Ammo shenanigans

[Azmodan412]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): In Discord, we have discussed some potential marine updates. Basically, revamping how reloading would be.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):
1. Ammo boxes: Replacing the belt with its extremely finicky 7 or 8 slot capacity for 100% ammo, the ammo box would go into its slot and hold up to 5 mags of one type. Urist McMarine fires all 30 shots from his M41A Mk 2 wildly, not hitting anything thankfully, then he can click on the ammobox in his belt slot. The discarded mag, which would stay in the M41A Mk2, would be swapped out with a full mag from the box itself, effectively cutting reload time in half. There is also a 10 mag version but that'll replace the backpack and carry all sorts of ammo itself.

2. Bandoliers: Using the updated shenanigans of Noize's coding magics of handful of bullets, the Bandolier can hold 6-7 handfuls of shells, allowing reload time of the shotgun to be cut in half. Urist McMarine #2 fires all his shots from the shotgun, being somehow able to hit xenos instead of his comrades in the back. He then clicks on the bandolier on his clothing itself by having the inventory up and a handful of shells is consumed to automatically reload the shotgun.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc): Please look at Benefits. Also so much more immersions because marines, 8.5/10 times, carry stupid amounts of ammo. This will encourage squad communication by relaying when you are low on ammo and prevent spray and pray strategies for the regular M41A Mk2. The Heavy pulse is exempt by virtue of being hard to get.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): Coding sorcery that we will not burn the coders for (being witches and everything [We love you Noize!]).

[Shyguychizzy]

+1 Do like the idea of better ammo reloading and whatnot. What you have said does sound quite good and I would like to see this implemented.

[Farya]

I think it should be something like that:
1. RO and techs could print ANY ballistic typo of ammo in autolathe.(so no rockets). Any ammo will be printed in the box instead of magasine. Like 50-100 rounds in one depending from the caliber. Shotgun shells will come in standart 25 shell boxes. Boxes could fit in backpack but not into webbings or belt/pockets.
2. Reduce amount of magasines available in vendors. Make magasines in vendors empty and add supply of ammo(Different types) in vendors. Marines will take ammo needed and fill out their mags as they wish too. Used up mags no longer will be discarded by marines, but conserved for reloading(make them be placed back into ammo belt automaticaly instead of being droped on the ground if there is empty slot inside?). So no more shitload of mags for every marine. Bout three spare magasine for every marine.
3. Add belt-fed option for heavy pulse rifle. One spare belt could be worn as attachement on jumpsuit instead of webbing. Add belt backpack similar to powerpack of smartgun but for pulse ammo belts.
4. Shotgun shells bandoliers for shotgun ammo only(but lots of it). Shotgun shell clips for enchanced reload speed - load up to 5 shells at once, clip remain in hand like speedloader.
5. Grenade pouch for carrying around C4, flares and grenades only. Also would be neat to add chemlights as researchable thing.
6. HUGE ammo container as specialist thingy. That babe can hold LOTS of ammo of different kind and ammo only. You must carry one in your hand. Put your squad ammo supply here when making a trip to table fort or other place your want to capture.
7. Magasines linked together with duct tape > Quick reload with verb or when magasine is emptied out.
8. Tactical reloading. When ejecting magasine prematuraly it will be placed into empty ammo belt slot automaticaly.

[Mattmaster77]

This suggestion could use some balancing so that marines don't go gaga and grab it every round.

I'm on the fence for the ammo box, on one hand as a marine player, it will make it easier to do what marines do, which is to kill. But on the other hand, it doesn't make much sense that a box on someone's belt magically feeds a magazine/clip into a gun that is used in both hands (normally) of said someone with the empty magazine still inside.

As for the bandoliers, it's just another ammo belt, but it's for marines to instantly reload their shotgun to capacity and easily mow down anyone in their path, with that also not making sense on how it magically feeds the shells into the shotgun while again, both hands are full (normally). I'd say knock down the capacity to 4-5 handfuls to balance it. Remember, slugs are very good at dispensing death to both marine and xenomorph, having a belt that basically instantly reloads a shotgun with the same capacity of an ammo belt (for those who don't know that it has an eight slot that is) will make every marine go gaga for it. If the capacity is lowered then I will support it.

If both were only available from req, or only accessible to non-standard marines in preps (they have too much stuff in their backpacks/belt slots so bandoliers will do well for ammo for engis/medics), then it's fine in the terms of availability.

I really loved the ammo boxes in Pre-Alpha as that it made sense to bring them along, and not just carry around small amounts of ammo in belts and/or backpacks. One in every squad prep and maybe a couple in req to help with supply drops... (maybe in the engineers/SLs area so that someone responsible gets it.) so that everyone doesn't have one, and have it carry up to 15 mags/clips/handfuls of shells to keep it balanced.

This is only my take on this, so everyone else can speak of their own opinion.

[Fritigern]

-1

I want an ammo box to exist, but as something that has a set number of 10mm bullets that you can then click an empty or partially empty magazine on and have it filled. Having one of them dropped with a supply beacon instead of a crate with 20 individual magazines is a lot more interesting.

Reloading as a whole I find to be a very satisfying feature as it is right now, especially when macro'd to make it go faster. Though going in the same direction of having marines reloading less, well we already have a solution for that and it's extended magazines. Problem being.. well, they barely ever show up and might as well not even be in the game at this point. They should be easier to acquire and distribute to marines on the ground, they're a marginal power increase to existing marine weaponry and effectively replicate what we're talking about here.

[forwardslashN]

Reloading is already balanced around carrying mags/handfuls and such, and is pretty easy. I would really not like to modify it again after having done so a few times. Ammo boxes are an option for future discussion, the same with bandoliers, but I don't foresee the loading method changing. Denied.