Riflemen have too much ammo

[MarkSheppard]

Hm, I did some more work on tank MG loadouts using the same formula, but slightly modified

Official Ammo Load 6000 rounds (based on M4 Sherman official loadout)
+50% Ammo Load (Simulates people carrying extra ammo) 9000 rounds
Weapons of Vehicle using Same Calibre (tank MGs) 3
Ammo Load Per Weapon 3000 rounds
Rate of Fire (effective) for the Weapon 300 RPM
Rate of Fire in Rounds Per Second for the Weapon 5 RPS
Ammunition Expended per Action 75 rounds
Shots for Weapon 120 shots

So yeah, the tank MG loadouts are actually quite accurate!

[Mobhack]

And the points cost between a section with 90 rounds and one with say 60 - will probably be nil, as there is too little ammo value to make any difference.

Ammo loads are what they are, and are quite good enough for game purposes.

Andy

[SGTGunn]

I can speak from experience that they typical US soldier tends to carry far more ammo than his basic load. Basic load for the M-4/M16 is 210 rounds - 7 30 round magaizines. It is not unusual to see a rifleman carrying nearly double that amount. When the US Army changed it's load bearing equipment from the old LCE pistol belt & harness to the the newer load bearing vest, many soldiers kept the pistol belt mounted ammo pouches allowing them to carry a total of 13 30 round magazines (normally only loaded with 28 rounds each). More ammo is carried "loose" in rucksacks/buttpacks or assault packs. A SAW gunner might carry between 500-800 rounds of ammo (a 100-200 round belt in the gun, and 2-3 additional 200 round belts) with additional 200 round belts doled out among his squad mates. Additional 100 belts of 7.62 for the M60/M240, 60mm mortar rounds, Dragon/Javilen rounds, and 40mm grenades are also frequently spread out among the platoon. On top of that add M-72/AT-4's, Frags, Smoke Grenades, Claymores, C-4 and other demo and you've got a veritbale walking arsenal. =) Typical combat loads can approach 100lbs - even more for the poor bastards carrying crew served weapons (MMGs, mortars, AT weapons). Ideally such heavy loads are for the "approach" march, and will be dropped at an objective rally point, and necessities (ammo, water, specific mission essential gear) will be transfered to assault packs/buttpacks/LBVs for the attack/raid/patrol etc. Mechie types just leave the excess ammo & snivel gear in the track.

Adrian

[MarkSheppard]

Mobhack said:Ammo loads are what they are, and are quite good enough for game purposes.

Have you thought about using the ammo loads to represent the poor fire-discipline you find with Al-Quaeda and basic African militas? Just wondering...

[troopie]

I remember a discussion about this on the old Yahoo SPMBT forum. The non-infantrymen were amazed at the loads we muckfeet carried. The ammo loads for regular soldiers in the game seem correct to me.

troopie

[pdoktar]

In a exercise I remember a machine gunner carrying over 2000 rounds himself. Mobility was lacking though, but once the action started, we found it very inconvienient not to have a MG that had the option for a quick barrel change.

[Mustang]

MGs usually carry very heavy ammo loads, and do most of the killing. What we're talking about is regular infantry rifles (and especially SMGs), whose low ammo usually limited their utility in combat. MGs cause far more casualties than rifles, either automatic or semiautomatic, in real life, and provide the real firepower.

But basically what I'm saying is that although Western soldiers and soldiers with semiautomatic and single-shot rifles usually consume little ammo, I've seen a lot of instances in the game where an SMG unit or a unit that (in real life) has poor fire discipline (like the 3rd-world armies mentioned before) will keep firing for half an hour or more. Not that it has a decisive effect on gameplay, just food for thought.