SOL Ranger, on 16 July 2017 - 06:10 AM, said:
There is a major factor involved concerning effective dps vs. theoretical dps that seems to not be taken seriously by many as if it didn't even matter.
The RAC suffers immensely in terms of poor effective dps just like any long duration or CoF weapon does, but it can display decent theoretical dps and that's what the defenders of the weapon keep repeating. When in reality it lacks any kind of practical or effective application and overlaps with UAC's role to the point of questionable existence.
Once you try to apply that theoretical dps you will get beat by anything else with alpha and half a brain, a simple torso twist will cause your streamed long duration damage to become at least 66% less effective if the CoF didn't already ensure that. Whereas anything pinpoint like UAC's has already landed an alpha burst with near 100% effective damage on you before you even start firing and they can torso twist freely and get to safety, this well before the RAC boat can stop staring or finish applying his ineffectual burst damage.
That is the current burst role of the RAC, an utterly failed role that overlaps the UAC without any redeeming qualities as I see it especially when taking into account the meta gameplay, it's an overgrown machine gun that randomly jams with even more drawbacks and doesn't stand a chance against the well established alpha meta that exists.
Also if for some reason the RAC's have to stop and start firing again they keep generating extra jam chance during the spin sequence especially in the peek meta when trying to time and train the guns on target. The utterly silly spin up jam gauge mechanic guarantees long term dysfunctional behaviour even beyond jamming and reduces your effective fire duration even when doing effectively nothing at all but try to prepare to fight, why is that considered even remotely reasonable to happen?
This then to account for the more difficult fitting requirements and all the other drawbacks it has, right now I feel the impractical nature of the weapon is bordering the bizarre, as in it suffers quite literally from every possible drawback in the game I can think of except minimum range, maybe that too will be added in a subsequent hotfix?
The weapon mechanics design is like someone wanted to troll everyone who want to use it, it's that bad. It is extremely polarised and unreliable well beyond what could be considered reasonable mechanics for such a weapon.
It doesn't need more dps, it doesn't even need that high dps that it has currently, but it does need to be practically applicable in some manner especially in terms of duration and reliability to distinguish itself from the more unreliable but already effective bursty nature of UAC's more and become a proper assault weapon with which to apply pressure, again reliably.
The only reason to use this weapon when it comes is if you like miniguns and even then the sound effects aren't good.
I have no idea why PGI keeps adding these dysfunctional non-fun mechanics into the game like they do when there is no inherent need to do so.
I don't agree. The RAC can be very effective on a situational basis. People keep focusing on the peek and poke meta and boating but that isn't all you will face and some weapons just aren't made to boat and that is a good thing. Where the RAC excels is as a suppression weapon or when you have an enemy in the open or crazy as it sounds, a brawl when you have maybe a single RAC backed up by lasers or SRMs or something at least these are the times I found it effective on the PTS.
This is a great video that showcases part of what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily think the conclusions in the video are correct but watch the part that begins at 1:50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9drtI4xAsOM
This part of the video shows him using a Mauler armed with two RAC/5s verses a Mauler armed with two UAC/5s. The just stand there and fire at each other but in virtually all the tests, the RACs easily beat the UAC/5s and in the one where the UAC/5 wins, it is by the narrowest margins.
Now of course the UACs would be superior for Peek and Poke due to spin up and face time but what this illustrates is that RAC/s have a nice, stead and reliable DPS and can put out some serious DPS with them as well. You just have to be in the situations or create the situations that allow them to be effective.
You know I could try to explain it more but the reality is your either going to get it or your not. If all you can see when you see any type of AC is "Dakka, Dakka, give me more", then it is going to be underwhelming. If you can see past that then they aren't too bad or at least have a niche usefulness. Niche kind of sucks but the good news is, the IS are now the Ballistic Kings with so many Ballistic options it isn't funny. If you can't find something you like out of the massive selection of Light Gauss, Heavy Gauss, Reg Gauss, Standard ACs, UACs, LBXs and RACs, your never going to be satisfied. There are so many option now, everything is going to be Niche.