Buildable MGs only have 4 definitive merits compared to flak guns
The ability to build them in smaller spaces
The ability to traverse downwards
Relatively simpler target acquisition
“Unlimited” ammo
Except…
They cost 12 resources opposed to 8 needed for a flak gun
Frontal protection doesn’t protect your upper body
Take double the time to make: 30s to 15s flak guns
Exclusive to engineer II squads (Also means they take ages to unlock)
MG can be shot with small arms fire
Limited range of fire
Flak guns can do their exact same job unless it specifically needs them to traverse the guns downward. For cheaper, faster, unlocked sooner and safer.
Heck, AA guns do their job better as anti-infantry than actual anti-air.
What is the point building a more expensive, more vulnerable gun when a cheaper unlock can do the job better?
At least reduce the time and resources it takes to make these while keeping it locked to engi II squads, or something. Its cost and time to build should directly be mirrored with its performance.
MG nest are bit complicates… in open space you can easily destroy it. But i once face it in manor house, where there is long and dark hallway. Damn man, it mow down a lot of infantry, only finally died after i successfully shot it with AT rifle (after 3 attempts). Reducing build time also seems disastrous, like imagine they able to make 3 of them; D-day 2.0…
You know what also dies to a single AT rifle shot? A flak gun.
Except it’s more armored, so it’s actually harder to deal with in a hallway than an MG nest where you can either snipe the gunner or the MG to disable it.
MG nests used to be able to be built by every engineer as a squad improvement, and really were spammed and OP at that level.
I tend to think the nerf was probably a bit harsh on them and they should be just a little more common than they are now - maybe 9 resource instead of 12, and 12-15 second build.
I agree, they shouldn’t be spammed but at the same time they are currently too costly in terms of resources.
I think it would be reasonable to keep the current limit of 1 active MG nest per engi squad at any given time, but with a lower cost.
Alternatively, maybe there could be two different types:
“Light” MG nest - the current type. Make it cheaper and also available for engineer 1 squad;
“Heavy” MG nest - available for engineer 2 only, with a better sandbags shield (taller, covering a 90° arc, the MG fires through a hole so the sides are partially protected), costing as much as the current one. The advantage over the “light” one would be better protection against infantry fire, a bit harder to snipe/flank, but still fragile as we’re used to.
EDIT: the hole through which the gunner fires should be large enough to expose his head and torso from the front, so that a well placed shot can kill him.
Ah, another caveat I should’ve mentioned with the first post.
While MGs can be built and can “technically” aim at spot, it’s also buggy considering there are times where the soldier operating them shifts leg position and removes control from the MG.
As gimmicky as it is to put them on something like a haybale, if there’s no ground to step on for specific angles, you lose control of the MG and have to recrew.
The mg nest is very pathetic. It should have a more proper design. As of now it’s more of a suicide nest, no protection from the front and side. The ai aimbots don’t help either.
I find it more appropriate to build a wall then switch to my mg gunner and just mount it, but then I guess some of us are looking for a more powerful mg fortification
MG nests are still nigh useless, even with the ability to repair them. Static MG nests are much more durable. Please, either fix them, or get rid of them.