2 replies to this topic

[Scrawny Cowboy]

Heya, I'll keep it short and to the point.

As some of you may remember back in the days of Closed Beta, PPC's had chance to splash on to another armor location. I don't remember all that much about it (like how much the splash would hit for each location) because to be honest I rarely used PPC's back in CB. However since their overhaul a few patches back, their heat has been knocked down a notch and their projectile speed is now on par with the Gauss Rifle.

So here's what I'm getting at: the PPC and Gauss Rifle are too similar. Once you click that trigger, their projectile behavior is near identical to where only range is difference. Very boring.

And here's my idea: Change the PPC to have a unique damage delivery.

Why did I bring up the CB version of the PPC? I'm glad you ask!

As I have said, the CB PPC had a chance for splash. I say we build on that aspect. Give the PPC projectile the behavior of multiple lightning bolts. Meaning it will add a more random damage delievery. And to add a some-what predictable variation, have the damage spread the further out the shot is. At optimal range, the shot may spread to 2 armor locations. The further out your target the wider spread the shot is and, of course, the less damage the shot will have total. There'll have to be some sort of splash resistance for cockpits like missle damage has, but this splash/spread effect will give the PPC the unique nitch it deserves.

Well that wasn't as short as I had hoped but for you "lazy" readers pretty much just glaze over the second fat paragraph. What'cyall think? Neat idea or bat-crap-crazy?

Edit: Sorry bout the multi-thread starts, browser still thinks it's on weekend.

Edited by B3RZ3RK3R, 29 April 2013 - 03:59 AM.

[Dalziel Hasek Davion]

PPC - high heat, no ammo, anti-ECM effect, characteristic thump-whoosh-creak sound
Gauss rifle - heavy, low heat, ammo, exploding gun, characteristic pow sound with explosive sparks

Aside from both being direct fire "projectile"-based weapons doing point-damage (and you may note there are a number of those) - they are already quite dissimilar. Do you have similar concerns with AC10s being like AC5s being like gauss rifles?

Making a PPC into an energy-variant of the LBX (which is what your description sounds like to me - but I may have misunderstood you) is a radical suggestion/solution to a problem that seems relatively small, if it exists at all.

If it needed changing, and I am not certain that your argument is compelling, I would vote for a pre-ignitiion ionising laser beam that lights up the target (creating a tunnel for the charged particles) prior to the lightning stroke itself firing through the resultant tunnel.

[Scrawny Cowboy]

Dalziel Hasek Davion, on 29 April 2013 - 04:11 AM, said:

PPC - high heat, no ammo, anti-ECM effect, characteristic thump-whoosh-creak sound
Gauss rifle - heavy, low heat, ammo, exploding gun, characteristic pow sound with explosive sparks

Aside from both being direct fire "projectile"-based weapons doing point-damage (and you may note there are a number of those) - they are already quite dissimilar. Do you have similar concerns with AC10s being like AC5s being like gauss rifles?

Making a PPC into an energy-variant of the LBX (which is what your description sounds like to me - but I may have misunderstood you) is a radical suggestion/solution to a problem that seems relatively small, if it exists at all.

If it needed changing, and I am not certain that your argument is compelling, I would vote for a pre-ignitiion ionising laser beam that lights up the target (creating a tunnel for the charged particles) prior to the lightning stroke itself firing through the resultant tunnel.

I guess something like the LB-10X, though not nearly as drastic in spread of the shot. I was also (as an "and/or" thing) thinking a very slight duration of the shot, say like where your shot lands and if your quick enough you can influence where that splash spreads maybe. And for the animation your the initial impact will be one bolt of lightning and then when you add your "influence" for the splash it will appear as another bolt arching off the first.

Though that will probably border too much with a laser now.