I've had people try to tell me you can't one shot a mech with Dual Gauss (or any 30 PP FLD source) because crits don't work they way they do (they're wrong).
Due to how the crit mechanic works, each Gauss crit will deal 2.25 extra points of damage. That is, 15% of the damage dealt to Internal Structure(IS).
Here's a diagram of what can be crit on every mech:
Ferro and Endo would count as Roll Again, but notice how there are 3 separate head items that can be crit.
FLD weapons have the advantage that as soon as damage is dealt to IS, it will deal full crit damage, even if it dealt 2 damage with a Gauss, you'll still deal 15 Critical Damage (different than normal damage), which will in turn deal 2.25 additional real damage to the IS.
In the case of the cockpit with 15 structure and 18 armour points, you would expect this to happen when 30 damage hits it:
That isn't always the reality because when the Gauss scores 2 crits, you deal 4.5 extra damage
And since 34.5>33, pop
The chance for 2 crits is natively at 17%, 14% for 2 crits and 3% for 3 crits.
TCs do increase this percentage by a given amount, TC1s bring it up ~3% to 19.94%, and TC7s bring it up 5.06%, to 22.06%.
Terrible return on the TC7.
Yes, very low, but I still don't like the mechanic.
PPCs also have it...but, you know, PPCs. Ghost heat and slow projectile speed have killed those off pretty well.
They actually have a higher rate to decapitate you than Gauss, since they have 2 crit rolls as opposed to 1. They require the same 2 crits as the Gauss, as each crit deals 1.5 damage, to total 33 even.
It works with Clams too:
PPC1 hits armour, PPC2 breaches and rolls, PPC3 hits structure and rolls.
So, a potential 6 crits, but it only needs 2. I'm no expert at this, but does that give PPCs double the % as Gauss? 34% stock decapitation rate, and Clams can increase that to 44%.
Although, I'm not sure about that one, feel free to correct me. All I know is that it's more likely mathematically than the Gauss, but less likely in actual gameplay due to downsides in the weapon and multiple nerfs.
With the Gauss 2KM/s travel time, even I've gotten a half dozen one-shots when I took the Muromets out for that weekend Tourney. Of course, you can't tell if the other guy has max armour or not. Surprisingly easy to headshot...if the other guy lets you. Even had a pair of back to back One-shots...Hackusations are quite nice, but no, just abusing game mechanics.
Easy fix for the Gauss is, without touching anything else relevant to damage dealing, projectile speed, or recycle is simply to touch the crit damage multiplier. MGs have a 9x damage multiplier and LBx series have a 2x multiplier...what's to stop the Gauss from having a 0.5x modifier?
It's a simple .XML addition...but PGI has issues with those.
That makes it so a single crit can only destroy another Gauss rifle, and ECM. To destroy a cockpit and an AC20, it would require the impressive 3% crit, which even a TC7 keeps below 4% (+.89%). Every other item (10HP) would require the same 2 crits it currently takes for one-shotting cockpits.
So, I've got to ask the community...do we support instagibbing? We already have AC35s that fall from the sky that can instantly kill you, and this one shot crit system hasn't been touched for years...so I guess the answer is yes...but I'd still like to ask.
And for those who are interested...putting your head at 17 armour or less makes you eligible for a 42% chance to die instantly with an IS Dual Gauss robot, or with Clams a 49.26 chance w/TC1 to 54.5% chance with a TC7.
32.25>32, so a single crit will do you in, with a ~50% chance for it to happen with the typical Whale, without even accounting for the massive laservomit alpha that just needs to graze your face.
And, yes, the Gauss Rifle can have a better crit chance than the Machine Gun. I found that amusing.
Edited by Mcgral18, 28 June 2015 - 05:54 PM.