45 replies to this topic

[Phades]

Front loaded damage is always superior to DOT.

[Orzorn]

Phades, on 31 January 2012 - 07:49 PM, said:

Front loaded damage is always superior to DOT.

Not true. Front loaded damage often has to deal with longer times between salvos, whereas focus on damage-over-time can cause the target's cockpit to constantly shake.

Front loaded is superior against small targets that are taken out in one salvo, but very large targets take many more salvos, and in the mean time they're also beating on you like mad. In that case, its nice to have someone on your lance with a good damage-over-time build that constantly knocks them around.

The truh is that both types of damage are needed, otherwise you lose the ability to control hard hitting enemies (if you lack damage over time), or you lose the ability to quickly remove threats (if you lack front loaded damage).

[Phades]

Orzorn, on 31 January 2012 - 08:49 PM, said:

Not true. Front loaded damage often has to deal with longer times between salvos, whereas focus on damage-over-time can cause the target's cockpit to constantly shake.

Front loaded is superior against small targets that are taken out in one salvo, but very large targets take many more salvos, and in the mean time they're also beating on you like mad. In that case, its nice to have someone on your lance with a good damage-over-time build that constantly knocks them around.

The truh is that both types of damage are needed, otherwise you lose the ability to control hard hitting enemies (if you lack damage over time), or you lose the ability to quickly remove threats (if you lack front loaded damage).

DOT is meaningless when there is cover present.

[Rayge]

Math has always supported the 'many small hit' as opposed to the 'huge periodic hit' simply because missing with a 'big punch' attack puts a huge dent into your DPS, where the 'many small hit' is much more forgiving.

[Phades]

Rayge, on 01 February 2012 - 02:47 PM, said:

Math has always supported the 'many small hit' as opposed to the 'huge periodic hit' simply because missing with a 'big punch' attack puts a huge dent into your DPS, where the 'many small hit' is much more forgiving.

Math <> player skill (or if you prefer =!).

If you are talking table top rules, sure you mix. If you are talking simulator FPS, you take your shot and then you get out the way.

Ammo considerations come later.

Although if you really want to take a math approach on the subject, riddle me this.

Both machines start firing at 0. One machine delivers 40 damage, while the other delivers 16 in the first second. Line of sight is then broken. If the 2nd machine could continue to deal 16 per second, how much damage does it deal with no line of sight? It is pretty simple. This isn't like a MMO game where your hit continues to do damage while the other player retreats, or the only considerations for DOT being made are when both individuals are melee range.

Cockpit shake and other factors actually hamper the DOT guy more than the single shot guy, since the DOT guy has to know the exact moment when the single shot guy is going to fire. Also, in the same vein of thought, suppression fire really doesn't exist due to heat mechanics and silly ammo constraints present within the battletech universe.

[Rayge]

That's true that if you only have enough time to fire once, of course you'd want to deal the maximum amount of damage.

I think a better way to say it would be, if you were ambushing someone with DOT, you would do less damage before they had time to react (by rotating their vulnerable rear-end away from you). Where if you had a high damage weapon, you could make the most out of it. If that makes any sense.

Edited by Rayge, 01 February 2012 - 03:23 PM.