I always saw the question of smoke grenades not as an isssue of technological capacity, but of combat doctrine. PanO just doesn’t see combat in a subtle way. The decision to brute force everything is a stylistic one. When they’re training recruits they teach them how to shoot well and not give a fuck. It’s kind of badass, actually (if not a bit misguided). Chain rifles are a question of legality, not tech. PanO follows the rules. Also; just because an arms manufacturer exists within panoceania, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s directly associated with the state. PanO is a corporate haven.
I totally agree with everything you said, but I will point out that lots of weapons in Infinity are banned by the Concilium Convention. All special ammunition, like DA, EXP, E/M, etc. Drop Bears, Grenades, Shotguns... These are all things PanO has. Even flamethrowers are banned, but we equip them on almost all of our Auxbots. I think the idea of Infinity is that everyone disobeys the rules. We're all black ops with our own interpretation of what is "right."
I always found this when on exercise with Americans as an Australian soldier. We were far more meticulous in our bushcraft and individual combat drills, while American units had a level of fire support we could dream of. We had a proud tradition on red force of always going down in at least a 10:1 ratio, but we would always go down. Still it was pretty satisfying when we got the location of a paradrop and rolled up with bushmasters overlooking the drop zone.
It's a game design choice, and one that was made pointless long ago by power creep. There may have been an age where it made sense (like the one that Haqq is good in LI, Nomads with MI, YuJing with HI and Pano with TAGS), but that's gone. I understand that it seemed like a good idea, to give other factions toys, while Pano has to shoot it's way through anything, and it's a good idea, but imo lately that idea got outdated. Other factions got good shooting, and we still didn't get smoke, cheap irregular and impetuous troops, chain rifles. As other's have stated, that's really not true. Which tolerates manufacturers thrive by selling arms to enemies of the state, arms that are not available to themselves? Don't think so.
This is probably my single largest gripe with the CB design for PanO. Not the least in that the other factions getting good shooting makes a need for smoke even more important in the game, if you cant shoot your way around a problem you cant get around a problem in PanO.
I know I've said it before, but PanO's theme isn't simply shooting and TAGs, it's being a regular, hi tech military force in area populated with much more irregular forces, various militias, special forces, etc. The solution isn't to give us things that go against that theme - irregulars, chain rifles, etc - but to go about it in a way that a regular army - that example of Australians vs Americans is perfect, btw - would do. More Auxbots - both their types and units using them (they're also nicely balanced given G:Sync limitations. Drone integration into fireteams. New advanced weaponry. The options are there. Wysłane z mojego Lenovo A6020a40 przy użyciu Tapatalka
That may be a solution, but at this point we've been asking for this stuff for over half a decade. Its not happening, CB doesnt give two shits about PanO other than as the intro army with +1 BS
Full Auto (with a different name, we are not GW Orks) with the +1B, not stacking with fireteam bonuses (something that would be useful in Vanilla Pano) and -3 BS to opponent would be the perfect skill for THE shooting army. Similarly with 1SWC LI Feurerbach, or cheap, LI Veteran skill. Or a lot of already existing skills that scream professional army, like Veteran, Marksmansip. Or whatever Veteran Kazak or Spetsnaz is, that looks like that troop is here to shoot, and is as good in it as it gets. And a hi-tech military force has smoke, because it's pretty useful.
Yea, because PanO has a CoC on every single grunt, and every trooper is well trained and integrated with their co-fighters and can easily and efficiently coordinate their actions in small teams (fireteams) .... oh wait I just realized it's well done by Tunguska ^^
Nah were the CSM. Glorious in the days of 3.5 then nothing but a pale joke for decades while mewling apologists point to a single build and say "see it works its fluffy"
Ok, resurrecting my TAG idea for the "Outrigger". Stingray series chassis with the same stats as the Uhlan. Limited CH:TO, Full Auto L2, Forward Deployment 1. Heavy Shotgun, Eclipse Light Grenade Launcher. Looking to be in the 80-85 points bracket.
Pano does a poor job of covering its supposed theme. Its not a very high tech faction at all unless you only focus on using a handful of units. And thats the biggest problem with Pano, a complete lack of unit diversity. Because so many units only do one thing, shooting, the only units worth taking are the handful of best shooters in the faction.
Sad, but so true, I have not been playing PanO not long at all, and as a new player I'm starting to see that.
Which is where all out ideas come in. Things like a myriad of new auxbot profiles BS, SMG and Mkmn Rifle armed line troops +1SWC Lts, NCO, Strategos, chain of command and Counter-intel Aerial deployed weaponry and support equipment @Bostria Be great if PanO got these and felt like an actual strategic powerhouse
