7 replies to this topic

[Sir Immortal Shadow]

I'm a mostly Inner Sphere player, and I'm not fully satisfied with the Autocannons, nothing major enough for me to consider an issue other than wanting a bit better velocity and possibly heat on the AC/5. But the one thing I really wish we had was something in between machine guns and full scale Autocannons, and add some medium range medium weight ballistics. Obviously the light AC/2 and /5 came to mind.
I know there's got to be other people out there thinking the same thing. But I have a decent mind for balance and thought I'd share my idea for what the LACs would be like stat-wise. What do you guys think? These are just suggestions so don't call me dumb if you disagree with anything.
Light AC/2:
2 damage, 420 optimal range, 1450 velocity, 0.8 cooldown, 2.5 dps, 0.7 heat, 4 tons, 1 slot
Light AC/5:
5 damage, 310 optimal range, 950 velocity, 1.95 cooldown, 2.56 dps, 1.6 heat, 5 tons, 3 slots
Gonna like my own post.

Edited by Sir Immortal Shadow, 23 February 2018 - 10:48 PM.

[Sir Immortal Shadow]

The LAC/5 is interesting, because if I used the straight tabletop stats and made it an AC/5 with AC/10 range for 5 tons, it would be an insanely powerful weapon. Pairs would weight 10, do 10 damage, and have 6 dps, stomping AC/10s and RAC 5s utterly. Trios would weigh 15, do 15 damage with 9 dps and far greater range and velocity than AC/20s. Ouch.
So I gave them a reduced rate of fire and range, pitching them as a lighter, more reliable alternative to Ultra 20s, as they still easily outsrip the dps of regular AC/20s. One drawback to help balance this is how they eat up hardpoints, and ghost heat should keep them ever being mounted more than 4 at once and utterly changing the brawling game.
A Rifleman or Jaegermech mounted with 4 is powerful, but also forced to rely on backup weapons to be truly scary, and can't fully spam cold ballistic damage the same way ultra and rotary Autocannons can, the way youd see on a ballistic assault mech.
All told it would still be one of the most versatile brawling weapons available.

Edited by Sir Immortal Shadow, 16 February 2018 - 10:39 AM.

[Sir Immortal Shadow]

The LAC/2 is in my opinion just lovely.
I don't think AC/2s really shine at long range anyway, spraying damage all over the place. It often takes medium range to be able to sustain fire on a target, follow around cover, and make the most on an AC/2s dps. The LAC/2 opens up a whole new world for lighter mechs: medium range ballistics, and at a tonnage you can afford. With reliable high dps per ton, the LAC/2 is powerful in twin, quad, or even six-mounts, and shares some of the RAC/5s role: cold DPS. But unlike other Autocannons, it leaves enough weight on lighter mechs for things like heat sinks and more energy weapons. Of course, as a single weapon it is not very impressive, being the feeblest autocannon. Despite its good dps per ton, you must face the enemy to take advantage of it, and it doesn't the range and velocity of the AC/2 or the range and suppressive power of the RAC/2 to do so safely. With this weapon you'll be relying on either your other weapons, your teammates or both to get your damage on target properly.
Builds that formerly combined ACs with other weapons can upgrade, such as the BJ-1DC, with it's generic ballistic quirks and lots of energy hardpoints can try a pair of LAC/2s and a pair of Large Lasers in the high mounts, and maybe 4 medium or small lasers in the torso. With both a formidable laser and ballistic loadout you can rely on your lasers and save your ammo for when you're ready to face down the enemy at full power, or when you're running hot.

Edited by Sir Immortal Shadow, 16 February 2018 - 10:31 AM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Twin LAC-5s + 2LLs/4MLs + an MRM 20 or 30 would be a nice loadout for a Battlemaster assuming sufficient tonnage.

[BTGbullseye]

I only support this if you agree to allow HAGs for the Clans.

[Spare Parts Bin]

BTGbullseye, on 28 February 2018 - 04:19 PM, said:

I only support this if you agree to allow HAGs for the Clans.

HAGs sound nasty based on the lore.

[BTGbullseye]

They are... Though no more so than a lighter weight AC that still hits the same in the average engagement ranges, at least with the current design of the game allowing people to boat a whole bunch of them.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Twin LAC-5s with ERLLs, MRM-20s sounds great, could use this on Catapult K2 or Battlemaster.