29 replies to this topic

[AlexEss]

Actually outside of the high-end competitive gameplay (i guess nobody at this level is dumb enough to move without cover any way) even a single LRM 10 can be used as a psychological weapon. Most people duck for cover if they get the missile lock warning. That way it can be used as a very nice suppressing weapon. At least that is my personal experience using my Shawk with a LRM10 on it.

So a single M HP is not a waste.. Undesired perhaps but it can be put to good use with some strategy and timing.

[NextGame]

Khobai, on 04 March 2014 - 12:36 PM, said:

Theres NOTHING wrong with 1 ballistic hardpoint if it can use an AC/20. Thats an awesome hardpoint to have.

Whats useless is 1 missile hardpoint. You need at least two missile hardpoints for missiles to be effective.

Their hardpoints SHOULD be:
Boars Head = 6 energy, 0 missile, and 2 ballistic (both in same side torso) (-1 missile, +1 ballistic)
La Malinche = 4 energy, 2 missile, and 1 ballistic (+1 missile)
Misery = 5 energy, 2 missile, and 1 ballistic (+1 missile)

Misery is fine, but I agree about the other 2

[aniviron]

The root of the problem with single hardpoints (yes, having just one energy hardpoint is bad too- unless you need it for a TAG) is the armor doubling. Do you like [weapon system here]? Then you need two of them to have the same effect on your opponent that you'd need in CBT. The only real exceptions are the gauss and AC20 because those just deal silly amounts of damage anyway.

This is exacerbated with ballistics and missiles because they're less efficient alone- if you have a single SRM6, this translates to an SRM3 in CBT, but you still need the full ton of ammo to fire it. If you have 2 SRM6, then your ammo is more flexible, and it's easier to justify putting the weight in, since at that point you know that 12 SRMs will be dealing lots of damage (in theory, if the hit detection works right). This continues to scale well, which is why we get splatcats and 6 AC2 Jagers.

The final issue is that each weapon system has a different firing mechanism, so you are forced to reaim every single one within a single firing window, which quickly becomes difficult. While leveling my VTR-9K, I used 2x LLAS, gauss, 2x LRM5. Within a few seconds, I would have to use the charge mechanic, figure out the right lead time, fire the gauss, reaim dead on the mech and fire the lasers, wait for the lock, and then fire the LRMs (preferably in chain fire for that cheesy added shaking) and then repeat this pattern as long as I'm in combat. It really takes a fair amount of concentration, and eventually means you will start missing shots. Why bother with all that when you can just grab a pair of PPCs and a pair of AC5s, and the only adjustment you have to make is firing the AC5s on a faster cycle than the PPCs?

[Joseph Mallan]

Darkside7777, on 04 March 2014 - 11:57 AM, said:

What the title says. I wanted to buy the hero banshee, but goddamnit am I tired of seeing hero mechs with this hardpoint problem. Only having one of each is a major limitation. I'm sick and tired of energy boat hero mechs. Drop some energy hardpoints and give us something else to play with.

To be fair, The Banshee was never known for carrying a lot of weapons.

[John MatriX82]

Khobai, on 04 March 2014 - 02:06 PM, said:

Basically yeah. An LRM10 should be roughly equal in strength to a PPC because they both take up the same crits and tonnage.

An LRM10 with tag and artemis should actually be BETTER than a PPC because it takes up more crits and tonnage and has conditional requirements.

True. But it will never happen until PGI will keep their current "omni" hardpoint system. Hard limit stuff, like few mechs can carry 50-60 LRMs (and no more) and suddendly the weapon system could be tweaked so that even a single 10 or 15 launcher is worth to bring.. instead of boating 80 of them..

Edited by John MatriX82, 05 March 2014 - 05:06 AM.

[Khobai]

Quote

True. But it will never happen until PGI will keep their current "omni" hardpoint system. Hard limit stuff, like few mechs can carry 50-60 LRMs (and no more) and suddendly the weapon system could be tweaked so that even a single 10 or 15 launcher is worth to bring.. instead of boating 80 of them..

We have a system for that. Its ghost heat. its a terrible system that I absolutely hate, but its in the game, and likely not going anywhere, and it can definitely be tweaked to hard limit the number of lrms.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

The solution for missiles is to take advantage of the much hated ghost heat. Up damage/speed etc on missiles. Allow any mech to carry 2 sets of missiles. Anything over that attracts serious ghost heat except for certain traditional boats. Cats could have allowances built in for LRMs (but not neccessarily SRMs), Treb as well. Kintaro could be an SRM boat etc.

[Thunder Lips Express]

it's not that i don't care for the banshee hero, it's just like others have said...it's already been done before. i picked it up anyways as i am sure i will like it since i like the boars head and the heavy metal. what i'm really waiting for is the banshee standard varients! they look sharp

[LastPaladin]

Geist Null, on 04 March 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

diversity is not a problem.

It can be, if you are too diverse to do any one thing well.

[xXBagheeraXx]

PGI realises this....I mean look at the muromets....that is almost always unanimously considered one of THE BEST hero mechs to buy....They are well aware of the way the meta is now and probably wont release a multiple ballistic hero mech any time soon. La Machine or however you spell it acutally will have some of the best hard points out of all the banshees, the Models I saw in smurphys were absolutely APPALLING. Ill be saving my cbills for my Maulers/ and my cash for a hero battlemaster/Mauler, that I hope will have as many ballistics as my Oh-so lovely 1-D <3