Warzone 2100 Forums

I have the impression that assault cannons are barely used. They come a bit late in the tech tree, while having AFAICT little benefits over alternate technologies. Their damage dealing capability is just slightly more than medium cannon and HVC, and the latter has better range and supports against VTOL.
And since it (and the upgraded twin AC) comes pretty late in the tech tree, that seems to be largely a dead end. I figure if you want to go on cannons, heading for the rail tree seems better than including AC.

Any ideas on making AC more attractive?

I personally find Assault Cannons to be pretty good.

If I were to look towards improving them then I would look at reduced weight, placed only a little heavier than light cannons for single assault cannon, and a little heavier than medium cannons for twins.

In fact, after checking, its pretty much already the case! Perhaps its gauss and other cannons that need a little upping in weight?

If the AC needed any more beefing up then I'd say a limited AA capability.

I just used them in a game, and they were doing okay.
Except that my python-HCs were really slow, but they barely got scratched until the enemy had scourges.
Still I feel them a bit undervalued, in particular as no later tech depends on them.

I once won a ffa game of 4 players by fighting only for some derricks close to my base, and i researched to AC as fast as i could. I made some python-twin assault cannon-half tracks and it destroyed the enemy bases and units very fast. So I always go to assault cannons when i am researching cannons line. And i saw them very much in long high oil games.
I think that they are used very few because a lot of players always makes the tanks that have cannons with tracks. They are much more useful(at least for me) if you use them with half tracks.

The timing of the AC is odd. It's to long to jump directly on it and too close from other good options to really matter. There is only a very few situation where it appear in the sweat spot.

You start as a cannon player but the opponent counter promptly with cyborgs. You jump to you alt weapon, keeping a little cannon upgrade line in lab just in case. Your opponent counter back your new alt weapon with tracks. So you are forced to quit the alt weapon. So you jump back to the cannons. That cannon is the AC.

Two things make it unlikely
1- Your opponent need had early cyborgs capacity
2- Many players dont like tracks and avoid to use them
3- Your opponent is bright enough to follow that sequence (he must adapt twice)
4- The game version must be bug free enough to let the game climb up to that point without collapsing on a fragile equilibrium change.

Other than that, the AC cannon is not bad anyway. But it timing (mid T2) is akward a little. I dont think much balance is needed since it's the 6th cannon and you have plenty of choice of cannon already.

Assault cannos user rarely

Assault cannos should be imroved someway
assault cannons firepower is equal to medium cannons but AC have longer time to build and longer research path

They also lead to the light and efficient Twin Assault Cannon, which makes up for it IMHO. :^)

I think Assault Cannons are rarely used because of their short availability as the best turret on tanks. When I use them it is only for a short time until Twin-Assault Cannons are available. When used on cyborgs, they are around longer with no upgrades for them by way of weapon (if only researching cannons) until needle guns/super rails.
I think they are fine the way they are - balance and tech tree wise.