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Not many here seem willing to loose their pinpoint accuracy, but there should be an alternative.
My suggestion: Remove Group Fire for most weapons and require an optional component to be installed to gain it.
The thought is in Battletech it was firing all your weapons in a turn, but a turn is 10 Seconds as per Heat Dissipation. It does not mean it was ever Grouped Fire unless under the use of a Targeting Computer to hit a particular part. So Chain Fire simply representing your firing your weapons over the course of the Turn.
This will limit the damage output by a relative means to manage damage. The only two exceptions are Flamers and Machine Guns, leaving their Damage-Over-Time in a group fire state still is far below the damage output of... well, everything. There is a Machine Gun Array, but MGs act differently in MW:O as do Flamers, so they are exempt in the spread-damage effects.
The key catch is to change the fundamental nature of the Chain Fire effect, so it doesn't obey the "Duration" of weapons like Lasers, Pulse Lasers. This allows those energy weapons to generate a constant stream of damage for a more refined DOT effect over others like PPC and AC that (at the moment) run in a slug fashion. In the case of most Lasers a sustained Chain Fire becomes two Laser DOT overlapping and becoming more effective.
The Targeting Computer to be added has an augmented cost and a relative limit for what it can handle. The is the idea;
Targeting Computer
1 Crit + 1 Ton per 4 Tons IS (5 Tons Clan) of Direct-Fire Weapons (Lasers, Pulse, PPC, AC, Gauss)
This makes a max of 48 Tons of Direct Fire Weapons as anymore and the component won't fit in something like a Side Torso for its 12 Slots. Shouldn't be an issue, but that's a point.
To have its augmented cost work, I suggest for every Ton/Crit it takes up the Targeting Computer Generates 1 Heat when used for Group Fire.
Pilots can toggle to Chain Fire to avoid it.
This adds a basic heat scaling system for use of Direct Fire Weapons when Group Fired.
The penalty does not scale, its a all-in cost - so if you fire less than all, but the Targeting Computer has more linked, its still a higher cost. Singles by Chain Fire or Group Fire, that is the option. Loss of Weapons also would not affect the Group Fire cost the Targeting Computer makes so long as it works.
The component scales when equipped, or a weapon cannot be mounted with one in that can't be any larger. Should not be an issue in most cases, but might require a Mechbay change for notification on it. Possibly requiring the Targeting Computer to be uninstalled before placing additional weapon changes to simplify it.
Loosing the Targeting Computer would then return the Chain Fire, making Battle Damage affect your intended performance.
Instillation of the Targeting Computer is an additional component, but would act like Artemis - it needs to be applied for every Direct Fire weapon, or none at all.
What does this mean for the current meta?
6x ER/PPC is 42 tons, for an 11 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer. AFIK It will not fit in a Stalker.
If it could the 6x PPC version generates 71 heat when fired. Might not work out well, as I don't think a mech would have the Heat Sinks for enough capacity for it. XL Engine can't work either.
6x ERPPC would become 101 Heat.Probably don't need to tell you what a bad idea that becomes.
5x PPC is 35 tons, for a 9 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer that could fit on a Stalker's Side Torso.
(assuming fixed heat to 50) it would generate 59 heat for Group Fire. Doable, but not frequently, as you've lost valuable Heat Sink space and weight for the Engine, or run XL making yourself vulnerable. Would be close... but a nearly 10-second recharge between shots.
4x ERPPC is 28 tons, making for a 7 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 7 Heat when used.
(60 heat if it is fixed) becomes 67 Heat. Almost a one-off maybe if there is enough threshold.
4x PPC is 28 tons, making for a 7 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 7 Heat when used.
(40 heat if its fixed) becomes 47 Heat. Good luck spamming that all day, but... it can be done.
3x ERPPC is 21 Tons, making for a 6 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 6 Heat.
(45 heat if its fixed) becomes 51 Heat. Not going to see many of that...
3x PPC + Gauss makes 36 tons for a 9 ton/crit Targeting Computer generating 9 Heat.
(30+1 heat if fixed) becomes 40 Heat. Plausible, but how much Heat Sinks fit?
2x ERPPC + Gauss makes 29 tons for a 8 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 8 Heat.
(30+1 heat if fixed) becomes 39 Heat.
2x PPC + Gauss makes 29 tons, for a 8 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 8 Heat.
(20+1 if heat is fixed) becomes 29 Heat. Doable, but not repeatable in this game for long.
Dual AC-20 is 28 tons, making a 7 Ton/Crit Targeting Computer generating 7 Heat.
Firing both at once makes it only 21 Heat (7+7+7) and it remains a possible option, but not sustainable for long. Doesn't need to be though, as most other facts keep it balanced.
Jaggermechs/Catapults could not use this due to size I think, limiting Engine/Ammo to almost unuseable - but the Assault King Crab would be fine possibly.
Those are the common ones I can think of and how it affects them. In the result it becomes more difficult to use them compared to Chain FIre. The option is not out, but its effects are mitigated by the cost.
As for Clan ERPPC its basically the PPC limitations it makes there.
Artemis
The only change here is Artemis would be the required component to have Group Fired Missiles.
Otherwise its a Chain Fire effect.
Like the Targeting Computer the Artemis would add a single Heat per Ton/Crit when Group Fired, but not when Chain Fired. This would balance the Missile's ability to puncture AMS easily by limiting volley fire from some mechs over time.
Maybe then ECM can be reworked, or cut down on the Sensor Block range so they can be targeted further away?
What does that mean for Missiles?
A simple LRM-20 dual would only have a +2 heat cost for a total of 14 Heat. (6+1 + 6+1)
Dual LRM-15 is +2 as well, for a total of 12 Heat. (5+1 + 5+1)
Where a LRM-10 quad becomes +4 for a total of 20 Heat, limiting total shots fired.
The 6-pack LRM-5 would generate 18 heat.
3x LRM-20 for LRM60
The typical 4x LRM-20 for LRM80 boat generates +4 heat, totaling 28 Heat.
The 5x LRM-20 for LRM100 is +5, maxing out at 35 Heat.
6-pack of SRM-6 on the A1 generates 30 Heat as Group-Fire, limiting its shots.
Streaks (and NARC) that do not use it are not affected.
I don't like the idea completely, but its needed to mitigate boaters sustained fire - but I am placing alot of faith in reworking Missile Spread or Targeting so the LRM-20 is useful again compared to the OP level of LRM-5. but it does help offset the cost for such a powerful build, without removing it.
Well, there's the idea.
The Targeting Computer is not available until 3062, but its a viable balancing factor, and we are not quite matching with Battletech Lore as the AC and MG lines are not following suit as they should be, so I don't see a reason not to use this. Artemis is also not working like it does in lore, so no real harm there either.
The setting and fix of Chain Fire would mitigate most damage effects allowing for that brawling atmosphere to work well enough while reducing pinpoint damage effects and keep a good fighting atmosphere - without slowing the pace too much.
The availability and limits placed by Group Fire through the Targeting Computer would then be a more reasonable balancing factor than some other un-explainable heat penalty system.
Edited by Unbound Inferno, 31 July 2013 - 11:57 AM.
