8 replies to this topic

[Tickdoff Tank]

I have not been a big fan of the PPC and ERPPC, for the same reason that most people do not like them. They are too hot, with their ROF and the high heat per shot the PPC can be a bit difficult to use to it's full potential.

But this is also part of why I like the PPC (at least in certain builds). The PPC forces me to think more tactically. I know I can't fire the PPC(s) as soon as the cooldown completes, and even if I can, I can't do it for very long. That makes me try to "think 2 moves ahead". I have to have a better plan than "Charge in guns blazing". I need to know how long I can last before I overheat, what range I must engage at, and I need to hold my shots untill I can make them count.

I know that most of the things I listed above are true for every weapon in the game, but due to the heat/ROF of the PPC I think that it is the least forgiving weapon in the MWO arsenal. The AC2 generates a lot of heat but it does so in many small increments so it is easier to stop your heat generation when you get too hot. All of the lasers also have a lower heat per shot than the PPC family, and are therefore more forgiving. The AC20 is much like the PPCs in respect to heat generation, but the AC20 is not really suited to a long range engagement like the PPC and I do not seem to have as many issues with controlling the heat from them.

The PPC (and ER version of course) can be a very effective weapon if you have a solid plan of attack, complete with an exit strategy. If you plan on firing them as often as possible then (IMO) you are gimping yourself before the fight starts. Use the PPC when it makes sense to do so, but don't expect it to be the best weapon in the game.

If/when we get the proposed "EMP" effect, and hopefully a reduction in heat generation, then the PPC may regain the fearful ststus that it enjoyed in CBT (Classic BattleTech), but in it's current state it is not useless, just not as effective as it should be. But untill then I will still enjoy the increased reliance on improved tactics that the PPC forces on me.

Edited by Tickdoff Tank, 08 December 2012 - 01:18 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

"Least forgiving" is certainly an accurate assessment.They can be a powerful tool in the right hands and used appropriately, but cannot be used indiscriminately.

[Sug]

The sound they make is cool.

[Tickdoff Tank]

Sug, on 08 December 2012 - 01:53 PM, said:

The sound they make is cool.

I agree. That is actually one of the reasons I tried them out again. And it is one of the reasons I want the MGS to get buffed to a useful state, they sound too awesome to be so bad.

[Obeast]

Sug, on 08 December 2012 - 01:53 PM, said:

The sound they make is cool.

Tickdoff Tank, on 08 December 2012 - 02:01 PM, said:

I agree. That is actually one of the reasons I tried them out again. And it is one of the reasons I want the MGS to get buffed to a useful state, they sound too awesome to be so bad.

Agreed, if they were on par with other weapons, that is ALL I would use. Man thatd be such an awesome sounding machine. A twin MG, twin PPC Catapult K2 would sound so epic.
If they made MGs the same as AC2 in DPS with small Laser range, and adjusted the PPC a little. I would without a doubt use em.

[Bishop Steiner]

Tickdoff Tank, on 08 December 2012 - 02:01 PM, said:

I agree. That is actually one of the reasons I tried them out again. And it is one of the reasons I want the MGS to get buffed to a useful state, they sound too awesome to be so bad.

One thing I did like in Mechwarrior 4 was "Machine Gun Bundles" where they essentially mounted several MGs into one component. Any space you can fit a 15 ton 6 critical Gauss rifle in should be able to handle 5 MG cluster pretty easily. I'd even take em at current weight/damage if we could overcome the ballistic slot issue. Could you imagine even at current specs the hurt a mech with 15-20 MGs could lay out?

[Redshift2k5]

Bishop Steiner, on 08 December 2012 - 02:12 PM, said:

One thing I did like in Mechwarrior 4 was "Machine Gun Bundles" where they essentially mounted several MGs into one component. Any space you can fit a 15 ton 6 critical Gauss rifle in should be able to handle 5 MG cluster pretty easily. I'd even take em at current weight/damage if we could overcome the ballistic slot issue. Could you imagine even at current specs the hurt a mech with 15-20 MGs could lay out?

http://www.sarna.net...chine_Gun_Array

[Mr Mantis]

I use a ppc on my k2, just 1, the other weapons on my cat are for mid to end game. it is like a gauss with no drop or ammo, (so less cost to rearm) so at the start of the match it is fun to plink a few shots of it into the mechs across the map. The ppc is a decent support weapon but nothing that can be boated without major drawbacks.

[stjobe]

Bishop Steiner, on 08 December 2012 - 02:12 PM, said:

Could you imagine even at current specs the hurt a mech with 15-20 MGs could lay out?

Not very much. MGs suck something fierce in their current implementation:

20 MGs = 8 DPS, 10 tons + 5-10 tons ammo
8 SL = 8 DPS, 4 tons.