What's that? AC/2 De-nerf?

Worst way to address the AC/2 issue.

This solution will only satisfy the griefers that will instantly macro their multiple ACs.
The problem, why nobody uses AC/2, is not the the heat penalty but the low damage per seconde ratio first, then the low damage per heat ratio (though this one is also part of the weapon's flavor), that's all. Just increase the rate of fire a bit (~0.65s cooldown should do the trick), it would draw player to use it..

(edit: oh, that's right, and add ghost heat to LB2X)

 

Well actually a few of the people doing proper testing last night started with macroing and then stopped using them as the burst DPS was far better than the slow macroed dps. They were using 6 x AC2 Direwolves as their test bed but I'm not sure that really effects much overall.

 

Russ confirmed in a response to my Tweet that Clan ULTRA AC2s will also be included in this test. I'm not sure if they got the actuator thing fixed, but they should be turning the test back on (turning heat scaling off again) as soon as they have a solution. I plan to give this a try:

 

That looks far too little ammo even never double tapping...

 

I judged the ammo based on the 6x AC2 King Crab I ran last night with ~600 shots. It was enough for that mech, so this should be enough for the DWF (slightly more). You probably won't last a long match though you are correct.

 

Yeah I ran 7-9 tons ammo in my old dual AC2 mediums...

 

A big assault like Crabs and Dires are either going to A. Use all of it's ammo before the round ends or B. Die before it has a chance to use half of it. usually how it goes. Mediums are a bit easier to maneuver and avoid damage. Probably use more ammo consistently.

 

Very true, I used to roam the battlefield hitting everything as targets of opportunity. It was actually what made me fall in love with mediums.

 

I don't believe in abusing builds... Yeah...
HAHAHA... just joking... Time to min/max!

 

What's "slow macroed DPS"?
If they do it right, the DPS is the same.
(well, almost)(the macroed DPS is actually slightly lower because of the last salvo's shots being staggered instead of shot all at once, but the relative difference decreases over time)

 

It will spread damage more, at the very least.

 

So you meant... its not the same?

Nor is the single panel damage so it loses on two counts.

Plus you stay longer int he field of fire so lets call it three counts.

 

His point is that before the first gun comes off cooldown,, all 6 will have fired in both alpha and macro settings, so unless you only fire tiny bursts, DPS differences should be negligable.

 

@Remarius, sorry I must be tired, but I don't understand what you mean in your second and third sentences.

When I say it's almost the same, it's because between the moment the linked AC/2s shot all together and the moment the macroed AC/2s all shot, the damage was actually lower. But:
1/ the macroed always catch up at the end of the cycle;
2/ the more cycles, the less significant the difference is.
(edit: also, the less cannons, the less the difference)

For example with 6 ACs, the max damage difference is 10 damage (12-2). On the sixth cycle (just past 3.6 seconds) the max damage difference will be 14%, On the eleventh cycle (just past 7.2 seconds) the max damage difference will be 8%, etc.
The average damage difference being half these numbers.

Basically looks like this (blue is linked fire, orange is macroed):



and the relative difference:



If the test was based on the time to destroy a mech (as it often is), the difference should not be significant at all.


PS: I read again and I think I understand what you mean by "you stay longer in the field of fire", you mean the macroed AC/2s require to expose yourself longer. Come on, we're talking of time intervals of less than 0.72 seconds, this is not serious.
(same for the damage spread, the rate of fire is high enough for the spread not being an issue - or to be more correct, the spread is already an issue with the linked fire, macroed fire can't be worst)

 

Every milisecond of exposure is a big deal. That's why we originally made pinpoint alpha meta, cuz DPS means jackshit if you're taking back the same DPS [unless you're a soaklord, which macroers never are they're starers].

Also, macros are awful. I just played a game for 6 months that, back in the late 90's, was pinnacle of online gaming skill. Now it's basically automated by script programs and all people do is hold down spacebar. Just sayin, it's like Pandora's Box. I tend to shy away from anything that removes my actual interaction with the game, cuz that's for scrubs or lazy people.

Be a man and manual all your shit.

 

I don't think the macro for AC2 is worth the effort though. Minimal gain for that it is. The extra screenshake effect is not quite worth the control limitation.
It is way different from the no-jam UAC5 macro way back... that one is totally worth the effort.

Now, "that" deadly macro of "that" Ballistic weapon... however..

Playing the so-called counter0strike nowadays?

 

Na man... I exiled myself from MWO, you guys don't get it...

I been on a sabbatical of sorts, a self-imposed oubliette, sprinkled with a few illusions of nostalgia. I've been placating myself since I quit this game with other trivial shit like real life, old console games, sports titles, really old MMORPGs...

Basically the last 6 months, I played a really old game I hadn't played since 03 (although I did alpha pvp mechanic design for a server in 09)... and, long story short, the game isn't even the same so when the nostalgia wore off I decided the time was right to check back with MWO.

Here's a hint about the game (although this is an old friend's SS, it's not from server I returned to):



Sorry to derail thread, lets talk more about AC/2.

 

First game tonight, I sat down and had the pleasure of watching a King Crab sport nothing but AC/2s, walk 50 meters from his spawnpoint, stop and sat, didn't move the rest of the match, and end up with 800 points of damage and a few kills. Have these weps replaced LRMs as the laziest weapon of choice these days?

 

NOTHING replaces LRMs as the lazy weapons of choice...but I've noticed an alarming number of crabs who just refuse to engage the match lately. @fx8230 was against me in a match where a Crab, Stalker, and 3L camped the island on Crimson Strait for the entire match (ended it very close to 100% each, but we let time run out since we were beat up). I've also seen a lot of crabs hide in a corner and power down long enough for the enemy team to run by, just so they could back shot them on maps like River City. The worst part is that, in some cases, it could be a brilliant tactic (imagine suddenly having a group of assaults and heavies power up behind you and back core half your team), but naturally they want to be the Army of One, and get slaughtered as a result.