ACV General Discussion

[Lord_Leperman]

I can only guess since I don't have the hard facts, nor do I have the actual link that has the version change log of the game. In any case, the splash damage caused by pulse weapons is pretty useful especially against speedy opponents. In spite of it all, rifles and battle rifles appear the way to go for a relatively safe fight 1-on-1 as you can pick off targets at a distance while worrying less about retaliation. In particular, the more accurate battle rifles seem to be favored since they don't lose damage over distance as compared to comparable KE weapons.

In addition, and I'm only speculating this based on the trend of the demo, lighter ACs tend to be KE defense biased while having low CE and KE defense (At least the core and legs, which determine what primary defense attributes your AC has), thus making both pulse weapons and Battle Rifles ideal armaments for fighting against light ACs.

SGs on the other hand deal a lot of KE damage at close range, their light weight and DPS potential make them ideal for close encounters. With the absence of a radar system and losing a lock-on behind cover, SGs suddenly become well suited for back stab operations aside from their traditional role of being CQ weapons. This can be utilized by lighter ACs that sneak up behind enemy lines and deliver punishment on slower unsuspecting opponents, namely heavies and heavier quads, which is very much possible now due to the changes in the game mechanics I mentioned earlier. I don't know if there are KE defense focused heavy units in the full game (w/o compromising CE and TE defense for that mater), which might blow away my whole theory on how to use SGs in the game.

The dynamics change when facing multiple combatants though, and other factors like weapon and AC loadout compatibility with your allies, player skill, and terrain factors come into play.