9
So, let's start with the data:
Engine Double Heat Sinks – cool at .2 heat per second, add 2 heat per.
External Double Heat Sinks – cool at .14 heat per second. Add 1.4 heat per.
Figure 1: Weapon Data
So we will assume 3 tons ammo for each ballistic weapon we are considering. Anything less is an issue, especially with 12 vs. 12 now, your major damage weapons would run out of ammo long before the end of the match, leaving you with only you short range weapons to fall back on.
Instead of ammo, we will figure on 5 external DHS for the ERPPC. 1
So here are the figures with the inclusion of ammo on the ballistics, external DHS foe the ERPPC, and criticals:
· AC2s - 2 damage / 0.52 seconds / 1 heat / 9 tons, 4 crits ...3.85 DPS / 1.92 HPS
· AC5/UAC5s - 5 damage / 1.5 seconds / 1 heat / 11tons, 7 crits ...3.3 DPS / 0.72 HPS
· AC10s - 10 damage / 2.5 seconds / 3 heat / 15tons, 10 crits ...4 DPS / 1.2 HPS
· Gauss - 15 Damage / 4.75 seconds / 1 heat / 18 tons, 10 crits ... 3.75 DPS / 0.25 HPS
· ERPPC - 10 damage / 4 seconds / 15 heat / 12 tons, 18 crits ...2.5 DPS / 3.75 HPS
· PPCs - 10 damage / 4 seconds / 10 heat / 12 tons, 18 crits ...2.5 DPS / 2.5 HPS
What is immediately evident is that of all the long range direct fire weapons, the ERPPC has the lowest DPS and the highest heat. AC10s do almost twice the DPS at less than 1/3 of the heat. Now, on a single volley, this isn’t an issue, but over time, DPS will drop even further on the ERPPC due to needing to cool off.
Let’s look at heat over time, using dual weapon setups, with the ACs and Gauss using just the 10 native DHS in an engine, and the ERPPCs using an additional external 10 DHS, with heat dissipation factored in:
Figure 2: HEAT VS. TIME (IN SECONDS) DUAL SETUPS, CONTINUOUS FIRE
Figure 3: Heat per Volley with Continuous Fire
The ERPPC mech has 20 DHS, giving it a max heat of 64 before a shutdown. The AC and Gauss mechs have only the 10 native DHS to the engine, and a heat cap of 50. Immediately apparent are the following:
- The Dual ERPPC mech - 4 volleys across 12 seconds, total 80 damage, until shutdown
- The Dual AC10 mech - 9 volleys across 20 seconds, total 180 damage, and no shutdown
- The Dual AC5/UAC5 mech - 14 volleys across 20 seconds, total 140 damage and no shutdown
- The Dual AC2 mech - 34 volleys over 17.7 seconds, total 136 damage, until shutdown
- The Dual Gauss mech - 6 volleys over 20 seconds, total 180 damage, no shutdown, negative temp. trend
Note that the dual Gauss is heat neutral, with a negative temperature trend, and the dual AC5/UAC5 is effectively heat neutral, it could fire a full minute and not shut down. The AC10 can fire for 14 volleys and 32.5 seconds before shutdown. The dual AC2s have the highest climb in heat, but still capable of delivering 136 damage before inducing a shutdown.
For a comparison of a Dual ERPPC and Dual AC5 Firebrand, see this post: http://mwomercs.com/...-was-excessive/
For analysis and discussion of the heat system, see this post: http://mwomercs.com/...eedback-thread/
Data is data; math is math, and not subject to opinion nor feelings. In order to have balance, the pros and cons of each weapon need to balance out so that along with the disadvantages, there are enough advantages to make something worthwhile to utilize. The latest increase in heat for the ERPPC brought the heat levels up too high, negating any significant advantage compared to ballistics, and unbalanced them, as we will discuss next.
First question you might ask, is why you would even use ERPPC at this heat level, and the lowest DPS of all the sniping weapons? Speed is now the same as the AC5/UAC5s, so it still has a faster travel time than the AC10, same damage as the AC10. The fact of having less than a third the crits necessary for an AC10 is not significant, since that amounts to, on the dual setups, 14 more crits, which is 4 more external DHS. The data presented earlier is based on 5 external DHS, which makes the ERPPC 18 crits and 12 tons.
· But, ERPPCs don’t need ammo!
Yes they do, heat sinks are the ammo of ERPPCs. Due to the current heat levels, you have no choice but to run DHS, because the engine HS actually run as double HS. In order to compensate for using SHS, and additional 10 tons and 10 crits is necessary, just to get you to the level of a DHS engine.
And, ammo takes 1 crit, DHS take 3 crits. When taking critical internal damage, the DHS are extremely vulnerable, and even though they do not explode, taking out DHS on an enemy mech means in the heat of battle, you lose capability to fire. So in that respect, they function like ammo.
· But, ERPPCs don’t run out of ammo!
No, they do not, but as noted, crit the DHS enough, and you will slow their firing. But that isn’t the main issue here. Matches are 15 minutes long, 12 vs. 12. If each ballistic weapon has 3 tons of ammo each has the potential to deliver 450 damage. A dual AC2 / AC5/ UAC5/ AC10/ Gauss mech can each put out 900 damage during that match.
Now, unless you are a very bad shot, that’s pretty significant. If the matches were 30 minutes to an hour long, against 24 mechs, then there would be a chance to run out of ammo and the ERPPC would shine a bit more then. But at current match sizes and times it’s hard to justify using ERPPCs, because normally, with 3 tons of ammo per gun, you are not going to run out, or if you do, it will be near the end of the match if you survived that long.
· But, ERPPCs take less crits!
No, they take more. Look at the figures for Effective Heat Sinks (EHS) to be heat neutral. For 1 ERPPC, it takes 38 EHS. So, you have 10 actual doubles in the engine, that’s 20. You need an additional 12.86 DHS to make a mech with 1 ERPPC heat neutral.
Problem is, with weapons, AMS, equipment, and ammo for the other weapons you will be carrying; you will have room for maybe 8-10, maybe 11. So there is no possibility of getting even 1 ERPPC, never mind 2, heat neutral or even close to it. Dual AC10 mechs CAN BE heat neutral; they each require only 12 EHS. Same with Gauss, at 3 EHS, and AC5/UAC5/UAC5/UAC5 at 7 EHS each and can still fire other weapons, like SSRMs, small and medium lasers, for significantly long periods of time.
This is the problem with PGI balancing by heat. Approaching the historical issues by addressing the root causes, such as convergence, the heat system in general, and the fitting mechanics would have addressed those issues in a more accurate way. Specifically, fitting, due to current mechanics making all mechs effectively omni mechs. Limiting criticals in a location for the weapon types allowed there would have prevented most of the major boating issues.
Currently, given a choice between taking dual long range ballistics, and dual ERPPCs, there is little to nothing to recommend taking the ERPPCs. That’s not balance, and for those mechs that cannot fit ballistics, it is the only long range pinpoint damage available to them. Right now, there is no reason not to use long range ballistics, compared to the ERPPC, and a balanced system would have advantages and disadvantages for both that would make neither superior to the other.
In no way am I advocating that ERPPCs should be heat neutral or near heat neutral. ERPPC heat needs to be lowered back down to 12, or possibly 13, and the ghost heat penalty needs to be increased for ERPPCs used beyond 2 volley fired, to prevent excessive boating. The other option, however, is that the AC10, AC5/UAC5, and Gauss be brought more in line with the current profile for the AC2. This would “balance” out these systems.
EDIT - corrected the Dual Gauss, damage, was 120, s/b 180, and cleaned up the format.
2nd EDIT - Clarified the weights and crits for ERPPCs with DHS at 1
Edited by Lupus Aurelius, 06 October 2013 - 02:35 PM.
