32 replies to this topic

[Sybreed]

You mentionned buffs to machine gun crit damage as a way to make it more viable as a weapon (and it also makes it more like TT's machine gun), but what about the LBX?

It's also a weapon that's supposed to seek critical hits. Right now, it's performing poorly as a crit seeker and as a weapon overall (spread too wide being the main issue)

Any chance to buff any of these 2 parameters (crit chance and overall damage)? Or, do you have specific plans for the weapon?

[hammerreborn]

Sybreed, on 12 December 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

You mentionned buffs to machine gun crit damage as a way to make it more viable as a weapon (and it also makes it more like TT's machine gun), but what about the LBX?

It's also a weapon that's supposed to seek critical hits. Right now, it's performing poorly as a crit seeker and as a weapon overall (spread too wide being the main issue)

Any chance to buff any of these 2 parameters (crit chance and overall damage)? Or, do you have specific plans for the weapon?

Wouldn't LBX have an innate buff as a crit seeker since if you unload fully into the torso you get 10 simultaneous rolls for crits/slot damage?

[Khanahar]

I wholeheartedly support this idea. As my faction icon suggests, I'm an AC fan, but every time I try out the LB10X for a few games, I can't stand it. Would love it to have the crit-seeking capability discussed for the MG (which, incidentally, is a brilliant move.) The LBX series will remain quite niche, as it is still roundly inferior to point-damage weapons in most cases, but it would gain utility beyond a high-ping friendly gimped AC.

Edit:

hammerreborn, on 12 December 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

Wouldn't LBX have an innate buff as a crit seeker since if you unload fully into the torso you get 10 simultaneous rolls for crits/slot damage?

No, because of how crit damage works in this game. It's not evaluated per shot, but rather per damage. An AC/10 that crits does 10, 20, or 30 damage depending on roll. An LB 10-X only has as good crit damage if every pellet lands on the exposed internals, which is highly unlikely.

Edited by Khanahar, 12 December 2012 - 12:32 PM.

[Tennex]

machine guns should be able to shoot down SSRMs and LRMs.

Good reason to bring a set of MGs. Since SSRMs heading for your CT is pretty much uncounterable once its fired.

[bug3at3r]

IMO, lbx is one of the most underrated weapons. More ammo per ton and its golden.

[Comassion]

Tennex, on 12 December 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

machine guns should be able to shoot down SSRMs and LRMs.

Good reason to bring a set of MGs. Since SSRMs heading for your CT is pretty much uncounterable once its fired.

Think of the collision detection code!

[Viper69]

LBX damage per pellet needs upped to start with, bottom line!

[Xervitus]

Did they fix the bug? I haven't used it for about a month...

[bug3at3r]

People hate the LBX that much? Ive been having all kinds of fun with it! (Then again I never have just one, might be why I love it)

[Stoicblitzer]

bug3at3r, on 12 December 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

IMO, lbx is one of the most underrated weapons. More ammo per ton and its golden.

I gotta agree. It's pretty boss in brawls. However, SRM6s still pwn face.

[bug3at3r]

Stoicblitzer, on 12 December 2012 - 12:36 PM, said:

I gotta agree. It's pretty boss in brawls. However, SRM6s still pwn face.

On every mech I have an LBX, its complemented with an SRM6. Nasty, nasty combo.

[Nathan Foxbane]

The LB-X is handicapped not because of its current performance (though a small crit buff would be nice) but because it cannot function at full capacity as it is now. It is supposed to have two kinds of ammo: solid shot, where it is an AC/10 with better range and cluster, which is what we see now. Until we can use both kinds of ammo and actively swap in battle the LB-X is pretty much a niche weapon instead of the multipurpose terror it should be.

Edited by Nathan Foxbane, 12 December 2012 - 12:40 PM.

[Sybreed]

Nathan Foxbane, on 12 December 2012 - 12:39 PM, said:

The LB-X is handicapped not because of its current performance (though a small crit buff would be nice) but because it cannot function at full capacity as it is now. It is supposed to have two kinds of ammo: solid shot, where it is pretty much an AC/10 with better range and cluster, which is what we see now. Until we can use both kinds of ammo and actively swap in battle the LB-X is pretty much a niche weapon instead of the multipurpose terror it should be.

agreed, but before LB-X can use these 2 types of ammo, ACs need to have their own ammo types, otherwise they become completely obsolete.

[thenightisdark]

Tennex, on 12 December 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

Since SSRMs heading for your CT is pretty much uncounterable once its fired.

What does your AMS do ? Mine at least seems to be shooting them down.

[Acehilator]

It is time to allow normal ammo to be used with the LBX.

I guess the Devs did not get the memo that T2 tech > T1 tech.

Yeah I know, it makes stuff obsolete... who cares?

[SaJeel]

I don't see a problem with the gun, when you remove what you think it should do, and just observe what it does, its a fine option.

[Roland]

Khanahar, on 12 December 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

No, because of how crit damage works in this game. It's not evaluated per shot, but rather per damage. An AC/10 that crits does 10, 20, or 30 damage depending on roll. An LB 10-X only has as good crit damage if every pellet lands on the exposed internals, which is highly unlikely.

This is the main problem with the LBX now.

In TT, a critical hit destroys whatever is in that slot.. there's no "health" associated with the internals. A single LBX pellet can destroy something in there.

Thus, in TT, if you fire an LBX into a section with exposed internals, you are going to RUIN whatever is in that section. So, while the LBX may be less effective against armor than other weapons, it becomes far MORE effective against exposed internal components, allowing you to just obliterate all the stuff inside a mech without having to actually destroy the whole section.

But in MWO, since each component has its own health, the LBX pellets aren't really able to actually destroy components. They just plink around and do minor damage to them. This results in their utility as crit seekers being dramatically reduced.

If they reduced the health of all components to 1, such that a critical hit destroyed the component hit, then you would see a LOT more LBX on the field.

[hammerreborn]

Khanahar, on 12 December 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

I wholeheartedly support this idea. As my faction icon suggests, I'm an AC fan, but every time I try out the LB10X for a few games, I can't stand it. Would love it to have the crit-seeking capability discussed for the MG (which, incidentally, is a brilliant move.) The LBX series will remain quite niche, as it is still roundly inferior to point-damage weapons in most cases, but it would gain utility beyond a high-ping friendly gimped AC.

Edit:



No, because of how crit damage works in this game. It's not evaluated per shot, but rather per damage. An AC/10 that crits does 10, 20, or 30 damage depending on roll. An LB 10-X only has as good crit damage if every pellet lands on the exposed internals, which is highly unlikely.

I know this, I more meant that an AC 10 has a 45%(? I think this is the number given) chance to crit, while an lbx-10 would get 10 chances for crit damage, possibly resulting in a higher average damage overall (just not to the same critial slot, but again, that could be a bonus, hit ammo or heat sinks simultaneously). Again, this requires all 10 to hit the internals, but was just more of a hypothetical answer (that lbx is a crit seeker as it has more chances to crit per unit time).

Edited by hammerreborn, 12 December 2012 - 12:46 PM.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Sybreed, on 12 December 2012 - 12:40 PM, said:

agreed, but before LB-X can use these 2 types of ammo, ACs need to have their own ammo types, otherwise they become completely obsolete.

Not really. Standard ACs are cheaper to acquire and use and multiple ammo types either restricts how much you carry of each or forces you to sacrifice something else. AC do get special ammo, but that is late 3050s if I remember right. Not to mention you only get class 10 as class 2, 5 and 20 weapons are all post Clan invasion so your variety is lacking.

[Tennex]

Comassion, on 12 December 2012 - 12:32 PM, said:

Think of the collision detection code!

damn you are right. with the netcode theres no way this could ever happen