11 replies to this topic

[Vermaxx]

Gauss was unbalanced, years ago. Gauss has been balanced: it blows up internally; it has a huge inventory size, virtually guaranteeing it will be hit; it has the smallest hp of any item, virtually guaranteeing it will blow up; and the original balances of weight/reload time/ammo per ton.

We don't need the further narf of having a charge timer. Yes, a select few players are still very good with them, but the weapon has stopped being a sniper option and has become a specialist weapon. It doesn't need to be. You can't hardly brawl with them, I try...lord I try. It has enough balances now, let's see it come back as a real solid everyman choice for a ballistic hardpoint.

Edited by Vermaxx, 20 March 2015 - 06:03 PM.

[Night Thastus]

Idk...

As much as I love guass, I wonder if changing it back is a good idea. My dual guass direwolf w/2 ERPPC is already ******* nasty. Without charging, it'd only get better. All you'd see people run is guass.

[Vermaxx]

Prior to clan implementation I'd agree with you, but with the vast choices available now I really doubt they'd become 'the only choice' for every situation. A clan guass is still 12/6 and there are locks against boating. IS mechs are even more restricted due to the higher weight. You might see 2/1 come back (2 gauss 1 ppc) but it's kind of there now as 1/2.

And frankly, your 2&2 DW SHOULD be nasty. It's an assault mech that boils down to four ballistic style weapons that can still miss entirely. I'll take the negative of specialist players getting better if it means the single gauss mech is useful for everyone again.

[Wintersdark]

No. All those other balancing features you mention preceded gauss charge. Charge was still needed.

The problem is that without the charge, gauss is a strictly superior weapon to is ac20's and a VASTLY superior weapon to all other clan ballistics even with charge.

Zero heat, high projectile speed and long range more than offset the fragility.

Charge keeps gauss as a long range sniper weapon primarily, not a.. Or rather, the primary ballistic for everyone.

[Vermaxx]

Name a single sniper weapon in any real or mythical franchise that forces you to predict your shot, prepare for it, and not be able to lock in that two stage "trigger" effect and I will buy into your argument.

The charge can stay if I can lock the charge and have a single click fire, or simply release the button. Holding for one second and then releasing means it is a niche gun. I don't agree that a 12 ton weapon is always going to be the only choice for everyone in every mech. It's too big, it's too slow to recharge, and you eventually end up in close range combat. Making the effective reload timer 5 seconds really cuts down on how dangerous the weapon can be.

I would STILL take AC20s for in your face work, because it's 20 damage and it can't explode when it breaks. That and there are no mechs with really good gauss quirks.

[StrikerSW]

Why is it people always want to take the skill out of this game. Gauss is a powerful weapon and skilled pilots should be required to make it effective. Stop asking for assists that make this game any easier than it already is.

Aim assist, 3rd person and features that make the game a point and shoot will kill the long term interest in the game play. Why should any 1st day pilot be as effective with Gauss as a pilot that practices with this weapon of choice?

Gauss is fine the way it is although a 90 percent chance to blow up seems high to me. But that's the choice I make when I go out with my Grid Iron, etc.

Edited by StrikerSW, 20 March 2015 - 08:17 PM.

[Vermaxx]

StrikerSW, on 20 March 2015 - 08:15 PM, said:

Why should any 1st day pilot be as effective with Gauss as a pilot that practices with this weapon of choice?

Because it is a ballistic cannon no different than an AC10 except it does five more damage at longer range. Hitting a torso is the skill, not hitting a mech.

[Firewuff]

The main point of the charge was to desync it from PPC's.... Sorry but no mech should do an alpha of >50 with bugger all heat and be able to do it again second later.

[Iothil]

Firewuff, on 23 March 2015 - 06:59 PM, said:

The main point of the charge was to desync it from PPC's.... Sorry but no mech should do an alpha of >50 with bugger all heat and be able to do it again second later.

Then there are tools that you can use for macroing so that your PPCs are synced with Gauss when you release them... and they are completely legal as far as I know. Sorry, not really an argument imho, the only perk of it is that new players have it harder.

[Reno Blade]

Firewuff, on 23 March 2015 - 06:59 PM, said:

The main point of the charge was to desync it from PPC's.... Sorry but no mech should do an alpha of >50 with bugger all heat and be able to do it again second later.

Not really.
The main point of the charge it to simulate the minimum range from TT and make it not better in every range than all the ACs.

Without the charge, you have a 15 point damage ballistic with near instant-hit projectile for nearly no heat. It was very easy to hit with, even back then the Gauss had a projectile speed of 1500 or something (PPC like before the PPC nerf) and the PPC was faster (I think it had 1800 back then).

Get yourself a mech with a Gauss and some other weapons and jump into testing grounds. Run full speed and shoot, twist and charge to get a hang of it. Thats one round against standing targets and you are good to go.
If you have a Laser, you can use the beam duration as help for timing too.

[Nightmare1]

My thoughts on this are:

1) Remove charge up

Or

2) Stop the explosion on critting if the Gauss does not have a charge and double the current time for which you can hold a charge. For a sniper weapon, it's rather ridiculous how small a window you have to fire with it. I can't think of any other game that puts such a restraint on snipers.

[Serpentbane]

Only problem I have with the gauss is charge sounds drowning in outer sounds while in battle, and this makes it a little harder when you have to swiftly place a series of shots as quick as possible. I'd like a tone when the weapon is ready to charge, and another when it is ready to fire. Yes, there are hud collors, but I dont think this is enough.

Timing the shots I have little problems with.

PS: I mainly use the gauss as a mid to close combat weapon.

Edited by Serpentbane, 25 March 2015 - 07:50 AM.