11 replies to this topic

[IronEricP]

Let me first start by saying that I have heard there will be a buff of some sort to the Large Pulse Laser (or an adjustment). However, I also remember the devs stating that they were considering ways to make pulse lasers significantly different from regular and ERs. If the changes they have in mind make them more common (right now I only really see small pulses on wolfpack lights) and distinct, then thats fine.

If they find they still need to change more about them, I had an idea that might be worth testing.

Use the mechanic that UACs use. Not the jamming, but the overlapping cooldown timer. If the damage of the laser was lowered to say, 1/2 or 1/3 of its base, but it had 4 overlapping cooldown timers and a beam duration of about 1/5 to 1/4 of a second... with each timer being on a 3-4 second cooldown...

This would make pulse lasers function very differently than standards, and adjust their feel to fit the 'pulse' title a little better (imo). Mind you, I pulled those fractions out of thin air and expect that the exact values would be tinkered with.

The balancing factor is of course the heat, range, and tonnage they pay for in comparison to regular lasers. A Large Pulse Laser that fires all 4 pulses as quickly as possible would be generating a significant amount of heat and still have a long cooldown before it could fire again (so it wouldn't be a laser machine gun in that sense, more of a SMG). On the flip side, pausing between shots to adjust to a juking light and get more damage on the legs with less wasted beam than a standard laser would be deadly.

This concept gives Pulse lasers both a unique feel and a unique place in the MWO arsenal. They would be one of the most dangerous weapons for both the target and the user in this sense, and should require careful thought in being used effectively without constantly overheating.

I hope that this is a useful idea, though again, the devs may have already found the solution they prefer. Either way, I hope we see pulse lasers more widely considered than the current, near exclusive use of SPL on lights.

[Ruccus]

The main problem I have with pulse lasers is their range. I'd suggest:

Large Pulse Lasers: increase range to 400m. That means for the extra 2 tons over the LL you're only losing 50m of range and 100m of max range while gaining the shorter firing duration and increased damage.

Medium Pulse Lasers: increase range to 270m. That means doubling the weight over the ML gives you a weapon that can fire just as far but with a shorter firing duration and increased damage.

Small Pulse Lasers: increase the range of both SPL and SL to 120m and drop the weight of the SPL to .75t. This should make the SPL a viable option for those who currently use MLs (roughly the same dps though with a bit less than half the range, but the .5t a pair of SPLs save over a pair of MLs could be put towards a jump jet, a slightly larger engine, or half a tonne of armour - a good option in a light or medium mech).

The Medium Laser needs competition in the ~1 tonne weapon category as currently its good range, decent dps, and adequate heat generation make it the no-brainer ~1 tonne weapon when you've got a hardpoint to fill but can't fit one of the bigger energy weapons.

Edited by Ruccus, 18 February 2014 - 07:44 AM.

[IronEricP]

But then, really, they would just be adapting them to be MORE like the regular lasers but would still be less efficient per ton and without a niche of their own.

What I've suggested would turn them into a new type of brawler weapon (the IS ones at least), as opposed to trying to compete for the same purpose as the standard lasers, which is essentially that of the 'all rounder'.

Edited by Eric Portenelli, 18 February 2014 - 08:59 AM.

[Charons Little Helper]

OP - I like the feel of your idea - but it seems overly complex.

Instead you could simply let them fire at half cooldown (similar to UAC5) but instead of incurring the jam % chance - make the extra burst be at double normal (and already high) heat.

Not useful often - but good for finishing off a cored component or hitting a light one last time before they get out of range.

It would also be somehwat useful to have one or two on builds which are otherwise very cool.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

Increase the cooldown of standard lasers (and pretty much everything else but standard SRMs and Pulse lasers). Reduce the heat of Pulse lasers and take another 0.10s off the burn time. Bam, time to kill is increased, SRMs and Pulse weapons retain or gain a big dps advantage in brawling, and you have a new baseline for balancing the current "problem" weapons.

[Lyoto Machida]

Ruccus, on 18 February 2014 - 07:41 AM, said:

The main problem I have with pulse lasers is their range. I'd suggest:

Large Pulse Lasers: increase range to 400m. That means for the extra 2 tons over the LL you're only losing 50m of range and 100m of max range while gaining the shorter firing duration and increased damage.

Medium Pulse Lasers: increase range to 270m. That means doubling the weight over the ML gives you a weapon that can fire just as far but with a shorter firing duration and increased damage.

Small Pulse Lasers: increase the range of both SPL and SL to 120m and drop the weight of the SPL to .75t. This should make the SPL a viable option for those who currently use MLs (roughly the same dps though with a bit less than half the range, but the .5t a pair of SPLs save over a pair of MLs could be put towards a jump jet, a slightly larger engine, or half a tonne of armour - a good option in a light or medium mech).

The Medium Laser needs competition in the ~1 tonne weapon category as currently its good range, decent dps, and adequate heat generation make it the no-brainer ~1 tonne weapon when you've got a hardpoint to fill but can't fit one of the bigger energy weapons.

Well, you pretty much got your wish on the range.

[Roadkill]

I've always thought that regular lasers should be a continuous beam - you hold the trigger down and it fires continuously doing damage and generating heat the entire team. The trick would be holding the beam on target, but if you could pull it off they'd do a lot of damage quickly (and generate a lot of heat).

Pulse lasers should be low damage extremely high cycle rate weapons, but they'd be pinpoint. Every time you pull the trigger it generates a pulse. Cooldown should be like an AC/2 or possibly even faster. WUBWUBWUB, indeed.

[Kubernetes]

Looks like the new patch increases range and decreases heat.

It's a start.

[Butane9000]

Actually both buffs are solid.

Large Pulse Laser is a really good weapon to use for brawling now.

[Roadkill]

Butane9000, on 18 February 2014 - 02:09 PM, said:

Large Pulse Laser is a really good weapon to use for brawling now.

I find that a little hard to believe, but I'm willing to give it a try. Is half a point of heat really that big of a difference? The range bump doesn't affect brawling, and they sucked pretty bad before.

Large laser: 9 damage, 7 heat, 450 range, 5 tons, 1 sec (?) beam duration
Large Pulse laser: 10 damage, 8 heat, 350 range, 7 tons, 0.5 sec (?) beam duration

If they were the same weight I might agree with you, but those 2 extra tons hurt.

[HammerSwarm]

Butane9000, on 18 February 2014 - 02:09 PM, said:

Actually both buffs are solid.

Large Pulse Laser is a really good weapon to use for brawling now.

I like them for brawling, You can cleave a big swath of damage when you stack or group these. I'm sold on LPLs; it's the MPLs are worthless to me.

LPL are a 40% increase in weight. MPL are a 100% increase in weight. LPL have enough range for good brawls, MPL do not.

[Charons Little Helper]

HammerSwarm, on 18 February 2014 - 03:29 PM, said:

LPL have enough range for good brawls, MPL do not.

How long a range do you define as a brawl? When I'm brawling, I'm usually under 100 meters. I think that small lasers have plenty enough range for brawls.

More than a couple hundred meters I'd consider to be mid-ranged combat.