46 replies to this topic

[evil713]

as near as i can tell, timeline wise, there should be some access to this weapon.

http://www.sarna.net...ry_Laser_Cannon

im just kinda pointing it out waiting for sombody more knowledgeable to point out why i would not see this in 3049.

[Spriing]

Well it specifically says:

Quote

In practice, damage yield proved low compared to the lasers firing separately

So I would think it is still not that great even with the double heat sinks.

[Arctic Fox]

While it's true that the Binary Laser was technically devloped before the game's timeframe, it was considered ineffective and never went beyond being a prototype by 3049. It only starts appearing in small numbers on some 'Mech variants during the Jihad, and seems to have been put into production in several places after 3077, but that's much farther in the timeline.

Edited by Arctic Fox, 11 June 2012 - 06:13 PM.

[AJC]

it mostly didn't because of how much heat it makes making it really infeasible to use with single heat sinks but once double heat sinks returned it became much more viable of a weapon.

[HIemfire]

It would make an interesting inclusion. Hits harder than a PPC, range of a Large Laser or AC/10, puts out heat like a can of sterno on a lit bar-b-que grill...... It's also two tons heavier than a PPC, and takes up twice the crit slots of a Large Laser aswell, one more than a PPC. I would use it if it does make it's way in.

Edited by HIemfire, 11 June 2012 - 06:26 PM.

[Gremlich Johns]

Sounds like a failed bit o technical development.

[screw ball]

HIemfire, on 11 June 2012 - 06:26 PM, said:

It would make an interesting inclusion. Hits harder than a PPC, range of a Large Laser or AC/10, puts out heat like a can of sterno on a lit bar-b-que grill...... It's also two tons heavier than a PPC, and takes up twice the crit slots of a Large Laser aswell, one more than a PPC. I would use it if it does make it's way in.

hits hard as in kinetic or just total damage output because it is just a beam of light

[Jade Kitsune]

12 damage, 16heat...

It would be interesting to see someone use this... I mean 12 damage is ok, but the 16 heat buildup is kinda high. it would probably put a mech at above 50% heat in one shot.

[HIemfire]

screw ball, on 11 June 2012 - 06:32 PM, said:

hits hard as in kinetic or just total damage output because it is just a beam of light

Does how something does the damage it does matter to a grunt, or is it more important that it does it? Slug, Particle stream/pulse, Missile, or "beam" of light/x-rays/gamma rays/whatever, it really doesn't matter. They all hit, they all have an effect that is percieveable, Even if it is just the target dropping dead.

[Skylarr]

Nicknamed the Blazer, the Binary Laser Cannon is widely considered a dead-end technology. Taking two large laser cores and fusing them together, the Blazer was designed to fire both cores at the same time, increasing damage penetration. In practice, damage yield proved low compared to the lasers firing separately, and the high heat generated by the Blazer severely taxed available heat sink technology of the time.
While research on the Blazer started in the Lyran Commonwealth in 2801, actual prototype models first showed up in the Free Worlds League in 2812.
With the re-introduction of double heat sinks, the Blazer cannon is now a viable weapon.

Earlier runs of Tactical Operations contained an error that switched the heat and damage values of the Binary Laser Cannon and gave a wrong Battle Value 2 rating. The correct stats are: Damage (12), Heat (16)

[Tterrag]

When was the Long Tom invented I like that gun lots even if it is kinda stupid

[Lt muffins]

wait a moment, maybe we aren't going far enough.

We need to have a laser with 3 cores to increase the damage further.

NO that is not enought we need to mount EIGHT .... yes eight ...

Eight cores for 1 laser ... and not just any cores ER LARGE PULSE LASER CORES

So we can have rapid fire, make sure to mount myomer on you mech and not just any type of myomer TRIPLE STRENGTH myomer, so you can be strong... from the heat. and you will need Heat sinks LOTS of heat sinks because you will be running hot ... hot like Grable.

(and thus ends my rant)

Edited by Lt muffins, 11 June 2012 - 07:24 PM.

[Aethon]

Tterrag, on 11 June 2012 - 07:16 PM, said:

When was the Long Tom invented I like that gun lots even if it is kinda stupid

Kinda stupid? Is it safe to assume you're speaking from MW4 experience?

[HIemfire]

My chief curiosity is why they didn't, once double heatsinks became available again, apply the system to the smaller laser types. While it does not have the range of the ER large laser (a measly 120 meters shorter) the Binary Laser Cannon does do half again the damage for only a third more heat (and admittedly %80 more mass).

Tterrag, on 11 June 2012 - 07:16 PM, said:

When was the Long Tom invented I like that gun lots even if it is kinda stupid

The artillery piece was developed before humanity began colonizing in BattleTech, Pre-Spaceflight per Tactical Operations pg. 284 . The artillery cannon was put into the prototype phase in 3012 (again per Tactical Operations this time pg. 285)

[Tterrag]

I meant it's a stupid tech gun not a stupid gun if that makes sense.

[Zynk]

evil713, on 11 June 2012 - 06:02 PM, said:

as near as i can tell, timeline wise, there should be some access to this weapon.

http://www.sarna.net...ry_Laser_Cannon

im just kinda pointing it out waiting for sombody more knowledgeable to point out why i would not see this in 3049.

Binary Laser Cannon Heat 16 Damage 12 Tons 9 Critical Slots 4

Large Laser Heat 8 Damage 8 Tons 5 Critical Slots 2

2X Large Lasers gets you 16 heat for 16 damage

IMO the 1 ton armor saved mounting BLC is not worth it.

[HIemfire]

Lt muffins, on 11 June 2012 - 07:22 PM, said:

wait a moment, maybe we aren't going far enough.

We need to have a laser with 3 cores to increase the damage further.

NO that is not enought we need to mount EIGHT .... yes eight ...

Eight cores for 1 laser ... and not just any cores ER LARGE PULSE LASER CORES

So we can have rapid fire, make sure to mount myomer on you mech and not just any type of myomer TRIPLE STRENGTH myomer, so you can be strong... from the heat. and you will need Heat sinks LOTS of heat sinks because you will be running hot ... hot like Grable.

(and thus ends my rant)

Other than showing you do not like the weapon system what does your post achieve? You didn't "rant", a rant has a clearly stated point. More of a frustrated satire perhapse?

The Binary Laser Cannon is a canon piece of equipment (it is experimental technology though). It is up to PGI if they want to add it.

[Skylarr]

Description

The Long Tom Artillery Cannon is a scaled down version of the Long Tom Artillery Piece designed for use as an on-board indirect fire weapon. Capable of being mounted on 'Mechs, combat vehicles, and AeroSpace Fighters, the Long Tom Cannon is a snub-nosed version of the artillery piece of the same name. The Long Tom Artillery Cannon fires its shells in an indirect arc, dropping them down on top of enemy units.^[5]

Quote

Game Rules

Errata in Tactical Operations now states that the Artillery Cannons may only use standard artillery munitions. As an area-affect weapon, the Long Tom Cannon may not benefit from a targeting computer. Artillery Cannons use the Indirect LRM Fire rules to determine target numbers, but Artillery Cannons cannot make Indirect Artillery attacks. Missed shots scatter like standard artillery, but divide the scatter distance by one half to account for the smaller propellant charges.

VTR-9K2 Victor St. James - After his son was killed in the Taurian Concordat invasion of the Federated Suns, Benedict St. James had his VTR-9K refitted with experimental weapons and equipment to allow him to take his revenge. Replacing the standard weapons with a Long Tom Cannon and two Medium X-Pulse Lasers, St. James' Victor can inflict massive amounts of damage on his prey. The 'Mech's jump jets had to be removed to make way for the weapons load, and technicians equipped it with a patchwork of Ferro-Fibrous and Standard Armor as another weight saving measure. A Supercharger mounted on the engine provides the Victor with unexpected bursts of speed.

Edited by Skylarr, 11 June 2012 - 07:44 PM.

[Aethon]

Tterrag, on 11 June 2012 - 07:27 PM, said:

I meant it's a stupid tech gun not a stupid gun if that makes sense.

I still don't understand...but it's not really meant to be fired by battlemechs in close combat; it's a long-range artillery piece, and in tabletop, it can't even be fired during the normal maneuvering/firing of standard weaponry. It can even be fired from off the map.

That said, if you're talking about its MW4 implementation, yeah...it wasn't artillery in that game; it was a gigantic grenade launcher. It did feel pretty stupid. That didn't stop me from mounting one on a Hunchback and giving busy assault mechs the hyperatomic suppository, though.

[Lt muffins]

HIemfire, on 11 June 2012 - 07:34 PM, said:

Other than showing you do not like the weapon system what does your post achieve? You didn't "rant", a rant has a clearly stated point. More of a frustrated satire perhapse?

The Binary Laser Cannon is a canon piece of equipment (it is experimental technology though). It is up to PGI if they want to add it.

I normally take a satirical method when expressing displeasure, I very much don't like its inefficiencies with damage to heat generation.
But I am not against adding it because there will be the rare situation where you have extra crits and heat capacity but not enough extra weight to mount 2 large laser but enough to mount the Blaser, only because of that small possibility that i approve of it despite my displeasure of its performance.

Edit: (correct me if I am wrong but with the extra ton that the Blaser provides you could mount another double heat-sink and curve the extra heat generated)

Edited by Lt muffins, 11 June 2012 - 07:45 PM.