15 replies to this topic

[Chuff]

I have always loved LBX Autocannons, I keep running them on mechs but they just aren't very effective. at all ...

Messing about with my phract yesterday and I ended up with 2 x LBX10's, 2 x MG's, 2 MPL's and an SRM4

The DPS is low, almost all of the damage is spread all over the place, but man it made me smile. Holding down both mousebuttons and just spraying this constant barrage of smoke and flames into someones face was ridiculously fun. Also seemed to impart some kind of mystical psychological effect - A STK I caught by surprise just stood there panicking waving his torso side to side for a full 30 seconds before he realised he wasnt dead yet and it might be worth moving some and trying to shoot me back

I'm wondering if this loadout might actually be viable if the LBX and MG's get buffed - Hang back slightly behind the assaults and once the opposition has been softened up by the big boys I can go straight for the crits

[Vechs]

I think they should try a patch where the LBX10 does 1.2 damage per pellet, so 12 damage total for the full blast. You'd have to be hugging someone to get all the pellets to hit one section, so I think this fits in with the apparent attitude that if a weapon spreads damage around, it's okay for it to have higher damage (LRMs, SRMs, Streaks)

[Stringburka]

LBX is fine. I feel LBX is perfectly balanced. It's mostly a little less effective than an AC-10, but when hunting lights it's often more effective.

I see plenty of builds with LBX being run, LBX cicadas, LBX K2s, LBX atlases (atlai?) and LBX ravens.

It seems miniguns will get a boost, in that they will deal more critical damage. That is, if you strip a location of armor, miniguns will have higher damage against that area.

Edited by Stringburka, 01 February 2013 - 08:27 AM.

[Wrenchfarm]

Me too. Hoping the MG and LBX buff will help out some mechs like the DRG-5N and the 4xballistic Cicada. I don't expect miracles, but any help is better than none.

I would love to see the LBX do 12 total damage. It would be nice to be rewarded for getting in deep with a shotgun, rather than just reaching parity with the AC10.

[Stringburka]

The LBX weighs less and takes less crit slots than the AC-10. It should absolutely not be designed to be better than the AC-10. Of course, the spread is it's big drawback (though it helps with annoying commandos) but increasing it to 12 damage would make it often be directly better than the AC-10.

Comparing it to an AC-10 is fair, I think:
AC-10:
Doesn't spread, so if you hit it's full damage.

LBX-10:
Weighs 1 ton less, takes 1 slot less
Produces 1/3 less heat (both have pretty low heat though so may not matter)
Easier to hit with

I think that's a very fair deal, and as said, it's still commonly used. Increasing it's damage to 12 would mean if 8 slugs hit you'd have about the same damage, and if more hit (that is, close-range) it'd do more damage, weigh less, produce less heat, be easier to hit with and take less slots. That's too good.

[Hex Pallett]

I'm more looking forward to MG buffing. Currently MG's DPS is 0.4. It should at least be 1, on par with SLas.

[nostra]

All that really needs to be done with the LB-X is to bring it closer to canon, so that it can switch between cluster and regular rounds....that's the reason it's so expensive in the first place, it's meant to be tactically flexible....you're supposed to be able to open up on an enemy with standard AC/10 rounds with it, and then once you've breached their armor, hit them with cluster rounds for those criticals.

[Anudiz]

Im really looking forward to LBX and MG buff aswell.

Stringburka, on 01 February 2013 - 10:29 AM, said:

Comparing it to an AC-10 is fair, I think:
AC-10:
Doesn't spread, so if you hit it's full damage.

LBX-10:
Weighs 1 ton less, takes 1 slot less
Produces 1/3 less heat (both have pretty low heat though so may not matter)
Easier to hit with

I think that's a very fair deal, and as said, it's still commonly used. Increasing it's damage to 12 would mean if 8 slugs hit you'd have about the same damage, and if more hit (that is, close-range) it'd do more damage, weigh less, produce less heat, be easier to hit with and take less slots. That's too good.

I think you underestimate the damage spread on the LBX.
Also you completely ignore the vastly superior range of the AC10.

Regarding the LBX:
Unless you are closer than 90m the dmg is likely to spread at least over 4 sections, if you aim at CT. If your aim is slightly off some pellets wont hit at all. So you have to be really close to be effective at all.
Everything further than 200m away is hardly worth shooting at. 9/10 times you just waste your ammo, even though you could theoretically hit targets over 1000m away, forget it, it wont happen.

The AC10 doesnt have this problem, also its pinpoint damage shouldnt be underestimated.
If you want to destroy a single section of an enemy mech ~ 100m away. AC10 will likely need half the time to destroy it, maybe even faster.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The LBX is also one of the worst Cit Seekers in the game. The AC10 however is among the best.
That is because how criticals work. Every hit to a component/weapon with an AC10 will instantly destroy it.
The LBX needs at least 4 pellets to kill a component. And thats only if all your pellets hit the same component (unlikely) AND roll the 3x multiplyer, which is even more unlikely.
-> It will take ages to destroy anything.

-------------------------------------

This isnt balanced. IMHO a buff to 12 damage isnt going to get it in line.
Especially not when compared to SRM6 or SRM4, cause then the LBX looks really bad.

Personnaly id prefer a major weight and slot buff, maybe together with slight dmg nerf.
Something like:
4 tons
5 slots
8 dmg

Thats because we lack any light weight but useful ballistic weapon, with the AC2 being the lightest with a whopping 6tons.
Of course this is from a balance point of view and not "canon"

Edited by Anudiz, 01 February 2013 - 12:15 PM.

[Vechs]

They can't change weight or crit slots, those are pretty much set in stone.

Things like damage, heat, and refire rate are the levers PGI has to pull to balance things.

But you're right about the effective range of the LB10X -- the spread goes wide pretty fast, so I'd say 300m and under is really where you can use the weapon and accomplish things with it. It's listed range of 540m is kind of a joke.

[Werewolf486 ScorpS]

LBX is meant to be a crit getter. The spread damage is meant to hit any exposed internal crit slots to damage those systems. It's not meant to be a serious weapon until you've stripped off the armor.

[Novawrecker]

I cannot wait till they finally implement the use of solid rounds as well as cluster for the LB. It's long due ...

[101011]

Just out of curiosity, why did the I.S. get the LB 10-X in 3035, but have to wait for the Clans and get the LB 5-X and LB 2-X in 3058?

[Stingz]

101011, on 01 February 2013 - 01:58 PM, said:

Just out of curiosity, why did the I.S. get the LB 10-X in 3035, but have to wait for the Clans and get the LB 5-X and LB 2-X in 3058?

LBX was Star League tech, the manufacturer didn't find much reason to expand past LB/10-X. Ultra/5 is also SL-Tech, a custom weapon for one mech (Sentinel).

Edited by Stingz, 02 February 2013 - 03:17 PM.

[Anudiz]

Werewolf486, on 01 February 2013 - 01:01 PM, said:

LBX is meant to be a crit getter. The spread damage is meant to hit any exposed internal crit slots to damage those systems. It's not meant to be a serious weapon until you've stripped off the armor.

But there is a little problem:
The LBX-10 AC is actually one of the worst CritSeekers we have in the game currently.

I dont want to repeat myself here, but if you know how the crit system works (in combination with HP of components) you understand that spread with little dmg per bullet isnt good for scoring crits.

Vechs, on 01 February 2013 - 12:57 PM, said:

They can't change weight or crit slots, those are pretty much set in stone.

Things like damage, heat, and refire rate are the levers PGI has to pull to balance things.

But you're right about the effective range of the LB10X -- the spread goes wide pretty fast, so I'd say 300m and under is really where you can use the weapon and accomplish things with it. It's listed range of 540m is kind of a joke.

Unfortunaly i think youre right.
As i said its strict against canon and only from a gameplay point of view..
I guess it will eventually come down to a damage increase and/or another spread buff.

But i still think we need 3 - 4 ton ballistics and to a lesser degree energy weapons.

[BlackSquirrel]

Instead of 1 dmg per pellet x 10 pellets, have their be 5 pellets x 2 dmg. Bird shot vs buck shot.

Also be nice to finally have different rounds for it.

[101011]

Stingz, on 01 February 2013 - 02:38 PM, said:

LBX was Star League tech, the manufacturer didn't find much reason to expand past LB/10-X. Ultra/5 is also SL-Tech, a custom weapon for one mech.

Ah, thank you.