A little talk about Canister Shell (MBTank)
Hi everybody. I'm aware there are more important and more interesting topics regarding tanks, but I would like to spend a few words on this topic. Canister Shell is an ammunition with great potential...
Forum Discussion
@rainkloud thanks mate!
From one side, you are right. Canister is probably meant for the mid range and it has a good potential (in fact I started the thread by saying that).
From the other side, I still find there is a problem. Since, as mentioned, we both agree that HMG and Canister (let's reduce the equation to these two factors to make it easy, because on LMG there would be more to say) are different weapons, designed for different contexts, and with already mutual advantages/disadvantages... so why, after firing a shot with the main gun, HMG is immediately ready while Canister nope? Yet they are both secondary weapons!
If the answer (from DICE) is purely a question of historical/realty fidelity (I mean: the soldiers in the tank must have the time to charge the new shell in the barrel)... I reply, to DICE, that BF isn't a simulation... and that moreover it would be enough let the shot to start from a secondary smaller cannon.
If the answer is about balancing, then I say: since Canister already has its penalties compared to an HMG (slower RoF, less versatile, more risky, more precision needed, worse in close range) that make it balanced with pro e c ons... why should it also be penalized by the shared reload? It's such an additional malus (and anyway, if DICE really didn't like this, it' would be better just a small nerf than the shared realod times)!
Don't ger me wrong: it's fair that it has a long cooldown, but at least let it be disconnected to that of the main gun. Because, as interesting as Canister may be, halving your arsenal is not acceptable.
@astroVB Canister is not a secondary weapon, it is an alternative round fired out of the main gun. This is similar to firing a HE, SABOT or STAFF round.
When you swap to MG, you are changing weapon not ammunition type. The best analogy is that swapping between main gun and MG is like an infantryman swapping between primary and pistol. Swapping between standard AT round and Canister is like an infantryman using a shotgun swapping to slug/dart/frag round, they have to reload (yes I know they are attachments in the game, but what would happen for real).
- @Rusty Rat that's the problem: it's a primary weapon, as you rightly say, but it occupies the secondary slot. This implies that it halves your arsenal. Instead of having X weapons and Y... you have X OR Y.
@astroVB No my point was it is an ammunition type like choosing between HE or AT it is not a separate weapon.
- @Rusty Rat yep, I wrote it wrong but I meant that because, using the same ammo type (I think 120 mm), it brings the problem X and Y vs X or Y.
