Probably a bit late to post to be useful (real life got in the way).
The issues with wanting xpulse power increase are related to it being a high cycle, high dps face time weapon. Trying to increase alpha to use it as a solo weapon is a bad idea.
I think the way to fix these is to look at xpl as completely different dps increase complementary weapons…with mxlp being almost just right, and further testing required so, I will start with them in reverse order as there is less issue with these.
LXPL 1.85D 1.15H OR400 Max800m *underpowered, and optimal range too short for such a low powered sustain/facetime weapon.
Mod 2.2D 1.3H OR500 Max1000m *does not rob from ballistic, but work with them, leaves ER weapons to longer range alpha…possibly 1.4H or
Mod 2.0D 1.15H OR500 Max1000m *I think this will work best, without the need for more heat…may complement ballistic better.
MXPL 1.2D .75H OR240 Max480m *almost perfect, lacking some range to work with other weapons at optimal damage.
Mod 1.3D .8H OR260 Max520m *just enough to be more effective mid-range without ruining other weapons, and a small heat addition.
SXPL: A lot of chasing tail and guesswork…ignore if you don’t want to wade through it…or scroll to the mod list near the bottom.
SXPL is the hard one (why I did it this way). The feedback in game looks like people want it to be 1-1.3 damage, and in this forum maybe 1 damage but with reservations.
Instead of only looking at how much to add on, I though, look at it from as many angles as possible.
This is a 1 ton fast fire/cycle energy weapon that is influenced a lot by cooldown quirks/skill tree, the lighter the weapon is, the more exponential the heat curve needs to get as the damage level rises, if it producing less heat than that, it would end up min-maxed to so broken, no one would care what missile or ballistic weapons do.
Let’s use 1.2 damage for reference, that would produce damage not only on par with small alpha weapon output, it would get very close to medium weapons, it would require a massive heat penalty…1.2dam for 1.3heat potentially (allowing for quirk/skill min-maxing) so that 2.4dps has 2.6heat to bring such output on par with alpha outputs when looking at this being only 1 ton, and the damage would be identical to a mxpl with the only penalty being range.
Here is something to test…and why (test and see if this is the way to go)
SXPL .85D .35H OR135 Max270m *everybody agrees this is just not working for anyone…optimal damage only useful for toe hugging.
Mod .9D .4H OR260 Max390m *only up to 1.8dps but the range is for working with more varied weapons, srm to lmg, even other mixed ranged alpha, or
Mod .85D .35H OR260 Max390m *leaving it at 1.7dps with a range increase, whilst keeping the heat the same…should work fine in complementary combat?
The range increase would complement any of the mixed range weapons up to ersl without making them redundant…pay more tonnage, get more dps, or choose alpha over dps…free to mix and match…even complement lmg, rac, even ac2/lbx2, all fast cycle, at the cost of heat…let your imagination free.
For the power hungry. (why it should not be done…without huuuge heat cost)
The core mechanism of .25 cooldown .25 duration is the key reason the heat curve will need to get out of hand on a 1 ton weapon. The range reduction to keep it at 1 ton whilst remaining .35H with even 1 damage would be pointless, as it would not be a complementary dps weapon, just a singular use weapon…and not a good one.
SXPL .85D .35H OR135 Max270m *see above…just std reference stat.
Mod 1.2D 1.3H OR135 Max270m *only good for toe huggers, any extra range would redundant most short range weapons (this is an extreme test example).
I am pretty sure the heat will be about right for that output at 1 ton on high cycle and, prove that 2+dps on sxpl it is a risky to bad idea…also 1.2 damage is the same as the mxpl so easy to test/experience in game…not meant for 1 ton without harsh penalties applied.
(please test)…pinpoint energy 2+dps = deadly…especially at 1 ton .35H/.7sec with chassis quirks and skill tree maxed to add to the tally…to bring on par with alpha weapon heat curves = 1.3H/2.6sec heat…even though this would be 2.4 damage sec.
That heat is easily absorbed in the short run (very short) and, can not be permitted to sustain on fast cycle, or for 1 ton energy weapon design this will get way out of hand…it is in effect a 1 ton mxpl sought for a bargain.
1.3H would prevent it running for any length of time, and more importantly stop a mass swarm of these weapons on any chassis with more than 4 energy hard points, but it would also be pointless to carry as there would be better options with other weapons.
I think the purpose of the sxpl should be a complementary mixed range dps boost, not a solo weapon…hence a focus on range change over heavy increased dps output (even if small increments do not seem excessive, the fast cycle+quirk+skill = way out of hand real fast at 1 ton)…then add extra heatsinks, more cooling skills and it completely becomes a nightmare…see below
https://mwo.nav-alph...b9ec0abb_FLE-17 nothing fancy, no cooldown quirks, no duration changes, just 7 sxpl = 5.95 damage per shot + 15% cooldown = 6.8425 per shot dps related. This is with 2.1 alpha = 4% of heat capacity at 45% efficiency…now add cool running etc, this starts looking really good.
Then take into account how many shots hit, and spread, and everyone ends up “not happy”…the current situation. (effectively 10% more damage, in combat is translating to 10-15% less effect than spl)
The core mechanic of the weapon has so many symbiotic influences it becomes very complicated to track, the focus right now is people just want to adjust the damage up.
Change this to 1 damage = 7 per shot + 15% = 8.05 damage dps just with cooldown in tree. No adjustment to duration or any other process that can influence. That is 16 damage dps every second from 7 ton using 4% of heat capacity per shot, with almost no other skill/quirk to influence outcomes…and a face time flea (behind/toes etc).
https://mwo.nav-alph...fda18628_FLE-17 using sl which are the most heat efficient energy weapons in the game we get 26.25 damage for 3.5 ton, allowing for more heatsinks, and even a lfe engine, and 103% efficiency, allowing any skill/quirk to have negligible effect on heat capacity, and at 15% cooldown brings it just under 1 shot every 2 seconds (1.9125) = 13.725 damage per second effectively but easier to say in combat 26.25 damage every 2 seconds (we will get back to this number)
https://mwo.nav-alph...dd155e23_FLE-17 using spl which is the closest comparative weapon there is we get 28 damage for 7 ton, but this works out to 1.785 seconds between shots with the 15% cooldown, not close enough to call it 1 shot per 2 seconds, the game outcome is better than that. For now lets just concentrate on the 20% alpha at 53% efficiency…and we have done no other mods yet…maxed out it will take 12 seconds to get an extra shot, so that is not my focus here.
What we have in this example
SXPL 23.8D every 2 sec (27.37D dps related with just 15% cooldown) effectively 15% heat per 2 second with no quirk/skills assigned.
SL 26.25 every 2 sec…what heat…103% efficiency.
SPL 28D every 2 sec (even though we know it is better than this with just 15% cooldown)
All three look pretty close over 2 seconds even though others have already shown that the gross amount of the sxpl is around 10% more than spl whilst achieving a net combat result around 10-15% less than the spl…but chassis quirks change this a lot.
…I started delving into extreme chassis examples to show how close to 30% gain over spl can be achieved (which would be a 10% net combat above spl) but it just got massive; so I shortened it…(yes this is the short version!)
https://mwo.nav-alph...e1688854_FLE-17 Take this as a template and see the difference just swapping the sxpl for mxpl (compare the 1.2 damage) and that is on a chassis with almost nothing to influence the sxpl. Whilst the combination of sl + sxpl being a more complementary build with better heat efficiency, and a good alpha for opportunity shots.
At 2+dps it becomes a tricky weapon design for this 1 tonnage on 1 slot at high cycle. As an energy weapon…it lacks the spread compared to missiles, or even machine guns, limiting range will not save it from being a bad weapon, which only leaves heat/slots/weight or changing the core mechanic of the weapon.
eg: AC2 great at range, easily mauled by high alpha, dps good, 1 slot; trade = tons…the sxpl could be designed 1.5-2ton? For 2+dps?...that would be the trade for low heat, short range, high cycle, high dps. To stay 1 ton for 2+dps with this mechanism would require a scary heat penalty…that is why the mxpl hits the goldilocks zone.
For the power hungry. (in a way it could work?...there is much guesswork afoot below)
SXPL .85D .35H OR135 Max270m 1ton *see above…just std reference stat.
Mod 1.2D .35H OR135 Max270m 2ton *you can have the dps as high as 2.4-2.6 and have .35H/.7sec but it would need to be at 2ton, with short range.
Mod 1.2D .8H OR135 Max270m 2slot *restricted to 4 (I do not know if this would work, risks someone finding a way to break it)…some light/medium?
Mod 1.0D .8H OR135 Max270m 1ton *possibly .6H if restricted to 4 (currently no ghost heat)…the CRD:6T, any light/medium with more than 4E.
The modified list then looks like a machine gun catalogue…appropriately labelled (all for speculation not intended as a definitive answer to the SXPL)
LSXPL .9D .4H OR260 Max390m *only up to 1.8dps but the range is for working with more varied weapons, srm to lmg, even other mixed range alpha.
LSXPL .85D .35H OR260 Max390m *leaving it at 1.7dps and the range increase, whilst keeping the heat the same…should work fine in complementary combat?
SXPL 1.0D .8H OR135 Max270m 1ton *possibly .6H if restricted to 4 (currently no ghost heat)…the CRD:6T, 4E+lights/mediums would break it.
HSXPL 1.2D .8H OR135 Max270m 2slot *restricted to 4 (I do not know if this would work, risks someone finding a way to break it)..some light/medium?
HSXPL 1.2D .35H OR135 Max270m 2ton *you can have the dps as high as 2.4-2.6 and have .35H/.7sec but it would need to be at 2ton, with short range.
My guess the one most people will like is the middle “SXPL” but I think it should exist as .6H and restricted to 4…too many ways to break it above 4(heatsinks/cooling etc)
I get it that xpl shots will be all over the place compared to single alpha shots (you hit or miss full power) but complementary dps increase for other weapons is the way to focus I think.
As should all the xpl range. They should not be thought of as solo weapons; instead, complementary dps boost to other weapons…I get it that high dps can be a build, but it should be at a cost (weapon fire all over, tonnage, heat, less individual damage per shot…etc).
Range is less of an issue(sort of) as face time opens you up to higher alphas, reduces successful shots on target, and is compensated with tonnage trying to add more dps weapons to match that high alpha…or it should be…sxpl is the problem child.
Hopefully this takes the sxpl particularly on a different path…this is all my own 2 cent worth…combination of math + guess work trying to factor actual combat outcome across a number of different chassis…especially light/medium as best I can.
Future patches will show the way, just thought looking at it from more than just increasing damage levels, could provide a better weapon design.
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MechMaster059, on 24 August 2023 - 10:25 PM, said:
