US Static MG emplacements

[Ionizer]

Now, I don't usually suggest stuff anymore, but something's been bugging me.  The Americans only have one static Defensive MG: the M1919A4 .30 cal Tripod.  That's great and all (except that most people don't realize that steel pole they just tripped over is actually an MG kit they can use), but it seems to limit some of the defensive options for the US.  I have a few suggestions to get more defensive options for the Americans in game:

First up: an M1919 .30 cal on some sort of bipod mount.  Basically, it would be the US counterpart to the Lewis Bipod MG emplacements of the British.  They would be able to be placed (by mappers) on low walls, sandbags, crates, windows and anywhere else at about waist-height.  For example, the Lewis gun on the railing at Ingouf Farm on some versions of PHL could be replaced by a M1919 on a similar mount.  I can't find any pictures of something like this, but I know they were in FH1...  (I am not asking for the M1919A6 variant that was first used in the Ardennes, that would probably be man-portable and work like the MG34/42 in game right now, prone and fire.  I'm asking for a stationary defensive mount.)

Of course, there's also the M2 Browning .50 Cal.  It could be useful on it's M3 Tripod mount (not sure if it should be deployable, but rather mapper-placed).  Obviously it would rip apart light skinned vehicles and infantry, because well...it's a .50 cal. 

Picture:


I'd also like to see the .50 Cal on it's Dual Purpose Mount.  Dual purpose as in Anti-Air and Ground.  I'm fairly certain this would be a 360 degree rotation, so that makes it more useful than the M3 Tripod, at the expense of the gunner having to stand (instead of crouch/lay down) and be more vulnerable.

Picture:


The great thing about these weapons is that they already exist in game, only the mounts have to be made.  Well, and of course, coded, animated, tested and all that, but a big chunk of the work (Modeling and Skinning the gun itself) is already done, right?  What does everyone (Devs and testers especially) think of these ideas?

[VonMudra]

As far as I know, the 30 cal was never mounted on a bipod other then the A6 version.  It was purely a tripod weapon like the vickers.

As for the tripod 50cal, IIRC, that is actually ingame?

[Cadyshack]

Perhaps an alternative to the no bipod issue can be just having them leaning against what they are mounted on (window sill, sandbags, etc). You didn't need the tripod for everything.

Take the Carentan episode of Band of Brothers. Something that most likely happened often for the US was the mg team to find a nice window, prop the gun on the sill and let loose. With the supported position, I'd suppose recoil wouldn't throw the gun too far off. If it were, perhaps add some extra recoil. The bipod stuff don't have any anyways.

[VonMudra]

It wouldn't be a secure location, remember in BOB they were firing blanks, no recoil.  Setting up an American MG like that simply wouldn't work, as the lack of a butt stock would eliminate any ability for a stable firing platform.  Essentially it would just slide back and fall down.

[Ionizer]

I haven't seen any .50 Cals in game except mounted on Vehicles.

And the the main thing for "bipod" .30 cal thing is to get a .30 cal emplacement that you don't need to lie down to use, I don't care how it gets in game.  Maybe have a Tripod .30 Cal, but coded differently so that you stand behind it to fire instead of lay down.  Then the mappers will know only to place that .30 cal on crates and trenches and other stuff that's waist-high (and big/level enough to support the tripod).

[Kurb King]

I am 100% behind the static .50 mount, I was wondering myself why they were not already in game.  The.50 on the M3 tripod as a deployable weapon would also be nice, light vehicles and APCs beware!

[VonMudra]

I haven't seen any .50 Cals in game except mounted on Vehicles.

And the the main thing for "bipod" .30 cal thing is to get a .30 cal emplacement that you don't need to lie down to use, I don't care how it gets in game.  Maybe have a Tripod .30 Cal, but coded differently so that you stand behind it to fire instead of lay down.  Then the mappers will know only to place that .30 cal on crates and trenches and other stuff that's waist-high (and big/level enough to support the tripod).

That I can get behind.  IIRC, there were areas in FH1 berlin where they put tripod MGs on crates and such, so that the person entering would still be in cover, or lying down, or such.  It would indeed be nice to see static 30cals, just it would have to be a tripod.

And if there aren't any ma deuce tripods ingame, then it should be, but on a very rare level...they weren't used much in that role.

One american MG I would def like to see is the water cooled 30 cal, they were still used commonly in american units in the ETO.

[Steel_Lion_FIN]

There is only one map where the static .50cal is useful, and that is Lüttich, and we haven't got the M5 3 inch anti-tankgun there too. My point is that the .50cal is only useful in american defense-maps (BULGE)

[silian]

The M1917A1 should be higher priority IMO.

[Steel_Lion_FIN]

The M1917A1 should be higher priority IMO.

Or the M1919A6 for THE BULGE!

[Neighbor Kid]

as of now not many people even us the M1919A4 placeable static.. =( wish there was better use of it..

[McCloskey]

I use it.. it's my love and I never can't get enough of the feeling when I sit behind it providing a covering fire for fellow assaulting soldiers. Set up the .30 in the bushes/space in the hedgerow = mayhem guaranteed.

I'd love me some stance animation for it though, like when you put it on something like a table the playermodel would stand while using it and not lie in the air (Not possible, I know)

[THeTA0123]

There is only one map where the static .50cal is useful, and that is Lüttich, and we haven't got the M5 3 inch anti-tankgun there too. My point is that the .50cal is only useful in american defense-maps (BULGE)

agree on this. The 6PDR's in mortain are out of place, as it was M5 AT guns that took the brunt of the Axis tank forces in Mortain and Abbaye church

How bout, some static .30CAL tripods, placed on top of a desk, in front of a window??

[djinn]

Didnt the americans also use vikers-type mgs? I always feel sad that in luttich, the americans get mg42 positions instead of vikers tripods. N the one depoyable version for them has a brit pistol.
Did the Americans have tripod n sandbag mountable mgs? Can they?

[VonMudra]

American MGs that are good for normandy are the 30cal tripod, the BAR, the 30cal water cooled tripod, and the 50 cal tripod.

So yes, they do have a vicker's like MG, but its not a vickers, very different barrel jacket: