5 replies to this topic

[Dyson Ring]

I've been mulling over a way that we could have the ER PPC and ER Large Laser's heat be more manageable while keeping DHSs at the level which the Devs want to keeep them at.

Have ER weapons generate less heat when there are Heat sinks in the same location.

For instance, you can fit an ER PPC and 2 DHSs in an arm of a Catapult-K2. Now if the Double Heat Sinks reduced the heat generated by the ER PPC by 1 point per Heat Sink, the ER PPC would go from 13 heat per shot, to 11. This could also be applied to Single Heat Sinks, but at half the heat reduction to keep the benefit of DHS over SHS. Also a maximum amount of heat reduction would have to be specified (2 or 3 would be my opinion).

[Usagi]

This is an interesting idea, except for the fact that A) there would never be a reason to not do this. And Why would it only work on ER configuration energy weapons?

I could actually see this working if (and this is totally off cannon, not that I care about that stuff) you could couple heat sinks with a weapon, and get an effect similar to what you describe...but the sinks themselves no longer function normally. they are converted entirely to that function. I havn't done math on it to see if that would also always be the right way to go...but at least it's a choice that has to be made, not a simple "do this becuase it's better 100% of the time" non choice.

Edited by Usagi, 06 December 2012 - 02:38 AM.

[Dyson Ring]

Usagi, on 06 December 2012 - 02:36 AM, said:

This is an interesting idea, except for the fact that A) there would never be a reason to not do this. And Why would it only work on ER configuration energy weapons?

I could actually see this working if (and this is totally off cannon, not that I care about that stuff) you could couple heat sinks with a weapon, and get an effect similar to what you describe...but the sinks themselves no longer function normally. they are converted entirely to that function. I havn't done math on it to see if that would also always be the right way to go...but at least it's a choice that has to be made, not a simple "do this becuase it's better 100% of the time" non choice.

A.) Well, tonnage and crit spaces could be a factor. Using my K2 example, 2 extra tons and 6 extra crit spaces just to get 2 heat reduction on the ER PPC or if I use a SHS example 6 tons and 6 crit spaces is potentially a pretty big drawback if you're strapped for weight and space.

B.) ER weapons are the weapons that really need such a boost (do you really want Medium lasers and Small lasers being affected by this?). The PPC could probably be counted as needing the reduction, but since ER weapons are "Tech Level 2" it could be explained that only they've been designed to take advantage of such a setup.

[MustrumRidcully]

Isn't that too complicated? Why not just have them generate less heat in the first place?

[Bobzilla]

MustrumRidcully, on 06 December 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

Isn't that too complicated? Why not just have them generate less heat in the first place?

A mech with energy hard points with 3 slots in one part could load a ppc and have 7 heatsinks elsewhere, this is usually a small mech that wouldn't normally take a ppc. A mech with energy hard points and 10 slots in one part could put the 7 heatsinks in that part making the ppc more effective, instead of just ditching the PPC to fill it with smaller more efficent weapons.
Less heat makes tons of sense, but the ER's take few slots so smaller mechs could over use them.

[focuspark]

ER weapons need help, as do PPC and Pulse lasers. Energy weapons in general are just buggered currently when compared to ballistics and missiles.