25 replies to this topic

[Nightmare1]

Biggest reasons not to use PPCs:
1) Projectile Velocity
2) Heat
3) Minimum Range

Biggest reasons not to use ERPPCs:
1) Heat
2) Projectile Velocity

Personally speaking, I used to run PPCs all the time. When they got nerfed through the floor, I removed them all from my Mechs. Even after the PPCs and ERPPCs got buffed back up a bit, I still left them off my Mechs. I have the TDR-9S; I didn't bother putting ERPPCs on it during the crazed TDR-9S period. To be frank, I hate the weapon system in its current state and want to see it buffed back to its original values. Any kind of buff would be appreciated; it's literally a no use weapon except on chassis that have quirks to make it useful!

[Helaton]

I think its ok for the PPC to be a powerful weapon system with some tweaks. The tonnage is good, the heat is good (compared to the tonnage for the weapon).

The PPC velocity just messes everything up.
It is slow by base (Even Ballistics get Ballistic velocity on already pretty fast ballistics.)

This is even more prominent if you play in different mechs with different bonuses. Every PPC mech has a different timing for firing/tracking with PPCs. Even different variants of the same chasis.

Get rid of the velocity quirks (or severely reduce max +10%) the quirks for ppc velocity. ERPPC's are like the equivalent of the energy gauss. Just slow moving

PPC Cooling
I don't agree with making PPC's cooler (10/15 heat) seems reasonable to me. Mechs who are meant to use the weapons can have -erppc heatgen quirks as necessary. (Adder, looking at you. )

ERPPC & PPC
Some people want the CER PPC to deal all 15 damage to the pinpoint component, others want it to stay random assigned to adjacent parts.

Compromise: ERPPC to 10 damage and 5 'splash'. Allow the ER PPC 5 splash damage to be randomly assigned to the pinpoint and any adjacent. If you hit an arm, it has a 50/50 chance for each 5 damage 'splash', to go to the arm or the side torso. If you hit the center torso, it might all go to the center torso, or go to side torsos. (It does not automatically distribute to the adjacent parts, but a roulette of the pinpoint vs adjacent parts)

Multiple PPC Secondary Effects
One PPC won't do it, but multiple PPC's fired at a target:

Quote

Targets hit by multiple, simultaneous PPCs can also suffer electrical side-effects, such as overloaded computer systems or targeting sensors
-Sarna.net

Hit a body section with 2 PPC's:
The weapons/components(AMS/BAP/ECM) go offline for 1-2s (only those that exist in the direct section hit). A shield arm without any components is unaffected. A build with all its weapons in one location will suffer extremely.
Hit the head, and your opponents hud/optics are disabled/flicker as well for 5s.

For each additional simultaneous PPC over 2 (ghost heat beware), effects are increased by 1s on weapons/components, and 2.5s on hud/optics.

PPC seems like a perfect candidate as a status effect weapon (like Narc, Tag, etc.) Add status effects.

Why?
It makes some PPC builds like the Warhawk 4x PPC make more sense now. As it is, because of heat and ghost heat, there's very little advantage to taking 4 PPC's (much less 1 or 2). But if 4 PPC's hitting a component can disable/short out components, now it starts making sense taking more PPC's and loading in pairs (or if you want to alpha to try your luck at disabling a component for a few seconds). 3 PPCs wouldn't make much sense except as an alpha, while multiples of 2 would work (for short durations) and to keep ghost heat under control. PPC does dps, but more of a fire support weapon.

Edited by Helaton, 13 April 2015 - 10:09 AM.

[TheArisen]

I agree with Matt, the erppc needs to be desirable on most mechs, not just the uber quirked ones. IMO, if pgi is afraid of making op they should buff the velocity a fair amount and slightly reduce the heat.

[Lightfoot]

The PPC speed nerfs delivered us to Laser-Brawl which made the Mechs die much faster, especially Light mechs. Point, Click, dead. PPCs only value was ranged accuracy at 500 meters, but now PPC accuracy is at about 300-350 so no one takes them. That is such a failure in balancing. Balance is when all the weapons compete to be used. Not when the whiners stop posting OP complaints because that means the weapon is useless.

[Matthew Ace]

Time to revisit this topic; those clamouring for better velocity got their wishes and I congratulate them!

I stand by what I say and reiterate: at the very least they need their heat looked at, be it Ghost Heat or their base heat value. However, I would also like to add : they need larger projectile hitboxes to stop them from "phasing through" targets where a Gauss / AC wouldn't have and at the same time, need their bias/love affair with terrain looked at too. As it is, it's like having a minimum range when you fire at pointblank on fast circling mechs.

If you think PPCs / ER PPCs / cER PPCs still need help, post away!

Edited by Matthew Ace, 31 July 2015 - 09:30 PM.

[Zephonarch II]

It does less damage than an LPL, and some people can even use a Large Pulse laser to hit enemies at a canon-level Med range to Long range. Saddening. The heat is not the problem. It's the concept that quirks now have made the LPL the new Sniping Energy Weapon-Of Choice. ...Maybe not. But Players can get way too close to their enemies now with the speed and range boosts they get on average now.

PPCs although do kind of make sense on a few specific mechs (Puma, Blackjack-3, Awesome-8Q, Warhawk), I agree with quirks for those mechs. Mainly cause of the canon. But the Quirks have ruined the relevance of PPCs.

Seriously, why use them on a mech besides on a quirkless mech?

Edited by Zephonarch II, 01 August 2015 - 07:55 PM.