29 replies to this topic

[Deathlike]

It would be nice if they fixed their message as some point... instead of having it stick around for a while since the introduction of the logged "death/damage notes" section.

Edited by Deathlike, 09 May 2013 - 08:40 PM.

[Zerik1]

They need to change this. I believe it BS. My CTF-3D has 2 Gauss rifles and I carry 40-50 rounds for them. I also have 2 Med Lasers and no AMS. I just got killed from AMMO EXPLOSION. On top of that, if the Gauss actually blew up and it is coded wrong, would it not also list Gauss rifle destroyed as it did my med laser getting destroyed in the list of last hits. It is confusing and looks bad even if it really is the Gauss exploding. Who's to say it wasn't the ammo that was coded wrong and it did explode. It's August now, and the last posted problem here was in May. Let's fix this soon.

[Throe]

I realize the post I'm making right now is with patch changes which went live after the conversation, but let me put it together:

gauss = magnetic field
gauss projectile = high mass ferromagnetic sabot round(does not use any kind of traditional propellant like gunpowder/rocket fuel/etc)
capacitor = electric device used for storing large amounts of electric energy, usually for a short time. In a gauss rifle, they store energy necessary to accelerate the projectile shortly before firing.

As of this moment, as far as I know:
Gauss rifles have a 90% chance to explode when destroyed, regardless of other conditions.
Gauss ammunition will explode when destroyed if not C.A.S.E.d.
One of the recent patch changes made it so that gauss rifles must 'precharge' before firing.

Seemingly the gauss rifle explosion chance is based on the idea that the amount of energy stored in the capacitors is so massive that when it's destroyed, the chance that something will go catastrophically wrong is high.

Given the new mechanic, I'd say there could be a reasonable argument against the arbitrary 90% chance to explode at any given time. Why not base the chance to explode on the charge state of the rifle? The rifle, in it's resting state, is no more dangerous than a bundle of wire, literally. Its worth noting that capacitors can hold residual power after discharge for, potentially, years. Realistically though, the potential residual charge even in a very large spent capacitor is barely strong enough to kill a human being. It's really a reach to say even several of them could cause an explosion large enough to cause measurable damage to a 'Mech.

Gauss rifle ammunition exploding, on the other hand, is utterly absurd. Stored gauss rifle ammunition is no more dangerous than the armor on a 'Mech's outer shell. Only after it's launched by the rifle's magnetic coils it becomes a deadly projectile, and even then, there's nothing inherently explosive about it.

[Pernox]

Good to know about the 90% explosion chance. It explains why I seem to die so easily. Time to change from an XL engine back to a STD engine.

[Nightmare1]

This is actually a good thread because it highlights two things:

1) Gauss ammo doesn't explode; the rifle does, yet it states that the ammo exploded on the death screen. This causes confusion - especially for new players.

2) Gauss rifles that are out of ammo will also explode. Personally, I don't think that Gauss rifles should explode unless you have charged them to fire; and that, even then, the explosion should be scaled based on the amount of charge.

All-in-all, it makes running Gausses a very risky business if you don't know what you are doing.

[MadDrac]

i can see from the tabletop view of the gauss boom explosion BUT
they also decided to change how they work...we have to charge the weapon to fire it
ergo it aint fully charged
the damage done should be proportional to the stored charge
the weapon itself exploding yes should absolutely do some kind of damage: empty, charged or not
ammo... bits of metal(large sized)ive personally see the effects of shrapnel(granted Giant robots) so it should do some damage
maybe add a temporary emp/ion like damage to it

with all that said
i think they fixed them...so well i never use the POS used to be a fav


100t Marauder (masc,jump jets,xl eng,ct gause,2xppc 2xlglaz) death from above jihad

[55555]

Damocles, on 09 May 2013 - 06:13 PM, said:

It's based off of Battletech, and (shocker!) Battletech is fiction.

you speak lies, freebirth!

[Azure Kit]

Imagine the explosion from a Heavy Gauss. I expect to see mushroom clouds from those coils going up.

[arekP64]

I know its old topic from 2 y but i got similar .... bug? I was playing hunchback hbk-4g and i forget to remove gaussu ammo from my left torso when I change gaussu on lb10, and ther was only 4t of gaussu ammo and I dont have anythink than 1 m. laser in left arm .... and gaussu ammo explode. I dont have any photo from this because ... I forget about this ammo.

[X T R E M E]

yes I agree !