Small Machine Guns Get You Killed

[Inxentas]

GAAAH! NERD RAGE!

 

Why oh WHY did I pick SMG's as a specialization? Regular enemies go down pretty fast but these weapons are utter JUNK in one of those atrocious, insanely hard bossfights. I don't need to spoil which bossfight... as they are useless in about ALL OF THEM!!! I have the Fury / Havoc perks and 13 points in the SMG skill, and still Bullet Storm does NOTHING against a boss. Not even a glancing hit, NOTHING I tell you! Whoever decided to screw SMG users out of defeating a boss? You suck buddy! Unless you know EXACTLY what to expect and prepare accordingly (which is against the very nature of this game) bossfights are impossible to win with SMG users.

 

'Your weapon is choice'.... right.

 

More like 'Your weapon is choice as long as it is a pistol because other weapons are weaksauce and will get you killed'. Lame.

[Kasabian]

Have you got to pick your specialization yet? If not you can re-edit your choices. If not, too bad.

 

I went for pistols and hand to hand, much more fun than gunning my way through the game. :D

[Inxentas]

Dude! I picked those specialisations missions ago. I did every mission already, the only ones I have available to me end in an unbeatable bossfight. That's the only reason I haven't finished them. The game is essentially teasing me to restart on easy using the same build everybody else uses (stealth/pistols/cqc), defeating the concept of role playing and level progression alltogether.

 

This topic is in fact a gentle warning. Not many people will go with SMG's (most people prefer either a pistol or assault rifle), but those few that actually have an interest in SMG's, should know that their weapon of choice will screw them over in the end. Due to my BioWare / Obsidian / Bethesda fanboyness, I wanted to like and defend this game, as the levels itself are a blast to play. These horrid, unbeatable bossfights are slowly breeding contempt for Alpha Protocol.

 

Getting stuck on a boss because your build doesn't allow you to defeat him, is crap I would expect from a Final Fantasy game.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Inxentas

[Scorch]

Uh I went with SMGs and they were so good by the end it felt like cheating. If they aren't doing enough damage you're not close enough.

 

Take Toughness too, with Bullet Storm + Iron Will up it's basically unlimited ammo + god mode. I didn't even bother with cover, I just sprinted around murdering people in the face. Every boss went down in seconds.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Scorch

[Jackalmonkey]

OP: Are you trying to use SMGs exclusively? The game makes a fairly explicit case during training that SMGs and Shotguns are extremely situational weapons.

 

At any rate, my first playthrough is as Yeehaw Aggro Soldierboy, and my specializations (stupidly, deliberately) are Assault Rifles, SMGs, and Toughness. And so far SMGs seem to be working as intended: they're good at dispatching multiple enemies at close to medium range, and not so good at much else. At long distance and outdoors I rely on the assault rifle instead. Finding the right tool for the job at any given moment has so far been pretty entertaining in its own right - though Scorch's approach sounds enjoyable in its own special way.

[player1]

This would be good thread to note, that shotguns are also bad against enemies with lots of armor.

 

I have shotgun as 2nd weapon (AR as primary), and they can barely scratch (compared to AR) armored soldiers that you fight near the end game. They can knock them down (if you use room sweep), and phosphorus rounds can set em on fire, but basic impact from shooty is pretty pitful. I need to fire 3-4 rounds just to kill already knocked down solider.

Edited June 2, 2010 by player1

[Inxentas]

OP: Are you trying to use SMGs exclusively? The game makes a fairly explicit case during training that SMGs and Shotguns are extremely situational weapons.

 

No, my main focus is stealth. Normally I can clear out a room by watching patterns and takedown people. So far SMG's do decent damage even at mid range. exept against boss armour. Even fast reloading gets me nowhere. Only at extreme long range do I use a rifle, but I do not have points invested in the skill. I rarely use it as most people that far away don't see me anyway. I do have some points in melee / tech but not much. I though Sabotage would help me find a lot of gear but stuff is really expensive, you actively have to sell off old gear to get a better weapon or armour.

 

I have no issues getting through the levels. I have issues getting through boss armour before it regenerates.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Inxentas

[player1]

You could try doing damage with secondary weapon, even if it is without any points, to remove armor, and then switch to smg. There is reason you are not limited to single weapon in missions.

 

Although, shotty is also bad against armor, so shotty/smg combo is pretty bad for bosses (and redundant) IMO.

Edited June 2, 2010 by player1

[broham]

smgs work really well against random henchmen but pretty much suck against bosses

i was surprised at how little damage i was doing when i turned on bullet storm, got up close, and unloaded

[Inxentas]

My secondary weapons ARE the SMG's. I mostly use my hands / knife / gadgets. I must admit though, while SMG's aren't intended to fire on a single target they become more reliable when investing in mods and using short, controlled bursts. That way they drop normal enemies fine. High velocity rounds help against armour, but boss armour is almost impenatrable with SMG's due to low damage and long reload times. Made me wish the dual-wield was optional.

[Shadow Operative]

Maybe you should drop the boss armour using a grenade or a remote mine ??

[Tigranes]

SMGs were always going to be the weakest gun type against a single powerful enemy, while (arguably) the most effective against multiple weaker enemies. It makes perfect sense that it should give you a good time against goons, and a hard time against bosses. It's the consequences of your... choice.

 

But yes, gadgets should be of big help in turning the tables here. If you're referring to Brayko, in particular, as I suspect you are, one grenade takes off his entire armour, and there are things like Heck's drug dossier. I mean, remember, Brayko is built to be strong against a martial arts/SMG specialist, but he'd be at his weakest against a pistol/shotgun specialist, for instance.