6 replies to this topic

[Unbound Inferno]

Now in a recent thread on another solution for the PPC brought up the unique disadvantage the system has with it.

But what if we came up with a specific solution for that specific weapon system itself?

The issue is PPC boating, placing multiple and firing it off en masse for pinpoint damage.

How to solve it? Mount less. How do we force that? Well the system has its own hardpoint restrictions which is why we see it on the Stalker.

... but what if we made the PPC into its own weapon class? Energy, Ballistic, Missile, PPC (er.. "Charged capacitor? Ballistic Energy? I dunno) and just said certain mechs can only support so many of that style.

You can then cut down on PPC amount drastically by just cutting off that one weapon. You would force PPC usage onto only chassis that can have it too. Kills the spirit of old battletech designs though to say you can't do it... but I'm not seeing much other options that are being taken well.


The dirt on it; only chasis designed to wield the PPC can mount or swap the PPC to a different variant. ERPP and Clan tech follows it.

Cicada CDA-3C (1 RT)
Blackjack NJ-3 (2, 1 each arm)
Trebuchet TBT-7k (1 RT)

Firebrand (2, 1 each arm)
Catapult CPLT-KS (2, 1 each arm)
Cataphract CTF-1x (1 RA)

Dragonslayer (1 LA)
Pretty Baby (1 RA)
Awesome AWS-8Q (3, RA, RT, LT)
Awesome AWS8V (1 RA)
Awesome AWS-9M (3, RA, RT, LT)
Highlander HGN-733P (1 RA)

Following stock designs, that's not that many PPC anymore at all. The biggest threats are the two Awesome styles with 3, I think we can all deal with that.


Anyway, that's my random thought for the day this time...

[Nubsternator]

I love the concept but I see one main problem with it. We need all the weapons to be viable. This would encourage certain variants of the mechs to be played so as to have more PPC's. This limits them, yes, but they would still need to be balanced in some way.

However, it could be a step in the right direction.

[Unbound Inferno]

Maybe tweak it so other mechs follow suit and only have so many PPC slots? Maybe.

I really dislike killing the customization of the mechs like this, but if it solves the gameplay meta it might be an option.

I actually hate myself for thinking it up, but it works in its own odd way.

[MaddMaxx]

For a quick and dirty fix, take all the "problem" PPC Mechs and move 2 of their Energy points to the Center Line. You can't mount a 3 Crit weapon in the center line, and it is that configuration that neuters many a fine design by doing exactly that.

Wouldn't the Atlas-K, and or -D, for that matter, be true beasts, if their CT based Energy slots were moved, one each, to the RT & LT respectively? LOL!

[Unbound Inferno]

MaddMaxx, on 04 July 2013 - 06:58 AM, said:

For a quick and dirty fix, take all the "problem" PPC Mechs and move 2 of their Energy points to the Center Line. You can't mount a 3 Crit weapon in the center line, and it is that configuration that neuters many a fine design by doing exactly that.

Wouldn't the Atlas-K, and or -D, for that matter, be true beasts, if their CT based Energy slots were moved, one each, to the RT & LT respectively? LOL!

HAHAHA! Cruel way to do it, but it would work.

[Homeless Bill]

Obligatory copy-pasta rebuttal from the proposal:

Spoiler

Most of the solutions I see being thrown around are solutions to the current symptoms of our problem: PPCs. Heat and PPCs are being debated ad nauseum simply because they are the flavor of the month. PPC boats are a serious problem, but to ignore large ballistics is a dangerous mistake. I fear that the tunnel vision about the current metagame will result in PGI ignoring the impending problems that will be introduced by new ‘mechs and the arrival of the Clans.

Not many people think ballistics are a huge problem right now, but I’d argue that’s only because we don’t have a particularly scary ballistics platform in the game. The AC/40 Catapult has to sacrifice speed, and the AC/40 Jagermech is really squishy because of its profile and XL. They’re still cheesy and too good for their weight, but they have exploitable weaknesses. If, however, PGI decided to drop a Mauler, Devastator, or Thunderhawk on us, there would be untold amounts of whine.

That exact thing could be said for PPCs: if we didn’t have any assaults that could boat 4+ PPCs, they wouldn’t be nearly as reviled. Heavies have to make serious sacrifices to boat them and don’t have the armor to take serious punishment, just like the current scenario with ballistics. When an assault starts boating something unbalanced, it becomes immediately apparent.

The minute PGI releases a ‘mech that can mount 4xUAC/5s plus change and has the ability tank a good amount of damage, the community will be ******** its collective pants. Even if they add ridiculous heat penalties to the autocannons, the Gauss rifle will continue to dominate. 2xPPC + 2xGauss and 3xGauss builds are impossible to solve with heat.

Even more dangerous than new ballistic ‘mechs are the Clan ballistic weapons. The Clan UAC/20 is a mere 12 tons and 8 critical slots. The double-tap will be able to put 40 damage on a single spot. Now imagine a ‘mech with jumpjets that mounts two of them. You’re imagining a stock Hunchback IIC, and it’s absolutely terrifying. Something drastic must be done to prevent Clan assault ‘mechs from being able to kill an Atlas with a single alpha.

My suspicion is that PGI’s plan is to avoid any assault ‘mech that can boat large ballistics simply because they have no good way to balance them – which is a really ****** solution. There’s no reason that balance issues should prevent awesome ‘mechs like the Mauler from showing up.

And if ballistics weren’t bad enough, Clan missiles will bring a host of problems: half-tonnage, no-minimum-range LRMs will make previous LRMageddons look tame, and lightweight SSRM6 packs will make the Splatcats of yesterday a laughing matter. Though the arrival of the Clans is not an immediately pressing issue, it’s better to have a system in place now than to ignore the horrible balance problems for later.

[Unbound Inferno]

Only thing being, this month has been going on for some... 160 days as best I can recall.