To add a couple of cents:
Given that the damage numbers in the TT rules represent the damage done over the turn (10 seconds), what about having both the ROF and the damage and heat per salvo for each weapon set such that the DPS and heat generation for each weapon is such that the TT-listed damage and heat would be generated over the course of 10 seconds of firing?
That is, for the Medium Lasers (5 damage and 3 heat per 10-second period, 1 ton each):
Quote
Model A Medium Laser
ROF: 1 salvo per second
Heat: 0.30 heat per salvo
Damage: 0.50 damage per salvo
Model B Medium Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 2 seconds
Heat: 0.60 heat per salvo
Damage: 1.00 damage per salvo
Model C Medium Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 2.5 seconds
Heat: 0.75 heat per salvo
Damage: 1.25 damage per salvo
Model Z Medium Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 10 seconds
Heat: 3.00 heat per salvo
Damage: 5.00 damage per salvo
and so on
versus the AC-20s (20 damage and 7 heat per 10-second period, 14 tons each (+ 1 or more tons for ammo)):
Quote
Model A AC-20
ROF: 1 salvo per second
Heat: 0.70 heat per salvo
Damage: 2.00 damage per salvo
Model B AC-20
ROF: 1 salvo every 2 seconds
Heat: 1.40 heat per salvo
Damage: 4.00 damage per salvo
Model C AC-20
ROF: 1 salvo every 2.5 seconds
Heat: 1.75 heat per salvo
Damage: 5.00 damage per salvo
Model Z AC-20
ROF: 1 salvo every 10 seconds
Heat: 7.00 heat per salvo
Damage: 20.00 damage per salvo
and so on
versus the Medium Pulse Laser (6 damage and 4 heat per 10-second period, 2 tons each):
Quote
Model A Medium Pulse Laser
ROF: 1 salvo per second
Heat: 0.40 heat per salvo
Damage: 0.60 damage per salvo
Model B Medium Pulse Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 2 seconds
Heat: 0.80 heat per salvo
Damage: 1.20 damage per salvo
Model C Medium Pulse Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 2.5 seconds
Heat: 1.00 heat per salvo
Damage: 1.50 damage per salvo
Model Z Medium Pulse Laser
ROF: 1 salvo every 10 seconds
Heat: 4.00 heat per salvo
Damage: 6.00 damage per salvo
and so on
On top of this:
- Damage on "normal/standard" lasers should not be "front-loaded" - the damage should be delivered over the duration of the beam, such that fire would have to be maintained on the same area in order to deliver the listed damage.
- Damage on pulse laser salvos should be distributed across the individual beams/bolts within a salvo, with the damage of each beam/bolt not being front-loaded.
- Damage on ballistic weapons should be distributed across the shells/slugs per salvo, with the damage-per-shell front-loaded for each shell in the salvo.
- Each unit on the in-cockpit ammo counter for ACs represents a clip or belt that carries enough shells for 10 seconds worth of firing at the particular make/model's ROF (to maintain the TT/canon ammo longevity).
- Lasers, in general, should have very little "knock" in comparison to the ballistic weapons (as the knock from lasers would be produced by the explosive vaporization of armor, while the ballistic weapons produce knock by virtue of momentum transfer from the slug(s)/shell(s) to the target in addition to the explosive shattering/vaporization of armor).
Under such a system, the AC-20s for a given ROF would have the advantages of higher damage per salvo, higher damage per second, higher knock per salvo, and very low heat per unit damage with the trade-offs of high per-weapon weight, low damage per ton, and dependency on ammunition (and all that that entails).
By contrast, the Medium Lasers and Medium Pulse Lasers with the same ROF would have the advantages of low per-weapon weight, high damage per ton, and no dependency on ammunition, but would have less damage per salvo, less damage per second, less knock per salvo, and high heat per unit damage.
Under such a system, it is possible that one type of AC-20 may become more popular than another type of AC-20, one type of Medium Laser may become more popular than another type of Medium Laser, one type of AC-20 may be preferred to a quartet of one type of Medium Laser, a quartet of another type of Medium Laser may be preferable to another type of AC-20, and so on.
This would also have the effect of making most weapons generally less effective as "high-alpha weapons" while also generally shifting the game as a whole toward a more DPS-oriented style of gameplay; "high-alpha builds" could still be created and used if the right makes and models of weapons (and a sufficient number of heat sinks!) are outfitted and the individual pilot(s) are skilled in hit-and-fade tactics, but it should (hopefully) make other forms of play (grouping by ROF or multiples thereof in addition to grouping by range, for example) equally-or-more viable than "kill everything with one shot, overheat and flush/shutdown, and repeat", with one-shot-kill boats (ideally) becoming the exception rather than the rule.
It could also be made to affect the in-game economy (assuming there will be an in-game economy) - if specific makes/models of weapons become more/less popular, they can be made more/less expensive (supply and demand, and all that)...
Your thoughts?
Edited by Strum Wealh, 21 January 2012 - 07:41 PM.