Yea, crewmen.
This is exactly what makes price or is most important thing about the indirect weapon.
Not reload, not scatter, not range, not scaling.
Crewmen.
Well considering the angle scatter is exactly the same and only the distance scatter is slightly different I would say that yes having an extra crew member helps since it allows you to survive counter battery fire easier. Like the ISG isn't hard to kill because of the grouping of the crew around the gun shield. But a large part of the attraction of the 120 is how survivable it is to enemy indirect.
No, they don't operate in the same range, only one of them have 100 range on default fire the one that will be going for the most part, can you guess which one? I will give you a hint: It was made in germany.
But the direct fire aspect of support guns in this game basically forces both to operate within 75 range. Honestly I wouldn't care if it's range got cut to 75 at all.
Pack Howitzer
vet1 Unlocks white phosphorus barrage
vet2 switches to pack_howitzer_75mm_barrage_heat_mp (only improves barrage)
vet3 +33% range -30% ability recharge
Leig18 ISG
vet1 Unlocks Hollow charge ability
vet2 +25% speed -23% received accuracy
vet3 -40% ability recharge +33% range
vet4 Doubles shots per salvo
vet5 +30% penetration +50% damage
The person who said pack howi has better vet is an idiot and you following it, well, we all know you.
Can I have garbage ISG vet on pack howi?
I will give you awesome pack howi bonuses instead.
Yes those abilities on the ISG are literal trash, you honestly think Hollow Charges which do nothing but increase pen are better than White Phos that burns off infantry health, slows them, and disables tanks main guns is worse?
And the things that affect the barrage are insanely bad because who gives a shit if you recharge faster when the recharge on the barrage is almost instant and the barrage isn't actually useful for hitting/killing regardless.
The only thing that makes the ISG better at what it's supposed to do is the Vet 5 bonus, and good fucking luck getting there.