2
These are the optimum ranges to be at in order to consistently deal the maximum damage to a target the size of a turret (or in other words have all of the missiles/pellets hit the vast majority of the time). Probably ±10-20m depending on convergence of your mechs mounts. For reference, turrets are about the size of a Jenner's torso (specifically the body, not the thinner saucer section). Obviously, this is all relative, so if you're shooting an Awesome in the CT, you might as well septuple all of these ranges because you can't miss it, but if you're trying to leg an Arctic Cheetah then i would probably multiply all of these ranges by √-1.
Notes:
- PGI recently nerfed SRM4 spread. I saw a need to close 10 extra meters to achieve the same consistency as compared to before.
- SRM6 and cSRM6 seemed to have more spread compared to the last time I tested this 10 months ago. But artemis 6's seemed to have stayed the same. This could just be minor inconsistency in methodology, as the spread on 6's themselves is pretty aggressive and random.
- cSRM6 actually never consistently hits all six missiles, even when I closed to a distance of 2m (two meters!), but I didn't notice much improvement inside 40 meters, so that is the number I put on the chart. Oddly enough, I saw them hit 100% at exactly 64m for about 10-15 volleys in a row. Bizarre.
- tightness of spread seems somewhat irregular as it pertains to range. For instance, with cSRM2 I saw both missile hit fairly consistently at ~220m, but when I got closer, one of them tended to miss more often, and when I got to all the way to ~150m, I saw them both hitting consistently again, so I put 150m as the optimum range. This occurs with all SRMs, but I found it most noticeable with the cSRM2.
- I did not re-test clan LBs this time around, I used the values from 10 months ago - I don't believe PGI made any changes in that time, and I was starting to feel lazy after re-testing all the the SRMs and IS LB10.
- I still have not tested any mechs with spread quirks. Blah lazy. Maybe if enough people yell at me about it, I'll give it a go.
Methodology:
I equipped weapons in torso mounts reasonably close to the cockpit of mechs, and the mechs must not have spread quirks (for example, I tested SRMs on the Jenner IIC, Stormcrow, Wolverine, and Centurion). I test each weapon system for consistently landing all missiles/pellets on a turret in the Mechwarrior Academy, aiming slightly below dead center. Used a turret that I could approach on land without crossing water. If damage was inconsistent, I moved at least 10 meters closer and tested again. For each optimum range I found, I confirmed that full damage was applied ~10m closer, and that damage was noticeably less consistent from ~10m further away.
Past thread from 10 months ago.
