FupDup, on 25 January 2016 - 10:01 AM, said:
While I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with your idea, I have to point out that the Clam ERLL actually has a slightly higher "beam time efficiency" than an IS ERLL that lacks duration quirks.
Clam: 11 damage / 1.5 seconds = 7.33333 damage per second of holding the beam
IS: 9 damage / 1.25 seconds = 7.2 damage per second of holding the beam
So, if the Clammer holds his beam on the IS mech for the same 1.25 seconds, his damage dealt will actually be a tiny bit higher than the IS mech deals to him.
Except the IS laser also comes with range quirks.
-A QKD-4G's 25% range boost with Level 5 Range Mod ERLL is at 911 optimal, over 1800 max.
-Pair a C-ERLL with a MkV targeting computer and Level 5 range and you get 851 optimal.
The IS laser already has a shorter burn time but with less DPS; add in the 4G's 15% (or 4H's 20%) duration reduction and you don't even need to focus, just brush an enemy and you're scratching armor at ranges where the Clanner can't compete.
Not to mention that IS PPCs get the Energy Range quirk boost while the Clan Targeting Computer boost is limited to beam weapons (ie lasers, and paltry single-digit boosts at that). IS PPCs doing half damage at 1500 meters where Clan is barely doing anything?
I understand that PGI needs to balance both Quick Play and CW, but take a map like Boreal Vault--get an IS firing line on the E5/F5 hills loaded with quirked IS ERLLs and the clans can barely open the gates--even though they supposedly have an advantage at range. (Granted I'm a CW nub, and was probably playing with other CW pug-nubs, but I think the point is valid regardless).
I wasn't around for previous balance passes, and I don't know what the solution is, but the CW tech base balance is non-existent for the moment. Maybe give different quirks in CW than QP, so that every chassis/variant is viable in QP but some are less so in CW. Because given the nature of the game there will always be non-viable chassis/variants for CW, right now it's just that the ones with quirked energy weapons are enormously dominant.