Jakob Knight, on 08 July 2012 - 06:52 PM, said:
Well, the Catapult is a missile platform in its C1 configuration, and a PPC platform in its K2 configuration, so it depends on what you mount on it. It was considered a missile platform because that was the base configuration. Had the K2 been the mass-produced model, then it would have been known as a PPC platform. The Founders mech will be limited to Missile and Beam weaponry, and while you can mount those LLs, you will have trouble fitting the heat sinks you will need to fire them.
This is because every heatsink past (engine rating/250 round down I think) must be allocated critical space in the mech. In the Catapult, every heat sink past the 10 that come as part of the engine have to be allocated. So, firing 4 LLs would generate (TT stats here ) 32 heat. That means 22 tons going to heat sinks if using standard, and 22 critical slots. If going with double heat sinks, it would be 6 tons and 6 3-group critical blocks (each DHS requires 3 criticals, which can't be broken up between locations). This even assumes you have enough hardpoints in the side torsos, which would require two per, as the C1 Catapult only has one ML in each torso, and you can't fit two LLs in the center.
On top of all of this, it seems the heat generated by firing weapons is -not- directly vented by an equal number of HS on the mech like in the TT game. In the videos, we can see mechs firing medium lasers that shouldn't have overtaxed the number of HS on that mech, yet there is still quite a bit of heat buildup shown. So likely, firing 4 LLs would spike your heat very quickly past what even 32 heatsinks could get rid of...and the Catapult simply doesn't have the room for many more.
I won't say it isn't possible, just that it would take much more careful use than if it were carrying lower-heat missiles.
That really wasn't the point of my complaint. So let me be more specific. Why would you consider the C1 a missile configuration if it has more energy hardpoints them missile hardpoints?
Or to be even more blunt, why wouldn't you have more missile hardpoints in the arms of a mech with arms obviously designed solely for missiles?
As for heat considerations, I could just stick the heatsinks in the empty arms.... The point of having multiple large lasers is choice - to be able to ripple fire them to create constant damage or to fire a salvo or two and back off.
Lets get down to brass tacks.
Pulling off the 2x 15 LRMs and the 4 medium lasers gets you 20 tons (including the pitiful 8 shots of ammo for each LRM 15). That's your 4 large lasers right there. they each take 2 crits, that 4 used in left and right torso.
It has 5 single heat sinks built in. Going to double heat sinks bumps you up to 30 heat dissipation (because you can't mix single and double so you have to have your engine heat sinks retrofitted), for the cost of losing an additional 15 critical slots.
5 3-bank critical slots with two empty arms and only 4 slots taken in each torso isn't a problem.
And all of that is without changing the engine, or armor or removing jump jets.
As for whether you feel comfortable running a mech with a 32 heat salvo with only 30 heat dissipation, well that's a matter of pilot preference. But that's beside the point.
The point I'm trying to make is that it's difficult to find a missile oriented build that will be more efficient than any of the energy designs you could come up with,
specifically because it doesn't have enough damned missile hardpoints to allow for flexibility in missile loadouts.
That means if you want to do anything other than downgrade other aspects of the mech (like armor or speed or jumpjets or secondary weapons) or the missile loadout itself, you will be stuck with extremely limited ammo and limited usefulness at range. (Note I'm saying downgrading to SRM 6 is a downgrade. but specifically due to range considerations - it's probably the best of all available missile based modifications, but it's not really a support mech at that point)
In reality I probably won't go with 4 LL because I don't find it aesthetically pleasing to run a catapult in that configuration. But it is an extremely viable build, don't think that it isn't. People will be using it.I will probably wind up testing it just for giggles.
I will however eventually go with 2 SRM6 and 2 large lasers - that's 4 tons per srm with 15 shots each and 5 tons per large laser giving me 18 tons out of 20 and a heat generation of (4x2 + 8x2) 24 out of 15 stock heat. Make it 17 without even going double heatsink. I feel comfortable with piloting that. Toss in the added expense of double heatsinks and I can get to 21 heat dissipation and still have 6 more tons left to tweak with for three criticals (From what I understand in order to have double heatsinks you have to mount at least ONE actual double heat sink)
But it's still not an LRM support mech. It's a laser support mech, I've just reversed the short range weapons with missiles and gained a lot more sustainability at long range while getting an increase in my short range damage (4ML = 20 damage vs 2 LL + 2 SRM6 = 28 - remember LRM's have a minimum range). Not what I want but I'll take it. But what I'd rather have is more flexibility for missile loads.
Edited by Xandre Blackheart, 08 July 2012 - 07:58 PM.
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