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Why resurrect Power Draw, that much divisive system? Because we need something to curb the increasing alpha sizes that have near zero drawback to them. PGI continues to fiddle around with small iterative changes, which is good, but, it does not solve the fundamental problem.
The Problem:
The current problem is heavy laser vomit, and in general clan laser vomit. This is due to compact nature of clan DHS, clan Ferro and Endo with full weight savings, ability to lose a side torso with an XL for full weight savings, and in the case of heavy lasers, double slots for double damage and double heat. Couple all these features clan mechs get with stronger and double coolshots alpha strikes become easy if not pedestrian affairs at the 60 to 80+ damage ranges. Is can pull off some large laser banks as well, but, lack any large damaging lasers for cheap tonnage and slot commitment.
The Proposal:
In grand tradition of someone yearly proposing Power Draw, I propose it once again and urge PGI to test and implement Power Draw. Ghost heat is a joke as seen with the current the state of the game. This power draw system must be simple and clean of any other changes to the game put in with it and implemented without any other fundamental changes to the game. Allow a mech to come out with it, a map as well, but no quirk changes, no changes to how radar works, infotech, ect. This is to only impact how the flow of battle works and try to shift payloads to a more balanced player friendly state.
The Implementation:
I believe that the power draw cap being 30 was at very least a good start. This limits, effectively, direct fire non scatter weapons to 30 damage. Now when it comes to DPS sustained the question becomes how much energy per second comes back and that is the maximal DPS that can be sustained and then comes the question of "what is a healthy DPS for MWO?". 10DPS seems to be a good starting point, a default DPS for a lowball mech is around 3DPS, generally 4DPS is desired to be considered "acceptable" before civil war weapons came out and before the skill tree.
Lasers would be 1:1 damage to energy. Single Fire Ballistics would be 1:1 or 1:.9. Scatter weapons would become Damage*(1-(n/100)) n being number of projectiles from the weapon.
So that is all grand and what not, but, let's run some data to show for well, every weapon in the game.
Data:
Second sheet includes a calculator if one copies the sheets that shows how various alphas leave a mech in each tonnage.
Weapon: Damage, Projectiles, Draw, Notes
IS Lasers:
Flamer: .1 1 .1, DPS 1, so drains energy at 1 energy/s, would take 10 to stop energy production.
Small Laser: 3.25 1 3.25
ER Small Laser: 3.25 1 3.25
Small Pulse Laser: 3.5 1 3.5
Medium Laser: 5 1 5
ER Medium Laser: 5 1 5
Medium Pulse Laser: 6 1 6
Large Laser: 9 1 9
ER Large Laser: 9 1 9
Large Pulse Laser: 10 1 10
Light PPC: 5 1 5
Snub Nose PPC: 10 1 10
PPC: 10 1 10
ERPPC: 10 1 10
Heavy PPC: 15 1 15
Clan Lasers:
Flamer: .1 1 .1, DPS 1, so drains energy at 1 energy/s, would take 10 to stop energy production.
ER Micro Laser: 2.4 1 2.4
Micro Pulse Laser: 2.7 1 2.7
ER Small Laser: 5 1 5
Small Pulse Laser: 4 1 4
Heavy Small Laser: 6.5 1 6.5
ER Medium Laser: 7 1 7
Medium Pulse Laser: 7 1 7
Heavy Medium Laser: 10 1 10
ER Large Laser: 11 1 11
Large Pulse Laser: 12 1 12
Heavy Large Laser: 18 1 18
ERPPC: 10+2.5+2.5 1+1+1 11.25
IS Ballistics:
Light Machine Guns: .07 1 .07
Machine Guns: .01 1 .01
Heavy Machine Guns: .14 1 .14
LB-2 X: 2 2 1.98
UAC2: 2 1 2
RAC2: .8 1 .8, DPS is 5.82, this would slow the refill rate of the energy bar by 5.82 per RAC2, as an example bar would fill at just under half rate with a single RAC2 firing due to 10-5.82 = 4.18 energy/s refill rate. With 2 it would drain slowly, at 3 it would drain in under 2 seconds.
AC2: 2 1 2
LB-5 X: 5 5 4.75
UAC5: 5 1 5
RAC5: 1.5 1 1.5, DPS is 10.91, this would slowly depleat the energy bar at 10.91 energy/s per RAC5, or .91 energy/sec for 1 RAC5, or 11.82 energy/s for 2 RAC5's.
AC5: 5 1 5
LB-10 X: 10 10 9
UAC10: 10 2 9.8
AC10: 10 1 10
LB-20 X: 20 20 16
UAC20: 20 3 19.4, 17 is more practicle with a decrease in heat for UAC 20's, LB20's, and AC20's across the board to make them more viable weapons in terms of heat as things turn towards DPS away from alpha.
AC20: 20 1 20
Light Gauss Rifle: 8 1 8
Gauss Rifle: 15 1 15
Heavy Gauss Rifle: 25 1 25, 15 is to make them able to double charge and not stall a mech while preventing any other weapon from firing with them or shortly after they are used.
Clan Ballistics:
Light Machine Guns: .07 1 .07
Machine Guns: .01 1 .01
Heavy Machine Guns: .14 1 .14
LB-2 X: 2 2 1.96
UAC2: 2 2 1.96
AC2: 2 2 2 1.96
LB-5 X: 5 5 4.75
UAC5: 5 3 5 4.85
AC5: 5 3 5 4.85
LB-10 X: 10 10 9
UAC10: 10 4 9.6
AC10: 10 4 9.6
LB-20 X: 20 20 16
UAC20: 20 5 19
AC20: 20 5 19
Gauss Rifle: 15 1 15
IS Missiles:
Rocket Launcher-10: 20 10 18
Rocket Launcher-15: 30 15 25.5
Rocket Launcher-20: 40 20 32 (Given the recharge rate of 10 energy per second a 32 pull would mean a .2 second throttle decay, kind of a cool extra gimmick, could also just alter it to be a flat 30).
SRM2: 4 2 3.92
SRM4: 8 4 7.68
SRM6: 12 6 11.28
SSRM2: 4 2 3.92
SSRM4: 8 4 7.68
SSRM6: 12 6 11.28
MRM10: 10 10 9
MRM20: 20 20 16
MRM30: 30 30 21
MRM40: 40 40 24
LRM5: 5 5 4.75
LRM10: 10 10 9
LRM15: 15 15 12.75
LRM20: 20 20 16
Clan Missiles:
SRM2: 4 2 3.92
SRM4: 8 4 7.68
SRM6: 12 6 11.28
SSRM2: 4 2 3.92
SSRM4: 8 4 7.68
SSRM6: 12 6 11.28
LRM5: 5 5 4.75
LRM10: 10 10 9
LRM15: 15 15 12.75
LRM20: 20 20 16
ATM3: 6 3 5.82
ATM6: 12 6 11.28
ATM9: 18 9 16.38
ATM12: 24 12 21.12
Examples:
Example 1: Jenner Oxide 4xSRM 4 Bomber: Alpha Draw = 7.68*4 = 30.72 draw, barely over draw, with stagger fire for just a hair off (.072 seconds, by .72 energy/10 energy/second).
Example 2: Jenner IIC 6xcSRM4 Bomber: Alpha draw = 46.08, has to stagger by 1.608 seconds or volley fire with payload.
Example 3: Jenner F 6xML Boat: Alpha Draw = 30, can fire just fine.
Example 4: Jenner IIC-A 6xSPL Boat: Alpha Draw = 24, can fire just fine.
Example 5: Piranha 1 MG Boat 3xHSL 12xcMG = 20.7, can fire just fine, power draw refills at a slowed rate while guns are firing of 10-1.2 = 9.8 energy per second refill.
Example 6: Piranha 2 ER Micro Boat 15xERuL: Alpha draw = 36, can fire all but 3 lasers at once, so the body lasers can be fired as an alpha together with a .6 second delay before the arm and head lasers can be fired.
Example 7: Piranha 2 ER Heavy Small Laser Vomit 15xHSL: Alpha Draw = 97.5, can not even be fired in groups of 3, 30, 30, 30, with a 7.5 left over. This would eliminate this build from existing other than drop bear b33f tactics (which is where it is right now anyways, I hope).
Example 8: Hunchback 4G AC20 3xML: Alpha Draw = 35 would have to wait .5 seconds to fire the trio of ML's separate from the AC20, or, fire 2xML with the AC20 for 30 draw, and wait .5 seconds to fire the head laser to follow up.
Example 9: Hunchback 4P PartyBack (8xSPL's): Alpha Draw = 28, no issues alpha striking all day every day, energy DPS is fine here if not the range.
Example 10: Hunchback IIC-A 8xcERML: Alpha Draw = 56, firing in groups of 4 is 28 draw allowing for each hunch to fire it's full rack of lasers just fine for a still decent amount of damage and DPS, but, curbing the alpha strike ability. But, alpha striking is still a thing, just, throttle decays for 2.6 seconds, and movement controls would be also reduced for that time, restoring as more power was restored.
Example 11: Hunchback IIC-A 2xcERPPC: Alpha Draw = 22.5, can keep firing and jumping all day.
Example 12: Huntsman Pakhet 8xSRM6: Alpha Draw = 90.24, nope, groups of 3 though would work, down time between them would be 3.008, this would make it so 5xSRM6 is better firing 2-3 alternating with an alpha of 60, excess power draw penalty time of 2.64 seconds.
Example 13: Ebon Jag 4xHeavy ML + 2xcLPL Boat: Alpha Draw = 64, workable, would likely be broken into three groups, 2xHML, 2xcLPL, 2xHML.
Example 14: Grasshopper 3xERLL 2xML: Alpha Draw = 37, easily workable, ERLL's wacking things at range, during cool down ample time to use the ML's as those only eat 1 second's worth of power generation while the ERLL batter eats 2.7 seconds.
Example 15: Summoner 2xcERPPC: Alpha Draw = 22.5, keep jumping and shooting.
Example 16: Summoner 5xcSRM6: Alpha Draw = 56.3. 2-3 rotation for launchers and it is good.
Example 17: Black Knight 9xMPL: Alpha Draw = 54, with 24 over draw and a cool down of 2.8 native on the MPL, this build is too tight on draw to work.
Example 18: Night Gyr 2xcGauss 4xcERML: Alpha Draw = 58, firing gauss at different targets than using the ML's for makes this build viable, but, using both at the same target is not as viable, though given the low heat of gauss and the beam nature of ML's it is possible that it might be an edge case where it can still get work done with blowing off gauss then firing the cERML's mid flight.
Example 19: Night Gyr 6xUAC2: Alpha Draw = 11.76, doable, easily, with room to double tap, has to ease up on frequency of firing due to .72 rof meaning firing too fast will land it in having no energy, but, in .72 seconds it can fire 4 bursts (assuming no jams) for 48 damage, not bad.
Example 20: Marauder-3R 3xRAC2 4xML: Alpha Draw = 21.6, that is just to fire one shot per gun, with a dps of 5.82 per RAC2, that is 5.82 energy per second per RAC2, so an alpha burns 21.6 energy, and then you lose 5.82 energy per second beyond that, allowing for 1.16 seconds of sustained fire. In this time though one does 40.28 damage in 1.16 seconds before over drawing. Drop of one RAC2 is suggested for an increase of time to fire to 5.12 seconds allowing for a potential 59.6 damage to be done with RAC2's before energy runs out, making it much less energy tight, it also shows who shake and bake builds with mass RAC's can't work as well.
Example 21: Marauder-5D 2xMRM30 4xERML: Alpha Draw = 62, this would bar an alpha strike, however, three fire groups could easily work, or volley fire of the MRM30's between the cooldown of one another making the build keep working but prevent it from putting out as much damage as quickly.
Example 22: Mad Cat MKII 'Deathstrike' 2xcGauss 6xcERML: Alpha Draw = 72, with the long cooldown of Gauss this build can work still, however the 6xcERML over draws by 12 energy at 42 for the grouping. This would push for secondary weapons that fill a different role, like SPL's or MPL's.
Example 23: Marauder IIC 2xcLPL 6xcMPL: Alpha Draw = 66, given the short burn and short cooldowns alphas wouldn't happen, desync between is 1.6 seconds between the two allowing for a regain of 16 energy. 6xcMPL is overdraw of 12, thus pushing for removal or swapping to a lower draw weapon.
Example 24: Marauder IIC 'Scorch' 2xcLB-20 X 4xcSRM6+A: Alpha Draw = 77.12, given the LB's take up 32 draw on their own, no more alpha striking, it would leave the mech exposed for 4 seconds unable to move and just be a sluggish turret. However a .2 second hiccup from it's main battery of cannons is ignorable, call it recoil. The SRM6's though would be over drawing by 15.12 on their own, likely replaced with 4xSRM4+A, unknown what the extra tonnage and slots would go towards. This would bring the Alpha Draw to 62.72, which when separated out allows for actual use.
Example 25: Atlas-D 2xLB10X 2xSRM6 4xML: Alpha Draw = 60.56, ML's only make up 20 of the draw, 18 of the draw is the LB-10 X's, so with a good bit of draw left over between each type of weapon this would work, but alpha strikes would leave it pretty sad.
Example 26: Atlas-S AC20 4xSRM4 4xML: Alpha Draw = 70.72, too fast refire rate and too high draw rate, dropping the 4xML and swapping to SRM6's would allow for a heavier strike with SRM's followed up with a AC20 (or UAC20) with the time between shots allowing enough energy to regenerate to keep the pressure up.
Example 27: Annihilator 2xHGR 6xMPL: Alpha Draw = 86, already being rather slow stopping for 2 seconds while holding charge for both HGR isn't that bad, but the .6 second loss of throttle for firing all 6xMPL would. 4xMPL works out better in the end. Downside is given the large draw of these cannons mounting two of them on anything with 25 as it's draw value will be impracticable at best. This is due to 5 second cool down and 25 energy cost means at 30 energy you wait 2 seconds to begin charging the second cannon (unless it charges at a certain energy/s rate that is based on damage, but holds at the full damage value). Throw in the 3.4 second cool down on MPL's and you end up with a choice of “fire HGR 2 or MPL's” and it mostly just invalidates having a second HGR. For this it likely means HGR should have a lower value so they can be used. This will be explored in the Stock Fafnir examples.
Example 28: Annihilator 5xUAC5: Alpha Draw = 25, can alpha just fine, can double tap after 2 seconds, which is after the reload. This means that this build is dead, too many guns drawing at once, staggered it probably can work at doing 2-2-1 and not exceed energy draw limits and get a good dps.
Example 29: Cyclops 4xMRM30: Alpha Draw = 84, no alpha, launching two at a time leaves a mech sitting with it's rear out for anyone to shoot for 1.2 seconds. While not too big of a deal it can be in a critical moment. So two groups of two with a third group for volley fire firing every 1.1 seconds allows for constant volleys without exceeding power draw.
Example 30: Cyclops 2xMRM20 4xSRM6: Alpha Draw = 77.12, With the 2xMRM20 drawing a total of 32, this is enough to run on it's own as a single weapon group, while the SRM6's over draw by 15.12. This means it is either better to swap for an MRM40 to save 8 draw and do 2x2 on the SRM6's, or just normally 2x2 the SRM6's.
Example 31: Cyclops 6xSRM6: Alpha Draw = 67.68, at 33.84 for half an alpha that leaves a .384 second over draw period for each shot, 2x2x2 is best layout for firing, still works, but, no more deleting power.
Example 32: Dire Wolf 4xcLB-10 X 6xcERSL: Alpha Draw = 66, with ballistics on their own, this only has a .6 second over draw period, and lasers do not over draw on their own. Not bad.
Example 33: Kodiak 'Spirit Bear' 1xcLB-20 X, 4xcSRM6+A, 2xcSPL: Alpha Draw = 54.72, functions, no drawbacks here, separate weapon types into their own group and don't fire the SRM's with anything else unless in volley fire format as they generate 30.72 energy draw.
Example 34: Kodiak 3 (the old fear monger) 2xcUAC10 2xcUAC5: Alpha Draw = 28.9, can fire, can't tap right off the bat which declaws this build's main feature, needs .9 seconds until it can double tap UAC5's then another 2 seconds until it can double tap the UAC10's after that which is a total of 2.9 seconds so it ends up being a choice of “30 alpha and 10 tap or 30 alpha and 20 tap” at which point it is about “what presents itself as something I can hit .9 to 1.9 seconds after I fire” a full second tap can be done at the 2.39 mark just before the UAC10's come off cool down.
Example 35: Kodiak 3 4xcUAC10: Alpha Draw = 38.4, .84 second penalty time from alpha striking with a 3.84 time until it can fire it's alpha without penalty, far longer than cool down. This build is dead in alpha strikes. For alternating fire it is 19.2 draw per pull of 2 cannons, with a .84 second time until it can double tap or fire the other cannons. From this with the 2.5 base cool down one can have a near constant stream of fire G1 at time 0, fire G2 at .84s, Double Tap G1 at 1.68s, Double Tap G2 at 2.52s. While at 2.52 seconds it is optional to fire G2 again instead of G1, it shows how the DPS can be kept up. DPS is 8.4 with this method.
Example 36: Fafnir 5 Stock (1xMPL, 2xERML, 2xHGR): Alpha Draw = 66. The elephant in the room is dealing with HGR and the Fafnir as so it can work it's stock builds. At 66 energy draw, the 16 energy from the lasers is pretty much ignorable, with 5 second cool down one can fire one HGR and wait 1 second then charge the second and fire it without issue with the current value of 25 energy. Firing both at once would be a draw of 50, and a 2 second penalty. To me this is too far, instead a draw of 15, this allows a mech to charge and hold the charge and fire twin HGR without stopping.
Example 37: Fafnir 6U Stock (4xLPPC, 2xUAC20): Alpha Draw = 58.8. 20 energy draw from the battery of LPPC's, the UAC20's though pose a problem as each eats 19.4 energy per trigger pull. 2xUAC20, or even a UAC20 in this system, let alone the current system is not a viable weapon and would require adjustment as every weapon should be viable. To this end the UAC20 being put down to 17 would move it to an Alpha Draw of 50. This would mean instead of waiting nearly a full second to fire the other UAC20 or double tap with a UAC20, one can instead fire the other UAC20 within .4 seconds, or double tap within .4 seconds, this couples well with the long cooldown making an ideal spacing of shots between UAC20's (ignoring heat) of 0s, .4s, 1.7s, 2.5s, cool down or fire other weapons. If UAC20's went down in temperature (and AC20's) significantly this would make them viable.
Other Notes:
AMS and LAMS would not consume energy as they do no actual damage as power draw is 30 energy allocated to weapon systems while things like TAG, Narc, Artemis, AMS, LAMS, BAP, ECM, Stealth Armor, and Jump Jets are considered utility functions for the mech and governed by the mech energy systems.
Edited by Moonlight Grimoire, 21 February 2018 - 12:14 AM.
