2 replies to this topic

[TheFlyingScotsman]

Hello. I feel like LRMs are viewed as the end-all long range support weapon, and wanted to post a wee topic on why this is not true. All the long-range weapons have particular pros and cons, and can be equally effective when you use them right. Personally, I like LRMs well enough, but still prefer the Gauss Rifle, and feel that the less conventional methods of long-range supression need some love.

This is not not NOT a complaint thread. LRMs (like many weapons) are unbalanced right now, yes, but this is a Beta and the devs are already hard at work programming the fix. If you want to discuss long-range tactics, do it here. If you want to whine, do it where people can't hear you.

Direct Fire:

Direct fire weapons are weapons such as the Gauss Rifle, AC10 and PPC. They fire an accurate projectile a substantial distance.

Pros: Direct fire weapons travel much faster (and almost always much farther) than long-range missiles. In addition, you do not need to lock or keep a lock to ensure that your weapon will strike.

Cons: Direct fire weapons are the most difficult to land hits with, and require careful aim against moving targets. Direct fire weapons are among the heaviest and most slot-hungry of equipment, and energy variants run particularly hot.

LRM:

LRMs travel accurately up to 1KM towards a locked target or unlocked point in los. Particularly deadly when combined with a TAG.

Pros: They deal a lot of damage and must be addressed in some way by the target lest they risk severe damage. They do not take much heat to use. One of the best suppression tools in the game.

Cons: Slow-traveling, somewhat easy to dodge/avoid in many situations and useless at closer than 180m. When stacked, LRMs eat through ammo very quickly, and limit your other weaponry by being heavy. Requires either continuous lock or (with artemis) direct line of sight.

Lasers:

ER or otherwise, lasers deal fair damage over a short moment. For long ranges, the ERLL and LL are preferred, as pulses have a limited range in which to deal full damage.

Pros: Lasers reach their target instantly, making lasers one of the easiest weapons in the game to land hits with at long range. None require ammunition and most are relatively cool compared to ERPPCs.

Cons: Lasers deal damage over around one second, making convergence on one single area difficult against moving targets. Because they have a tendency to sweep across a target, lasers often deal damage spread out, where direct fire weapons enjoy instant infliction. This causes them to not have as good "penetration" against targets.

Feel free to add any points/strategies/builds you enjoy, I'm sure someone will appreciate them.

[Tennex]

LRMs is the end all because you can do 1000+ damage in a trial mech with no direct line of sight.

sure on paper there are drawbacks but in practice is a different story.

Edited by Tennex, 21 March 2013 - 08:12 AM.

[TheFlyingScotsman]

That has more to do with the current state of splash damage than LRMs. They currently deal about 5-10x damage per missile.

Also, you can still plant an alpha between the LRM boat's eyes before moving back into cover still and not be at risk. LRMs are harsher, but equally avoidable.