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We know from Ask the Devs 10 that there are plans for the LB-X family to be able to fire "slug rounds" (really more similar to standard/HEAP shells than actual shotgun slugs) as well as the shotshell-like "cluster rounds" seen currently.
In BattleTech, the number assigned to a particular LB-X denoted both the damage per slug round as well as the number of sub-munitions (at 1 unit of damage each) within each cluster round (e.g. an LB 2-X cluster round held only 2 sub-munitions while an LB 20-X cluster round held 20 sub-munitions).
With this in mind (and knowing that the Clan scourge will soon be upon us, with the full range of LB-X ACs available to them), I submit the following proposal for review, commentary, and consideration:
- For each LB "n"-X AC, slug rounds would deliver "n" damage per round out to the appropriate effective range, with the appropriate drop-off to the appropriate maximum range.
- For each LB "n"-X AC, the cool-down and number of rounds per ton (for both munition types) would be identical to that of the same-class standard AC/"n".
- For each LB "n"-X AC, the number of sub-munitions in each cluster round would be 10, with each sub-munition dealing "n"/10 damage against external armor, "n"/5 damage against internal structure ("internal armor"), and "n"/2 damage against internal components (weapons and equipment). As the sub-munitions could be explosive in nature (more like grenades or missile warheads than simple pellets), their individual damage does not decrease with range.
- For each LB "n"-X AC, the spread of the sub-munitions would be set such that a stationary Hunchback-sized target positioned at the weapon's effective range would be hit with approximately 60% of a shell's sub-munitions, with the number that are likely to strike the target increasing as distance-to-target decreases (and vice versa).
An IS LB 10-X would have an effective range of 540 meters, an ammunition capacity of 15 rounds per ton (for both munition types), and a cool-down of 2.5 seconds.
It would be able to fire a slug round that applies 10 units of damage against a target up to a range of 540 meters, falling off linearly to 0 damage at 1620 meters.
It would also be able to fire a cluster round where each of the 10 sub-munitions applies 1 unit of damage against the target's armor (or 2 units of damage against the target's internal structure or 5 units of damage against the target's exposed weapons and equipment), with approximately 6 of those sub-munitions being expected to strike a stationary, Hunchback-sized target at 540 meters.
Example 2:
A Clan LB 2-X (the shorter-ranged IS version is not available until 3058) would have an effective range of 900 meters, an ammunition capacity of 75 rounds per ton (for both munition types), and a cool-down of 0.7 seconds (or whatever it is for the AC/2 nowadays).
It would be able to fire a slug round that applies 2 units of damage against a target up to a range of 900 meters, falling off linearly to 0 damage at 2700 meters.
It would also be able to fire a cluster round where each of the 10 sub-munitions applies 0.2 units of damage against the target's armor (or 0.4 units of damage against the target's internal structure or 1 unit of damage against the target's exposed weapons and equipment), with approximately 6 of those sub-munitions being expected to strike a stationary, Hunchback-sized target at 900 meters.
Example 3:
A LB 20-X (both tech bases; the IS version is not available until 3058) would have an effective range of 360 meters, an ammunition capacity of 7 rounds per ton (for both munition types), and a cool-down of 4.0 seconds.
It would be able to fire a slug round that applies 20 units of damage against a target up to a range of 360 meters, falling off linearly to 0 damage at 1080 meters.
It would also be able to fire a cluster round where each of the 10 sub-munitions applies 2 units of damage against the target's armor (or 4 units of damage against the target's internal structure or 10 units of damage against the target's exposed weapons and equipment), with approximately 6 of those sub-munitions being expected to strike a stationary, Hunchback-sized target at 360 meters.
The goal of this suggestion/proposal is to incentivise equipping both ammo types when equipping an LB-X autocannon - standard/slug rounds would be useful for defeating enemy armor (as they would function identically to standard AC rounds), whole cluster rounds would be simultaneously more effective than standard/slug rounds in savaging enemy internal structure and equipment (doe to the increased damage by the sub-munitions against those areas) and less effective than standard/slug rounds against armor (due to the cluster rounds generally spreading across the opponent's surface rather than concentrating damage, as well as the lack of bonus damage against armor).
Your thoughts?
), and was split off in order to heep that thread more on-topic.
