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What connects all these weapons? Ammo dependancy, like in ordinary ballistic and missile weapons.
So let's do a quick showcase.
Plasma Rifle
The Plasma Rifle was developed by the Capellan Confederation. Based upon their man-portable version, the Confederation was able to create what is essentially a massive Flamer.
Plasma weapons use the power of the fusion engine or power amplifiers to power an electromagnetic accelerator that fires a stream, pulse or toroid of plasma (i.e. very hot, energetic, and excited matter). The plasma is created by using a lasing process to flash cartridges of plastic foam into white-hot projectiles that cause thermal as well as physical damage. Because this foam ammo is inert, it cannot explode even if it is destroyed.
The primary damage mechanism of these is thermal transfer; the weapon causes serious burns, and often immediate death of living creatures, and melts or evaporates other materials. The plasma weapons may also have a significant kinetic energy component, that is to say the ionized material is projected with sufficient momentum to cause some secondary impact damage in addition to causing high thermal damage.
Source: Sarna.net
In addition to fixed 10 points of damage, it generates 1-6 points of heat at 'Mech (TT values).
Plasma Cannon
The Plasma Cannon was developed by Clan Diamond Shark based on the man-portable plasma rifle of the Capellan Confederation. Like the Capellan version, the Plasma Cannon uses lasers to super-heat a plastic foam into a volatile "plasma" state which is then launched at a target by magnetic acceleration. Unlike the Capellan version, the Clan Scientists focused exclusively on heat generation, making the Plasma Cannon cause nearly twice as much heat damage on the target.
The only damage mechanism of this weapon is thermal transfer; the weapon causes serious burns, and often immediate death to living creatures, and melts or evaporates other materials. The Plasma Cannon does not have a significant kinetic energy component, that is to say the projectile is not launched with enough force to cause secondary impact damage.
Source: Sarna.netGenerates 2 - 12 points of heat at 'Mech (again TT values) and no damage.
Chemical Laser
In the late 20th and early 21st century, humanity developed the first lasers for combat units. Based on chemical processes, these lasers were bulky and expensive. The chemicals used to create the laser beam were also toxic and dangerous to handle. For these reasons, when reliable fusion powerplants became available, chemical laser systems were retired, and became little more than a footnote in weapon development history.
In 3059, the Clan Hell's Horses Scientist and Technician Castes received a mandate from their Khan: Find a way to make lasers that didn't need power amplifiers. With the preponderance of combat vehicles in their Touman, the Hell's Horses Khans wanted to devote more vehicle tonnage to weapons and armor instead of the power amplifiers required by units lacking fusion engines. The scientists and technicians weren't able to find any way to meet their Khans instructions until one of them stumbled across the ancient accounts of chemical lasers. Though the chemical processes still required toxic chemicals, improvements in materials technology allowed the Hell's Horses Scientists and Techs to create an improved lasing chamber that could accept "shells" that contained the toxic chemicals and isolated them from the crew. These "chemical shells" were then mated to an ammunition handling system derived from autocannons long used by the Horses, allowing the chemical laser systems to fire a beam of laser energy at a target without requiring a fusion engine or power amplifiers.
The chemical laser was deemed a success by the Khans, and production of Small, Medium, and Large variants started immediately. Though these chemical lasers have the performance profile of standard Inner Sphere laser systems and can actually run out of ammunition, they can be refitted onto Internal Combustion Engine or Fuel Cell powered vehicles without requiring additional power amplifiers, and can be equipped on ProtoMechs without counting against their Heat Capacity. In combat, the chemical lasers have more in common with autocannon or other ballistic weapons than fusion powered lasers, including the fact that they can't be used in strafing attacks.
There is currently not an Extended Range, Pulse, Heavy or Micro-sized version of the chemical laser.
Source: Sarna.net
In short: in parameters, these are esentially IS lasers, but with ammo dependance. And cooler that infinity-ammo brethen.
So, are you interested in these toys?
