3)Missiles:
For missiles the system is another and it's based on the available tubes. It's simple, if a section holds a certain number of tubes, then you can mount a maximum of missiles that doesn't exceed the available tubes (NO consecutive salvos from bigger launchers). By this, you have 10 tubes and 1 hardpoint? You can place a LRM 10 or a LRM5 or a single SRM6.
Multiple missile hardpoints within a section? Example: catapult A1 holds 15 tubes in each arm and 3x3 missile hardpoints. Good, you can bring in at max 30 lrms. Yes, dual LRM15 or 6xLRM5.
Mixing LRMs with SRMs/SSRMs:
A concession to this system would be the ability to mix SRMs/SSRMs with LRMs once multiple hardpoints are available within the same section of the mech, but both would be limited by the maximum available tubes. So keeping the CTPL-A1 as a reference, you'd be able to slap dual LRM15 (one in each arm) and 2xSRM6 (12 tubes used on 15).
You want to go splatpult? Ok, but you have 15 tubes so no more 6xSRM6 for you. You can place SRM6+SRM4+SRM4 in each arm at maximum (14 tubes) or SRM6+SRM6+SRM2.
Another example: Centurion A.
Either LRM 10 + SRM6+SRM4 (all hardpoints used) or 2xLRM5+SRM6 or SRM4+SRM4+SRM2 or SRM6+SRM2+SRM2. No more 3xSRM6.
Getting back to the main concept, the idea is that to address and differentiate chassis and variants allowing them to bring a certain number of weapons of a given tier; once addressed all the available slots for that tier, you're stuck to tier I weapons (or tier II when available) to fill the rest of the hardpoints.
A tier III crit limitation doesn't prevent you to place a tier I weapon in there, as well as a tier II weapon; the same for tier II weapons, you can place a tier I weapon instead of the tier II.
What follows is an idea.
Of course certain mechs might be OP even in this way, but I'm trying to encourage hardpoint usage by employing all of them with a certain degree of variability usually resulting in more balanced builds. Until now 3 PPCs / 3LLs have been awarded by me only to the Awesomes, some Atlases can do 3 LL or 4 LL, but no 4PPC on the RS; Stalkers are mostly limited to 2PPCs or eventually can do 2PPC + 1LL or 3LL, but never beyond this and so on, going down to the lighter mechs.
All of this can of course be tweaked and critics are absolutely welcome; however for me it's critical to avoid 4/5/6 PPC/LL builds, more than 50 LRM builds, 6xSRM6 builds. Smaller boaters imho are fine, 6+ML builds are powerful yes, but you also are limited by engagement range or by heat anyway even with the current system.
Jumpsniping might be addressed and rendered more possible thanks to what's following as well, since 3xPPC+GR builds on 732 or other landers wouldn't be possible and the CTF 3D would be limited as well, without being capable of 3/4PPCs/LLs or dual Gauss anymore at least in my wishes.
Edited by John MatriX82, 27 June 2013 - 12:53 AM.