45 replies to this topic

[Aku]

Do You guys prefer rapid fire weapons (pulse lasers, AC2,AC5, MG) or nailers (PPCs, large lasers, gausses, AC10,AC20, LBX AC, SSRM)? I never could've convinced myself to pulse lasers, even though their damage/time ratio was bigger.
The thing was that you had to keep the target in the crosshair all the time, which made it difficult to dodge if you wanted to exploit the weapon's potential. Plus pulse lasers are heavier and less heat efficient. Light AC could at least rock the cockpit. On the same time, with something like an LBX+SSRM combination, you could follow the quick aim -> fire -> dodge scheme.

When do You think short ranged burst weapons make sense? Vehicles and choppers? Or maybe on an assault, where you can't dodge anyway?

[Omigir]

I liked the 'big punch' method. I use a light mech and when i find that sweet spot, I want allot of damage quick so I can shift and move and avoid. With light mechs, as far as 'knife fighting' goes, I need to be able to do a hit and have it mean something so I dont have to come back to the same spot too many times. Otherwise they start guarding that side of themselves and before you know it your exploit is no longer valid or available. So to take advantage quickly, you got to have somthing ot hit with and so you dont spend too long there.

[Cattra Kell]

I always liked having one big punch weapon, such as a PPC or AC10, which was backed up by a few quick shot rapid fire-weapons, usually Medium Pulse or SRM's. Then again it also didn't help I tried to stay in the light / medium mechs for what I could put on it, so I usually had one main weapon with three or four quick fire weapon systems.

[LordKnightFandragon]

I prefer big punch, the less time your spent engaging one target, the faster you cna get rid of guns facing you and therefore both your win chances go up and your chances of living go up.....I was never sold on AC2/5s and the like. Sure they fire fast but their low damage always left me sitting here going Can you kill anything? You gunna die yet? Nope....Bang,bang,bang,bang......look at target status....65% better or more after 30-40 some shots where as an AC10 is KABANG! -30% to the target's overall status and AC20s are just BOOM HEADSHOT! I just dont like AC20s slow RoF, low ammo count and lack of range. AC10s and medium lasers are prolly my fav weapon. I like med lasers because you can mount enough of them to really give you some good punch where as AC5s are so heavy you cant mount more then like 4 and have any ammo capacity, Medium lasers are light and generate small enough heat to really put the smack down and their refire rate is pretty good as well as being light weight to mount like 6 or more. In Mechcommander 2 my most effective army was 3-4 Zeus with like 19 Er Lasers each with a refire rate of 2.5, I would rush in and it ws just like in movies, you see a bunch of flashes, hear the commotion and in less then a minute there is a field of smoldering steel, and it isnt my mechs....I also did the same thing in Mechwarrior 2, loaded my mechs up wiht as many med lasers as I could mount and rush in and leg the ******* AIs and then finish them off. Only in MW4 did I stop doing that because there they lost alot of their effectiveness...

[fallonsky]

lol big punch. i like how you can hit and run using it. it becomes less of a who has more armor and guns and more about stratagy and tatics

[Skwisgaar Skwigelf]

I'm with Cattra here, big main weapon with rapid support weapons. I'm also a fan of the PPC(or gauss)/medium pulse/srm combo.

[Alicorn]

I really like big punchers for the same reason Aku mentioned - hit the target, then run. However, I'm a huge fan of the rotary autocannons. (Maybe I'm part Davion?) Those just have such a fast fire rate you can just see it burn through the armor like a red-hot poker through ice.
If I have the tonnage, I'd probably go with multiple fast-firing weapons, that way I'd have the damage I'd need, but not have ammunition or heat concerns to keep my from taking any shot that presents itsself - because, really, that is the drawback of the PPCs and AC20s - you can't afford to miss, because if you do, you'll find yourself out of ammo before too long. (Or shutdown, which would be worse.)
HOWEVER, on lighter chassis, I can't typically afford to boat a half-dozen RAC-5s. So when it comes to individual weapons, I like a good balance - I want enough damage to break what I want broken, but I want it to be quick enough that I won't just get swamped if I get in a tight spot. As a result, I typically stick to me medium-heavy lasers and AC-5 and -10s, because they keep the balance of damage vs. speed/heat/ammo.

[Havoc2]

"Big punch" IS burst.

I think you're asking about burst vs. damage over time (or DPS).

I used to generally mix it up in order to make burst weapons into DPS (if that makes sense). Especially in MW4.

Run an assault or heavy 'Mech with 3 or 4 large lasers (chained in groups of 2) with as many burst ammo weapons as I could fit, also in smaller groups.

This way I could use ammo weapons like missiles and ACs to rock the enemy and use the lasers for extra DPS in between reloads. Or fire everything a second before I go behind cover for a big burst and some time to cool down.

the DPS weapons in past games have been set up so that they are less tactical to use unless you're standing still (bad) and have TONS of heat sinks. Or their damage is so pitiful they're not worth using (MGuns).

It would be nice for MWO to re-address this.

[Omigir]

Poor MGuns.. the red headed step children of the red headed step children.. I want them to be good this go around so I can use them and feel like I am doing some good...

or that the fea is not worthless..

[Havoc2]

The problem with the MGuns is that they are an anti-infantry weapon.

No chassis that is designed to ever see another BattleMech should be equipped with one unless it needs an anti-infantry weapon. Then it should have 1 (ONE!).

If PGI is intending that matches are 'Mech vs. 'Mech without infantry, vehicles etc. my vote is that MGuns do not even be included in the game.


If you want to draw attention to yourself, shoot off a flare.

[Omigir]

I do not disagree, but my other question is.. is there a weapon some where between an MGung and a AC2? like the 30mm nose gun off the A-10 warthog... anti tank and mean...

[Cattra Kell]

}{avoc, on 27 January 2012 - 09:28 AM, said:

The problem with the MGuns is that they are an anti-infantry weapon.

No chassis that is designed to ever see another BattleMech should be equipped with one unless it needs an anti-infantry weapon. Then it should have 1 (ONE!).

If PGI is intending that matches are 'Mech vs. 'Mech without infantry, vehicles etc. my vote is that MGuns do not even be included in the game.


If you want to draw attention to yourself, shoot off a flare.

I dunno about that, I have seen Belricks Annihilator in mech4 and the things hilarious, 100 tons of nothing but heavy machine guns, max armor, speed and ammo... it also rocks you pretty good.

Omigir, on 27 January 2012 - 09:46 AM, said:

I do not disagree, but my other question is.. is there a weapon some where between an MGung and a AC2? like the 30mm nose gun off the A-10 warthog... anti tank and mean...

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT, I agree.

Edited by Cattra Kell, 27 January 2012 - 09:47 AM.

[EDMW CSN]

Big punch. So you can take his head clean off with a Gauss rifle

[TheRulesLawyer]

I like the big bang weapons on a fast chassis. You can hit and fade back into cover while your weapon cycles. Not as much raw stomping power, but gives people fits when well piloted.

[armitage]

I always go for the largest alpha potential then duck into cover and wait for the weapons to reload. I have a hard time tracking weapons over a long period of time. I tend to spread damage out across the target with prolonged fire, so burst damage weapons play better to my style.
However you always need that one small pulse laser to widdle down the last points of internal structure when it comes down to the nail biters.

[Outlaw2]

Big Punch > burst(high ROF). Almost without exception.

Big punch allows you to focus down an armor section better. You can aim your shot so and it will all hit the same place much easier. Taking out one amor section one at a time is better than spreading the damage among many. In between "big punches" you can face away your target and protect and cover your own vunerable sections. Then only turn around when its time to shoot again.

With a low damage per hit but ROF weapons, you have to face your enemy pretty much the whole time. You are not able to hide vulenerable areas without sacrificing damage output. The opponent can easily make you spread your damage all around their mech by moving about.

}{avoc, on 27 January 2012 - 09:28 AM, said:

The problem with the MGuns is that they are an anti-infantry weapon.

No chassis that is designed to ever see another BattleMech should be equipped with one unless it needs an anti-infantry weapon. Then it should have 1 (ONE!).

If PGI is intending that matches are 'Mech vs. 'Mech without infantry, vehicles etc. my vote is that MGuns do not even be included in the game.


If you want to draw attention to yourself, shoot off a flare.

The same is true with almost all of the smaller weapons. They were not meant for mech on mech combat...technically.

However, smaller weapons have seemingly more efficient stats in TROs. In the TT it works out, but if you were to directly transfer those stats into the game, the smaller weapons would dominate the larger (case in point: large, medium and small lasers). Giving smaller weapons the same "better" stats but high ROF would balance it out a bit. MW4 gave smaller weapons both crappiers stats and low damage-per-hit w/ high ROF, which lead to smaller weaposn (even medium sized ones) to be left in the mechlab.

Edited by =Outlaw=, 27 January 2012 - 12:36 PM.

[Omigir]

Cattra Kell, on 27 January 2012 - 09:46 AM, said:

[...] n Belricks Annihilator in mech4 and the things hilarious, 100 tons of nothing but heavy machine guns, max armor, speed and ammo [...]

That.. omg that.. I saw something like this back in 2004 once.. At the time I was making a career of kill stealing (people would try and do a 1 hit alpha on an assault, mess it up and I would run in and take the mech before some one else could hit that dark red CT) In my cougar.. so some one gets fed up and they brought out one of those and holy cow my day sucked. That is not nice to light mechs.. at all..

[Solis Obscuri]

Cattra Kell, on 27 January 2012 - 06:06 AM, said:

I always liked having one big punch weapon, such as a PPC or AC10, which was backed up by a few quick shot rapid fire-weapons, usually Medium Pulse or SRM's.

This^^^

[whiskey tango foxtrot]

A combination of both and a 100 ton chassis to mount them on.........

[Fiachdubh]

Big Punch, if can land that first heavy blow with your weapons they will have recycled before the enemy can recover from the impact.