18 replies to this topic

[A banana in the tailpipe]

Have pulse lasers hit higher on the first tick and reduce the animation duration to just two quick pullses of light. 3 pulses for the LPL.

Example:

SL: 1d-1d-1d
SPL: 2d-1d

ML: 2d-1d-1d-1d
MPL: 4d-2d

LL: 3d-2d-2d-1d-1d
LPL: 4d-4d-4d

[Nryrony]

I would rather vote for a slight increase in pulse-laser dps.

Most of all, we need a fix for that horrible heat system.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

Slight decrease in pulse duration and heat, slight increase in range, especially for the SPL.

[MadPanda]

So you want to ruin lasers as a weapon type and make them more like ppc's and autocannons that deliver damage on the first hit? No thanks. Lasers are unique weapon although in current meta somewhat underpowered but ruining their mechanics is not the solution.

[Kiiyor]

There needs to be something that makes not just pulse lasers, but ALL energy weapons attractive as a primary weapon system again, as the whole ghost heat thing has spanked them pretty hard (pulse lasers especially as they were already considered sub-par). Ballistics are where it's at right now, one reason being that they are first and foremost FAR more intuitive to use in the current meta.

A straight up DPS increase (or maybe range with pulse lasers) would be the way forward methinks, but the DOT mechanic of lasers make them one of the more interesting and clever weapon systems in MWO, IMHO. It's one of the things that keep lights and mediums viable, as laser damage tends to spread out over at least a few locations with even the most skilled gunners. If you start front loading their damage, you may very well start to see the extinction of lights and mediums altogether. Sensationalist? Indeed.

Also, I know I'm talking distant future here, but clan lasers will likely plug up any gap that exists between weapon systems with molten mech armour. Clan ERMLAS do 2 more damage than their IS counterparts with the range of a large laser. You could put 6 of those in a Jenner. Imagine how many you could fit in some of the clan abominations... Nova/black hawk? SWEET JESUS/AAAAH WHAT KILLED ME?

I'm not even sure what I'm talking about now.

[Troutmonkey]

Drop ghost heat, lower heat on Pulse Weapons, slight increase to damage.
DO NOT CHANGE NORMAL LASERS, THEY ARE FINE
Really, DoT lasers are really cool and unique in the FPS genre. Plus, they look cool

[Zyllos]

You make energy based weapons more attractive by making all weapons damage more spread out, thus leading to long term issues with ammo based weapon systems due to the amount needed to drop a mech.

Ammo based weapons should always have higher DPS, enough to matter in even a short amount of time. But the actual amount needed to actually drop a mech makes it unfeasible to due throughout the entire match. So all these mechs that equip ammo to last an entire match would only last half the match. So if they want to go the entire match, they either basically have to become a turret or sacrifice somewhere else.

Also, ammo needs to be more destructive when equipped. 10% chance to explode even after taking 10 points of damage in a single ammo bin is basically never. It needs to be more like 50% of the time when 10 points of damage has been taken and then only 10% if the section was blown off.

Then, you will begin to see energy weapons shine due to the fact that ammo can't last beyond several engagements or extended engagements.

[Sug]

How is that normalizing?

[Shakespeare]

suppose lasers had an increased chance to crit ammo? A sort of direct counterpoint to the ballistic mech's higher dps?

Also, while I generally love all the special effects, the literally vision obscuring smoke on impact needs to go. You should absolutely be able to rattle and roll (more recoil would be cool) a mech with ballistic impacts, but 'causes blindness' is another trait that should really go to lasers. Nothing worse than having the firepower to take out what's killing me, were it not for the fact that my screen is covered in smoke that originates AT MY EYEPOINT.

(If lowering my effects setting fixes that, somebody mention it? I can't seem to find a per-setting breakdown of the effects, and if I'm making the game too hard on myself, what with the surge in jagers, let me know)

[Ismir Schnuppe]

for me lasers are fine, only the ghostheat is not correct.
its hard for a laser mech to fight a balistic mech with this ghosthead.

[RandomLurker]

Lasers are perfectly fine. They require a steady hand and good aim, and really shine (tee hee) on mechs with articulated arms.

Pulse lasers are underpowered due to their tonnage, but increased range should handle that. There's no need to change any mechanics.

[Nryrony]

RandomLurker, on 12 October 2013 - 01:13 PM, said:

Lasers are perfectly fine. They require a steady hand and good aim, and really shine (tee hee) on mechs with articulated arms.

Pulse lasers are underpowered due to their tonnage, but increased range should handle that. There's no need to change any mechanics.

We need to have a bit more zap power for big mechs, as an alternative to ballistics. Take an Awesome or a Stalker, they are pretty unimpressive, even if they mount multiple heavy lasers. For what they do our big energy guns are a bit too hot. Otherwise we need better means to keep them cool.

[CrashieJ]

normal lasers are fine

shorten up the fire rate and the recharge, or turn it into "laser machineguns" where DPS is based on hitrate

heat is fine,

I shouldn't have to plug 6 Chained Pulses in my mechs to emulate MW3/4

[RandomLurker]

Nryrony, on 12 October 2013 - 01:21 PM, said:

We need to have a bit more zap power for big mechs, as an alternative to ballistics. Take an Awesome or a Stalker, they are pretty unimpressive, even if they mount multiple heavy lasers. For what they do our big energy guns are a bit too hot. Otherwise we need better means to keep them cool.

That's a Ghost Heat problem, not a laser one.

[CrashieJ]

Nryrony, on 12 October 2013 - 01:21 PM, said:

We need to have a bit more zap power for big mechs, as an alternative to ballistics. Take an Awesome or a Stalker, they are pretty unimpressive, even if they mount multiple heavy lasers. For what they do our big energy guns are a bit too hot. Otherwise we need better means to keep them cool.

All (including engine) Double heatsinks to 1.6 - 1.7, no increase of heatcap
Single HS are at 1.0 but increase heatcap
Single HS in feet have 2.0 - 2.5 heat dissipation rate when submerged in water

[Roland]

Make Pulse lasers do their damage with no burn time, but with much less damage than normal lasers, and with a much higher recycle.

Effectively, make them into very hot, light, short range AC 2's.

[Nryrony]

RandomLurker, on 12 October 2013 - 01:28 PM, said:

That's a Ghost Heat problem, not a laser one.

no that's not true, a Stalker even has problems with 6 med-lasers, and this is an Assault mech. If he uses any of its other hard-points with 6 meds he will be very hard to cool.

Also note that I don't think ghost heat is a big deal, as long as you can chain fire.

But ghost heat for lasers becomes an additional problem for Heavy/Assault energy mechs. Ballistics already have the advantage of dealing its full dmg on impact, while lasers need to stay on target. This makes cover-play a lot easier for mechs that use ballistics (PPC is the exception here).

Edited by Nryrony, 12 October 2013 - 01:42 PM.

[aniviron]

RandomLurker, on 12 October 2013 - 01:28 PM, said:

That's a Ghost Heat problem, not a laser one.

Ghost heat is a laser problem.

Ballistics are the only weapons not affected by ghost heat; only the 20 is affected, and it's now rarely fielded in twos.

Give ballistics ghost heat or make it more forgiving for lasers and you fix the problem.

[FupDup]

aniviron, on 13 October 2013 - 04:32 AM, said:

Ghost heat is a laser problem.

Ballistics are the only weapons not affected by ghost heat; only the 20 is affected, and it's now rarely fielded in twos.

Give ballistics ghost heat or make it more forgiving for lasers and you fix the problem.

The AC/2 is on the GH list as well.

I'd also like to provide an anecdote that I do still see paired AC/20 Jagers in almost every match.