Originally Posted by Reaperassault

Wouldn't be better if your team had and extra medic reviving people/ extra engy mining roads killing buggies going to cap flags/ extra support EMPing enemy armor?

You and several others always throw this argument in our face, as if it was the be-all end-all of arguments.

First of all, this is a thread about whether having a gunner in your tank is advantageous. Talking about medics here is irrelevant.

As for engineers and support infantry, they have a higher mortality rate than medics. Why? Because their functions require them to go off on their own for periods of time to engage armor. So if you take that support or engineer in your tanks gunner seat, he is protected from fire more so than on foot, he can hop out to perform his function versus enemy armor, and still be supporting his teams armor. An engineer or support that is alive is one that is doing his job. An engineer or support that is running around on foot is a dead one.

Extra medics doesn't do anything on armor maps except when immediately taking a flag, and even then it's not essential if you have armor backup.

Extra engys on foot do little except die to walkers and tanks shells or get run over. Don't even try to say that they get revived, because they don't. I've run as engy in even the best squads and I'm the one that has lowest revive priority. Guess what. That's another lost ticket.

Extra support on foot is useful for resupply,but when he goes to flank armor and EMP lock it, his chance to die becomes very high and his chance of being revived goes way down. Another lost ticket.

Compare this with an engineer in a tank's gunner seat. While the tank is on the move, he is protected from fire. When the tank has engaged enemy armor, he can exit and fire off a shot to take down the enemy armor faster, then immediately reenter the tank, minimizing his exposed time and increasing his effectiveness two-fold. When the tank needs repairs, the main gunner can continue to cover both of them while the gunner actively repairs. When motion mines need to be cleared, again, all the engy has to do is hop out, throw bait, hop back in while the tank is still active, making stealing it impossible. If the tank is being assaulted by infantry, the top gunner can ensure the tank isn't surprise flanked or shot from behind and can alert the main driver to threats they may not be able to see, not to mention having the means to kill them himself if necessary. If under assault by a gunship, the top gunner can keep it spotted and damage it, while the driver takes evasive maneuvers.

There really is no situation in which having a gunner is less advantageous than not having one, because engineers or supports in a gunner seat are those that stay alive.