Sentry gun discussion

[liltiptop]

So sentry guns are a tool for marines that provide area deniablility for important location. However, in gameplay, most sentry guns just sit at the FOB, only to be used when xenos force the marines to evacuate then planet. I think that sentry guns could be much more beneficial if combat engineers made firebases with sentry guns to guard the MARINES, not the FOB. That way, the pressure is so heavy on the Xeno side, they can’t have time to pressure people walking out of the FOB or melt all the barricades.

Discuss what you think sentry guns should be used for, and plan out where you think sentry guns should be placed in game.

[FGRSentinel]

The issue with Fire bases is that it takes a while to set up said firebase and, if combat moves forward, you have to relocate it, while if marines start to retreat, you're forced to pick between leaving the sentry gun and firebase there or pulling it back a piece at a time, which both reduces the amount of support fire the retreat has while forcing them to slow their retreat. The former causes you to sacrifice hard-to-replace resources while the latter causes you to sacrifice the marines the firebase was meant to protect.

[Grubstank]

The issue with Fire bases is that it takes a while to set up said firebase and, if combat moves forward, you have to relocate it, while if marines start to retreat, you're forced to pick between leaving the sentry gun and firebase there or pulling it back a piece at a time, which both reduces the amount of support fire the retreat has while forcing them to slow their retreat. The former causes you to sacrifice hard-to-replace resources while the latter causes you to sacrifice the marines the firebase was meant to protect.

This is why sandbags are so underappreciated. You can quickly disassemble and move forward 4-5 cades and a sentry just on the first pass. That's more than enough to secure a choke point or one side of the front line; or at least, enough to hold until you get the rest of your sandbags over there.

[immaspaceninja]

I was really happy with the new detection code for the sentry guns that made them stop shooting at stuff behind corners, since that was the one of the biggest reasons they were really bad. So yeah, i started using it a lot, trying to find good spots for it n stuff, BUT
It turned that the main reason for them currently being bad is THE AMMOUNT OF BUGS THEY GOT

1. Sentry guns can't fire at things in the dark
2. Their in-built light turns off after the first burst they fire
3. Their sprite can get bugged when you try to rotate them with a screwdriver
4. The most annoying one: Really often, for no real reason, a sentry can enter a state of being 'knocked down', as if someone turned it over by hitting it. Meanwhile, it's sprite remains the same, and even if you put the sentry back upright - it just wont fire. Nothing will fix it, it'll just stop working. The best part is that i don't even know the exact reason for this. My biggest assumption is that it can happen when you turn it on/off or move it.

Thats why i only take a sentry for these 3 spots

► Show Spoiler

Just so they'd allert me about those flanks that are 2 screens away from everyone and always unguarded.

As for their use on the front
They're nowhere near as viable as the old comrade sentry. Not just because of bugs, but because of their accuracy when watching big angles. Its bad.

[Audi_Gzz]

The Sentry gun isn't really worth taking. It is but sometimes there are always little bugs that come and go by the next round so its kind of weird. Then you have the engineers who think the SAFETY on the sentry gun is so the sentry gun doesn't shoot marines so they leave it on.

[Renomaki]

The Sentry gun isn't really worth taking. It is but sometimes there are always little bugs that come and go by the next round so its kind of weird. Then you have the engineers who think the SAFETY on the sentry gun is so the sentry gun doesn't shoot marines so they leave it on.

Isn't the SAFETY supposed to be for the IFF feature?

Otherwise, wouldn't the sentry just end up FFing marines if they get in the crossfire?

[TopeyDopey]

Bruh sentries not shooting shit in the dark is stoopid... It has built in infrared and night vision optic for shooting
Second: you rather take the M56D or use the override function of the sentry then do it like in the movies... Other than that... Sentries itself have slow fire rate, bad target prioritizing and please bring back 360° mode

[Gnorse]

sentry accuracy is literal garbage. damage doesn't matter when the bullets only hit once in a blue moon.

[Jackattack41498]

Constructive comment: "Sentry goin' up!"
Destructive comment: "SENTRY DOWN!"
Supporting point: "Eeeeerectin' a dispenser!"
Conclusion: This ain't TF2, retard.

[misto]

they are time consuming to setup and move and no longer deliver the coverage or effective damage they once did

pp;l also keep using the pathetically tiny default batteries the come with and leaving them on and letting them run out of power

[WinterClould]

Gimmie an M56D over a sentry any day of the week.

Bring back old Comrade Sentry.
The Comrade Sentry who would hold the line.
The Comrade Sentry who watched both your backs.
The Comrade Sentry who was packing heat for 2.
The Comrade Sentry who was worth 5 PFC Baldies.
The Comrade Sentry you died to save because you know he'd do the same for you.

Bring back the old Comrade Sentry.

[shepa17191]

In fact, for tasks, when you describe , the M56D Mounted Smartgun does a good job, of course, it takes time to deploy it, and using Sentry is still better in a fob

[WinterClould]

Sentry is still better in a fob

Sentry is ass on FOB what you on? Literally useless. Just give a man an m56 and tell him to pull the trigger. Create a beaten zone the xenos can't safely push through. So much more useful then a sentry with dick for reaction time and a tickle for a cannon

[Avalanchee]

It's trash.
Fuck that shit.

[JJG]

Don't use sentries, even an unmanned M56D is better. At least it doesn't explode and take your fortifications with it when it brakes.

[Grubstank]

I agree an M56D is generally superior, but it's just so vulnerable to marine unga dunga that I prefer to pick the sentry every time. An M56D is only as good as the marine you give it to-- and being an engineer as a capable M56D user is a moot point, because there's so many other things that you should be doing as a force multiplier -- manning the M56D should be way down on your list of priorities.

The great thing about the sentry is that you can just dump it into a corner and let it do its work while you do yours. It doesn't have the killing power of a well-manned M56D, but a sentry and spare robust marine are practically as good. More to the point, sentries don't get bored and run off to die in a corner.
And sentries play better with FOBs, plain and simple -- you don't need to worry about the M56 tearing up your barricades, or some dunga PFC insisting you move it to a stupid position.

At the end of the day, I just consider the sentry gun to be very well balanced. The major advantage of the M56D is its overwhelming mobility -- an operator can move at full running speed and still have a spare hand to shoot while carrying it. Having that much firepower mobilized can be a great asset -- but that asset is lost if you want something to forget about in a FOB.

If you're mobile, get the M56D. If you're static, get the sentry. Both are very sound choices in my opinion, but the sentry is just far more convenient for an engineer who doesn't act like a glorified PFC.

[CABAL]

Sentries are only good when some nasty Ancient Runner, or pack of mature ones are harrasing some backline. Other than that: Take M56D. Mere sound of one tungsten bullet landing nearby summons boilers but scares any T1. It's hard to see M56D and a sentinel on the same screen.

[WinterClould]

The sentry ain't even good for protecting the rear or stopping harrassers.

Any beno with a brain can out play the sentry. Any xeno with a brain will know it can't kill them unless they let it. Any xeno with a brain can win a 1v1 against the sentry.
Having an extra m56d kicking xeno ass will always be better.

[JJG]

The only thing that a sentry can do that a M56D can't, is shoot during a screech, but then again, it won't actually hit fucking anything so it doesn't even matter.