Planetside 2 - Self-propelled Artillery

General info

Speed comparable to MBTs, armour to Lightning. Capable of firing the main armament only when deployed, with the deploying time similar to Sunderers. Equipped with a single secondary point defence weapon (similar to the ones a Sunderer can have).

Two-man vehicle; first person is a driver and main gunner (depending on if deployed or not), the other one mans the point defence weapon.

Load-out possibilities for the main weapon

Howitzer (default)

Range of several kilometres. Fires using an indirect firing solution: The user sets up a target on the map once deployed, the computer calculates the firing solution based on the own position and height and the target position and height and displays the point the artillery have to be pointed at at the HUD. The user is free to ignore it, of course. Long (several seconds, maybe up to half a minute) reload time.

The artillery system has an inherent random cone of fire, so it's never precise. The calculated firing solution ignores the terrain and buildings between the artillery and the target; if there's something blocking the path, sucks to be you. Everyone in and near the target area get a big fat "artillery incoming from there" warning on their HUD and on their map (when they open it).

Ammunition types (non-default types opened up by certing):

HEAT (default): Explodes on impact, small explosion radius, damages all kinds of vehicles and turrets.

HE: Breaks apart shortly before impact (similar to flak), saturates the area with shrapnel. Does nothing to vehicles which aren't damageable by small-arms fire.

Incendiary: Sets the area on fire for a short while. Does not do any direct damage itself.

Smoke: Creates dense smoke in the area.

EMP: Like EMP grenade, only more powerful.

Smart AP: Recognises active threats in the target area and tries to steer the AP round in the direction of the nearest one. A "threat" is any enemy armour (so not including ATVs) or manned turret. Ignores friendly targets, targets which have Vehicle Stealth equipped and is made "dumb" by smoke.

Laser-guided AP: Acts like a dumb-fire AP round (which means it will most likely hit the ground of building and do nothing at all) if there is no friendly soldier in the target area who designates target with a laser designator or if it can't "see" the designated point. Otherwise, tries to steer and hit the first designated point it can lock on; re-locking if necessary. Doesn't work through smoke, obviously. If the soldier is stupid and designates some rock, it will happily hit the rock.

Mortar

Similar to the howitzer, but with significantly lower range (still about half a kilometre) and higher rate of fire. Targeting works as with the howitzer.

Ammunition types: HE (default), HEAT, Incendiary, Smoke, EMP

Rocket

Similar to the howitzer, but with higher maximum range and lower rate of fire. Targeting works the same, but the trajectory is different. Still happily hits every single terrain feature between the place it was fired from and the target area. Can be shot down by AA, including G2A and A2A lock-on missiles. Relatively slow, visible on the radar, flies in a straight line for at least the first half of the flight (and for the rest if in dumb-fire mode too).

Ammunition types: Laser-guided HEAT (default, works like laser-guided AP so it can be used as dumb-fire HEAT too, but isn't so utterly useless against infantry), HE, Smart AP, Laser-guided AP

SAM

Anti-air missile platform. Comparatively high rate of fire (about one missile every two seconds). They fire their missiles relatively high up and at a high speed, so it's very hard to hit targets on or near the ground.

Ammunition types:

Lock-on (default): Like the default lock-on missile launchers, but the missiles themselves have no active components; the artillery operator has to maintain the lock until the missiles hit. Switch targets if necessary until their fuel runs out.

Laser-guided: Needs someone with a laser designator "painting" the target vehicle ... or anything else. Dumb-fire (in other words, waste of ammo) when no designation point is in front of them.

Smart Lock-on: Like lock-on, but with an active component; the user doesn't have to maintain the lock. Lower damage, lower rate of fire.

Other certifications

The usual set for vehicles: Mine guard, blockade, vehicle stealth, smoke, different drive systems and so on. No proximity radar, though.

The weapons would have the usual certs improving the amount of ammunition carried; for the howitzer and mortar types also improving the speed/range somewhat, for the SAM and rocket battery improving the rate of fire. The artillery-type targeting system can be certed to allow for up to three target points to be calculated and displayed at the same time.