The change doesn't do anything, you can't fire more lasers. Sure the penalty is now lower but tiggering it is not optimal. Poor 5 ERML Ice Ferret, it's not like it had a lot of heat sinks in the first place.
Actually no, after some more testing I've noticed that you can fire 4 cMPLs without a penalty. I guess 8 cMPL boat (EBJ, TBR, EXE) can be a decent pug stomping mech.
Large lasers
No longer worth their weight. Less damage, longer duration, might as well just remove them from the game. Battlemasters are now nerfed into oblivion. Energy based mediums are even more so.
15 damage cERPPC
I have no words to describe how stupidly OP they are. It is obvious that no thought was put into this change.
PPCs
I guess 2 of them is the only choice for energy mediums now.
U/ACs
8 sec jam on UAC2? Yeah, looks like another dartboard change. They weren't worth taking even with 5 sec jam because their dps was actually lower compared to normal AC2s because of it.
UAC5s
I've tested 4x UAC5 Mauler, 3x AC5 2x UAC5 Mauler, 5x AC5 Mauler and Direwhale with 5x UAC5s + TC5 and 6x UAC5s
Maulers
3x AC5 + 2x UAC5 = 4x UAC5, no point in spending more tonnage. Both are good when you need to focus down one targed but in the long run you're better off using 5x AC5 one. 4x UAC5s are not that far behind but 3x AC5s + 2x UAC5s loadout is definitely not worth its weight now.
Direwhales
5xUAC5 + TC5 is a clear winner. better speed and can double tap in-between weapon cooldown without waiting for too long.
4x UAC10 Kodiak lives again. 6 heat penalty - no big deal. 8 sec jam chance? Whatever, you're not making jam checks nearly as often as with UAC2s or 5s and you have 4 guns, so what if one jams? Meanwhile, mechs that can't boat as many UAC10s as Kodiak now suffer from the nerf. It's what I was talking about all along: you can't balance problematic loadouts by tweaking individual weapon stats. You'll just make lesser build weaker in the process and the gap between top loadouts and the rest will remain to be the same. That's why GH is a better solution IMO.
Gauss
Meh, still can't use it with other weapons, well you CAN but good luck with that.
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Final verdict
Ditch the whole thing, the balance on live servers is solid enough. It's not perfect, true, but it's not like it was me who nerfed MGs. Better fix what's left and introduce new tech.
Edited by kapusta11, 03 September 2016 - 03:18 AM.