I might as well add my thoughts to these test changes, since I tried them all out for a dozen matches. Please do note that all of my suggestions stick to the thrust of lowering the damage of Clan laser alphas, and merely aim to keep the weapon enjoyably usable and competent. All my comments and number suggestions are based on the posted PTS balance numbers.
Clan Gauss recoil: Straight up, I like this change. The recoil only lasts a short while, and makes the weapon feel more meaty to fire. I say keep this "nerf"
Clan ER and pulse large lasers: I love the ghost heat change! KEEP THIS AT ALL COSTS! I find the lower damage per burn more than worth it for the build potential it opens up. The heat needs serious tweaking though, especially for the Clan ER large, right now it heats more than it damages, a real no no for lasers. I strongly suggest 9.75 heat for the ER, and 9.5 heat for the pulse.
Clan ER small lasers: Wasn't this nerfed enough already? I would far, far rather see IS small lasers get buffed instead. As is, I'd much rather see them at 4.5 damage, 3.1 heat, 3.1 cooldown. No need to completely kill the mechs that depend on this specific weapon to perform. I suggest buffing IS smalls and ER smalls to 3.8 damage, and ER small heat lowered to 2 as a counterbalance to Clan ER smalls.
Clan ER medium lasers: Oh boy, this is the big one. As the nerf currently stands, this will fully kill the weapon, it'll be skipped at every single possible chance for heavy mediums and medium pulses instead. It still really needs a nerf badly, but not as strong as is being suggested. Instead I propose: 5.5 damage, 5 heat, 3.8 cooldown, 1.2 duration. This would make it roughly on par with the IS ER medium, rather than depressingly worse in every way but range. If absolutely nothing else, the heat must go from 5.7 to 5, or the weapon will be all but unusable on any mech that depends heavily on it to perform, especially Clan lights and mediums. Speaking of IS ER mediums, they desperately need their heat lowered to 4.2, if not 4, to have any serious usability.
Clan medium pulse lasers: This one seems mostly fine, though similar to ER smalls, I don't really see why this needs further nerfing. It does need one of two small tweaks though. Either make damage 6.5, or make heat 4.3.
Clan heavy medium lasers: The damage nerf is a little heavy handed, 8.5 damage would feel better, but overall it still feels like a usable weapon. For such a heavy damage nerf, I do suggest 6.75 heat, 5.25 cooldown.
Clan heavy large lasers: You forgot to lower the heat to match the lower damage, make it 14.5 heat. Otherwise, it's exactly the nerf I have been expecting.
Not that anything I say is gonna make even a lick of difference, which is depressing, but that is my take on the PTS changes all the same. Clan lasers needed nerfing, especially the ER medium, but I really don't want to see Clan lasers killed either. That'll just continue the same broken cycle of overnerfing a line of weapons hard enough to remove it from regular use, and that's not healthy for the game.
Edited by SPNKRGrenth, 18 July 2018 - 12:05 PM.