New Liberator front gun: Long range cannon

[Rothnang]

I'd love to see some more options for the Liberator front gun. The tankbuster is pretty much the gold standard right now because of its staggering damage potential, and its a great weapon, but it has very little range. The Vektor is great at long range, but as a universal weapon that's just as much designed for aircraft combat as for shooting at tanks it just doesn't do enough damage to armored targets.

What I would like to see would be a true long range cannon. A large, long barreled weapon that fires armor piercing projectiles at a pretty low rate of fire, maybe one every two seconds or, maybe from a cassette of 3-5 with a firing speed of about two per second and an appropriate reload.

We're talking like a Bofors 40mm L70 type cannon in terms of looks, Maybe it would also be more of an RMK30 recoilless autocannon. Just something long and mean looking.

The weapon fires armor piercing projectiles that don't explode, so they aren't very dangerous to infantry, but potentially very deadly to tanks and turrets. They would have very little to no arc, and move very fast so it won't get too difficult to land long range shots, which is what the weapon is intended for. The overall damage potential would be similar of what a stock tankbuster can do, with the downside of not having a highly upgradable magazine. It trades the tankbusters rate of fire which assures at least some hits for greater range, but much fewer bullets so good aim is essential for success.

[Rbstr]

Liberators with standoff weapons are essentially invincible to ground targets.

Didn't we learn that lesson with the Dalton/Zephyr already?

[Rothnang]

It's a front gun, you can't use it by coming in from above since unlike a Fighter a Liberator's flight properties only show one middle finger to Newton.

[Koadster]

Originally Posted by Rothnang

It's a front gun, you can't use it by coming in from above since unlike a Fighter a Liberator's flight properties only show one middle finger to Newton.

Guess you've never seen a competent lib pilot using the tank buster. I regularly see libs taking on ESFs and winning because the tankbuster is a one clip kill .

[Rothnang]

An ESF has to get pretty damn reckless to die to a tankbuster, and trust me, I know all about the tankbuster, it's my highest certed weapon and I have my bellygunners constantly yell at me to let them kill something too.

[SGOniell]

Don't like the idea. I really feel the liberator belongs as a bombing role, with the primary gunner doing all the damage, though I know the liberator is nasty with the tankbuster, I use it too.

[Rothnang]

I don't see why the Liberator needs to be locked into being a bomber. Most vehicles in the game can fill multiple roles. I would go so far as to say you should be able to trade the Bellygun for forward firing weaker weapons and play the Liberator as a heavy gunship, but that's a more complicated proposal than just some extra weapons.