59 replies to this topic

[o0cipher0o]

Hi, i know that there have been plenty of topics on the gauss, but i want to share my thoughts and suggestions on it.

I've been playing it quite a bit lately, both as the only weapon in the build (2 gauss jager) and as part of a more complete build (together with LLs and Mls on a catapult and MLs and srm4 on a shadowhawk), and with great results.
However, i find it still quite subpar versus some other weapons, and that's because of one simple mechanic added to it for "balance" a while ago: the low health, high explosion rate and high damage upon exploding.

The charge up delay is ok, i kind of like it, but this mechanic is completely screwing it in my opinion.
I'm not saying it has to go away all togheter, but it needs so bad some tweaking.

I'd suggest to Increase the health to 10 points, and decrease the explosion chance of 10/15% at least.

What's everyones thoughts on this issue?

[Clydewinder]

It should only explode when charged.

[Damocles69]

Indeed. I also like guass in its current state. It could stand a slight SLIGHT rate of fire increase to compensate for the charge.

I say again SLIGHT!!!!

[S22]

I agree that the health should be increased, 10 - 15 pts, and the chance of explosion should be decreased.
However, I would like the charged duration to increase from 1.25 seconds to 4-5 seconds, as each second passes by, the chance of the charge dealing damage to the weapon itself increases.

This might not lore friendly or how an actual gauss works, but it might be a way to make the weapon more enjoyable. I like the idea of risk and reward.

[Varent]

Damocles69, on 05 March 2014 - 11:16 AM, said:

Indeed. I also like guass in its current state. It could stand a slight SLIGHT rate of fire increase to compensate for the charge.

I say again SLIGHT!!!!

This. Id also like to see the time it stays charged increased a touch as well. Maybe just .5 seconds? A little longer to aim the sucker would be nice. With the changes to jump sniping and jump jets the added time wont be as big on the back end anymore.

[nimdabew]

It would be great if the gauss only exploded when charged and subsequently destroyed and there was a 1% chance the thing blew up when it was charged calculated every second it is fully charged. Holding it for that perfect shot had the risk of the thing exploding on you automatically, but would be similar to capacitors not being able to hold a massive charge like that indefinitely.

[Eddrick]

I would be fine with a slight increase in the refire rate to make up for the charge delay.

nimdabew, on 05 March 2014 - 11:50 AM, said:

It would be great if the gauss only exploded when charged and subsequently destroyed and there was a 1% chance the thing blew up when it was charged calculated every second it is fully charged. Holding it for that perfect shot had the risk of the thing exploding on you automatically, but would be similar to capacitors not being able to hold a massive charge like that indefinitely.

No more RGN then we already have, please. I would prefer if we had less.

[Diablobo]

Quit trying to make the charge mechanic fit into the screwed up idea of reduced HP and massive explosions. None of these are present in canon, but instead are shoehorned into a botched implementation of the PGI whack job idea of balance. GET RID OF THE GAUSS CHARGE!

[Varent]

Diablobo, on 05 March 2014 - 01:59 PM, said:

Quit trying to make the charge mechanic fit into the screwed up idea of reduced HP and massive explosions. None of these are present in canon, but instead are shoehorned into a botched implementation of the PGI whack job idea of balance. GET RID OF THE GAUSS CHARGE!

canon =/= good mechanics for a shooting game.

[Solis Obscuri]

At a measly 20 damage, Gauss explosions are a joke. They are nothing compared to ammo cook-off.

[SirLANsalot]

Diablobo, on 05 March 2014 - 01:59 PM, said:

Quit trying to make the charge mechanic fit into the screwed up idea of reduced HP and massive explosions. None of these are present in canon, but instead are shoehorned into a botched implementation of the PGI whack job idea of balance. GET RID OF THE GAUSS CHARGE!

Its a sniper weapon, its not a brawler gun which is what this charge mechanic changed. Some people are actually good pilots and can adjust to anything PGI throws at them, like the gauss change. Also those same people can use the gauss in long range and short range engagements. Its the bad players who suck at this game who think everything should be nerfed and given to them on a silver platter.

Varent, on 05 March 2014 - 02:01 PM, said:

canon =/= good mechanics for a shooting game.

This....soooo much this. There are certain things you can make work in a shooting game that are also cannon, but there are also thing that cannot be done because it would break a game. You have to be careful at to what you pick that can be done in the name of cannon and what cannot be done in the name of cannon. Overall however, Lore doesn't make for a good game.

[KharnZor]

Diablobo, on 05 March 2014 - 01:59 PM, said:

Quit trying to make the charge mechanic fit into the screwed up idea of reduced HP and massive explosions. None of these are present in canon, but instead are shoehorned into a botched implementation of the PGI whack job idea of balance. GET RID OF THE GAUSS CHARGE!

No. Learn to use it.

[Svidro]

Yeah... gauss is unpossible to use. Please buff. teee. heee.

[stjobe]

Solis Obscuri, on 05 March 2014 - 02:06 PM, said:

At a measly 20 damage, Gauss explosions are a joke. They are nothing compared to ammo cook-off.

Ah, but when was the last time you saw a good ammo cook-off? "pssSSSSSH-pop-pop-pop-popopop-kaBOOOM!"

I haven't seen one in ages.

As for the Gauss - yes, increase the time you can hold the charge a bit, and don't make the darned thing explode unless it's charged.

[o0cipher0o]

Solis Obscuri, on 05 March 2014 - 02:06 PM, said:

At a measly 20 damage, Gauss explosions are a joke. They are nothing compared to ammo cook-off.

I agree, but as of now, the bloody thing explodes every single time it gets critted. And i'm not exagerating, i still have to get an unexploded critted gauss. Simply, the explosion chance is so high that it explodes all the times. As i said in the OP, i'm not suggesting the removal of the explosion mechanic, but just a tweaking, so that the risk is still there, but not that handicapping as it is now.
Let's remember that this mechanic was introduced when the dominant build was ppc+gauss combo on every mech that could use it and the only trade off of the weapon was it's weight. Now, with the added charge mechanic, the idea of a weapon that explodes the second it is hitted by a pebble, is just stupid. At least i want it to be able to handle the hit of a PPC.

Also, ammo explosions are so rare that i've been killed by one only two or three times in over an year and a half.


For what concernes the charge up, i'm fine with how it is right now. I can cosistently hit any mech at any distance. I've even increased my precision since the introduction of the charge up, both because it makes me think twice of when to shoot, and because during the charging time i concentrate more on the aiming.

[Tincan Nightmare]

So a hold down the button power up attack from a fighting game or side scrolling action game is a GOOD mechanic for a first person shooter?

[Varent]

Tincan Nightmare, on 05 March 2014 - 02:44 PM, said:

So a hold down the button power up attack from a fighting game or side scrolling action game is a GOOD mechanic for a first person shooter?

its called a long bow. wich has been in several FPS games with explosive arrow tips. also ive seen grenades function similiarly.

So yes. It is.

[stjobe]

Tincan Nightmare, on 05 March 2014 - 02:44 PM, said:

So a hold down the button power up attack from a fighting game or side scrolling action game is a GOOD mechanic for a first person shooter?

What's wrong with it? Never used a sniper rifle in [insert FPS of choice here]? Just switch "scope view" or "hold breath" for "charge-up", and it's the exact same mechanic.

[o0cipher0o]

Tincan Nightmare, on 05 March 2014 - 02:44 PM, said:

So a hold down the button power up attack from a fighting game or side scrolling action game is a GOOD mechanic for a first person shooter?

Why not? It adds variety on the weapons panorama, and makes the weapon oriented to a specific role. I'd be okay with other solutions like this added to other weapons to really differentiate and carctreize them. It,s not that different from the lock on time tipical of guided missiles (lrm/ssrm), and makes the use of the weapon a bit more skill dependant, which never hurts on high pinpoint damage weapons.

Edited by o0cipher0o, 05 March 2014 - 02:52 PM.

[Tincan Nightmare]

I understand that PGI wants to make the gauss a 'sniper' weapon, but they should not use a mechanic that costs you the ability to 'snap' shoot at targets that appear briefly. People keep complaining that its just a case of 'learn to play' (like every other issue that ever comes up) but its more a matter of dislike on how it forces you to play. I will not mount gauss simply because when I have used it (and yes it is not hard to learn) I have had to many instances of missed shots due to needing to charge up the weapon. If I miss a shot, well then I miss a shot, that's on me. I'll be damned if I use a weapon that might not LET met shoot because it needs to manually power up. At least make it so that once you hold the button down it KEEPS the charge until you fire, especially since your paying 15 tons to mount just one.