What use is Suppression Fire?

[cmdicely]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Depends on your effective skill level.

I was speaking realistically, rather than game mechanically, and basically making the point that the reported game experience -- "suppression fire" being far less effective than aimed fire when both were practical -- wasn't a failure of the system.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Depends on your effective skill level. Suppression fire suppresses regardless of how you roll. Attempting aimed fire under bad circumstances may mean missing by too high a margin to spook the target at all.

Also, of course, aimed fire only happens every other turn at most, giving the target more opportunity to take action.

Shooting somebody suppresses somebody a lot better than shooting near them, but there are times when it's more practical to not even try for the former.

You still have to aim Suppressive Fire if you are concerned about accuracy (p. B410) or barrel heat (HT). If you could see your opponents, and they had no cover (brush is not cover against rifle rounds) it would probably have been better to aim at them rather than do Suppressive Fire.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

You still have to aim Suppressive Fire if you are concerned about accuracy (p. B410) or barrel heat (HT). If you could see your opponents, and they had no cover (brush is not cover against rifle rounds) it would probably have been better to aim at them rather than do Suppressive Fire.

If you're concerned about accuracy, you should almost never be using suppressive fire. That's not what it's for. Having very little chance to hit doesn't reduce the effectiveness as a psychological measure. (Though I'd note that you might be able to attempt Walking The Burst.)

Barrel heat is, of course, a potential issue, but it takes quite a few seconds before that becomes any sort of problem even in continuous fire. For a man-portable weapon you'll generally run out of ammo first.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Barrel heat is, of course, a potential issue, but it takes quite a few seconds before that becomes any sort of problem even in continuous fire. For a man-portable weapon you'll generally run out of ammo first.

For sustained suppresive fire, you use a weapon designed for it and you still pause between bursts, both to assess the effects and adjust the beaten zone to include any new threats in your area of responsibility (if necessary), and to reduce heat build-up so that you can perform longer without a barrel change.

If the situation calls for using a personal rifle or SMG as a suppressive fire platform for long enough so that you have to worry about heat build-up, you almost certainly also have other, bigger worries.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Icelander

For sustained suppresive fire, you use a weapon designed for it and you still pause between bursts, both to assess the effects and adjust the beaten zone to include any new threats in your area of responsibility (if necessary), and to reduce heat build-up so that you can perform longer without a barrel change.

On a battlefield, normally yes. In a player-character situation, not necessarily. For instance, if you're trying to pin down a sniper for a few seconds so that the other party member can do something without being shot...

Originally Posted by Icelander

If the situation calls for using a personal rifle or SMG as a suppressive fire platform for long enough so that you have to worry about heat build-up, you almost certainly also have other, bigger worries.

LMGs are also man-portable weapons. They still tend to enforce reloading breaks, though you probably could overheat a SAW with a plausible ammo loadout.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

They still tend to enforce reading breaks, though you probably could overheat a SAW with a plausible ammo loadout.

I should hopefully so otherwise I made my automatic rifleman carry that spare barrel for no reason for all those years. :)

[Gigermann]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

They still tend to enforce reloading breaks, though you probably could overheat a SAW with a plausible ammo loadout.

I know for a fact that it isn't hard to do—I've seen it. Go through one 200-round belt without letting up, and it'll be glowing red.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I should hopefully so otherwise I made my automatic rifleman carry that spare barrel for no reason for all those years. :)

Two radios, AND the goddamn A-Bag for the 240. Do I have a something tattooed on my forehead that says "pack mule"?

[Lord Carnifex]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Two radios, AND the goddamn A-Bag for the 240. Do I have a something tattooed on my forehead that says "pack mule"?

Huh. I thought that was a birth mark. I was trying so hard not to say anything, though.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Gigermann

I know for a fact that it isn't hard to do—I've seen it. Go through one 200-round belt without letting up, and it'll be glowing red.

Well, ruleswise I'd note that an FN MINIMI suffers no ill effects from overheating until it's fired at least 300 rounds, more if it's well-maintained.