What the hell do they do exactly? I've seen so much conflicting information, I don't know... From what I've gathered, all SPA does is add 5 meters to optimal range while slowing bullet velocity. It doesn't actually increase raw damage at all... While HVA adds 10 meters to optimal range and increases bullet velocity at the cost of increased vertical recoil.
HVA is completely pointless, the added recoil is often too much for the 10 meter benefit. SPA is something you put on anything that can have it because it's deficit is practically meaningless. The only weapon HVA is good on is (Arguably) the Razor GD-23 because it has pretty much the same recoil as the AF-19 Mercenary, but has 50 less RPM and has access to a Compensator and Adv. Forward Grip. (Edit: This is why the GODSAW is terrible.)
Someone had posted a list that showed how much HVA benefited different weapons, there were a couple of guns that adding HVA actually made a lot of sense (as long as you don't mind the extra vertical recoil) but there were quite a few that the velocity given was so low that it wasn't worth it. If you search around you could probably find it.
SPA is very useful because it ensures lower TTK on non-nanoweave infantry 5 meters further, it will also increase the range before the next damage tier drops slightly, if relevant (doesn't concern weapons with only 1 tier drop). HVA is circumstancial. It increases the last tier drop range by 10 meters, which is useful in the same conditions that SPA is for those: if you lose 1 tier only(typical AR, BRs, LMGs...), not so great. You shouldn't use it without compensator, as it was poorly design to reduce accuracy with additional vertical recoil, to theoretically make you more lethal at range (it's called Logic®). It also supposedly increase velocity by 5%, but there are exceptions: Code: T32 Bull: 670 -> 672 (0.3%) T1B Cycler 580 -> 650 (12.1%) T5 AMC 570 -> 650 (14.0%) T9 CARV-S 600 -> 650 (8.3%) HC1 Cougar 520 -> 600 (15.4%) TRAC-5 Burst 490 -> 600 (22.4%) ------------- Gauss Rifle Burst 650 -> 650 (0%) NC6S Gauss SAW-S 630 -> 650 (3.2%) Razor GD-23 560 -> 650 (16.1%) Reaper DMR 555 -> 650 (17.1%) Gauss Compact Burst 500 -> 600 (20%) AC-X11 480 -> 550 (14.6%) ------------ CME: 670 -> 672 (0.3%) Corvus VA55 600 -> 650 (8.3%) Equinox VE2 Burst 615 -> 650 (5.7%) SVA-88 630 -> 650 (3.2%) Solstice Burst 515 -> 600 (16.5%) Pulsar C 515 -> 550 (6.8%)^ ------------- NS-11C 450 -> 550 (22.2%) When there's a lot of added velocity you'll notice, the difference is considerable when leading, even from 20~30m.
Man, I just try to keep it really simple. I use SPA every chance I get for the added range which is always a good thing imo. HVA is more velocity/bullet speed, but has really bad draw backs in relation to recoils. Then ppl waste money on Compensators to mitigate the HVA recoil which blows your Hip fire up. So in a nut shell and imo...SPA is great, HVA not worth it...or Compensators for that matter...HVA or not.
Right now, I'm using the NS-11c with a silencer and hva. I don't really notice the recoil much because I'm not trying to get a whole lot of long range shots, mainly because I know it's not gonna get a kill. An assist at best. The recoil in closer ranges doesn't bother me because I can aim at the neck area and it'll walk itself up to the head. And I'm hesitant to use SPA with the silencer because I'm afraid of what it will do to my bullet velocity. This is one that that really bugs me about the game atm is that you can't actually see wtf attachments are doing to the gun's stats. Something they should really fix. My main problem with getting kills right now seems to be hit registration. It is absolutely terrible and sometimes, downright laughable. Like yesterday, I was trying to snipe a guy in the head. He wasn't even really moving much. I landed 2 shots that just went straight through his head with no hit registered. Just leaving me in disgust. Or when some Reaver/Reaper/Scythe is coming straight at me while I'm in an AA, I'm firing on him. I see sparks coming off his ship, but no X and no damage. Just... wtf...
MasterDemoman and nehylem forgot / didn't know to mention that for carbines, min damage range increases by 18 meters, not 10. Because carbines drop two damage tiers with range (unlike AR's and LMG's which drop only one), the effect of this is that range for doing the intermediate damage per shot is extended by about 10 meters. Contrast this with SPA's 5 meter extension to max. damage range and you can see HVA is a great choice for carbines, increasing the carbine's competitiveness with AR's and LMG's at mid range. Example: TRAC-5 S. 143 damage at 10 meters, down to 112 at 60 meters. Shots to kill against a 1000 hp target By default: 7 shot kill up to 10 meters, 8 shot kill up to 39 meters, 9 shot kill beyond that With SPA: 7 shot kill up to 15 meters, 8 shot kill up to 41 meters, 9 shot kill beyond that With HVA: 7 shot kill up to 10 meters, 8 shot kill up to 49 meters, 9 shot kill beyond that Naturally, SPA will increase damage slightly at any distance between 10 and 60 meters, and HVA will also do the same between 10 and 78 meters, but the values for shots to kill vs 1000 hp are the most important ones. The extra velocity is nice but not as important, and the extra recoil is pretty insignificant (only 10% more and carbines have very manageable base vertical recoil). In addition, on weapons where the velocity buff is particularly high (see nehylem's list), you can use HVA to combat the downsides - to both damage and velocity - of using a suppressor at mid range. This supports a playstyle of flanking from safe distance without being detected. With carbines that don't have access to HVA, you have to get in CQC range to use suppressor effectively. One of my favorite setups is Pulsar C with suppressor, adv. grip and HVA.
Ah, so the SPA increases optimal range while the HVA will increase the falloff range. So since I like to use the suppressor, should I stick with the HVA to counter the penalties it has? I'm doing it right, then? XD The items in the game lack actual figures and just give vague descriptions and it's kind of confusing as to what's situationally better...
Suppressor reduces your max. damage range by 5 meters (though it seems to be 4 based on my VR testing, not sure; also, only 3 meters for SMG's). In effect. SPA cancels out that disadvantage by extending the max damage range by 5 meters. But suppressor also reduces your min. damage range, you'll end up doing minimum damage around 15-20 meters earlier, not sure of the exact value. For SMG's it should be a 10 meter reduction, as their initial min. damage range is typically much closer to begin with. HVA cancels out the min. damage range penalty and gives you back some of the lost velocity as well. In you intend to only fight in close quarters, SPA is the best ammo type. If you intend to be effective at mid-range then HVA is a better choice.
HVA and SPA effects, as well as other weapon and attachment mechanics, are explained in detail in my Gunplay Guide. Have you accounted for the fact that Range Finder implant gives 1m error? Anyhow, -3m MAX range, -10m MIN range are current numbers for SMGs. For other weapons it's -5m MAX range and unknown reduction to MIN range, we only know it is less than 25m reduction, as stated in this patch.
