45 replies to this topic

[Icebound]

Sugalumps, on 15 November 2012 - 12:06 PM, said:

Two things:
1) Why don't you see what the PPC EMP effects do in-game before complaining that it's not enough?
2) As far as being a temporary "nuisance", people are complaining about torso rocking from ACs, so a well-applied temporary effect can be quite strong. If you chain-fire PPCs on one mech, I could see the EMP effect being quite debilitating.

This. PPCs aren't completely worthless at this stage, they might be slightly underpowered but there are other weapons that are far more broken. I think adding the EMP effect will make them a very useful tool if they stop the enemy from targeting you for even one second at a time.

[soapyfrog]

They should just make PPCs hitscan like lasers instead of treating them as projectile weapons. They are effectively Ion beams after all.

This would balance them without any further changes required.

[Terick]

Mister Blastman, on 15 November 2012 - 11:55 AM, said:

Per this post:

1. Keep the heat where it is at... but add splash damage to adjacent sections. Maybe make the splash damage not the full 10... For example:

Say I hit the CT of a Gauss Cat with my PPC. The CT takes 10 damage. The RT/LT take 5 damage each and the LA/RA take maybe 1 damage. Or, maybe not that extreme. Just the immediate adjacent sections. Like I hit CT and do 10, RT/LT take 3 - 5 (make it semi-variable even). If I hit RT, then RT takes 10, RA/CT take 3 - 5.

This just makes them have more damage and similar to an LB-x autocannon. Really don't like this idea.

Mister Blastman, on 15 November 2012 - 11:55 AM, said:

2. Make PPCs bestow some heat upon the target they hit--say a few points of heat. Not an extreme amount, but a little.

3. EMP. The EMP could go so far as to:

a. Break missile lock.
b. Scramble HUD/Map for several seconds.
c. Lose targeting information.
d. Unzoom on target.[/color]
e. Overload Gauss capacitors making them have to cycle again before they can fire... (that might be a little too extreme...).
f. Break NARC beacon lock.[/color]

You get the idea. The EMP could do more but that is a start. Anyways, those are some additional ideas. Thoughts? Ideas?

I really don't like the PPCs doing EMP at all. Not realistic and not lore based either. Maybe it is my antiMicrosoft side showing... since the Microsoft games are the first and only time it had EMP affect.

I would rather increase the speed of the 'projectile' to near instantaneous and adjust the heat.

Though it looks like the Devs are going a different way.

I see the EMP being a particular problem if they are chain fired by a pair of mechs on a target... People complain about flammers and infernos because they don't think we should be able to shut them down because they can't manage heat... so we can EMP them in to being only a target...?

Edited by Terick, 15 November 2012 - 07:05 PM.

[The Bad Charlie]

[Bishop Steiner]

soapyfrog, on 15 November 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

They should just make PPCs hitscan like lasers instead of treating them as projectile weapons. They are effectively Ion beams after all.

This would balance them without any further changes required.

You don't use them very much do you?

There damage is way too inconsistent for them to "only need hitscan".

they need:
1) To be near hitscan
2) do 10 pts, FOCUSED damage
3) Cooldown should be about 5 seconds
4) Do MINOR comm crackle and visual emp effect for 1-2 seconds.

Mechs are EMP shielded, so no "permanent" damage form that is likely to be done (except possibly to a severely damaged, and therefore compromised Mech. But, you are still blasting the mech with a Lightning Bolt (laser guided, no less) which ionizes the air around and would not actually affect the mechs systems, but WOULD affect the feedback in the immediate area for a second or two.

Also, if a PPC blast is going to impart heat, then Lasers need to also.

But since Battlemech armor is a multi-layered latticed wafer, with ceramic and diamond fibers, amongst other things, it is somewhat ablative by nature, and therefore the heat transfer probably would be minor. Flamer cause heat by long term exposure minimizing the amount of heat a mech can vent. "Splash" heat doesn't really make much sense (of course, neither does "Stompy Robot Physics 101", in the first place...)

[Monsoon]

You can start a thread about the much discussed PPC.

or you could just read what Paul wrote in the Developer's Corner about it:

Quote

PPCs are being investigated.

• Heat balance?
  
• Projectile Speed?

Great little topic he started on all weapons that are currently being looked at.