What I tend to experience is that a slow mech with short range weapons tends to either:
a. Not get to the fight fast enough
b. Not get out of fire quick enough to not lose most of it's function
c. Attract way too much attention
Having range on a slow moving, heavily armored mech tends to be more beneficial than 12 more damage in an alpha (2 lpl + 2 ac20 is only 12 more than 2 gauss + 2 ppc/lpl). The range allows you to do damage even if you are lagging behind, and it means you can do your work without getting concentrated down fast (which is what happens when people see a 100 ton mech that can't hit them yet due to range issues). Additionally, a 100 ton assault mech, even being the KGC with its crazy twist speed, can have trouble tracking targets up close (no lateral arm movement), so having that range makes it easier to aim.
50 damage at any range trumps 62 damage at short range for MOST situations, especially on slow mechs.
20 damage rapid fire trumps 62 damage alpha in most situations, except short range, again, especially on SLOW MECHS.
If you want to run a
slow mech with
short range, than go ahead with the ac20's, but in most cases a long range loadout will do better on a slow 100 ton mech. Short range loadouts do better with mechs that can manuever in and out of the fight well.
Edited by Gamuray, 02 August 2015 - 06:41 PM.