Gyrok, on 26 August 2014 - 06:49 AM, said:
No more nerfinator online please.
Clan energy is inferior to IS energy in almost all ways but one, and frankly, outside of 1 particular weapon, are almost twice the burn duration.
I am not trying to be rude here, but if clan energy weapons are killing you so bad you think they are OP...try torso twisting. Seriously...that 2 second duration CERLL is not bad if you spread the damage. Consider, over the same time frame, it does a few tenths more than the IS ML. CLPL has longer duration than IS ERLL and IS ERLL weighs less, runs cooler, and does more damage per tick. Not very pulse like at all is it? But CLPL is OP right?
No....no it is not.
UACs do need a buff to the burst duration. Not saying it should be right on top of each other...but maybe a 20-30% reduction would be enough. Perhaps a slight boost to the UAC10 and UAC20 projectile speed for clans.
Food for thought...
That one advantage that the Clan energy weapons have (range and a small bit of damage) is far more important than a lot of people give it credit for. IS will have the advantage with the shorter beam duration, but only if an IS mech can close the distance between him and the enemy to within his optimal firing range, and do it without taking a ton of damage.
For an example, we will use the workhorse of the mech world, the IS MLaser and the Clan ERMLaser
- The Clan ERMLaser applies 2 additional damage per burst (7 damage vs 5 damage from IS MLaser).
- The Clan ERMLaser's max range is 360m further (900m vs 540m from IS)
- The Clan ERMLaser's optimal damage range is 180m further (400m vs 270m)
Now I don't have a drop off table, but lets assume for an IS MLaser, 5 damage goes down to 2~3 damage at about 400m. The Clan ERMLaser is still doing 7 damage at that range (still at his optimal firing range).
If I am running an IS mech with 4MLasers, and fire at 400m out (relatively medium range and well within most mech engagment ranges), I am applying at the most (12 damage per burst). A Clan mech running the same loadout (4 ERMLasers) is doing an astonishing 28 damage at the same range.
Now the clan has a 30% longer beam duration, but...
- At 400m, you shouldn't have a problem keeping a reticule on most moving mechs (Heavies and Assaults, and even Mediums and all but the fastest lights)
- if an IS mech does 12 damage at 400m in 1 sec., a Clan ERMLaser is still doing approx. 18 damage within the first 1 sec. That is still almost 1 additional MLaser extra vs the IS mech for the same tonnage
- The longer the ranges (up to 540m, the larger the descrepancy)
Then once you get past 540, the clan mech is still pegging you with damage that you can't return.
Now some say...Learn to play and torso twist to spread damage. All mech pilots try and do that regardless of what mech is shooting you (IS or Clan). Even with torso twisting (at 400m)...
- If an IS mech fires 4 MLasers and hits 3 chassis locations (assuming the entire beam duration hits), you might do 4 damage per mech location.
- If a Clan mech fires 4 ERMLasers and hits 3 chassis locations (assuming the entire beam duration hits), you will do just over 9 damage per location
- If we limit the clan duration to the same as the IS...say after 1 sec your shot misses all together as a Clanner due to the longer beam duration, you still do 6 damage per location (twice as much).
This is just the MLaser, the Large lasers ranges are more extensive and maybe things start to equalize out with the IS ERLLaser.
Really, the only way to even things out in the example above is to close within 270m and try and circle straffe. Make it hard for a clanner to keep the full beam duration on you and hope for the best. Even then though, he is still doing 2 more damage per laser (8 more total for 4MLasers).
This tactic sounds great, but even people on the forums know that brawling (which is what 270m falls within) is hard to do. The Clanners do enjoy a really good energy weapon. I think that is why a 2 C-ERLLaser, 5 C-ERMLaser Storm Crow is a very potent enemy.
That is why I think anyone who thinks the duration on Clan energy makes them inferior to IS isn't looking at the whole picture. Maybe inferior at the shortest of ranges, but most engagements are farther out in MWO, and the Clan's optimal range advantage is just massive (even with the longer durations).
Im taking this from Smurfy, so I am thinking these values are right.
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/equipment
P.S. I think Buffing the Clan Ballistic is a descent idea (because they could perform better on an individual bassis, but a small buff times the affects of boating would amplify the danger of these weapons immensly. If they get speed and clustering buff, they might need stricter ghost heat. just IMO.