83 replies to this topic

[Weatherman]

Look, it's simple if you watch the Dev's video on mech customization. To start with, some stats:

A/C 20 - 14 tons, 10 criticals, 5 shots/ton ammo

Gauss Rifle - 15 tons, 7 criticals, 8 shots/ton ammo

So the Dragon, Centurion, and Hunchback can all mount a gauss rifle if they can free up enough weight for it. Depending on how quickly we gain access to XL engines will be a factor in mounting gauss rifle on the smaller mechs.

If you guys want something to help you with customization before MWO is released, go here:

http://www.pryderock...dl_mech.php#BGS

this site has a number of mech creator programs used to make mechs for the board game (whose specs seem to be used by the Devs so should apply to MWO). I use The Drawing Board 2.0.23 and find it best as it also includes premade mechs from all the TRO's in folders by TRO date (i.e. 3025, 3050, 3055, etc...) so you can load them up to see where the weapons are placed on the stock model (since you will need to know where the respective hardpoints are as that is the system the Devs are using) and let you play around with some designs before the game starts.

Note: I don't know how many hardpoints will be in each weapon location (the video shows the Hunchback as having 3 ballistic hardpoints in the right torso) so it seems like the bigger the stock weapon as well as the number of weapons mounted in that location determine the available hardpoints.

Edited by Weatherman, 27 May 2012 - 05:51 AM.

[Zakatak]

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

I just hope they move away from teh TT bs and make it so Gauss RIfle ammo DOES NOT EXPLODE... There is no reason that is should since it has no gun powder and no other explosive in it.. A ammo hit to Gauss rifle should just destroy the feed and disable the gun.. nothing else...

It is the capacitor that explodes, not the slugs. Although this also makes zero sense anyway, since all energy weapons should suffer the same problem, as they are charged by capacitors.

[wanderer]

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

I just hope they move away from teh TT bs and make it so Gauss RIfle ammo DOES NOT EXPLODE... There is no reason that is should since it has no gun powder and no other explosive in it.. A ammo hit to Gauss rifle should just destroy the feed and disable the gun.. nothing else...

Gauss Rifle ammo doesn't explode in the tabletop version at all.

The GUN can, as critting it blows the capacitors- but it's much less damage than an ammo bay going off- even reasonably survivable by larger designs, as it does as much damage as a single AC/20 to the location in question. In fact, critting one ammo slot for Gauss weaponry won't restrict you from using the other slots for keeping the gun in play- it merely prevents you from using any shots that were remaining in that slot when it was destroyed.

As for who can use one, the standard Gauss rifle is 7 crit spaces, 15 tons, ballistic type. That means right now, the Centurion, Hunchback, and Atlas all have a large enough ballistic hardpoint to mount one. IIRC, some Cataphract variants pack an AC/10, which means they could also refit with a Gauss. Rule of thumb: If it can carry a standard AC/10 or AC/20, it'll fit a Gauss Rifle if you have enough free tonnage. LB-10X slots are one crit too small by themselves, UAC/5 two slots too small.

And the Gauss rifle never had explosive ammo, though the original writeup (in the 1989 TRO:2750) gave it ten shots per ton, not the eight it's had since.

[wanderer]

Zakatak, on 27 May 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

It is the capacitor that explodes, not the slugs. Although this also makes zero sense anyway, since all energy weapons should suffer the same problem, as they are charged by capacitors.

A few actually do, though Gauss Rifles are notorious about it for being extreme power hogs. PPC's under some optional rules in the TT can cut their inhibitors and overcharge their guns to allow proper firing at close ranges, though this usually burns out the gun and damages the section in the process. You can also add a capacitor bank that allows you to hold a bigger PPC charge and up the damage as well-but will disable the PPC if hit from feedback damage. And Clan heavy lasers add their extra punch through a flaw that does cause them to go "boom" if criticaled.

[Lightdragon]

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

I just hope they move away from teh TT bs and make it so Gauss RIfle ammo DOES NOT EXPLODE... There is no reason that is should since it has no gun powder and no other explosive in it.. A ammo hit to Gauss rifle should just destroy the feed and disable the gun.. nothing else...

its not the ammo going pop... its the massive magnetic coils with energy built up in them that go boom

[Gunda Din]

Kanatta Jing, on 27 May 2012 - 02:40 AM, said:

Also the Hunchback, it's about as fast as the Centurion.

But the actual and true fastest mech that can carry the Gauss is the Cicada CDA-3M, Removing all other weapon and all but 1.5 tons of armor you can have a top speed of 129 KpH.

The main problem would be that you would only have 8 rounds and only one weapon.

That mech would be on a sucide mission:)

[Krivvan]

You might be able fit a couple on a Catapult K-2 considering it has 2 machine guns in what I think are the torsos.

Edited by Krivvan, 27 May 2012 - 04:02 PM.

[CaveMan]

I worked out the impact energy of a Gauss rifle the other day (based on lore descriptions), and it's somewhere in the same range as a 500lb aircraft bomb going off.

So when a Gauss slug hits the ground next to you in MWO it should look like this...

[tynaiden]

Woah woah woah people. Calm down. The Mechwarrior clearly stated where the information based came from.

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 04:30 AM, said:

I started playing BT when it was still called Battledroids before teh first law suit in 1983..
...

There is no need to jump so hastily upon it and attack like wolves when the source of the time stated is contrary to the now common standard.
At any rate, a proper answer clarifying the misinformation is given a few times over so that particular elemental needs to be buried.


On topic:
As mentioned elsewhere above, Huncback may be the lightest option currently available based on what we (the public forums) know. Soon as a viable option opens you will most certainly see it here on the forums though. Mechwarriors are a fun bunch of tweekers so just about any thing that could be dreamed up -will- end up being brought to light.

[Metal Fish]

THUNDER HAWK THUNDER HAWK THUNDER HAWK THUNDER HAWK

Three gauss rifles AND four medium lasers. ******* awesome.

Too bad it's not in the game...

YET?!

Edited by Metal Fish, 27 May 2012 - 04:22 PM.

[Henchman 24]

LordDeathStrike, on 27 May 2012 - 02:46 AM, said:

G rifle capacitors explode, the ammo does not. case still keeps it from taking out other things.

This, oh my yes, I was gonna say, grab your average 1 farad cap, charge it up, and put a .22 round into it and see what happens!

POP!

[Ranek Blackstone]

I can has Gaussilla?

Seriously, if the Anni comes out, I will mount 5 gauss into that thing, and see what happens.

[Thomas Hogarth]

tynaiden, on 27 May 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

Woah woah woah people. Calm down. The Mechwarrior clearly stated where the information based came from.

I still have Battledroids minis. Gauss rifles did not exist back then. Furthermore, Gauss rifle ammo has never exploded. He is in error.

[Ranek Blackstone]

A better question is why the weapon explodes despite not having anything explosive in it.

[Thomas Hogarth]

Ranek Blackstone, on 27 May 2012 - 04:37 PM, said:

A better question is why the weapon explodes despite not having anything explosive in it.

Balance.

[UncleKulikov]

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

I just hope they move away from teh TT bs and make it so Gauss RIfle ammo DOES NOT EXPLODE... There is no reason that is should since it has no gun powder and no other explosive in it.. A ammo hit to Gauss rifle should just destroy the feed and disable the gun.. nothing else...

Bullshit. There needs to be some disadvantage to the weapon, it already does huge damage at incredible range, and you want it to lose it's one disadvantage? Forget that. This game is all about give and take, taking a gauss means a hit to the gauss causes damage. Now sack up.

[CaveMan]

Ranek Blackstone, on 27 May 2012 - 04:37 PM, said:

A better question is why the weapon explodes despite not having anything explosive in it.

Never seen a powerline transformer explode? That's peanuts compared to the amount of energy stored in a Gauss rifle.

[Paladin1]

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

I just hope they move away from teh TT bs and make it so Gauss RIfle ammo DOES NOT EXPLODE... There is no reason that is should since it has no gun powder and no other explosive in it.. A ammo hit to Gauss rifle should just destroy the feed and disable the gun.. nothing else...

I just hope that you buy a ******* clue about TT rules instead of just talking out your ***. Gauss ammo has never exploded in the TT rules, it's the rifle itself that explodes due to the capacitors catastrophically discharging.

[Kaanon]

The gauss rifle is like the er-ppc in that it's drawbacks are easily overcome by it's strengths. I will be mounting one on my primary mech pending some kind of over-nerfing by the devs.

[Paladin1]

LordDeathStrike, on 27 May 2012 - 02:28 AM, said:

atlas. the stock current gauss rifle is 10 crits 15 tons. torso mounted only. that disqualifies the cent and the dragons arm mounts, and i believe its more crit space then the hunchbacks shoulder mount can handle.

so for now, the atlas right torso is the only place we can put a G rifle.

The VTR-9K Victor would like to have a word with you about your assumption that GRs cannot be arm mounted.

Also, there's a canon variant of the Hunchback that actually does pack a GR, so it can be done.

Alfred VonGunn, on 27 May 2012 - 03:08 AM, said:

WHich is first came out YEARS ago it was ammo.. didn;t know of teh change.. But that makes no sense either... WHy would teh Gauss RIfle overload and explode but Lasers and PPCs don't?

No, actually it never was the ammo that exploded. I've been playing TT long enough to remember before we had GRs and I know how it has worked all along. You're wrong in this.