63 replies to this topic

[Kreisel]

RragnarR40k, on 23 November 2012 - 02:23 AM, said:

What is thematically backward about a fastfiring AC2 causing huge amounts of heat. I have never heard of any largecalliber weapon that was fast firing and not producing vast amounts of heat...??
[snip]

You misunderstand... it's thematically wrong that the AC 2 IS a fast-firing large caliber weapon that produces a lot of heat, as oppose to a long range, low damage, low heat, low-tonnage-for-a-ballistic option that allows pilots to keep up the damage when they run hot.

The gun we have in game now is NOT the AC2, it's not even the Ultra AC2, it is a RAC-2 13 years (3062) too soon, 2 tons lighter and minus the jamming chance. Not even the clans are supposed to have a large caliber ballistic weapon that shoots anywhere near 8 times faster than a gauss rifle anywhere near this point (they don't get it till 3069). This is IS tech of a teir meant to level the playing field and compete against Clan Tech and weapons like PPC capacitors, x-pulse lasers, Heavy Lasers, IS Ultra AC 20s, Hypervelocity Autocannons, ATMs, MRMs and special ammunition.

The AC2 fired at the same rate and generated the same heat a Gauss rifle. You could put 10 of them on a single mech with no heat sinks but the standards that come in engines and fire them all day long with no risk of overheating. It was 1/3 a gauss weight and a lot more ammo per ton. Albeit it wasn't considered a very good weapon by most, and we don't want that so upping it's speed to give it a purpose and make it competitive makes sense... but it went too far, the the point it's no longer the same weapon, no longer fulfills the same role and the loss of any weapon that fits that niche hurts our design options.

In the end, what really matters is FUN... and OP or not the current AC2 is not good for the over all fun level of the game, it's problematic for players to use with any other weapons because it's heat is so high, players don't have any options other than gauss riffles or machine guns for a low heat weapons and mechs on the receiving end get to feel like they can't respond or fight back against whats happening to them... overall... it's not a great weapon fun. It IS OP because it is a very high dps weapon that also can completely lock down another player.

scale the knockback down some, lower the speed of the weapon, it doesn't need to be .5 to be viable, or even a good weapon. It could be a good weapon at half the current speed.

Edited by Kreisel, 23 November 2012 - 10:50 PM.

[Max Liao]

For me, the AC/2 is way too powerful. It's job is to snipe/support, not kill.

I stepped over a hill in a fully armored Catapult (at a range of 375m), fired and hit with 4 large lasers (alpha, not chain), and when I backed down the Cataphract's armor was yellow while mine was gone. Yes, gone. He was using 4 AC/2 and I was using 4 LgLas. There were no other 'Mechs shooting at me.

A friend of mine, who has tried both the 4-AC/2 and the 2-AC/5 2-UAC/5 builds eats through Atlases like butter - at any range. Never should 4x AC/2 out perform 4 LgLas - especially at close range.

• Minimum range needs to be incorporated with ALL ballistic weapons (which are supposed to have minimums).
  
• RoF needs to be toned down just a touch. (I understand the importance of keeping the weapon viable.)
  
• Cockpit shake needs to be reduced a little bit.

Edited by Max Liao, 24 November 2012 - 04:13 AM.

[Rumrunner2]

Last balancing of AC2 was made with a hammer instead finetuning: the devs simply halfed the cooldown and doubled the damgeoutput this way. Maybe AC2 deserved a buff, but such big steps are stupid.

No its time to move back a bit, cooldown around 0,7s would be okay to me.

[NuclearPanda]

I don't know guys, I think a dual AC/5 is super overpowered at the moment (I've been testing it on a hunchie build that I love right now, the below pic is in my Cat-K2 build). Between the cockpit knockaround from the AC/5's, no jamming and their damage it's pretty brutal.



I don't want to see a damage nerf, but I agree with you that the ballistic knockback for AC/2 and AC/5 weapons need to be adjusted to make it more fair. Either that or they need to implement some sort of Mech weight detection so that I knock around a Cicada like a pinata or not really phase an Atlas too much.

It's not cool when they can't even get shots off at you.... well for them anyways.

Edited by NuclearPanda, 25 November 2012 - 10:22 AM.