10 replies to this topic

[OznerpaG]

i posted this in another thread, but thought i'd 'officially' throw this out for fun. some crazy ideas:

instead of arcing up, clan LRMs might have a very gentle climb so they have a harder time clearing terrain in front of them, and at launch they separate more and space out. if they shoot at any target less than 200m away the missiles don't converge very tight so the closer the target is, the less missiles in the volley hit and the damage is more scattered. there should still be a 10-20m minimum range to give the missiles time to separate before they arm. if you hit a target at 20m it will be like getting hit by a shotgun where a lot of the missiles miss (depends on the size of the target - an atlas is going to get hit by a larger % of the missiles compared to a locust which might be lucky to get hit by a few of the missiles) and the ones that do hit are relatively evenly scattered across hit locations. if you are firing at a mech 200m or farther then all the missiles should hit, and still be scattered across hit locations but a larger % of the missiles will start hitting the CT. starting at 400m the missiles should start converging a lot more and a much larger % of the missiles will start hitting the CT up to 1000m (or more)

this will up the skill factor in using clan LRMs since you want to keep the range to 400m or more so you get a better concentration of missiles hitting the CT, but it also makes it a little easier for the target to find cover and avoid the barrage. also the clan LRMs will be able to be used as a desperate last ditch 'shotgun' in close where they can be used in desperate situations, but they won't be able to do any significant damage to the target (unless they are already badly damaged)

same basic weapon as IS LRMs, but slightly different execution/usage

Edited by JagdFlanker, 10 February 2014 - 11:34 AM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Yeah I really think the difference here needs to be the arc. It sounds like the clans didn't support shooting missiles at someone over a mountain with no LoS, so in order to "balance" them given the significant weight reduction, you give them much less of an arc so you really have to be firing them at someone you can see. It seems to me that that would make them much more difficult to use than the IS LRMS, as you can't just sit in an LRM Boat behind a mountain raining 60 LRMS on unsuspecting opponents.

I also think the initial spread idea you have here is very good, so you can't just pour 40 damage into people right in front of you.

I think implementing both of these would really make the IS LRMs earn their extra tonnage.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

The direct-fire-preferential arc for cLRMs has been proposed before, and it would help to distinguish the Clan and IS versions of the weaon a bit more.

One alternative is to treat cLRMs like hot-loaded IS LRMs, namely if a launcher gets destroyed it blows up, much like a Gauss does (one assumes with damage equivalent to each loaded missile, or 1.1/tube).

There do appear to be indications that PGI is considering some kind of minimum range for cLRMs. Whether it's the scaling damage minimum range that they mentioned previously, or more like the 75m hard minimum that LRM turrets use (or even the same 180m as IS LRMs), remains to be seen.

Combining a 75m minimum range (again, matching the defensive LRM turrets currently being used) with a much flatter trajectory and a large initial launch pattern, perhaps with a reduced fire rate to reduce the dps/ton advantage and lower ammo count (more advanced missiles designed for 1v1, straightforward combat), could probably allow cLRMs to retain their sizeable weight and size advantages.

[Moromillas]

Gas Guzzler, on 10 February 2014 - 11:41 AM, said:

It sounds like the clans didn't support shooting missiles at someone over a mountain with no LoS....

No, this is common with Mad Dog pilots. You have it back to front, what ISN'T common, is having a shot and just standing there doing nothing.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

Vultures were so named not because they'd hide behind hills lobbing LRMs, but because they'd stand atop said hills and fire down, then swoop in and finish stuff off with their pulse lasers. Even in their fire support role they were direct-fire platforms.

[Gas Guzzler]

Moromillas, on 10 February 2014 - 12:27 PM, said:

No, this is common with Mad Dog pilots. You have it back to front, what ISN'T common, is having a shot and just standing there doing nothing.

I see... I seem to remember someone on here saying that they considered that dishonorable, so their LRMs were designed more for a direct fire role.

[OznerpaG]

could implement a design where the LRMs can be lobbed over hills by pointing your crosshair up before firing so the LRMs launch upwards - wouldn't work with the current locking system that has you keeping your crosshair on the target to launch the LRMs though, as you'd need freedom of movement to look up w/o losing your lock

[OznerpaG]

maybe clan LRMs could be also be used as an unguided direct fire weapon. clans could only have streak SRMs which require a lock, and their LRMs could be fired with or without lock so they'd be the equivalent of IS unguided SRMs and LRMs in one mount.

with lock-on they'd be LRMs with a minimum range (doesn't have to be 180m), and without lock they'd be a defensive 'shotgun' and the damage would spread out in a similar fashion to the LBXs except wider coverage

so, in game a point blank shot by an LRM20 would be the equivalent of receiving an AC20 hit except it'd be spread around hit locations and of course some missiles would miss like current IS SRMs

Edited by JagdFlanker, 10 February 2014 - 04:22 PM.

[Corvus Antaka]

imho clan lrms should have a min range just like IS lrms otherwise SRM's will be totally useless.

[OznerpaG]

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 10 February 2014 - 04:28 PM, said:

imho clan lrms should have a min range just like IS lrms otherwise SRM's will be totally useless.

not if clans only have streak SRMs

[Moromillas]

Gas Guzzler, on 10 February 2014 - 12:41 PM, said:

I see... I seem to remember someone on here saying that they considered that dishonorable, so their LRMs were designed more for a direct fire role.

Ah, that sounds more like zellbrigen being used, that's not something that's always invoked. LRM's have always been a long range support or artillery weapon, there's nothing dishonourable about supporting your team, or using cover where it's tactically sound. In fact, if you lose to a unit that is definitely inferior, by just standing still out in the middle of the open, there's a good chance of being marked as dezgra.

That person also may be talking about pilots that embrace cowardice. E.g. Instead of moving up with the rest of the team and providing covering fire, standing behind a rock and powering down so your Mech doesn't get any scratches -- That sort of thing.