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The IS ERML is huge (at least for me), since it lets many IS mechs that lack the tonnage for heavier longer range lasers to compete against clanners to an extent at mid ranges (the achilles heel of IS was their lack of a light spammable weapons that could hit targets at ~400-500m for reasonable dmg while clans dominated that range bracket with the cERML and cLPL).
RACs are a mixed bag imo. On one hand, they allow a rather light mech the option to carry a ballistic weapon that has above average DPS considering its weight and size, but that DPS is very hard to use since its a stream of bullets that move rather slowly and just cannot hit the same component over and over on a moving target (or maybee my aim is just bad
). A single RAC-5 is vastly supeior to a single UAC-5, but ive not had the same luck with more RACs, they spread too much, they dont do much crit damage, and their on paper DPS is simply impossible to fully utilize against a competent opponent nomatter what range they are at. If you try to RAC someone at point blank they can more or less shield at will and you present them very easy to hit target, while at long range good luck hitting a mech let alone nailing a single component over and over. That and the things are really really toasty, they need to either drop the heat per second to like half of what it is, give it better DPS, or increase muzzle velocity so something can be hit reliably, otherwise, its a niche weapons best used on lights and mediums that cannot bring something like a uac-10 or dual uac5s.MRMs are trash because they are stream fire, incredibly inaccurate, and have very low projectile velocities. I think the weapon needs to have its spread cut in half for starters, with possibly a velocity increase to make it actually useable past SRM range against anything that isnt a fat assault or immobile targets (or that rare situations where you get a full on ball of enemies in a corridor. I like the concept behind it, but i really feel its DOA with the stats it has now, imposible to apply a large amount of the damage against moving/small targets beyond ranges where the much more powerful SRMs can be used at.
ATMs are also kinda DOA, it has no advantage over a LRM at long range, and it has that lame 120m min range up close rendering its ability to act as a pseudo SRM pointless. You are almost better off bringing a mix of SRM (or even streaks if you are potato and cant aim) and LRM if you absolutely have to use missiles on a clan mech, and you will do far better at any range but that teeny tiny gap near the far edge of SRM range where the ATM does 3 dmg per rocket but targets are too far away to hit with all the SRMs. They need to start out by removing the min range completely, then its still worse then SRMs, but its useable up close unlike LRMs so itd be a good omnipurpose but not terribad weapon. Then if its still bad they can increase the velocity of the rounds so they are easier to hit with perhaps.
IS UACs are amazing, the uac-10 in particular. I kinda wished it didnt double shot, but the damage is still alot more focused and lethal then the clan 3 shot model, and its close enough to teh ac-10 weight and size wise that almost every mech running a ac-10 could swap over to a uac-10 and benefit from the deal. Uac-20 is a bit worse, since you give up the 20 PPFLD for a burst, and that burst is only a bit more reliable in dealing dmg then the clan uac-20. A solid option though since you trade pinpoint for potentially double DPS jams aside. Havent played with teh uac-2 but its got the exact same issue as all the 2 class weapons, good DPS on paper, impossible to apply said DPS to a moving target outside of point blank range. At least its better then the regular ac-2 and kinda fun i guess.
Heavy lasers are incredibly situational as i expected em to be, but at least ive had some good luck with teh heavy smalls on my ACH. 39 alfa strike (and couldnt care less about the range) isnt too bad, and they only have 0.1s more burn time then ERSLs which i got used to after cSPLs were nerfed into oblivion. Ive also used the HLL on a SHC, but its super situational and i think ERLLs or the meta LPLs are a better choice. Only thing HLLs have is alfa strike, and that alfa strike is almost impossible to fully utilize on a single component unless the enemy is completely asleep. Still, they aint bad, and they do give low hardpoint mechs the ability to do high alfa strikes, so perhaps we will see more low end mechs that are getting screwed cause of hardpoint count become viable or maybee even good. At least the lasers have more heat efficiency then the ER series, thats the one saving grace of the weapons system...
Anyways, thats my opinions of the new tech that ive actually used in game sofar, feel free to discuss...
Edited by panzer1b, 18 July 2017 - 03:41 PM.
