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The simplest is to have the 'Mech automatically compensate for atmospheric conditions and ballistic drop, leaving the MechWarrior to apply the appropriate lead and pull the trigger. Again, this is simple, taking away the 'easy' button of energy weapons, particularly in heavy winds, without depriving them wholly of tactical advantages. The disadvantage is that, functionally, you just about may as well not include the simulated weather conditions and gravity.
The second option, perhaps the best, has the 'Mech's reticle automatically displaying calibrated holds for wind and drop. This requires more skill on the part of the MechWarrior, but is not frustratingly difficult for new or casual players. If atmospheric factors like wind will have an impact on the projectile, there should be holds for wind, and there should also be methods of accurately reading the wind.
The third option is the most complicated and the most difficult to use. The weapons are calibrated by the MechWarrior to a pre-determined zero range. There then should be the ability, in game, to adjust the zero to compensate for bullet drop. This can be done two ways: One basically just uses buttons to do what the second option uses the reticle for. The other way is via mils/minutes or some other angular measurement. The former option simply takes part two and (IMHO) needlessly complicates it by making the player hit buttons to adjust their zero... And then they have to change it back. The latter is arguably more realistic, but requires devising drop charts for all projectile weapons, with all projectile shapes, in all gravitational and all atmospheric conditions and putting them in front of the player and saying, Here, you make sense of this. Most people won't and will thus skip out on the whole thing.
Finally, regardless of what is ultimately chosen, if wind will have an impact on the projectile's flight path, there needs to be a way for the player to both read and compensate for it. Ditto for ballistic drop, whether this is done by a targeting computer (option 1), a rangefinder and calibrated ballistic reticle (option 2), or a ranging reticle and adjusting manually for wind and drop (option 3).
If anybody has a different idea, I would love to hear it!
Edited by Haakon Valravn, 08 May 2012 - 05:04 PM.
