Posted 09 December 2015 - 06:40 PM
Gauss balance:
Expensive item and ammo cost (sort of negligible)
Comparatively large item crit size, big weight cost
Lowest item health in the game (half of a heat sink, half of almost everything)
Item explodes when crit
Gun has a charging mechanic, requiring you to predict your shots
Longest recharge in the game, and it just got longer
The mechs with gauss quirks got decreases to their bonus
It needs the expense, it needs the crit size and weight, it needs to explode when crit. The charging mechanic and the item health are just slaps in the face. Oh yes, someone will show up and call me a terrible player for not being a wiz with the prediction mechanic, or for needing to spam gauss shots.
I played gauss when it was broken, and I defended it because there were repair costs. I played gauss when repair costs ended, and it was still broken. I defended it but agreed something could be changed as it was the only 'sniper' weapon.
When the charge mechanic came out, gauss stopped being a sniper weapon and it became a gimmick weapon. Now you're fighting lag, your mouse quality, AND the gun itself to hit someone with a "sniper" weapon. And on top of all of that, you can't fire it more than once every six seconds.
"OH BUT IT'S THE LONGEST RANGE FOR ZERO HEAT!" Yes, that's the fscking point. It is also expensive as hell, prone to crit, and blows up when crit. Given it is often installed in a mech with an XL engine, these are serious concerns. It doesn't need all these nerfs, they've gone past balance and into vindictive.
As a comparison, go look at the AC20. It has 18 item health, does more damage to one point, doesn't explode when crit, and only has a 4sec cooldown. No, you can't snipe with an AC20; but most of this game takes place within AC20 ranges.
Having a dedicated "sniper" weapon which isn't even optimal for that role, in a game that discourages long range gameplay, is not balance. "Then don't use it." Honestly, I probably won't other than my Grid Iron. Oh, thanks for that too PGI, thanks for taking away the one thing making Grid Iron a really fun mech even though I paid for it.
I had gauss back when they were good, and when they were broken. I've had my fun with them. It's still sad to see them tanked-worthless, but you're right I don't have to use them. In a game of value versus weight, I daresay most new players won't bother using them either.
They're a specialist weapon for spergs, I guess; because they're not specialist weapons for marksmen. The only other game I know where the sniper rifle has to be charged is Star Wars Battlefront: but it's a power up gimmick item, not a primary weapon.
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