Combat Shotgun theory

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zaimoni:
Reviewing this so I'll actually remember it for later....

Combat Shotguns [CS] (where they are appropriate) seem to benefit from different tactics than the more typical weapons.

Screen captures are from the replay of the winner I posted on earlier.

Door-Opening Technique

Maximum visibility

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : : #.# | | | |
| : | #.# : :::::::-::| Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : #.# : : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : #.# ..# :::-::::::| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.# ....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : |@/.....# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| : : #.#.*...# : | |
| ::::::::::#.#:##### ::::::::::| |
| : ... | Medpacks: 10 |
| : ... |---------------------------------------|
| ::::::::::###:::::::: ::::::::| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : :| You open the door. |
| : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : || You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : :| You open the door. |
--- End code ---
Maximum visibility may not be that smart for projectile weapons, but for CS it works well. It's not really worth firing CS on only one target.

The krak grenade just revealed also looks interesting.

Zugzwang

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : : : : | |
| : : : : : : | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : : : : ..| | | |
| : | : : +.# :::::::-:::| Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : : ...# : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : : ...# : | |
| : : : : ..a.# : | |
| : : : : ....# : | Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : #.:.a...# :::-:::::::| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.:.....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : |.@.....# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| : : #.#.*...# : | |
| ::::::::::#.:###### :::::::::::| |
| : .. | Medpacks: 10 |
| : . |---------------------------------------|
| ::::::::::#:::::::::: :::::::: | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : | | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : : | You open the door. |
--- End code ---
Two juveniles...each should take two or three CS blasts to go down. Fortunately, CS works just fine when Unskilled in Light Weapons.

Explore

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #... : : | |
| : : : #.....| | | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : | Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : | |
| : : : #..a..# : | |
| : : : #.....# :::-::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : # #a....# : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : |./.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : : #@*...# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### ::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: :|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : :| You open the door. |
| : : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : | :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : :| You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : :. : : : :| You open the door. |
--- End code ---
Trying to get more targets for the CS. Didn't work out this time. No workers, fortunately (would have retreated if one had been seen)

That wasn't close enough

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #.... : : :| |
| : : : #.....| | :| Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-:::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : || Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : :| Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.a...# :::-:::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : : #.....# : :| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.a...# : :| Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : |./.....# : :| Heavy : |
| : : : #.@...# : :| Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### :::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: ::|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : | : | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : :. : : : : | There is krak grenade lying here. |
--- End code ---
I probably would have opened fire on a warrior at this point, rather than moving. I'm going to gamble on needing only two blasts to kill the nearest juvenile. Staying still didn't make sense (I want them on the same line).

Only two blasts

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #.... : : :| |
| : : : #.....| | :| Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-:::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : || Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : :| Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# :::-:::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : : #.%...# : :| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.....# : :| Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (3/5) |
| : : |./.%...# : :| Heavy : |
| : : : #.@...# : :| Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### :::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: ::|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : : | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : | : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | There is krak grenade lying here. |
| : : :. : : : : | The juvenile dies. The juvenile dies. |
--- End code ---
I was expecting the further juvenile to survive the second blast. If it had, I would have switched to the M4A3.

The flip side: CS is bad to have ready when leaving a room into a corridor. E.g.

Open door, step two forward....

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 2 ----------------------------------------------\
|: : . : #.# : : : | |
|: : . | .#.#-:::: : : | Rashak, Rookie Marine |
|: : : #.# ::-::: : | |
|: :. : #.# : : : | Health : ###################- 94 / 99 |
|: : : #.# : : : | Ammo : ###############-----299 /400 |
|: : . : #.# | : : | |
|: :=== : #.#:-::: : : | |
|: :=== : #A# : : : | Armor : Flak armor [2] |
|: :=== #. #%# ::-::: : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
|: : #... #.# : : : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | Heavy : |
|: : #..../@| : : : | Grenades: 1.Frg(4) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(4) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | |
|: : #... #.# : : : | |
|::::::::::::::-:::#.#:::::::::: ::::::| Medpacks: 10 |
| ... .|---------------------------------------|
| ... .| You heavily hit the warrior! The |
|::::::::::::::::::###:::::::::::::::::| warrior dies. |
|: | You reload your weapon. |
|: | You prepare your primary weapon! |
|: | You let go of your weapon and grab |
|: | the sidearm! |
|: | You open the door. |
--- End code ---
This hunter really is a bit close for my taste, but with a sufficiently hard first hit from the M4A3 it still might be possible to not choose between melee damage and a krak grenade. It's early enough in the level that I can plausibly recover from this before Military 3.

--- Code: ---+------- Military Tower, level 2 ----------------------------------------------\
|: : . : #.# : : : | |
|: : . | .#.#-:::: : : | Rashak, Rookie Marine |
|: : : #.# ::-::: : | |
|: :. : #.# : : : | Health : ###################- 94 / 99 |
|: : : #.# : : : | Ammo : ###############-----299 /400 |
|: : . : #.# | : : | |
|: :=== : #.#:-::: : : | |
|: :=== : #.# : : : | Armor : Flak armor [2] |
|: :=== #. #A# ::-::: : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (11/12) |
|: : #... #.# : : : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | Heavy : |
|: : #..../@| : : : | Grenades: 1.Frg(4) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(4) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | |
|: : #... #.# : : : | |
|::::::::::::::-:::#.#:::::::::: ::::::| Medpacks: 10 |
| ... .|---------------------------------------|
| ... .| warrior dies. |
|::::::::::::::::::###:::::::::::::::::| You reload your weapon. |
|: | You prepare your primary weapon! |
|: | You let go of your weapon and grab |
|: | the sidearm! |
|: | You open the door. |
|: | You barely scratch the hunter! |
--- End code ---

Not a good enough hit to continue shooting (sigh). But it's now close enough to safely use the krak grenade on (assuming Basic Fitness and Basic Perception)...which I promptly do. The chances of roasting myself with a lesser rating in either skill at range 3, is pretty good.

Kornel Kisielewicz:
Hah, this is truly interesting. But yeah, the shotgun supposed to be a very tactical weapon. Ever tried the sawed-off version?

DaEezT:

--- Quote from: Kornel Kisielewicz on April 09, 2007, 07:51 ---Ever tried the sawed-off version?

--- End quote ---

That reminds me, is it intentional that the sawed-off shotty has only one barrel? IMO it should have two :p

zaimoni:
No, I had not seriously considered the sawed-off shotgun. I assumed it was similar damage to the CS, so the 1-shot clip was unnerving.

zaimoni:
Hmm...thinking about it more carefully...

Assume Basic Fitness, as it's relatively easy to get even if you don't start with it. (You just can't throw grenades worth anything). Then it is actually possible to reliably kill a single hunter with an M4A3 while it is closing from edge of vision, in the Military or Main levels. [This doesn't work with Untrained Fitness: this is a breakpoint in the number of shots you get to take.] A juvenile can start 1 or 2 closer and still be dealt with reliably; a warrior is not reliably stoppable, but will be stopped more often than not.

Assuming that SOS and CS have the same damage, I don't think a SOS would keep a single low-armor alien (any of the above) from closing and doing damage with one shot per loading more often than not. That's one of the key roles which I use sidearms for, and ammo conservation of both the primary and heavy weapons require this role.

I think it would take a clip size of 2 to make the SOS even worth considering seriously as an alternative for the M4A3 for "far single alien stopper". While the SOS is obviously better for "coup de grace", "coup de grace" just isn't nearly as critical as "far single alien stopper" for conserving medpacks.

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