Jump to content

Laser Weight Variations


11 replies to this topic

#1 Jazzbandit1313

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Ace Of Spades
  • Ace Of Spades
  • 1,088 posts
  • Location--- Star's End ---- -- Novo Cressidas --

Posted 29 June 2013 - 06:57 AM

My question is why does the Large laser have to be 4 more tons than the medium lasers for only around 2x more damage.

#2 superteds

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Elite Founder
  • Elite Founder
  • 722 posts

Posted 29 June 2013 - 07:03 AM

cripes

#3 Gaan Cathal

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • Bridesmaid
  • 2,108 posts

Posted 29 June 2013 - 07:04 AM

Because hardpoints.

#4 FupDup

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Ace Of Spades
  • Ace Of Spades
  • 26,888 posts
  • LocationThe Keeper of Memes

Posted 29 June 2013 - 07:05 AM

Because FASA said so in the 80's.

#5 Rahnu

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • Survivor
  • Survivor
  • 146 posts

Posted 29 June 2013 - 07:51 AM

It's not even 2x damage, it's 5 -> 9 damage with a .25 second longer cooldown. A medium laser puts out 1.25 DPS - a large laser puts out 2.12 DPS for five times the weight and twice as many crit slots. On the bright side, it also has a much longer range, but ******* they are inefficient next to medium lasers.

They're also inefficient next to PPCs. PPCs generate the same amount of heat (after accounting for the dissipation not starting until a laser finishes firing) in exchange for 1 more damage, a .25 second shorter cooldown, a 2000 m/s projectile instead of a hitscan projectile, and 0 duration.

Needless to say, I have zero faith in PGI's balancing priorities after seeing this laughable situation.

Edit: I should mention, however, that even medium lasers look terrible next to ballistics due to the number of heat sinks required to become heat stable with even a moderate number of lasers (say, 4) and the 1-second duration. Awful, awful balance work here.

Edited by Zyrusticae, 29 June 2013 - 07:53 AM.


#6 Wintersdark

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 13,375 posts
  • Google+: Link
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationCalgary, AB

Posted 29 June 2013 - 09:50 AM

Large Lasers are more efficient than Mediums in terms of heat, though. 1 large generates less heat than 2 mediums, and does full damage at twice medium laser range.

Anyways, generally speaking in Battletech tonnage/heat generation scales a LOT faster than damage/range.

Edited by Wintersdark, 29 June 2013 - 09:50 AM.


#7 Avimimus

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • 217 posts

Posted 29 June 2013 - 11:48 AM

It is really all about range - the Large Laser is more effective at medium and medium-long ranges.

It also does more concentrated damage (in table-top all weapon systems are like shotguns apparently - so your multiple medium lasers wouldn't hit the same point - whereas the large laser would concentrate that damage)

#8 El Bandito

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Big Daddy
  • Big Daddy
  • 26,736 posts
  • LocationStill doing ungodly amount of damage, but with more accuracy.

Posted 30 June 2013 - 11:44 AM

Table top rulz. :P

Needs to be changed.

#9 aniviron

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 3,752 posts

Posted 30 June 2013 - 12:29 PM

It's partially about range, which is super important, but also about the way weapons scale up. None of the weights increase in linear fashion, because in general the heavier weapons are meant to be taken in small quantity on lighter mechs or in larger numbers of heavier mechs, and a 2ton llas would be pretty silly. Imagine a hbk-4p with 5llas, which would be about the optimal build for it given the number of tons that would take up. You could probably cram 8llas in there, actually, and still even have armor and heat sinks, given that you can still take seven if you are willing to make sascrifices.

This is why it weighs five tons. The math of "2x damage 2x weight" be damned, it is actually pretty decent balance.

#10 Ralgas

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Overlord
  • Overlord
  • 1,628 posts
  • LocationThe Wonderful world of OZ

Posted 30 June 2013 - 01:28 PM

If it was only double the weight you'd see 4 Llas cidada's everywhere and they would melt face before disappearing like a mechanical road-runner.........

beep beep! pew pew!

#11 Keisuke Nagisa

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Little Helper
  • Little Helper
  • 254 posts
  • LocationFlorida

Posted 30 June 2013 - 08:27 PM

Its fine the way it is. The range is your biggest advantage. Besides we dont meed 8 LL hunchbacks murdering everything.

By your logic PPC's should weight like 3-4 tons.

Edited by Keisuke Nagisa, 30 June 2013 - 08:33 PM.


#12 EyeOne

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Elite Founder
  • Elite Founder
  • 1,488 posts
  • Twitch: Link
  • LocationCockpit, Stone Rhino

Posted 01 July 2013 - 06:48 AM

Well, it is kind odd that it weighs that much more. But if you only have so many hardpoints it's worth the extra damage and more so worth the range.

It weighs 5 tons but when you've gotta have a Large Laser you've gotta have a Large Laser.





2 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 2 guests, 0 anonymous users