So I'd like to remind us all just how utterly bad single heatsinks that new players use are.
Test run on Tourmaline. Exact same loadout (AC10/2ML/LRM10) on each mech, only difference is 10 SHS vs. 10 DHS.
Quote
Idle Heat: 7%
Running Heat: 12%
Heat per Alpha: 36%
Time to cool: 51 Seconds.
DHS Cent-A:
Idle Heat: 6%
Running Heat: 10%
Heat per Alpha: 27%
Time to cool: 27 Seconds.
DHS can alpha five times before overheat, SHS three times. DHS cools down from 100 percent almost twice as fast as SHS.
I think that bears repeating in bigger letters. DHS GIVE YOU TWICE THE EFFECTIVE FIREPOWER OF A NEW PLAYER. Let that sink in for a moment. No cost. No disadvantage. No trade off. Just straight up double the heat cooldown. Remember how we all make fun of terribly balanced MMO free to plays were high level characters walk around kicking sand in the face of new players with a massive unfair disadvantage? Welcome to Mechwarrior Online, we may not be doing it on purpose, but that's what's happening.
And this is on a STD200 engine, so it's not even the full advantage that engine DHS automatically give over a single heatsink mech.
Imagine a new player, just getting in to the game after reading up on the mechanics on the forum and running around in the test area like a good little mechwarrior. You get in game, you square off against someone else with the same tonnage and weapon load out as you. You get your face beaten in because they can fire their weapons twice as often as you. Rinse, repeat. You uninstall.
Buffing in engine single heatsinks to 1.8 would still keep doubles the better choice for the vast majority of builds, but make trial mechs/stock mechs less massively handicapped and give some more options to experienced players in the mechlab, which is always a good thing.
TL;DR:
Single Heatsinks are a massive (almost half the firepower) handicap for new players that drive them away from the game and offer next to nothing to experienced players. Buffing in Engine SHS would be an effective way to make trial mechs actually work and would make SHS viable for some (but definitely not most) custom builds.
Edited by Mahws, 04 April 2013 - 03:01 AM.