• Please make sure you are familiar with the forum rules. You can find them here: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/forum-rules.2334636/

How to make Halftracks more useful?

Halftracks are already pretty useful, I think. But they need the right kind of maps to MAKE people want to use them properly. Obviously, they're all vulnerable to the whole "drive off on your own" thing, but that can't be solved. They're still very useful for PROPER usage of the halftrack.

Look, here's the deal. Whether the HT is vulnerable to nades or not, you shouldn't be bringing them to within nading distance. That's not how they're supposed to be used. If that were done, then any jackass could just stand behind the HT and wait for idiot Germans to exit and then mow them down. The HT is supposed to be used to bring troops NEAR the objective, not right on top of it.

What's more, the MG provides covering/suppressive fire while the troops disembark, and acts as a mobile MG nest. If you use the halftracks this way, they're actually incredibly useful. Remember, the main goal is simply to cover the wide open areas in a way that brings troops in close and shielded from small arms fire. That's it. Once they're within sprinting distance, everyone bails out (except driver and gunner) and charges the position. The half track is just designed to get you close enough to do that, not right into the trench itself. If you're taking it that close, you deserve to be naded.
There's a lot of truth in this post, but there are also some things I disagree with.

Look, here's the deal. Whether the HT is vulnerable to nades or not, you shouldn't be bringing them to within nading distance. That's not how they're supposed to be used. If that were done, then any jackass could just stand behind the HT and wait for idiot Germans to exit and then mow them down. The HT is supposed to be used to bring troops NEAR the objective, not right on top of it.
You're underestimating just how far grenades can be thrown. As far as I'm concerned, if a halftrack closes within around 20m of my position, it's fair game for a grenade toss. They certainly don't need to be right next to you.

What's more, the MG provides covering/suppressive fire while the troops disembark, and acts as a mobile MG nest. If you use the halftracks this way, they're actually incredibly useful.
I don't think they're really that useful in that role in most situations. As I mentioned before, the 'shield' on the German halftrack gives woefully little protection to the gunner, even against rifle fire from the front, all it really does seem to accomplish is obscure the gunner's FoV sufficiently to make it harder for him to see (and target) enemies before they draw a bead on him.

That, coupled with the gunner's inability to take cover inside the vehicle whilst reloading and also the suppression system's general (and fairly well known) inability to prevent enemy riflemen simply braving direct MG fire to send off one well-placed shot into the gunner's head, takes the usefulness of the halftrack as a machinegun platform from "very useful" to "only occaisionally useful", in my opinion.
 
Upvote 0
i think the german MG can be used as a mobile platform if used correctly. So say your playing berezina. You've just unloaded ur inf and they're assualting the trench. Meanwhile you maneuvre to the flank and fire down the length of the trench.

What i'm getting at here is without infantry preoccupying a defending force if you just park your HT and fire at the trench the riflemen will pick you off.

So if the HT is used correctly it can be used as an MG platform.
 
Upvote 0
Well again I think they do have to be used correctly. but it seems to be to easy to pick off a gunner head on at least.I have done it with a pistol head on, now unless I shot him in the eye socket this should not be possible. I also think that the MG should be belt fed seems like you can go through ammo real quick This I would think would help it keep the suppression on the enemy.
 
Upvote 0
Problems with the half track

1. Grenades kill you even when they land next to you, Fix it so they have to actually be above you or in the back.

2. The shield gets in the way. Fix = Scrolling up on mouse so you can look over the shield, should be able to scroll down to duck and hide under the main armour

3. The gunner is too exposed you can just hose the HT with a MG and you always get a kill, Fix = Make the gunner ducked down a little more behind the shield in 3rd person. This will help vulnerability of the gunner too.

4. Teleporting out of vehicles, Fix = Animation (need one for them diving over the side, like in my sig, unfortunatly this equals an *** load of work!)

(A problem i find, but would change it a lot)
5. Belt is too small on the MG, Fix = Add a belt for the 34. (would be nice to have this for the ground gun too as an option)

Possible additions
-Allow for a MG'er to use his MG on the rearward mount. (tricky)
-Allow riflemen to fire from the half-track (pretty exploitable, imagine a HT going along raining satchels :D)
 
Upvote 0
Making a halftrack more usefull? Put a big bad gun on top of it :cool: :

sd251x22d_1.jpg


*newest vehicle for RO (thanks AFZ)*

But back on topic, I agree with Zoring. + a MG on the back of the vehicle, often the halftrack is beaten because some russians were shooting at the back.

http://www.czolgiem.com/niemcy/foto/sd251x1_2.jpg
 
Upvote 0
Problems with the half track

1. Grenades kill you even when they land next to you, Fix it so they have to actually be above you or in the back.

2. The shield gets in the way. Fix = Scrolling up on mouse so you can look over the shield, should be able to scroll down to duck and hide under the main armour

3. The gunner is too exposed you can just hose the HT with a MG and you always get a kill, Fix = Make the gunner ducked down a little more behind the shield in 3rd person. This will help vulnerability of the gunner too.

4. Teleporting out of vehicles, Fix = Animation (need one for them diving over the side, like in my sig, unfortunatly this equals an *** load of work!)

(A problem i find, but would change it a lot)
5. Belt is too small on the MG, Fix = Add a belt for the 34. (would be nice to have this for the ground gun too as an option)

Possible additions
-Allow for a MG'er to use his MG on the rearward mount. (tricky)
-Allow riflemen to fire from the half-track (pretty exploitable, imagine a HT going along raining satchels :D)
QFT.
 
Upvote 0
Ah a German halftrack with extra ammunition and an MG-42! Really good ideas here actually for once.

I know some halftracks had MG-42s, but was it typical for them to carry extra ammunition? Mabye we could also add a radio in here that someone could use to call artillery barrages. Perhaps this could be where the co-pilot's seat is as a new 10th postion. Then add the MG-34 on the back and we have a little command bunker! :cool:
 
Upvote 0
I think they had special command half tracks with radios in specifically for the role you describe.

I don't think Halftracks officially carried ammunition as one of their roles although i'm sure it was done. To be honest i never really run out of ammo, although i obviously run out of grenades.

Maybe add a Half Track driver role? With just a sub machine gun and no grenades or just a pistol.

he would get points for every person he carries to the front and rewarded whenever he picks somone up. This would mean he stuck around to support the assualt with MG fire or went back to ferry reinforcements to the fight.
 
Upvote 0