Probably won't ever happen because fighting positions can have the .50 without any tech upgrade.
The faction design is locking either tool behind a tech upgrade, making you have to choose which you want early game or getting them both after the tech upgrade.
Uhhh a stationary MG position is nice but it's no replacement for a mobile squad. Faction design is inherently poor because of the choice between hard AT and suppression. No other faction has to make that choice now (remember when Luftwaffe was OKW meta because it had an MG34 team?)
the current design is intentional and good.
See above. It's an awful design and USF is now the only faction that has to choose between suppression and AT.
if you want both mg and at gun a double officer build is the way to go. that or going airborne.
I hate that I have to pay munitions to drop team weapons though... compared to the Ostheer Osttruppen weapon drop which is 375mp, I'd rather spend the extra manpower and save the muni for another BAR or bazooka
Agreed.
Have you ever thought of buffing the AA HT suppression? Or anything really. The AA mode fixed all of it's AA problems but it's suppression and clumsiness to use (must use handbreak, which can lead to problems), not to mention the 2 shot without any smoke or anything really force you to backtech to lieutenant for the MG
The balance team specifically reduced the suppression of the AA HT some time ago. Maybe it was too good, I don't remember, but you're right in that the flimsiness of the vehicle makes it difficult to keep alive in some cases. All the more reason for putting the .50cal and 57mm gun into T0.
A faction requiring to make a tech choice? Oh no. Imo we should make all teching automatic. Just base the speed on fuel control.
It's not that choice is inherently bad, but choice between suppression or AT is bad and only USF has to make that choice now.