14 replies to this topic

[Grimmnyr]

Please explain the physics behind a Gauss Rifle exploding? A Gauss Rifle is basically just a pair of electromagnets propelling an iron / steel object. How exactly would a Gauss rifle explode? If it is just a carryover from TT, or added to the game just to balance the weapon, then please excuse my ignorance.

[blinkin]

massive capacitors are used in the gauss rifle, and capacitors WILL explode if they are pushed too hard. saw a video card once where all of the little barrel shaped capacitors looked like blossoming flowers.

[Stokes52]

I always thought the Gauss Rifle's low health was due to it being a "delicate" weapon, what with all the magnets. Also it's a balancing thing too, obviously.

AFAIK the Gauss Rifle "explosion" doesn't actually damage anything else, it just signifies that it is inoperable. It makes sense that it would be easy to disable a Gauss Rifle since it is such a tricky piece of technology.

At least Gauss Rifle ammo doesn't explode. That actually makes sense.

[blinkin]

Stokes52, on 26 April 2013 - 11:40 PM, said:

I always thought the Gauss Rifle's low health was due to it being a "delicate" weapon, what with all the magnets. Also it's a balancing thing too, obviously.

AFAIK the Gauss Rifle "explosion" doesn't actually damage anything else, it just signifies that it is inoperable. It makes sense that it would be easy to disable a Gauss Rifle since it is such a tricky piece of technology.

At least Gauss Rifle ammo doesn't explode. That actually makes sense.

actually last i saw in game and definately in table top the gauss rifle itself can explode when destroyed similar to an ammo explosion.

[RainbowToh]

Stokes52, on 26 April 2013 - 11:40 PM, said:

I always thought the Gauss Rifle's low health was due to it being a "delicate" weapon, what with all the magnets. Also it's a balancing thing too, obviously.

AFAIK the Gauss Rifle "explosion" doesn't actually damage anything else, it just signifies that it is inoperable. It makes sense that it would be easy to disable a Gauss Rifle since it is such a tricky piece of technology.

At least Gauss Rifle ammo doesn't explode. That actually makes sense.

The Gauss Rifle has a CHANCE to explode when destroyed by a critical hit. It has about the same % chance or lower as compared to regular ammo explosion. It does damage structure and components. Or it simply get destroyed without exploding. Right now the gauss rifle is kinda too fragile with too little HP, they should bump it up by 1-2 points. The exploding feature is a TT feature. Its ammo is inert.

Just imagine hypercharged electromagnets ready to release its energy to fire a shot. Then it gets damaged critically or destroyed, it is not hard to imagine that energy making the GR implode.

Edited by RainbowToh, 27 April 2013 - 01:01 AM.

[BGrey]

blinkin, on 26 April 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

massive capacitors are used in the gauss rifle, and capacitors WILL explode if they are pushed too hard. saw a video card once where all of the little barrel shaped capacitors looked like blossoming flowers.

But lasers and PPCs don't have these?

RainbowToh, on 27 April 2013 - 12:58 AM, said:

Just imagine hypercharged electromagnets ready to release its energy to fire a shot. Then it gets damaged critically or destroyed, it is not hard to imagine that energy making the GR implode.

I dont see how shooting a hunk of charged metal will make it explode if it wasn't already going to. BUT this is assuming that these gauss weapons are like the railguns under development today and since those railguns already have projectile velocities greater than anything in the game, perhaps they aren't the same thing.

[FrostCollar]

BGrey, on 27 April 2013 - 09:11 AM, said:

I dont see how shooting a hunk of charged metal will make it explode if it wasn't already going to. BUT this is assuming that these gauss weapons are like the railguns under development today and since those railguns already have projectile velocities greater than anything in the game, perhaps they aren't the same thing.

Gauss rifles aren't railguns, they're coilguns. In addition, the projectile they shoot is a tenth of a ton. A projectile that heavy doesn't need to move super fast to do damage at that weight.

As for why they blow up? Game balance, I suppose.

[BGrey]

FrostCollar, on 27 April 2013 - 09:18 AM, said:

Gauss rifles aren't railguns, they're coilguns. In addition, the projectile they shoot is a tenth of a ton. A projectile that heavy doesn't need to move super fast to do damage at that weight.

As for why they blow up? Game balance, I suppose.

It needs to move rather fast to hit anything not stuck to the end of the barrel, but as you suggested none of this can really be evaluated in that sense. They blow up because of balance and they are designed to shoot giant slow moving objects 600m away because things don't need to make sense here.

[FrostCollar]

BGrey, on 27 April 2013 - 09:27 AM, said:

It needs to move rather fast to hit anything not stuck to the end of the barrel, but as you suggested none of this can really be evaluated in that sense. They blow up because of balance and they are designed to shoot giant slow moving objects 600m away because things don't need to make sense here.

As another thing that doesn't make sense, don't forget that they had a minimum range in the tabletop game! I'm still not sure about how that was supposed to work.

[BGrey]

FrostCollar, on 27 April 2013 - 09:29 AM, said:

As another thing that doesn't make sense, don't forget that they had a minimum range in the tabletop game! I'm still not sure about how that was supposed to work.

Hah I didn't know that, I can't think of anything that would physically prevent it but I cant imagine it would be advisable to shoot someone with that if they were right in front of you.

[Jack Avery]

RainbowToh, on 27 April 2013 - 12:58 AM, said:

The Gauss Rifle has a CHANCE to explode when destroyed by a critical hit. It has about the same % chance or lower as compared to regular ammo explosion.

Actually, the Gauss Rifle has a very high chance of exploding when crit. It's actually a 90% chance. Ammo only has a 10% chance. You can safely assume the Gauss will explode if destroyed.

[Star Colonel Mustard Kerensky]

FrostCollar, on 27 April 2013 - 09:29 AM, said:

As another thing that doesn't make sense, don't forget that they had a minimum range in the tabletop game! I'm still not sure about how that was supposed to work.

The minimum range was in the form of a to-hit penalty for things that got too close. It's not coded in game because it's already harder to hit a moving target (in theory) at close range.

[blinkin]

FrostCollar, on 27 April 2013 - 09:29 AM, said:

As another thing that doesn't make sense, don't forget that they had a minimum range in the tabletop game! I'm still not sure about how that was supposed to work.

it comes from gauss rifles supposedly being large and unwieldy.

[Corwin Vickers]

I had a capacitor in a speed controller blow a couple of weekends ago. It sounded like a .22. Good thing it was about 80 feet up in the air at the time.

[Tickdoff Tank]

Do not look for a real world justification. It is a game balance mechanism. If you do not like the gauss explosion then argue it as a game mechanic, but do not bring the "real world" into the discussion. Real weapons/tech have no place in MWO.