6 replies to this topic

[Y E O N N E]

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Gas Guzzler, on 24 January 2021 - 09:23 AM, said:

Haha, I did actually take 10 seconds to think about that... I thought maybe you meant 6 LPL on the BLR-1G.

However, the BL-6B-KNT can do 3LPL 6 ML, and it runs pretty well. I have an XL350, but I'm sure you can run it almost as well with an LFE just a bit slower.

Right now, getting the MAD-4A to emulate the MAD-IIC is my thing. Observe, in order of increasing derangement:

60 points.

65 points.

68 points.

72 points.

If PGI would give it a 9th hardpoint in the right arm, this would be easier. A 375-sized engine would also not be unwelcome.

Edited by Ekson Valdez, 24 January 2021 - 11:42 PM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Miss Greene, on 24 January 2021 - 10:26 AM, said:

Right now, getting the MAD-4A to emulate the MAD-IIC is my thing. Observe, in order of increasing derangement:

60 points.

65 points.

68 points.

72 points.

If PGI would give it a 9th hardpoint in the right arm, this would be easier. A 375-sized engine would also not be unwelcome.

I think you are better off ditching the HPPCs and running 3 LPL, 2LL, 3 ERML.

However I am fully in favor of adding a 9th hardpoint, was really disappointed it didn't come with one.

The problem is, after trying the laser one I just mentioned, I went over to the SNV-1 and did 2 LPL 4 eRML and 2 HLL, so the goal posts have moved once again for me.

Edited by Gas Guzzler, 24 January 2021 - 10:47 AM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Or this

MAD-4A

[Y E O N N E]

Gas Guzzler, on 24 January 2021 - 10:46 AM, said:

I think you are better off ditching the HPPCs and running 3 LPL, 2LL, 3 ERML.

However I am fully in favor of adding a 9th hardpoint, was really disappointed it didn't come with one.

The problem is, after trying the laser one I just mentioned, I went over to the SNV-1 and did 2 LPL 4 eRML and 2 HLL, so the goal posts have moved once again for me.

Tried the full lasers, not as good because you have to wait that 0.5 seconds to avoid ghost. The MAD2, like all MADs, is best when duration is as short as possible so it can wiggle damage away. Plus the HPPCs allow some range trading as a side benefit.

Edited by Miss Greene, 24 January 2021 - 12:00 PM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Miss Greene, on 24 January 2021 - 11:30 AM, said:

Tried the full lasers, not as good because you have to wait that 0.5 seconds to avoid ghost. The MAD2, like all MADs, is best when duration is as short as possible so it can wiggle damage away. Plus the HPPCs allow some range trading as a side benefit.

I mean with the LPLs second the duration isn't much over 1 second, and is roughly equivalent to the MAD-IIC duration.

[Y E O N N E]

Gas Guzzler, on 24 January 2021 - 12:01 PM, said:

I mean with the LPLs second the duration isn't much over 1 second, and is roughly equivalent to the MAD-IIC duration.

It's 1.0025 seconds for all-lasers (regardless of which mix of large laser types, due to ghost heat avoidance) vs. 0.675 or 0.825 seconds (depending on whether you have standard Larges in there) for the HPPC if you have perfect trigger management in both cases. If you're going to do all lasers, though, it would be better to sacrifice 2 points on the alpha to run 5LPL+3ERML because the duration quirk puts the LPL at almost exactly 0.5 seconds with full skills, so you can use the end of one set of LPL to time the second set and stay more consistent and more heat efficient.

But that's all theory. In practice, what happens with the all-laser build is you end up just leaning on the large-class lasers because of the short cycle time and heat efficiency, and the 'Mech is thus better served by dropping the ERML and putting the spare tonnage to something that directly supports those big lasers. On the HPPC build, this doesn't happen because you don't have enough short-cycle lasers to make them a useful crutch and the cycle time on the HPPCs is long enough that you cool down about 50% of needed for an alpha in the time it takes for them to finish cycling. Best to expose once, delete, cool-off, repeat.

Edited by Miss Greene, 24 January 2021 - 12:32 PM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Miss Greene, on 24 January 2021 - 12:27 PM, said:

It's 1.0025 seconds for all-lasers (regardless of which mix of large laser types, due to ghost heat avoidance) vs. 0.675 or 0.825 seconds (depending on whether you have standard Larges in there) for the HPPC if you have perfect trigger management in both cases. If you're going to do all lasers, though, it would be better to sacrifice 2 points on the alpha to run 5LPL+3ERML because the duration quirk puts the LPL at almost exactly 0.5 seconds with full skills, so you can use the end of one set of LPL to time the second set and stay more consistent and more heat efficient.

But that's all theory. In practice, what happens with the all-laser build is you end up just leaning on the large-class lasers because of the short cycle time and heat efficiency, and the 'Mech is thus better served by dropping the ERML and putting the spare tonnage to something that directly supports those big lasers. On the HPPC build, this doesn't happen because you don't have enough short-cycle lasers to make them a useful crutch and the cycle time on the HPPCs is long enough that you cool down about 50% of needed for an alpha in the time it takes for them to finish cycling. Best to expose once, delete, cool-off, repeat.

So I played with both of these builds last night. The all-laser build setup with MB1 with the arm lasers and MB2 with the right side lasers (shoulder LPLs and RA ER MLs). I also have LPLs and LLs in their own groups 3 and 4. It worked pretty well, alpha if needed, sustain LPLs with minimal exposure if heat capped.

The HPPC build I found I typically favored the PPCs, I rarely used the lasers, but that may be due to the fact that the way these matches in quick play turn out, I rarely get to play the poke game in a mech this slow. This behaved a little more like a bracket build to me, too hot to use all of my weapons.

I liked both though, want to put more time into each and see how things level out.