215 replies to this topic

[Alistair Winter]

NOTE: This poll is not for discussing the merits of the charge mechanic, it's only about whether or not the gauss is too strong or too weak compared to other weapons.

Now that people have had plenty of time to use the gauss rifle, I want to see a poll. We've had plenty of discussion, I want to see some actual numbers. My suspicion is that most people are fine with it, or even think that it's too good.

At the risk of making this poll biased, I will say right now that I think the gauss rifle is too good, especially when you have 2 gauss rifles. If I put 2 gauss rifles on my Cataphract, I almost feel like I'm exploiting the game. It was a steep learning curve at first, but now that I've learned to use it? Forget about it.

So, without getting into a long discussion about the charge mechanic, tell me right now:
Do you think the gauss rifle is too effective, not effective enough or just right?

Note: Added public vote

[Nehkrosis]

I feel its quite good, but now, with the charge mechanic, its balanced.
Although i do feel like im just wiping people out with no real effort...


4x, am i right?

[Alistair Winter]

Nehkrosis, on 24 September 2013 - 07:11 AM, said:

I feel its quite good, but now, with the charge mechanic, its balanced.
Although i do feel like im just wiping people out with no real effort...
4x, am i right?

If you do well with the 4X, my hat's off to you. That's pretty hard.

Lately, I've been running a CTF-3D with XL260 engine, double gauss and 4 medium lasers.
Today, I started using an ILYA with XL320 engine, double gauss and 2 medium lasers.

While they don't have the advantage of the Jagermech's high gunmounts, the CTF-3D and ILYA have both rifles on the right side of the body, making it easy to snipe around corners.

[iHover]

They have made it dang near useless. If the where going to add the delay they should have put something on the recital to let you know its "charge" status. Id use ER PCC for sniping before Id bother with it. No delay and no need for ammo.

[Brixx]

I am pretty much okay with the hold-trigger-thingy. Its a small challenge and when I am not using a setup with 4 or 5 weapon groups easy enough to get along with - in times even helpful. I am also not exactly sure what you mean by exploiting if your are just running Dual Gaussies without combining it with a PPC or sort. Bascially that is what people always did with 2xAC20 Jäger etc. Well... I can deal with that.

iHover, on 24 September 2013 - 07:15 AM, said:

If the where going to add the delay they should have put something on the recital to let you know its "charge" status.

I think there is? That small square that changes its color to green once the Gauss is charged?

Edited by Brixx, 24 September 2013 - 07:21 AM.

[Cybermech]

Guass seems fine to me, those who have been practicing seem to have no issues with it.

[Gaan Cathal]

Alistair Winter, on 24 September 2013 - 07:09 AM, said:

At the risk of making this poll biased, I will say right now that I think the gauss rifle is too good, especially when you have 2 gauss rifles. If I put 2 gauss rifles on my Cataphract, I almost feel like I'm exploiting the game. It was a steep learning curve at first, but now that I've learned to use it? Forget about it.

It's a large, heavy, explosive, ammo intensive gun with a slow ROF. It deserves some bag for it's buck, especially when you mount two.


Edit: Whilst I have removed the Gauss from my CAT-K2 at the moment, that's not so much because of the charge mechanic (a modicum of practice and you can still quite happily pair Gauss+PPC shots) as the increased heat on the ERPPCs mandating more heatsinks. I'm still not quite sold on the extra cooling (i.e. more shots) vs. the drop to 20 damage from 35, but I think the extra ROF is probably winning out overall, it depends a lot on my opponents (the higher volley getting more valuable as your quality of opposition improves, by my observation).

Edited by Gaan Cathal, 24 September 2013 - 07:27 AM.

[Joseph Mallan]

It is just about right for a long range weapon. But not at all right for Sniping.

But to quote PGI, as long range weapons go, "Working a intended." Actually fits.

[Alistair Winter]

Brixx, on 24 September 2013 - 07:18 AM, said:

I am pretty much okay with the hold-trigger-thingy. Its a small challenge and when I am not using a setup with 4 or 5 weapon groups easy enough to get along with - in times even helpful. I am also not exactly sure what you mean by exploiting if your are just running Dual Gaussies without combining it with a PPC or sort. Bascially that is what people always did with 2xAC20 Jäger etc. Well... I can deal with that.

When you get a lot more kills and do a lot more damage with a single, specific build, it's usually a sign that it's overpowered. Sometimes it just comes down to personal preferences and playing styles, but in my experience, my most effective builds have been absolutely OP.

Before the UAC5 was buffed (reduced jam rate) and then nerfed again (the latest change), I made a thread expressing a concern for the UAC5, because I did a test run of 20 matches and got a KDR of 5.83. My average KDR overall is 1.27 in 5000 matches, so I'm not exactly a mechwarrior ace.

If it wasn't so much hassle, I'd do a test run of 20 matches with my CTF-3D. I'm fairly sure my KDR would be somewhere along those lines.

[Joseph Mallan]

Alistair the UAC5 may be OP in your hands but it is just average in mine. Sometimes that which is called OP is just good synergy between the weapon an the player.

[Corpsecandle]

Have two of 'em on my Illya just to give it fair shakes and try it out rather than simply be a naysayer. Still don't like it. The rifle as it is isn't worth the charge mechanic to me. I haven't noticed that I'm getting more shots on target due to the speed increase, and it still does the same damage, slower rate of fire and still at the same 'splodey factor. I still can't convince myself it's worth the weight or the risk.

Edited by Corpsecandle, 24 September 2013 - 07:33 AM.

[Lostdragon]

I miss the ability to take quick shots with it. I found myself very frustrated that I could not fire when I needed to so I stopped using the GR. I personally don't think it is worth the tonnage and the drawbacks for my play style. I would much rather push the button and have the shot fire right away, even if it is a much slower AC projectile. At least then I can still take a shot at a mech that is running for cover and almost there.

[Alistair Winter]

Joseph Mallan, on 24 September 2013 - 07:29 AM, said:

Alistair the UAC5 may be OP in your hands but it is just average in mine. Sometimes that which is called OP is just good synergy between the weapon an the player.

Well, that could be the case. If nothing else, this thread has at least made me feel less badly about using gauss rifles. I figured more and more people considered them to be the new ER PPCs.

Corpsecandle, on 24 September 2013 - 07:32 AM, said:

Have two of 'em on my Illya just to give it fair shakes and try it out rather than simply be a naysayer. Still don't like it. The rifle as it is isn't worth the charge mechanic to me. I haven't noticed that I'm getting more shots on target due to the speed increase, and it still does the same damage, slower rate of fire and still at the same 'splodey factor. I still can't convince myself it's worth the weight or the risk.

Well, I had a lot of difficulty at first, and my mech exploded a fair few times just from losing my right arm. The shorter the range, the less advantage you have. At very long ranges (800 meters or above), the fast projectile speed means that your enemy will have a lot more difficulty getting back into cover after shooting their ER PPCs or AC ballistics, while you should have plenty of time to avoid those slow moving projectiles and get back into cover.

[Sturmbringer]

I always hated the new mechanic, but tried a dual Gauss build for more than a few matches to test it for real.

My opinion: The overall DPS of the Gauss has been nerfed to the ground. I cant hit jump snipers anymore, therefore its useless for countersniping or snapshots against enemies who are ridge humping or leaving cover just for a second.

A weapon this large, this heavy, with limited ammo which freaking explodes when hit is not a reliable weapon in a combat scenario. No real soldier would never use such an unreliable weapon in actual combat.

So in the end I stopped using the Gauss rifle completely and since this was my favourite weapon, additionally to the bugged Light mechs atm I dont play that often anymore as well.

To the people who say that they love the new weapon mechanic: A while I thought you guys are just paid forum trolls, but now I just think that you might be able to work with the mechanic better than me.

Edited by Sturmbringer, 24 September 2013 - 07:52 AM.

[Brixx]

Alistair Winter, on 24 September 2013 - 07:25 AM, said:

When you get a lot more kills and do a lot more damage with a single, specific build, it's usually a sign that it's overpowered. Sometimes it just comes down to personal preferences and playing styles, but in my experience, my most effective builds have been absolutely OP.

Before the UAC5 was buffed (reduced jam rate) and then nerfed again (the latest change), I made a thread expressing a concern for the UAC5, because I did a test run of 20 matches and got a KDR of 5.83. My average KDR overall is 1.27 in 5000 matches, so I'm not exactly a mechwarrior ace.

If it wasn't so much hassle, I'd do a test run of 20 matches with my CTF-3D. I'm fairly sure my KDR would be somewhere along those lines.

Well, making kills is always something that you pretty easily achieve with High-Alpha-Pinpoint Builds. That does not imho make it that op. Same story with the 2xAC20 Jäger I pilot. Easy kills, yet I deal a lot more damage/contribute more to the group with my other mechs. Those "OP" builds are op when your enemy makes them that way, i.e. getting totally distracted by chain UAC5s or panic whilst being shot at by dual gaussies... once you adjusted to that, they are not that much of a big deal.

[Adridos]

Sturmbringer, on 24 September 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

My opinion: The overall DPS of the Gauss has been nerfed to the ground.

It was untouched, though.

It is better than ever before, but it has that mechanic associated. You master the thing and you'll get the strongest gauss to date. You don't and the weapon's more or less useless for it's weight to effectivness ratio.

[Joseph Mallan]

Sturmbringer, on 24 September 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

I always hated the new mechanic, but tried dual a Gauss build for more than a few matches to test it for real.

My opinion: The overall DPS of the Gauss has been nerfed to the ground. 1 I cant hit jump snipers anymore, 2 therefore its useless for countersniping or 3 snapshots against enemies who are ridge humping or leaving cover just for a second.

A weapon this large, this heavy, with limited ammo which freaking explodes when hit is not a reliable weapon in a combat scenario. Every real soldier would never use such an unreliable weapon in actual combat.

So in the end I stopped using the Gauss rifle completely and since this was my favourite weapon, additionally to the bugged Light mechs atm I dont play that often anymore as well.

To the people who say that they love the new weapon mechanic: A while I thought you guys are just paid forum trolls, but now I just think that you might be able to work with the mechanic better than me.

FYI. As a Former Grunt, I would... Try using a M203 or Mk19. Accuracy with some weapons is not an imperative. Now for a Sniper... the Gauss is now a stupid weapon!

But you hit 1, 2 & 3 right on the head.

[King Picollo]

I'd say it needs recharge time reduced then it would be golden.

[Huntsman]

This is the first time I have ever in the history of any MechWarrior game since MechWarrior 2 said these words but...

"If you are effective with the current gauss rifle, then you're a better player than I."

I simply cannot get this charge up then lose charge thing to work for me at all, and the audible queues nor little blocks, nor the charge bar in its current location help me all that much to judge charge level.

I'm constantly missing shots, or missing opportunities to take shots while charging, or because I ran out of charge just as I was about to shoot. If you can make this POS work for you, more power to you. For myself, it's unusable. It's just not worth the trouble compared to autocannons.

[Corpsecandle]

Alistair Winter, on 24 September 2013 - 07:40 AM, said:

Well, that could be the case. If nothing else, this thread has at least made me feel less badly about using gauss rifles. I figured more and more people considered them to be the new ER PPCs.


Well, I had a lot of difficulty at first, and my mech exploded a fair few times just from losing my right arm. The shorter the range, the less advantage you have. At very long ranges (800 meters or above), the fast projectile speed means that your enemy will have a lot more difficulty getting back into cover after shooting their ER PPCs or AC ballistics, while you should have plenty of time to avoid those slow moving projectiles and get back into cover.

Fair enough, I hadn't considered the speed increase as a defensive measure and you've made a good point. However, I still don't know if it's worth it (for me) since most of the time I'm pretty good at picking targets that are too busy to return fire (or at least was when I was using gauss regularly). Furthermore I pug exclusively and since it's every-man-for-himself, defense just means killing the other guys faster.

I'm not inherently against the charge mechanic mind you, I just don't feel that the results the rifle produce are worth the unique (awkward) mechanic.