13 replies to this topic

[Steel Mike Eels]

I'll be surprised if this hasn't been asked before but I have a question relating to Rotary Canons. It probably applies to machine guns and maybe other weapons too but in this specific instance I'm interested in the RoF of the RAC2 vs the RAC5

I see zero info in the data about it but it's important. A RAC2 with an increased RoF vs a RAC5 might be more viable in the longer term encounter/battle.

My question is simple: How do we know what it is and how is it calculated? I see bullets spitting out but I'm usually busy trying to kill (or not be killed) so empyrical data is difficult to come by.

[Gasboy]

In Battletech, rotary autocannons fire 6 shots at a time.

If you assume that they do approximately the same damage per shot as they do in tabletop, at 6.6 damage per second, RAC/2s are firing just over 3 shots per second. At 11 damage per second, RAC/5s are firing just over 2 shots per second.

Edited by Gasboy, 30 June 2024 - 03:41 PM.

[epikt]

In MWO (not Battletech!), RACs fire 10 bullets per second: RAC/2 bullets deal 0.66 dmg for a DPS of 6.6; RAC/5 bullets deal 1.1 dmg for a DPS of 11.
More info here: https://mwo.nav-alph...eapons-and-ammo

About increased RoF quirks, as far as I know they are not specific to a certain caliber, but applied to all RACs (like on the Urbanmech-R60L and its +30% RAC RoF).

Edited by epikt, 30 June 2024 - 06:50 PM.

[Meep Meep]

Plus there are only four mechs with a rac rof quirk. Three urbies and one hatchetman. The urbies are probably the better platform.

[Steel Mike Eels]

Thanks for the info.

I'm taking from this that 2x RAC2s are significantly better than a single RAC5. Is that a fair assessment?

The info you've posted here is great but is there anywhere it can actually be seen in the game? If the answer is no, where is that data derived from?

I'm not looking at mechs specifically with a RAC quirk, I bought the Juggernaut in the sale and I'm having a ton of fun with it spitting bullets at all and sundry but it raised the question in my mind and made me wonder about RoF

I have to of course balance RoF with weight and slots - is there a guide for doing so? I'm not amazing at mathmatics and it seems there's a relatively complex equation to be factored in there; Weight x Slots x RoF = DPS/tonne

[w0qj]

You can equip 4xRAC2, or 2xRAC5 in the Nightstar NSR-10P(P) with ECM!
(Thanks to its HSL +1 for RAC2).

4xRAC2 is noticably better than 2xRAC5 on above mech.

In my book, 3xRAC2 is about the same as 2xRAC5 on my BSW-X1(S).
2xRAC5 does slightly more damage, at the cost of sacrificing some range and slower bullets. The heat over time is about the same too.

Conclusion:
4xRAC2 is noticably better than 2xRAC5 on above Nightstar NSR-10P(P), even before ECM is factored into the equation!

[epikt]

Steel Mike Eels, on 01 July 2024 - 01:12 AM, said:

The info you've posted here is great but is there anywhere it can actually be seen in the game? If the answer is no, where is that data derived from?

Not everything is displayed ingame, MechDB scraps the data from the game files after every patch.

Quote

I'm taking from this that 2x RAC2s are significantly better than a single RAC5. Is that a fair assessment?

Not necessarily, it depends on the slot space, tonnage, number of hardpoints and quirks you got.
Mostly because RAC2's dps/ton (0.825) is lower than RAC5's (1.1). Basically, on lighter mechs RAC5s are more tonnage efficient.
On heavier mechs with HSL+1, like the Fafnir you bought, 4 RAC2s is good because you can "waste" some tonnage.

Quote

Weight x Slots x RoF = DPS/tonne

Euh... no, this makes no sense.
To get the dps per ton, you just divide the dps by the weight.

[Stewbawl]

could I expand on this questions a bit?

there are quirks for rate of fire, but I don't recall seeing any skills. does cooldown skill effect rate of fire, or no?

that may pertain to the RAC2 and RAC5, but I'm also interested in machine guns as there is a BSW with a high rate of fire quirk.

[epikt]

Stewbawl, on 02 July 2024 - 05:43 AM, said:

there are quirks for rate of fire, but I don't recall seeing any skills. does cooldown skill effect rate of fire, or no?

that may pertain to the RAC2 and RAC5, but I'm also interested in machine guns as there is a BSW with a high rate of fire quirk.

As far as I know, the cooldown skill (and quirk) does not affect RAC and MG rate of fire.

Edited by epikt, 02 July 2024 - 06:48 AM.

[Steel Mike Eels]

Stewbawl, on 02 July 2024 - 05:43 AM, said:

could I expand on this questions a bit?

there are quirks for rate of fire, but I don't recall seeing any skills. does cooldown skill effect rate of fire, or no?

that may pertain to the RAC2 and RAC5, but I'm also interested in machine guns as there is a BSW with a high rate of fire quirk.

I've watched a lot of Baradul's videos and he always makes the point that Cooldown does not affect Rate of Fire for RACs or MGs. Given his undoubted expertise I'm pretty sure that's solid advice.

[Davegt27]

I fell into a burning rate of fire

lol

[epikt]

Steel Mike Eels, on 02 July 2024 - 07:39 AM, said:

I've watched a lot of Baradul's videos and he always makes the point that Cooldown does not affect Rate of Fire for RACs or MGs. Given his undoubted expertise I'm pretty sure that's solid advice.

Euh... I don't want to bad-talk Baradul, he seems a good fellow, but his expertise of the game is far from undoubted.
(for example his builds are often pretty average, to say the least)

[Stewbawl]

thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

[Meep Meep]

Davegt27, on 02 July 2024 - 07:49 AM, said:

I fell into a burning rate of fire

lol