18 replies to this topic

[cazidin]

Greetings MechWarriors. Today I have a few simple questions. How are PPCs right now, is the hit detection still OK and which Heavy Mechs are good for them? Marauder, of course. Maybe Warhammers but are there any other good PPC mechs?

[Ghogiel]

Loyalty SMN, TBR and NTG can PPC like bosses.

[Kalimaster]

It depends upon your aim. If you can't hit your target, no weapon will work for you. While the PPC is not my favorite weapon, I do have Mechs that use them, including a Cicada.

[RestosIII]

Hit detection ATM is alright. I've only had maybe... 2 PPC shots disappear into the ether in the last few months. I've had some false positives on them doing that, but I'd think it over for a few minutes and realize it was one of those shots that passed right through the armpit of a mech, or between the legs. Still has the problem of hitting invisible walls on corners/hills, but you just need to be careful when poking to avoid that.

Can't really give advice for PPC mechs outside of the Adder and Warhawk, so I won't be helpful there.

[Gentleman Reaper]

The PPC is underpowered when used alone, but okay when used in numbers, although that's an issue with boating. Overall all the PPC variants need a buff. Here's what I would do:

PPC:
Mass: 7 tons
Slots: 3
Damage: 10
Cooldown: 4 -> 3.5
DPS: 2.5 -> 2.86
Heat: 9.5 -> 9
HPS: 2.375 -> 2.57
Speed: 1200
Minimum range: 90 meters
Optimal range: 540 meters
Max range: 1080 meters

I wanted to give each PPC type a distinct and specific role. For the standard PPC, lowered heat and increased RoF gives a decent DPS buff for a marginal HPS increase, making the PPC's role fit that of a medium range brawler.

ERPPC:
Mass: 7 tons
Slots: 3
Damage: 10
Cooldown: 4
DPS: 2.5
Heat: 13.5 -> 13
HPS: 3.38 -> 3.25
Speed: 1300 -> 1800
Minimum range: n/a
Optimal range: 810 meters
Max range: 1620 meters

For the ERPPC, a significant velocity buff makes for a very accurate, but hot, sniper weapon, capable of easily landing precise strikes even past its optimal range.

Clan ERPPC:
Mass: 6 tons
Slots: 2
Damage: 10 -> 13
Cooldown: 4 -> 6
DPS: 2.5 -> 2.17
Heat: 14 -> 16
HPS: 3.5 -> 2.67
Speed: 1300
Minimum range: n/a
Optimal range: 810 meters
Max range: 1620 meters

With the Clan ERPPC I wanted to see the weapon having evolved to be something different from the IS's version. While the IS ERPPC is an accurate sniper, the Clan ERPPC turn into something more of a hole-puncher, being more powerful, but slower firing, hotter and less accurate at range in comparison.

Edited by Gentleman Reaper, 14 December 2016 - 04:01 PM.

[Chimera_]

PPCs are very strong right now, and especially clan ERPPCs. IS ERPPCs are still meh, but standard PPCs are fine and several mechs (WHM-6R, MAD-3R, etc.) have good quirks to carry (U)AC-5s + PPCs. The loyalty Summoner w/ 2 ERPPCs is one of my favorite mechs right now, as well as the Linebacker and Nova with the same weapons.

[Ace Selin]

PPC Summoner OP pls nerf !!!!!!!!!!!

[Lightfoot]

They are sometimes buggy and do no damage to motionless mechs, but they are usually ok. AWS-8Q has the good PPC quirks and bays unless they changed them.

[Tombs Clawtooth]

ERPPCs seem to be about the best general weapon in the game currently as long as you take enough heat sinks to keep them running.

They have range, they have a minimum of face time required, they're PPFLD, and they have a considerable amount of damage.

At least for the clans.

[Davegt27]

every time I spectate someone using PPCs/ERPPCs I keep saying to myself what a crap weapon

super high heat and you hit people and its like it does nothing

but for a change they are fun to use
I just mounted 2 on one of my Huntsman

[Tombs Clawtooth]

Davegt27, on 14 December 2016 - 04:18 PM, said:

every time I spectate someone using PPCs/ERPPCs I keep saying to myself what a crap weapon

super high heat and you hit people and its like it does nothing

but for a change they are fun to use
I just mounted 2 on one of my Huntsman

I'd say whether they're great or mediocre depends on the mech and how many heatsinks you're running.

[XxXAbsolutZeroXxX]

cazidin, on 14 December 2016 - 03:49 PM, said:

which Heavy Mechs are good for them?

Grasshoppers can poptart 3 PPC alphas. Although I don't remember if running that build was a good or bad idea.

Warhammers and marauders can do 4 PPC's in weapon groups of 2 (and chainfire) with good PPC quirks.

Hellbringer, summoner and night gyr work well with 2 ER PPC.

Timberwolf can run PPC's with high energy mounts on the left torso.

But I think other clan heavies run PPC better than the tbr.

[jss78]

I have a fondness for 2xPPC IS mediums. Though I mostly run them for a change of pace.

It's like having a double-range AC/20, which isn't a bad thing to have on an IS medium. Heat isn't prohibitive if you have 10 trudubs and a few external DHS on top.

IS ERPPC I haven't really found a use for. I have one on the CDA-3C because what else can you do with that 'mech. The extra range is too situational (I don't enjoy the snipe-from-1-km play style) and the heat is bad.

[cazidin]

Thank you everyone for your recommendations thus far. Any others? I might even consider a medium mech, if you can... ...sell me on it. YEAH!!

[Flak Kannon]

I run my Orion IIc's with 2 cERPPCs, 1 LBx20 and a few SRMs banks. Throw in a XL340-350 and your rolling at 78-81kph. Enough speed to get around and not be left behind.

I mix it up, sometimes I run cERPPC's, some times I run LPL.


I have found the clan Orion to really fit my play style.

Enjoi

Edited by Flak Kannon, 14 December 2016 - 05:22 PM.

[Lily from animove]

I think PGi should screw up with this 90m minimum, and give it a kind of rampup damage starting with 5damage at 0m. That dead zon is really a bad feature for a weapon in mwo.

[chucklesMuch]

cazidin, on 14 December 2016 - 04:55 PM, said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations thus far. Any others? I might even consider a medium mech, if you can... ...sell me on it. YEAH!!

HBK IIC-A is a good medium choice and so are Huntsman's. (I think I mastered the last three on mine as pop tarts, no loyal summoner… but still very useful) , maybe a ECM shadow cat - but nah really you want MG’s instead post patch.... and you wont have enough ammo room for more than 1 erppc

and if a light then you need an ADDER prime!

[Lyoto Machida]

Lily from animove, on 14 December 2016 - 05:26 PM, said:

I think PGi should screw up with this 90m minimum, and give it a kind of rampup damage starting with 5damage at 0m. That dead zon is really a bad feature for a weapon in mwo.

A casualty of the poptart era...we had damage that ramped up from 0-90 meters at one point but they took it away:

Gameplay

• SRM2 and SRM4 cooldown times reduced to 2.5s and 3.25s respectively.
  
• PPC damage under 90m has been reduced to 0.
  
• Gauss Fire Delay:
  
  • The Gauss Rifle requires a 0.75 second charge before it will fire.
    
  • Once charged, the shooter has 1.25 seconds to fire the round.
    
  • If not fired during the 1.25 second charge, the Gauss Rifle will instantly dissipate the charge and require another charge to fire.
    
  • Both the cooldown bar and the weapon group ready light will turn green when the Gauss is ready to fire.
• PPC base heat increased to 10 (up from 9).
  
• ERPPC base heat increased to 15 (up from 13).
  
• PPC/ERPPC projectile speed slowed to 1500m/s down from 2000m/s.
  
• Gauss projectile speed increased from 1200m/s up to 2000m/s, internal health increased to 5 (up from 3).
  
• Reduced the size of the Kintaro's center torso hit boxes by increasing the coverage of the side torso and leg hit boxes.
  
• Reduce lava damage/second by 30%.
  
• Advanced Zoom Module's implementation slightly changed giving it increased picture fidelity. Instead of returning to the default FoV before overlaying the PIP, it now zooms in closer and then applies the PIP zoom.
  
• Small changes to the third person camera position and angle to better show off the lower half of the 'Mech.
  
  • Known issue: The tops of the following 'Mechs partially obscure the player's view of where the crosshairs are aiming. A fix is currently being worked on.
    
    • Cataphract
      
    • JagerMech
      
    • Orion

https://mwomercs.com...ember-3rd-live/

[Karl Streiger]

Thunderbolt 9S.... the binocular ER PPC - is one of the best PPC mounts in the whole game.