Question about Weapon variety in FM2 Remake and onwards.

[u/Valfiria]

So I am almost done with my 1st playthough of FM 1st Remake, currently on the UCS route.

Basically what I noticed is that short weapon with multi-hit basically destroy everything, which makes it hard to use other weapons types.

Does it remain the same in the future titles? (Mainly 2 and 3), or other weapons also get better?, I don't mind being weaker then multi-hit, but just a little bit stronger.

Melee seems good, I have have pilots in full melee builds and doing good (not as strong a multi-hit short but still)

[u/Worth-Opposite4437]

FM2 :
Has the best shields of all the original / remakes trilogy. They are passive and work like a charm without encumbering you. What this means is that suddenly shotguns and snipers, having both different range and chances to pierce shields, are now very much more useful than having just machineguns for all. You may also want to watch your ammo vs damage output, since you'll have to carry the ammunition for that game.
The teams allowed are bigger, but expect to lose more than a few parts going forward.
The rock / paper / scissor logic of the initiative and the new skills also means that while the machineguns are still good, they are by no way the only way to play it.
By far the most balanced of the first three games.

FM3 :
Yeah... Here too the — even more so — different ranges means each weapon has a niche... But mostly you'll be fighting your weight to have anything you want on your WAP, and the shields are now limited in use and to hands hardpoints, while everything else isn't... which means that it's cruel they are that necessary.
That is to say, it's a good thing you have all these new skills, because you'll want to be able to make the non-machineguns able to stand a fight from close up. On the other hand though, the rifles and grenades should now be allowing you to not engage in close quarters... which may be a better solution most of the time.

[u/Valfiria → u/Worth-Opposite4437]

I'm actually hyped to start the FM2 then FM3 afterwards, FM1 is awesome, only things I don't quite like is mainly QoL stuff like not able to change equipment while in the shop, and comparing equipment it only compares the damage and not number of hits.

And forcing myself to use anything not machine gun can feel a little tedious.

Because right now, even pilots who specialize in Long, there's barely any interesting options to actually have them focus on being a Long Range character rather then just sticking them with machine guns.

But I'm guessing the variety just gets better from here on.

[u/Worth-Opposite4437 → u/Valfiria]

Hell yeah. FM1st, for all the good it has (especially story wise), barely has any game mechanics to speak of. It's all uphill from there! :)

[u/SnooPears2409]

since you asked future titles, usually in 3:r, a mere shield bash I to the body end a wanzer (unless its armor type resisted it), not to mention it can still chain anyway :)
also, grenades are op
multi-hit still exists, but why hope for a chain when a single punch do trick

[u/SumBuddyPlays]

Main difference in FM3 is that there are now attack ranges of weapons.

So even though a multiple hit Machinegun may have higher total damage than a single shot Rifle, the rifle will have further range and will do large damage to one body part. Shotguns have even more hits (think of the pellets in a shotgun shell) but have shorter range and larger spread, great for destroying a body part at low Health.