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[Violetear]

So here are my thoughts about weapon rebalance and how to get rid of the ghost heat. Instead of continuing quirkering chassis’ weapons I suggest to introduce two new chassis’ characteristics - "onboard computer performance", or OCP and "reactor energy output", or REO. OCP is tightened up to mechs targeting systems, sensors and communications; REO - to the engine rating, chassis’ class and specific model of mech. The idea is to give every weapon in game REO and OCP consumption values, where lasers would relay mostly on REO, guided missiles on OCP, ballistics a small portion of REO and a bit more of OCP; but the mech has only that much of REO an OCP, when he oversteps chassis limitations, it inflicts penalties on his mech, much like overheating. Here are some examples how this could work:

1) Lets say, we have a Locust 1V with total REO of 8, total OCP as 10 and a Large Pulse Laser, that requires 8 REO and 5 OCP; during movement mech takes 2 REO (depends on the speed). While Locust is standing in place, it can handle with shooting, but when its running - its 10 REO, so he can’t run as fast as he could and his laser shoots at decreased range and damage because of the power shortage.
2) Classic Nova with 12 ER Medium Lasers, when each requires 5 REO, 4 OCP, and mech can handle 30 REO and 16 OCP at a time. During an alpha strike it will experience severe penalties to lasers damage and range, movement, probably some internal damage to mech/its systems, plus since the shortage of OCP, weapon convergences takes a penalty
3) 2xGauss Rifle, 2xERPPC Dire Wolf, when each Rifle requires 20 REO and 10 OCP, each ERPPC requires 15 REO and 8 OCP and mech can handle 50 REO and 60 OCP. Same staff as before - you can alpha, but it wont be effective.
4) 5xLRM10 Storm Crow, when each LRM10 requires 2 REO and 6 OCP, mech can handle 30 REO and 25 OCP. When launching an alpha strike it cant handle all the missiles, so around 1/5 of them just lost its lock.

Such approach, from one side, can kill a lot of fun builds that we enjoy, but from the other - it will greatly improve chassis and loadout diversity on the field, allow to lower amount of weapon quirks in game and decrease a number of "I melt your face in 2 seconds, Atlas" things, bring back the feeling of battles of enormous and durable machines at field, that the game, imho, loosing. Plus its a way do balance IS/Clan without hurting weapon initial characteristics. And it allows to remove ghost heat, of couse. Ah, and it will also give some eplanation why why lore mechs didn’t had pure 6xLL mechs, or 7xMPL builds.

I hope, some team in PGI will have time and opportunity to test, if such approach has a right to live.

Thoughts?