45 replies to this topic

[Trauglodyte]

They need to do something about lasers because, for two plus years, that has been the predominant mode of combat. And that is fine if you supplement lasers with other means of weaponry. That isn't necessarily happening because the game has catered to the extremes from day 1. That, in and of itself, isn't really a bad thing. But, the problem comes from the fact that, as your tonnage increases, you no longer even need to utilize the weapons designed for specific range encounters. On my Awesome, for example, why would I pack in 6 Medium Lasers when I can mount 3 Large Lasers, because I have the weight available, and do the same amount of damage as said 6 Mediums (well, less but the damage is negligible) for less heat with longer range? This is ultimately the biggest issue with the game because the weapons that are built for specific niches aren't getting used and, instead, we're just taking the best and most of the time the most OP weapon at that point.

[Sandpit]

Trauglodyte, on 24 January 2016 - 03:15 PM, said:

They need to do something about lasers because, for two plus years, that has been the predominant mode of combat.

uh no it hasn't

[Trauglodyte]

It has in the sense that they've never gone anywhere. Even during the height of the poptarting meta, people were still running laser boats. The point that I was trying to make is that, only when they were broken because of a bad patch, there hasn't been a true and long lasting LRM meta. There never has been an SRM meta. We had a temporary PPC+ballistic meta that got quickly squashed along with JJs. But, lasers have always endured because they're the bedrock of the game. That is also the problem because nobody has any issue with loading up as many of them as possible because, even if you ABSOLUTELY suck at everything in life, you can still do damage with lasers. Throw in their extreme ranges, in some cases, along with the implications of the extended range modules and quirks and their essentially forgettable heat, and you've got the current situation that we're in. You may say, "uh no it hasn't" but I remember from Beta forward that a lot of people have been boating lasers - even during the PPC meta you still had the 6 Lrg Laser Stalkers running around along with the other incarnations of that.

[Sandpit]

Trauglodyte, on 24 January 2016 - 07:15 PM, said:

It has in the sense that they've never gone anywhere. Even during the height of the poptarting meta, people were still running laser boats. The point that I was trying to make is that, only when they were broken because of a bad patch, there hasn't been a true and long lasting LRM meta. There never has been an SRM meta. We had a temporary PPC+ballistic meta that got quickly squashed along with JJs. But, lasers have always endured because they're the bedrock of the game. That is also the problem because nobody has any issue with loading up as many of them as possible because, even if you ABSOLUTELY suck at everything in life, you can still do damage with lasers. Throw in their extreme ranges, in some cases, along with the implications of the extended range modules and quirks and their essentially forgettable heat, and you've got the current situation that we're in. You may say, "uh no it hasn't" but I remember from Beta forward that a lot of people have been boating lasers - even during the PPC meta you still had the 6 Lrg Laser Stalkers running around along with the other incarnations of that.

Lasers spent the entire lifespan of this game up until fairly recently as considered VASTLY inferior to ballistics. Lasers now are just in a much better place of overall equality in weapon balance as a whole. Now they're just AS useful for their relative roles. Both have their pros and cons as considerations for mech loadouts and often work best when combined together. That's pretty well balanced in my opinion.

[MauttyKoray]

Sandpit, on 24 January 2016 - 06:52 PM, said:

uh no it hasn't

Yeah, its only been the predominant style for about a year.

[Trauglodyte]

Then I'd ask, given my lack of recent history, is their coming to the forefront a good thing? It is strictly my observation that they're sort of dominating the landscape and that isn't ever a good thing. It wasn't good during the various LRMpocalypses, the very quick and short lived - thankfully - Streak storm, etc. Maybe I'm just one of those crazy types that wants everything to have its place. Honestly, when was the last time anyone ever said that the AC10 was the end all be all of weapons? Or the LBs? When something goes too much to an extreme, there is usually an imbalance that goes with it. I'd say that the damage, heat, and recharge are fine but that it is simply the range bonus that is causing problems. Then again, I might be wrong. I just think Lasers are too easy and they always have been. Then again, hitting a Light jockey that is good when you're piloting a walking rock puts "lasers are easy" into perspective.