Yeonne Greene, on 09 April 2015 - 03:57 PM, said:
I think there's some misunderstanding going on here, perhaps due to the length of this conversation.
I'm not disagreeing that the PPC needs some form of fixing. They certainly do.
What I am disagreeing with are the proposed changes by you and others with similar ideas, because they make the gun too easy. All those changes do is make the gun easier to use, but not more effective in an absolute sense. An easy and powerful gun becomes a prolific gun. A gun feared for its proliferation is not being feared for the right reason. Instead, if you see somebody equipped with PPCs, it should strike fear into you because you know that pilot knows how to use their power to devastating effect. It's not doing that right now, and that's because it is too hot and its projectile is too slow, but simply buffing both of those characteristics is not the answer.
You bring up Planetside 2. More speed in exchange for recoil. Awesome. We should have recoil in MWO, and that would be the perfect thing to differentiate the PPC from lasers while the infinite ammo differentiates it from AC. But we don't have that. So say we buff the heat and speed on the PPC so it is internally balanced, and now it is "feared" and every Joe Schmoe has one because it is instant damage, high-velocity, and lower heat. Now, nobody ever takes an AC/10 ever again. What is your solution to that? Drop the weight on the AC/10? Because weight is the reason it's obsolete, not lasers. It's obsolete because a mere two tons gives you a weapon that does twice the damage and because regular PPCs have almost the same performance characteristics.They were obsolete when PPCs were only 8 heat, they were obsolete when PPCs were 10 heat and traveled at 1500 m/s, and they are obsolete now. Why would I build a Blackjack with an AC/10 and four MedLas and a squishy XL when I can just play around with some stuff to get an AC/20 in exchange for one less laser, or when I can build one with a PPC and four MedLas and a STD and fire just as fast, just as cool, with a bonus JJ? I wouldn't. Nobody would, unless he really likes the sound an AC/10 makes (understandable, it sounds pretty awesome).
The better solution to un-obsolete the AC/10 is to introduce a quirk to the PPC's behavior that differentiates it, that makes it not a point-and-click "I win" button like the LPL or AC/10 (on the occasion that you do take one). That's why I suggested what I did: It keeps it interesting without really gimping it. Joe Average will suck with the gun, as well he should, but the practiced players will be able to take advantage of its FLD nature to whittle away at laser-wielders at range, because laser-wielders are face-tankers and can't handle fast, distant objects providing tiny windows of opportunity and taking pot-shots.
And yes, you can hold them out at range. You can't do it in a Warhawk (and I said as much last post), but you can do it in any Light, most Mediums, and a few heavies. Just because it comes with four PPCs, doesn't mean the Warhawk should actually be good with them. It's a stupid build in lore and a stupid build in this game. Wasted potential. You need speed to fully capitalize on the benefits of front-loaded damage anyway, with laser damage being so high, which means even a corrected PPC needs it.
So, basically, I agree that the PPC needs help, but it's not enough to just speed up the projectile and lower its heat. We've already got several weapons in this game that don't really get used and haven't been popular for long time (MG, Flamer, LB-X, AC/10). The PPC's lack of popularity is a fairly recent phenomenon, and it returning it to a state similar to its pre-nerf form is just going to put it right back into popularity again. Maybe it won't be as dominating with quirks and Clan lasers, but it also won't fix any sort of balance issues. We all need to, honestly, stop complaining to PGI about individual weapons and, instead, try to get them to do a more comprehensive review of the entire set, because the whole thing is completely out of whack.
Ballistics are Obsolete because we have no need for heat management. WE have no heat penalties.
Sure, recoil would be neat, but that would just be a start and would need to apply to alot of weapons, cannons included.
It would require ground up redesign of the mechanics and that is not going to happen. So, while, yes, my idea is simply to buff it up and make it useable in that way, its only because I realistically dont ever see PGI changing anything otherwise. We are not going to get an indepth, meaningful heat scale. Heat penalties are not going to happen. The game is not going to become dynamic, immersive and deep.
Yes, I would love a 40 point heat scale, true dubs, a total rework of the skill tree, heat management system and all that. Ive even dreamt up ideas on how I would love to see it implemented, but is it going to happen? no...
So at the end of the day, I kinda am suggesting what is likely and could happen.
Cannons are obsolete because there is no heat scale, you dont need to bring cannons as back up weapons while your lasers are to hot, or lasers to back up your cannons when they run out of ammo. You simply pack in lasers because they deal more dmg for less heat. Back when lasers dealt less damage then they did heat, cannons and PPCs were actually good because, well, all lasers suffered similarly to it.
For pulses, instead of what PGI did, which was increase dmg, reduce heat, I personally woulda reduced CD for PL and kept heat/dmg the same, simply let Pulse lasers fire faster, since Pulses are Damage over time weapons, not KAZAP 13 dmg vs a LL 11...And when a LPL is dealing 13/10 hit scan while the PPC is a 10/15, slow as a boat, and cannons are 10/3, ammo dependant, heavy and size sucking leeches, yeah, your cannons are obsolete. Its no damn wonder we have a laser meta.
Should lasers tone back a bit? I think a little.
But PPCs, until they are buffed up with speed and damage, just like lasers, they will be crap...cuz now, even with a good player, a lesser player with Lasers can out do you badly. I almost lost to a Nova using SL and machineguns in my 4x CERPPC Warhawk from point blank range. He took out my leg, most my CT, most my other leg and part of my back while i was firing 1 PPC at a time, trying to account for PPC slow ass speed, and from over heating, having just killed a King Crab. I finally killed the NVA after about 10 more shots, on my final shut down he died....I needed to put 1 torso of lead on him from less then 100m, that is just to damn slow...he wasnt even moving fast,just back and forth.....Then, while PPCs need to be aimed, Lasers just point, click...dmg.....
I dont want PPCs to be Gauss Rifles, near hit scan speeds and stuff, just competitve.....
Which is why I keep on with
10/10, 3.5s, 1200ms+Quirks
10/12, 3.75, 1250ms+quirks
13-1-1/15, 4.25s, 1200ms+quirks
Awesome, Warhawk, Adder, they get the 1300-1350ms quirks, they get the best heat reduction on PPC and just the best with them
Summoner, Hellbringer, TDR, they get decent ones, what the TDR has now? about perfect, 30% velocity, bet it has good accuracy with PPC...
Edited by LordKnightFandragon, 09 April 2015 - 06:30 PM.