3 replies to this topic

[simon1812]

Should be a thing

https://www.sarna.ne...Chemical_Lasers

"In the late twentieth and early twenty-first 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 power plants 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.[13]

There is currently not an Extended Range, Pulse, Heavy or Micro version of the chemical laser."

[JumpingHunter]

To be honest, i don't think that they would be so good in MWO for a bunch of reasons, despite the fact that i personally really like their design ideas.

MWO doesn't have Internal Combustion Engines, so the main purpose of these laser would not be in game.
MWO lasers are currently either be boated or used in small amounts as a backup tool. Chem Lasers would not be able to be boated (of which i am thankful personally) because of horrific ammonition consumption of any reasonably powerful laser boat. As for backup weapon - they would probably be too unreliable, simply because even Medium Chem Laser would weight too much even with 0.5 ton of ammo and would just live on a borrowed time until it rans out of ammo.

This would leave them one good use - they could be rather effective main weapon platfor if only one or two are installed on mech. Probably would be good for some lights, but i dont really think it would really be an better than usual lasers, especially for clans with their double heat sinks.

Though i personally would still love to see both chem lasers and chem PPCs in MWO. I love periphery tech,

[KursedVixen]

also they explode so not ideal and they only seem to be clan so...

Edited by KursedVixen, 30 July 2023 - 05:59 PM.

[simon1812]

Despite all those reasons, I would still love those weapons implemented in This game some how.