7 replies to this topic

[MungFuSensei]

We have plenty of lights with ballistic mounts that are almost useless because the only options for them are too heavy. With the incoming clan mechs, and clan tech, I think it's time to roll out the other kinds of ballistic weapons.

The clan LB2X would be a fine choice, ringing in at 5 tons, with 45 ammo/ton. Instead of firing 2 pellets, it should probably fire out machine gun sized pellets, so it can actually be a shotgun style blast. Think of rolling around in a spider or a raven with this. This weapon alone would turn ballistic lights from a joke into a real threat.

The Light AC2/5 are also nice. Ringing in at 4/5 tons, with 45/20 ammo per ton. Downside is shorter range.

Now, there are some "just-for-the-heck-of-it" gauss builds out there for lights. If the Light Gauss Rifle came in, they'd be slightly more viable. 12 tons, 16 ammo/ton, less damage, longer range. It's still a weapon that'd take up all your tonnage, but you'd be able to push that tonnage further.

The timeline isn't right if you're going strictly by canon for these weapons to come out. However, this is a new canon. It is time to let loose the ballistic puppies of war.

[Zordicron]

I have wanted to see LBX2 and LBX5 since closed beta last winter. I feel that the LBX2 should run much cooler but also not share the fast fire rate of the AC2, maybe go to .8 or .9 cooldown instead. LBX5 should probably keep the heat of AC5, and share a similar range and rate of fire, but then also ammo count as a counter to its lighter weight and reduction of 1 crit slot. LBX20 I dont really care until they add multiple ammo type to the game.

UAC2 would be fun too, but man the jams would be insane based on the mechanic we have right now. UAC20, well, good luck balancing that one devs with the "big bullet" design we have for AC now.

[Buckminster]

I'd love to see these for my Locusts. I hate those ballistic points on light mechs, where the only practical weapon choice is machine guns.

[MungFuSensei]

Eldagore, on 27 January 2014 - 07:49 PM, said:

I have wanted to see LBX2 and LBX5 since closed beta last winter. I feel that the LBX2 should run much cooler but also not share the fast fire rate of the AC2, maybe go to .8 or .9 cooldown instead. LBX5 should probably keep the heat of AC5, and share a similar range and rate of fire, but then also ammo count as a counter to its lighter weight and reduction of 1 crit slot. LBX20 I dont really care until they add multiple ammo type to the game.

UAC2 would be fun too, but man the jams would be insane based on the mechanic we have right now. UAC20, well, good luck balancing that one devs with the "big bullet" design we have for AC now.

Yeah, the UAC/20 would be a bit over the top. Downside of the double-shot would be a significant amount of heat (12 total, almost as much as an ERPPC). For balancing I'd up it even more. Make it 10 heat per shot. Or make it even more prone to jamming, maybe even make it automatically jam. Even then I still don't know if it could be balanced. UAC10 could still be a viable option. I wouldn't mind seeing an LB20X. Don't think it'd unbalance anything. I'd definitely wait for hit-reg issues to be worked out, though.

[Alekzander Smirnoff]

I think the UAC/20 is going to be impossible to balance, the LB20X on the other hand due to spread wouldn't really be overpowered. IS version is 8 years down the road though.

Edited by Alekzander Smirnoff, 26 February 2014 - 04:17 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

They'd be great, but are outside the timeline. Buy a clan omnimech with some ballistics

[luxebo]

One more thing you have to realize, Clan weapons can only fit on Clan mechs, IS weapons can only fit on IS mechs, at least based on what balance threads Paul and others have said. (You said spider and raven rolling with Clan LBX 2/5, which wouldn't be possible given the balance construction rules they have posted, no mixtech, just wanted to comment on that.)

[Bront]

For faster lights, MGs are quite effective, but some choice would be nice.

That said, imagine an LB2X as implemented in the LB10X. A 2 pellet shotgun, spreading what little damage it does and not doing much worthwhile outside of it's max range. LB5X would be in a similar situation. They'd require slug ammo to be useful, which would obsolite the standard cannons (Which is what they're supposed to do in Lore eventually)

UAC2 would be a ghost heat nightmare.