11 replies to this topic

[Maik Hawkins]

The actual Damage of the PPC is a bit to low. (normal PPC ist tested here)

Please increase the Damage of the PPC. This type of weaponsystem is normaly one of the most powerfull in the battletech universum. This is currently not reflected by mwo.

One Example:
I´ve equipped my Hunchback with 2 PPC and a lot of heatsinks. During my next battles I made only very low damage. And I hited my enemys! A LRM Cata still standing on 400m is a perfect target for that . I´ve fired 6 alphastrikes and after that the cata was still there (and spottet me ).
I´ve tried equal test multiple times to make shure thats not me :-)

After that I equipped the same mech with 2 Large Laser and 2 Medium Laser. Same tactic, a bit shorter distance - but massive more damage!

In addition to that I recommend some other modifications to the PPC

At first a small rumble effect when a mech got hitted by a PPC. It´s a energy weapon - nothing explodes, so why rumble? Well, on hit the PPC vaporizes tons of armor in microseconds, if a mech looses so much armor in a so heavy hit an a so short time, nobody can explain me that the pilot have not to do a lot of corrections as countermeasures. As so heavy vaporisation must have some kind explosioncharacter I think...

Furthermore there´s much more skill needed to hit a moving target with the PPC, im comparisation to laser or pulse laser.

Just my 2ct

[Straylight]

Rumor has it that some tweaks to PPCs are coming soon, including an EMP-like disruption effect.

PPCs are actually damage-rated correctly against comparable weapons from TT; they just suffer from a slow refire rate, high heat and a slow projectile speed. I think they also "splash" some and spread their damage over multiple components, but I'm not sure about that (been a while since I've used a PPC).

PPCs aren't actually one of the "most damaging" weapons in the BTU. By TT values, IS PPCs put out 10 damage for 10 heat, slightly higher than a Large Laser. Damage is comparable to an AC/10, which only produces 3 heat. Gauss Rifles put out 15 damage for 1 heat at similar ranges, and AC/20s put out 20 damage for 7 heat.

So really, PPCs are a very "middle of the pack" weapon. They're not little plinkers, but they're not up to par with the big guns either.

[kaeh]

Agreed, imo PPCs' damage is fine, maybe they shot a little slow, as an energy weapon 'projectile' should travel faster maybe, its really hard to hit moving targets at long range and it is a long range weapon.

[Rashkae]

I feel it should transfer heat to the hit mech and have an EMP effect, disrupting locks, possibly even forcing a shutdown, temporarily disabling the radar, etc.

[Sh4nk0h0l1c]

Rashkae, on 22 November 2012 - 07:25 AM, said:

possibly even forcing a shutdown

That would OP the weapon... Imagine you stand with your mech in front of an Awesome with 3 PPCs... If he fires in chainfire mode you wouldnt be able to do anything againts him...

On the other side EMP effects and lock disruption is a nice idea.

Relying on one of the Dev's threads* they are investigating the PPCs to increase speed and implying these "special effects".

*as you can read about here:
http://mwomercs.com/...apon-balancing/

I think we will see some changes about them shortly...

Edited by Sh4nk0h0l1c, 22 November 2012 - 07:37 AM.

[Harrels Badgerton]

I enjoy the PPC as is, and with a properly heatsinked mech it can be fired pretty quickly. One upgrade I would like to see is the PPC Capacitor, something I didn't know existed until I stumbled on it on the sarna wiki. This would take it from a high heat AC10 with no ammo to a higher heat AC15 with no ammo, something I would approve of completely.
Or put it on the ERPPC and have a big electric AC15 sniper. The EMP effects may be neat but once the projectile aiming is cleaned up a little bit I think this weapon should be a little more respected.

[kaeh]

Notice that PPC capacitor will be available in 3060 (2023), good luck waiting for it

[Tuku]

First of all 2 Large and 2 Med lasers is a combined 28 dmg as aposed to the PPCs 20.

That Aside I think this may have been an issue of netcode and or hitboxes rather than the PPCs Damage being lower than advertized.

[Lege]

Change the name of DHS to improved heat sinks or make them 2x as effective and keep the name double.
I know the game needs to be balanced better, but gauss rifle shouldn't be the best weapon on the field by so great a margin.
PPCs should be at least a respectable second choice, but they aren't due to the heat system.
If you build your mech to not over heat your basically firing one PPC or you will overheat.
If you build a dual gauss rifle mech. You can spam 2 gauss rifles that are effectively a 2 heat, 30 damage weapon. They seem to hit the same armor location almost every time.
If anyone asked for a extra heavy energy weapon that was 2 heat, 30 damage, 660 range, 20 crit slots you could put in any location and weighed 36 tons. What would you say? I'd call it rediculously overpowered.
I'm just saying PPCs should be close to as good as gauss rifles and right now they aren't worth using over a gauss rifle.

Edited by Lege, 22 November 2012 - 08:32 AM.

[Thecure]

Tuku, on 22 November 2012 - 07:59 AM, said:

First of all 2 Large and 2 Med lasers is a combined 28 dmg as aposed to the PPCs 20.

That Aside I think this may have been an issue of netcode and or hitboxes rather than the PPCs Damage being lower than advertized.

True. Played a game with a friend on opposing teams. We were in TS during the game and when I was seeing the damage indicator red, he was telling me I missed by 2 or 3 mech lengths.

[Thomas Dziegielewski]

Thecure, on 22 November 2012 - 09:41 AM, said:

True. Played a game with a friend on opposing teams. We were in TS during the game and when I was seeing the damage indicator red, he was telling me I missed by 2 or 3 mech lengths.

What your hit indicator says is correct on the server. If it phases red you have hit something.

[MavRCK]

My understanding is that PPCs have a splash effect which dilutes there damage over an area. I think PPCs should do full damage in the center of their hit and perhaps 1 - 2 damge is a splash around the area hit -- total would be more than 10 (say 12-13)... but that might help their balance a bit and account for the slow reload and large heat generated.