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(TL-DR)
- Clan lasers need some tweaking, but the lower alphas aren't the end of the world. They can be worked around, or with.
- Clan Medium and non-mg light Mechs need help, mostly in the armor department. Without the firepower advantage that lasers provided over IS tech, these guys are falling behind pretty spectacularly.
- IS assaults need an armor adjustment, as they pretty much faceroll anything else right now.
- Clan Gauss change doesn't change much. Still better than the IS options.
Some thoughts on the individual build archetypes -
IS Brawlers - These things are probably overall on top of the heap right now, whether that build be HGR, massed SRMs, or something running AC20s. They have the armor to withstand the lowered Clan alphas to get in range, and the Sustained damage needed to quickly drop a Clan assault. IS long Range mechs share this same struggle, and fail in the same way. (Though if i'm in an IS Laser assault, like a battlemaster or somesuch, i sometimes last a little longer before getting eaten.)
Clan Brawlers - Much improved compared to live - Probably second only to IS brawlers right now on the PTS. The MC-2 with 4xSRM6, and 2x LBX20 absolutely rips faces off. Similar experiences were had running linebackers and Orion 2s. Essentially, these guys hit pound for pound the hardest in the game under these changes, and only wilt when attempting to take down something with enough armor to handle that amount of punishment. (Usually a twin gauss Fafnnir/Anni.) Unlike the IS brawlers, these guys can't take as many hits, and need to be a little sneaky to get past the ERLL/ Gauss Spam, but if done right, they are absolute terrors.
Clan/IS Ac2/Ac5 Dakka - One thing I've noticed is that the ERLL change makes those mechs hit a lot harder, which in turn makes the lives of these mechs a little more difficult if you're doing the general "Sit at 5-600 yards, and dps down anything in the open," Plan. Overall, probably not a lot different.
Clan Pure Laser Vomit - The HBR and other similar mechs feel a good deal cooler, but also a lot less potent if running the exact same build as before. (In my case, 2x HLL, plus 4x ERML) However, this feels like much less of a nerf when you simply drop the heavies, and put in 3x Large lasers. Yes, the alpha drops just as far, and the heat is a bit higher, but now these mechs can hit out to 1km, instead of 600ish yards. It's a trade-off well worth taking usually.
Clan Assault GaussVomit -Previously, I ran a MC2 Running 2x HLL, 2x ERML, 2x Gauss - Under the changes, it now feels MUCH more effective moving over to 3x ERLL, 2x Gauss. The extra range provided now more than makes up for the 8 or 10 alpha compared to running with the heavy larges. I already generally shot the Gauss at the end of the laser burn, so that change made little difference to me.
IS Mediums - IS mediums felt much the same as before, in that if they could ambush someone, they did well, and if not, they suffered. Overall, mostly balanced, unless they attempted to ambush an IS Big. Then they got eaten.
Clan Mediums - These guys are hurting, big time. Previously, I had several cERML, and/or HLL lasers running on the medium mechs. They could burn someone pretty hard, and fade well, but not do it repeatedly without taking time to cool down. As it is now, these mechs cannot hit hard anymore, and still don't have the armor, agility, or DPS to brawl somebody. Arguably, my best success in a medium now was in my LBX40 Hunchback, or SRM/LBX stormcrow, which could still hit like trucks, but didn't carry the armor to take hits in return. If anyone got hit hard by the laser change, it was these guys.
Lights - MG lights are still fragile, but powerful. IS Lights - Also still fragile, but powerful. I really didn't feel these guys felt much different than before. IS pulse vs. Clan Mgs are still a thing.
Now, on to some suggestions:
- Clan ER Medium class lasers feel less potent than the ER Large lasers. They need a little help. My suggestion would be to bring the Heat of them down to 4.5-4.75 heat, as bringing the alpha up has them treading on HML territory, and bringing the Burn time down has them treading on Medium Pulse Territory. Bringing the Heat/Damage values inline with IS tech also allows the clan laser to maintain an overall damage advantage, due to the extra sinks usually found on the clan mechs.
- Clan Heavy Mediums Aren't worth the extra slots. Right now, with the Ghost heat limit at 4, the only real advantage to these is using them as a side-arm on a mech that has a couple of extra tons leftover for backup weapons. If we want them to be used as a main weapon from time to time, I'd suggest bringing the Ghost heat limit up to 5. If the Plan for heavy Lasers is to be the "Alpha" oriented Clan weaponry, they had better be capable of actually putting larger alphas downrange than their ER and Pulse counterparts.
- Clan Medium Pulse - Much like ER mediums, these guys have a tough time competing with Large Class lasers - Also, much like ER mediums, my preferred change would be to bring the Heat down to achieve an equal Heat/Damage Efficiency with IS tech, keeping the Burn time disadvantage when compared to those weapons, and letting the natural clan heatsink advantage come to bear.
- Clan Heavy Large - These Lasers right now feel like they're in a really weird spot - Very long burn times and shorter ranges make them unwieldy, and with the change to 3xERLL, their advantage of boosting the total alpha is also mostly negated. I still think they have a place as the "Alpha for ton" preferred leaser, trading away heat and range to achieve those alphas. In order to make them worthwhile though, I think they need just a little more heat efficiency. A drop from 16 to 15 heat would have them running just a little cooler, than now, but still hotter than the pulse variants. That way, they'd still be bringing big Damage if needed, and actually be able to use it, but still run hot compared to other options (Like the c-LPL)
Clan ER Smalls - I see the point in bringing down the alpha of the clan small weaponry, as it is needed to keep some space between the medium class weaponry - However, I'd go further in increasing its heat efficiency of the weapon. It's ok to make these weapons relatively spammy by making them cost almost nothing to fire. Additionally, if we want to create space for the Clan/IS SPLs, we can increase damage without increasing Alpha by improving the Cooldowns and heat efficiencies there as well.
- Clan ER Large /clan Large Pulse - Honestly, I feel like these are in a good place right now. They run as hot as their IS cousins, but have extra range, and fit better into many builds due to the size and weight advantages of the weapons themselves. I think we're good on these for now.
- Clan Gauss - I don't think i was the intended target for this change, but to be perfectly honest, I still see no reason I'd ever want to mount up an IS Gauss instead of the clan one. Since the prevailing theory is that everything should a trade-off, I might recommend a slightly longer cooldown to the clan variant. Key emphasis here on MIGHT.
- Clan Medium Quirks - These mechs are going to get quickly left in the dust if the alpha changes go through. They almost across the board are going to need some Armor Quirks, and agility improvements. (The only ones that might be able to go as-is might be the 3xLL shadowcat, and maybe some SRM/Brawling hunchbacks, stormcrows, or Huntsman. The Nova, Viper, Ferret, and Arctic Omnis are as good as dead without something to do non-laser related. These guys need some armor quirks, badly.
- IS Assault Quirks - With few big alphas left to hold back the Steel wall of armor offered by a HGR/SRM/AC20 based Fafnir, Anni, cyclops or mauler, these mechs can now just waltz up and smack their opponent in the face, and there's not a lot the other mech can do about it, regardless of whether that other mech is Clan, or IS. These guys are going to need a bit of armor toning down, in order to be a little more vulnerable to long range fire. (Regardless of if that long range fire is coming from a clan mech, or something like a ERLL+Gauss Nightstar)
Hopefully i covered everything, and if you reach this point, thanks for reading!
Edited by Daurock, 20 July 2018 - 08:10 AM.
