26 replies to this topic

[AedanCousland]

Hi, I'm a bit confused over this since it's slightly different terminology to which I'm used to. Does this affect range, or amour penetration or something else, please?

[Mighty Spike]

AedanCousland, on 28 May 2018 - 12:32 PM, said:

Hi, I'm a bit confused over this since it's slightly different terminology to which I'm used to. Does this affect range, or amour penetration or something else, please?

nope velocity is how fast the bullet travels when fired from AC or gaus. when its Ballistic velocity 10% the bullet travels 10% faster ,nothing else

Edited by Mighty Spike, 28 May 2018 - 12:39 PM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

The skill nodes for weapons plus targeting computers TC1 and above increase velocity as well.

[AedanCousland]

Thanks for the quick response but I'm not sure I see the point? Ballistics are already near instantaneous. It's not like you can duck back into cover before an AC hits you.

[AureliusDean]

The velocity of the round decreases lead time, the higher the better. For fun, fire a regular ppc and then an er ppc. The faster the round goes downrange, the better.

[AedanCousland]

AureliusDean, on 28 May 2018 - 01:03 PM, said:

The velocity of the round decreases lead time, the higher the better. For fun, fire a regular ppc and then an er ppc. The faster the round goes downrange, the better.

If I use UACs, should I be looking to invest in the skills that reduce this then?

[zaathul]

Velocity plays a huge role in aiming, especially at extended ranges or moving targets. Boosting velocity will definitely help with UAC's.

[AedanCousland]

Thank you all for the help

[BTGbullseye]

zaathul, on 28 May 2018 - 01:40 PM, said:

Velocity plays a huge role in aiming, especially at extended ranges or moving targets. Boosting velocity will definitely help with UAC's.

UACs and missiles... For everything else, it's not needed.

[Koniving]

BTGbullseye, on 28 May 2018 - 01:48 PM, said:

UACs and missiles... For everything else, it's not needed.

I disagree, PPCs are insanely slow outside of overquirked mechs.

As velocity affects everything except lasers, machine guns...and for some strange reason Rotary ACs also seem completely unaffected..

[justcallme A S H]

RACs are not counted by velocity nodes/buffs.

But come on... PPC velocity slow? ERPPCs for both sides are excellent and IIRC, buffed last time they were touched. They shouldn't be any faster.

cERPPC - 1,500m/s
IS ERPPC - 1,900m/s

IS ERPPC is basically as fast as a Gauss round on un-quirked mechs. While the damage to heat isn't great, you rarely miss with a IS ERPPC even @ 1200m.

IS HPPC - 1,200m/s
IS S-PPC - 1,200m/s
IS PPC - 1,200m/s
IS L-PPC - 1,200m/s

HPPC and S-PPC are strong for IS if a little too hot. So they don't really need a velocity buff as they are not super long range anyway. They also share similar velocity to AC10 (1,100m/s) and AC5 (1,300m/s) which are comparative projectiles based on range. So if PPCs are "insanely slow" then so are ACs... And ACs overally are pretty good right now and recently took a buff as well.

L-PPC is just rubbish overall. Need damage / range / speed buffs to distinguish it a little.

Edited by justcallme A S H, 28 May 2018 - 07:05 PM.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

Realistically, since PPCs are particle beam weapons, their "projectile" velocities should be relativistic (C-fractional, meaning a significant percentage of light speed).

Practically, they're fine where they are velocity-wise as a tradeoff: in exchange for PPFLD, you sacrifice the hitscan ability of lasers. If PGI would get the ghost heat dialed in to a reasonable tradeoff as well (~40dam for PPCs compared to ~50-60 for lasers, instead of 15/20/30 depending on which PPC you use vs. max of 78 points for lasers, making PPCs the clearly inferior option in nearly every case), we'd be in a pretty good place for weapon balance.

Edited by WrathOfDeadguy, 28 May 2018 - 08:08 PM.

[justcallme A S H]

WrathOfDeadguy, on 28 May 2018 - 08:08 PM, said:

If PGI would get the ghost heat dialed in to a reasonable tradeoff as well (~40dam for PPCs compared to ~50-60 for lasers, instead of 15/20/30 depending on which PPC you use vs. max of 78 points for lasers, making PPCs the clearly inferior option in nearly every case), we'd be in a pretty good place for weapon balance.

Just no... 50-70pt lasers is over 1.1-1.5 seconds.

PPC is PPFLD - Pin Point Front Loaded Damage. It is instant the second it connects. 2x HPPC for example is 30pts, you fire that 3 times you can torso almost any mech in the game with aimed fire where lasers requires much longer burn time, exposure and risk of incoming fire which a HPPC mech can totally mitigate. Shoot/twist/move. Lasers you do not have this luxury at all.,

PPCs are a weapon you need to understand to use properly and this also means being at Optimal or outside of it at all times.

[Tier5 Kerensky]

AedanCousland, on 28 May 2018 - 12:47 PM, said:

Thanks for the quick response but I'm not sure I see the point? Ballistics are already near instantaneous. It's not like you can duck back into cover before an AC hits you.

If the enemy is poking behind corner, correct, because mechs have pretty slow acceleration. But when moving full speed, from further range, higher velocity ballistics are more accurate than slower ones. And remember it's not just about hitting, it's about hitting the portion(called component) of mech you aimed.

[Bishop Six]

I am very disappointed about Light-Gauss velocity.

I build some mechs with 1000 - 1100 meters optimal range, but this bullet of LG is never ever over 2000 m/s velocity. It take ages that it reach its target, way slower than Clan ERPPC.

Edited by Bishop Six, 28 May 2018 - 11:49 PM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Bishop Six, on 28 May 2018 - 11:49 PM, said:

I am very disappointed about Light-Gauss velocity.

I build some mechs with 1000 - 1100 meters optimal range, but this bullet of LG is never ever over 2000 m/s velocity. It take ages that it reach its target, way slower than Clan ERPPC.

I can not use Gauss worth a crap, uacs work good as gold. UACs and ERLLs or ERPPCs are awesome.

[justcallme A S H]

Gauss is easier to use than other Ballistics given they are travelling at roughly twice the speed.

Charge time is easy to get used to with some practice and that is all its about.

[BTGbullseye]

justcallme A S H, on 30 May 2018 - 07:55 PM, said:

Gauss is easier to use than other Ballistics given they are travelling at roughly twice the speed.

Charge time is easy to get used to with some practice and that is all its about.

TBH, they're only good in certain circumstances... And outside of those, there's no reason to get good with them. I never even bothered getting good until I got the Fafnir. (1-hit headshots are the only logical reason to take gauss IMO) Compensating for ballistic drop and lead distance is much easier than charge mechanics IMO.

Edited by BTGbullseye, 30 May 2018 - 10:13 PM.

[Eisenhorne]

BTGbullseye, on 30 May 2018 - 10:12 PM, said:

TBH, they're only good in certain circumstances... And outside of those, there's no reason to get good with them. I never even bothered getting good until I got the Fafnir. (1-hit headshots are the only logical reason to take gauss IMO) Compensating for ballistic drop and lead distance is much easier than charge mechanics IMO.

My gausshammers beg to differ. Probably the single deadliest heavy mech in the inner sphere, I almost always take 2 or 3 in every faction play deck.

[justcallme A S H]

Gauss is good in all situations. 15pin point damage @ 0-700m it whatever, with no heat, is almost the best in the game.

Hence why most of dominant builds centre around Gauss/Laser combination right now.

Obviously HGauss is more powerful again but it has some limitations for IS mechs.