suppressing other xenos as well and scaring them off as long as you have light and LoS of them.

And B18 armor, while slowing you down, increases your survival chance by a modest amount, a least for most of your body.

The Grenade Launcher? It can fire both HE and Incendiary grenades, which can still be lobbed even if you lose the launcher. However, unless you cook them for a dangerous amount of time, most of your grenades miss, and they are infamous for bouncing off of walls, cover, or people. It is a heavily situational weapon to the point that no one dares take it..

It is such a shame, too... I myself believe that all Spec weapons have a use and deserve a chance (including B18 and Sniper Rifles), but with the Grenade Launcher, it is so hard to use and inflexible that it isn't worth taking unless the planets align and you find yourself in the perfect situation for it to be useful... But sadly, when they do happen, it is when you don't have one on hand...

Am I just using it wrong? Is there any hope for it in the future?... I don't know. I only hope that one day, it'll be adjusted to not be so situational, and be the alternative to the Sadar as I imagined it. As much as I love the Sadar, trust me... I really wish I had alternative explosive weapons sometimes.

[Karmac]

The grenade launcher is good, it's just much more situational than other choices.

[Crab_Spider]

Because the timers are too long. This is why I hate flash bangs as an MP, I have to cook them and tick rates are too long or short. GLs aren't the problem, it's the grenades, which have 4 second timers. They're good for controlling and punishing hordes, but on individual castes, you're better off using surpreasive fire.

[completelynewguy]

It's basically a rapid-fire grenade thrower. At least the marines are allowed to use the M92, if I recall correctly. Alternatively, adapt the Grenade Launcher into something like the SADAR, rather than have it work off of Throwing logic/code.

[Crab_Spider]

It's basically a rapid-fire grenade thrower. At least the marines are allowed to use the M92, if I recall correctly. Alternatively, adapt the Grenade Launcher into something like the SADAR, rather than have it work off of Throwing logic/code.

Well, grenades can be instantly detonated on fire too. BUT here's my problem with instant detonation: It'd break the balance and make get a SADAR rather pointless.

[Renomaki]

Well, grenades can be instantly detonated on fire too. BUT here's my problem with instant detonation: It'd break the balance and make get a SADAR rather pointless.

I think a good way to buff it would be to make the grenades not bounce off of people, for a start. Fire right through, and it'll be like the smartgun of explosives.

It doesn't have to be instant detonation, but being able to fire more freely with less risk would make it a much nicer weapon. That, and making it so you can shoot it around corners, because nothing sucks more than when you accidentally blow yourself up because you angled your shot JUST a little bit too much to the left.

That happens too much to me as is...

[Garrison]

Its not that the Grenade launcher sucks. Its just grenades have been nerfed so much they have to be followed up with something or they are nothing more then a momentary area denial. In addition, now that research can no longer make chem grenades (which I have heard, have also been nerfed), the Grenade launcher is made even further redundant.

The best way to fix this would probably be found in the suggestion made here. Since it looks at how to fix the grenade launcher, without breaking the delicate balance that is grenade spam.

[Steelpoint]

The worthlessness of the Grenade Launcher stems from its horrible ammo issues.

The only way to get ammo resupply is to beg Cargo to order the very expensive Explosive Crate non stop, THEN begging them to not let anyone take the six grenades that spawn with it, AND THEN hoping against hope that when cargo sends the crate down that you get to the grenades before literally anyone else can.

Think of it like this, you spend 50 points to get a explosive crate that comes with six grenades, whereas you can spend 30 points to get six SADAR rockets. Right off the bat the Grenade Launcher sucks when its cheaper to keep a SADAR resupplied. Now add on top that only a SADAR Spec can use SADAR rockets, yet anyone and their dog can use Grenades. So you have zero chance of getting resupplied with Grenades unless you set up camp outside cargo.

NOW add on top the unpredictability of Grenades. This gives you the shit show that is the Grenade Launcher.

The single thing that can save the Grenade Launcher is changing its ammo to a unique ammo akin to SADAR rockets that can only be used in the GL, and making the ammo resupply not only cheaper (30 points) but you get more explosives from it than the freaking SADAR ammo crate.

[Egorkor]

what steelpoint said



however, if you've decided to go with the GL, find the SADAR spec and stick to the fool like glue, if you work good you'll kill a shitload of xenos

[Karmac]

The problem with Grenades is while they're stupidly hard to hit anything with, you can kill anything in the game that isn't a crusher with 6 or less of them. That's literally 3 pulse rifles worth of UGL's and whatever you hit is dead, not to mention that they stun as well, if you hit the first one the next 5 won't miss.

[Steelpoint]

Perhaps Grenade Launchers need to be reworked.

One example is that their explosive does not stun Aliens like the SADAR rockets, but to compensate the Grenades detonate on contact but generate quite a bit of smoke.

[Karmac]

I feel that reducing their damage a tad, making grenades less cancer to get and making a bit of smoke on explosion would be a good way to get people to promote impact grenades, but that's something for the suggestions board and until that happens I'll just have to live with AvP being the best I'll get in regards to marine vs alien gameplay.

[immaspaceninja]

Also, here's another problem
>grenades can blow other grenades up.

[Crab_Spider]

Also, here's another problem
>grenades can blow other grenades up.

Oh hush. I utilize this strategy like I did with the run and pump method on CoD. It's a helluva lot useful and it's great schmuck bait.