EDIT: TL;DR -
The more damage output, per single squeeze of the trigger, a mech exceeds some threshold value, determined in a logical manner, the more inaccurate those shots become based upon how much they exceed the threshold value.
You know, the OP's method could be simplified in a huge way, and I apologize if someone else posted it before me. I was inspired by the OP and immediately hit reply:
Rather than have all of these complicated calculations using values created using some other complicated calculation for each weapon, just go by the weapon's rated damage and some fixed value we will call the "convergence threshold."
Simultaneously firing a weapon or weapons whose combined damage values exceed the convergence threshold lose convergence (randomly deviate from the point of aim) based upon how far the combined damage exceeds the convergence threshold. The greater the amount of damage
simultaneously fired exceeds the convergence threshold, the greater each weapon deviates from the point of aim.
For
example, let's say that the convergence threshold is set to 20 damage per simultaneous shot on a mech with two PPCs and a small laser. Firing two PPCs simultaneously = 20 damage at once, thus no accuracy penalty because the convergence threshold is not exceeded. Firing two PPCs and a small laser = 23 damage at once, thus imparting a small accuracy penalty causing the three weapons to each deviate from the point of aim by some percentage.
It's basically saying that the "recoil" produced by firing all of those weapons at once gets to be too much for the mech's stabilizers and targeting system if it exceeds some value. Maybe the convergence threshold is unique to each mech chassis. For
example, Hunchbacks get a value of 20 so they can use their AC/20 or big SRM packs without penalty, while Ravens get a value of 14 because the recoil of an AC/20 (or a gauss rifle) should knock a Raven on it's *** when it fires. Perhaps the convergence threshold is based upon each mech variant's stock configuration (a HBK-4SP would have a different value than the HBK-4H because each variant is designed to do different things with different weapons).
This method does not prevent someone from firing weapons over the threshold, so if you want to put a gauss rifle in a Raven, you can. If you want to mount 6 ER PPCs in a Hunchback, you can. It just makes the weapon(s) less accurate if their combined, simultaneous damage exceeds the threshold. It's a WHOLE lot simpler than the OP's method and accomplishes the same thing. BTW: I like the OP's idea.
Edited by Syncline, 28 June 2013 - 09:08 PM.