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Howitzers in AC3:SLp?


13th Knight

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Okay, I heard that there were parts called Howitzers in Armored Core: Silent Line and Silent Line portable. Is this true?

 

And in your opinion, do they work well? I've not heard much about them, although people I've seen on the forum generally love the game, as well as many of the parts. Includes stealth apparatuses that go on the shoulder.

 

I just want to know, because I'm thinking about getting Portable for my PSP.

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Howitzers are amazing, specifically the HZL-50. It's an incredibly light left arm gun with very good stats. The other howitzers are neat, but not really capable of competing with the HZL-50 in any real applicability. The back mounted howitzers are pretty neat, but useless. Overall, they are a fun weapon type. I don't know why they were removed from the game for Nexus. Also, save files converted from SLp to LRp will have the Howitzers removed.

 

Check this topic for pics of AC's from Silent Line. Bots #11 and #12 use the HZL-50.

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Yah, they basically shoot like a mini-bazooka or the left arm mounted GL. The only difference is that the Howitzers actually do follow an arc, which can also mess up their accuracy at certain angles. I will record me shooting the gun a few times in SL tonight or something and upload the video to YouTube so you can see what I mean.
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Howitzers were pretty much the first left handed firearm in Armored Core. AC3 had two types, a standard one, and a spread one where the shot split into 4 at a certain distance. They were small, lightweight weapons that lobbed a small explosive shell, like a mini-grenade, in a somewhat short firing arc, making them not very useful at anything past mid range. Like Godzilla said, statistically they were fantastic. Lightweight, damaging, with a lot of ammo. They really gave laserblades a run for their money in their time. Silent Line introduced a couple more, like Napalm howitzers, but they were outshined by the addition of more traditional left-arm weapons.

 

 

I don't know why they were removed from the game for Nexus.

I'm pretty sure the reason Howitzers went the way of the dodo was because of Nexus's new weapon lock mechanics. The only howitzers that were useful were the left-arm ones because in AC3 and SL they would simply leech off of the R-arm/back-mounted weapons lockbox. They had absolutely no lock ability of their own, which is why Godzilla mentioned that the back-mounted ones were useless. They were even more difficult to use than rockets, with less payoff.

Then Nexus came along and had l-arm weapons effect the lockbox, and had their own lock system. Howitzers would have lost the ability to leech-lock like they did in AC3-SL, so they would have been worthless. I think that's why they were removed.

 

I'd like to see them reworked and come back, that's for sure. Like a big back-mounted version with a targeting system and firing arc to pester people from behind cover, or opponents that are behind cover themselves. The shot delay could be a balancing factor. Like a cannon version of vertical missiles.

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They almost made swords obsolete in AC3 (for serious combat). AA was already putting the idea in people's heads that the l arm could be left empty, so seeing a new gun instead of a sword was a game-changer. I don't think it's statistical power can be understated, either. It was like a solid version of the k-saw at 1/7th the weight. Unreal.

 

In SL howitzers were still among top tier left arm guns. hzl50 was still as reliable as ever, and hzl30a hit hard as hell and had AC1 large rocket level stun. Also, the backmounted howitzer had one really hilarious quirk to it: the round had infinite flight time. It had to hit something to detonate/dissipate. You could do really silly things with it like konk hardcore campers on the head while they chilled behind cover by firing at extreme angles. You could also shell the fuck out of areas with those kinds of tricks because the back cannon launched rounds so quickly. Raining explosions ftw.

 

I can't speak to the psp versions.

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