Down below are 4 videos with me and MischiefSC doing face-to-face comparison of ATMs vs. other missiles on similar mechs. "Duel" is not equal to 12v12 game by any means, but comparing same mech with similar builds gives some idea about these two weapons performance relative to each other.
I'll leave my comments and impressions in this post and hopefully MischiefSC will post his thoughts as well, so you'll see both sides of a coin.
Video#1:
Me in MDD:2LRM20+A, 4 ERML, NARC
MischiefSC in MDD: 4ATM6+4ERML
Initially it was intended to fight at 270+, so ATMs would be outside of their 3 damage zone, but it's worth to show how LRMs immediately lose once ATMs are in their "sweet spot".
Video#2:
Same mechs, 270+ range. Agreed not to use NARC.
Proper comparison of LRMs vs. ATMs outside ATMs "sweet spot" at 270m . Notice how similar LRM and ATM missile spread pattern is and how close ATMs flight to the ground at 1:15-1:40. Somewhat closer result than I was expecting, but LRMs are still better option at 270+ distance (especially taking into account their better AMS resistance and ability to fire indirectly).
Video#3
Me piloting MDD: 4ATM6+4ERML
MischiefSC piloting RGH 1-C:AC10+4SRM6A.
Fighting goes outside ATMs 120 minimum range, to see how ATMs could in theory perform without it.
Leaving aside the moment when I derped and overheated (Mischief was kind enough to forgive me that), duel went exactly as expected. ATMs hit like a Truck and made a lot of damage to RGH, but its insane durability quirks helped a lot.
We had a similar fight with me piloting SRM Maddog against same ATM Maddog with the same 120m+ condition. More fragile MDD was torn apart by ATMs without lots of troube (no recording unfortunately), maybe Mischef will share how damaged his ATM MDD was, don't exactly remember that.
Video#4
Me piloting MDD:4SRM6+A & 5SPL
MischiefSC piloting Orion-IIC: 3ATM9+UAC10+2ERML.
No range condition, good old fashioned fisticuffs, clan style.
Pay attention how MDD's armor just melts to the red condition only after 2 ATM salvos.
Pay your attention second time, how useless ATMs are with minimum range and that even on open 4v4 map it's not that diffucult to break the distance on more or less similar mechs.
Again, 1v1 is not equal to 4v4 and 12v12. I'll leave a link for some 4v4 ATM footage as well if someone is interested.
Conclusions:
1. ATMs hit like a truck (no, like "The TRUCK") inside it's sweet spot and something has to be done about it. Damage up close is insane indeed, and without nerfing it in some way, ATMs can't get their share of nice things.
2. ATMs have enough disadvantages (AMS vulnerability, velocity, flight paths, etc.) to be only situational weapon in their current state. They need a lot of love, but...see pt.1 above.
3. With minumum range ATM is just an LRM+ weapon, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Question is - do we need another set of LRM launchers in game? My thoughts - hell, NO.
4. I see two ways how ATMs may become balanced in some way:
Easy path, path of no resistance: ATMs retain minimum range in some way (linear damage scaling, 90m, etc.) and become another unreliable weapon, working in 1 out of 5 cases. But working extremely well in that single case. Sort of like LRMs.
Difficult path, path of making ATMs self-sufficient weapon: ATM damage should be scales down some way, weapon should be buffed to become self-sufficient.
I was thinking of 0-270 (or even 210, or even 180) linear damage reduction from 2,5 to 2 damage, velocity buff to 300-350+, flat predictable trajectories and reduced, almost eliminated tracking. That way ATMs become clan MRMs of some sort, with limited tracking abilities. That way they can have a role vastly different from LRMs and more or less different from SRMs.
Edited by AngrySpartan, 02 July 2017 - 11:03 AM.