The Better ‘Mechwarrior: Lowering the Skill Cap (Auto Cannons) There are so many things that come together to create an effective 'mech pilot. Most of these things, like hand/eye coordination, patience and combat instinct are things that you are born with, or without, that can be trained to some extent to make you better at them. This kind of practice takes a lot of time and can be very frustrating to newer players who just want to get out there and break stuff. There are a lot of things going on inside the cockpit once the clock starts; driving, navigating, keeping an eye on your mini map and heat gauge, listening to the different warning sounds and the directions given by teammates. For a new player these things can add up to a pretty overwhelming experience. Then you throw in the absolute need to shoot stuff. At this point just hitting an enemy ‘mech seems like the most anyone should be asking of the newbe; but if this person just got off of the forums and has read how awesome the gauze rifle is or how great the PPC is at long range, he or she may have expectations set far too high for themselves. Even veterans may find there are weapons that just don’t work well for them. (The AC 2 in my case) So what do we do to help these people have a better experience? We show them how to capitalise on their strengths and on the easier to use weapons until they can pilot their ‘mech in their sleep so to speak. So what weapons are difficult to use? Let's start with the Auto-Cannon. The Auto Cannons Direct Fire Ballistic weapons have a lot of factors that make them difficult to use. Velocity: The speed the round travels to its intended target. This varies depending on the calibre of the round in question. From the lightning fast AC2 to the ponderously slow AC 20, it takes a lot of practice to get on target with each specific Auto Cannon. Learning the speed of the various rounds is important for judging how long it will take the round to get to its target and whether or not the target will be able to avoid the incoming round. Velocity is also the determining factor in the Trajectory of the round to its target. Trajectory: The flight path of the round as it travels down range. Learning the trajectory of each Auto Cannon type is important because it dictates how high you have to aim above the enemy ‘mech in order to compensate for the bullet drop as it travels to its intended target. With practice you will be able to “see†the trajectory of your round before you even fire the weapon, making your shooting more instinctive and the timing of your shots more rapid. The Lead: A combination of Velocity and Trajectory; the lead is the distance ahead of a moving target you have to aim in order to make a hit. This takes an immense amount of practice for each type of Auto Cannon at every possible range and is quite difficult to train in any sort of dedicated fashion. Time and experience will do most of the work for you and as you gain mastery over one calibre it will become easier to master every one after. Maximum Effective Range: Every weapon has a maximum range at which it can cause damage. The Most effective range is listed after each of your weapons on the bottom right hand corner of your HUD. Even though Ballistic weapons cause damage beyond these ranges it is important to learn what the actual effects are. If a round that normally causes ten points of damage is reduced to doing two points of damage due to range’ it is probably wiser to hold your fire until you can close range instead of wasting valuable ammunition. Auto Cannons at a Glance AC/20: This heavy hitting round does 20 points of damage to one location with every hit. It is a ponderously slow moving round with a very short range and a fast dropping trajectory. This is one of the easier projectile weapons to get a handle on. The learning curve at such short ranges is low and the returns in damage are high. The biggest drawback to this round is the weight of the ammunition. With only seven rounds per ton it takes up a lot of space as a primary weapon. Gauss Rifle: Although this isn’t actually an Auto Cannon I am listing it here because it also fires a solid projectile. It is a relatively fast round with a very flat trajectory; that being said it is a difficult weapon to master. With only ten rounds per ton this is another weapon that takes up a lot of space and therefore it is important that accuracy be your priority when using it. Many people use these weapons without the proper skill to make it an effective investment for themselves or their team, accidentally hitting teammates with this round is devastating to the teams’ survivability. The explosive nature of the weapon itself is another important factor; pilots that aren’t practiced at distributing the damage they take can be destroyed if the Gauss Rifle itself takes a hit. I believe that this is the second hardest projectile weapon to master. AC/10: This weapon is probably the best all round tool in the projectile arsenal. It is fast moving and has a relatively flat trajectory; it has a decent rate of fire and hits hard enough that it can’t be ignored. With fifteen rounds per ton it takes as little as three tons of ammunition to usually go the distance and the heat build up is easy to manage. I believe this Cannon is the best first choice for pilots to train on. LB-10X AC: The LBX Cannon is a shotgun that you point and shoot; aiming...no way!...accuracy...who cares? The 10X is an effective weapon for hunting light fast moving ‘mechs; or for stripping the armor away from a target. This Auto Cannon was designed for pilots who don’t have the time or penchant for practice or exercising patience. Anyone who has difficulty with the other types of cannon might be best suited to spend some time with one of these first. The biggest drawback to this weapon is the fact that it spreads its damage over a wide area so it takes multiple shots to bring most ‘mechs down on its own. Therefore it requires more ammunition than the standard AC/10 to remain effective for the duration. AC/5: This weapon is the AC/10’s little brother; a faster moving projectile with a higher rate of fire that has a much lower yield in damage. This is a great cannon for lighter ‘mechs or for ‘mechs that can wield more than one at a time; and with every ton of ammunition you receive twenty five rounds, going the distance with only two or three tons maximum. Ultra AC/5: Steroids anyone? That’s what you get with this fantastic weapon. Even more effective than the AC/5 due to its high cyclic rate of fire this is a fantastic Auto Cannon for suppression fire and armor penetration. The greatest drawbacks for this weapon is that it burns through ammunition at a ridiculous rate and it tends to jam, usually when it is needed the most (OK maybe that just happens to me). The learning curve on this weapon is quite a bit higher than that of the AC/5 or AC/10 due to the jamming and the need for heat control when mounting multiple guns. This is another good weapon for the beginner who needs to rely on volume over accuracy. AC/2: Another great weapon to mount in multiples of two or more, the AC/2 has a tremendous rate of fire and an excellently flat trajectory. The speed of the rounds is deceptively fast however and can make accuracy quite difficult. (Ok maybe just hard for me.) This weapon has the second highest DPS (At Range) for Auto Cannons in the game, second to the AC/20. However it generates a great deal of heat when fired. I personally find this weapon very hard to be effective with but the pilots who can master it are unholy terrors on the battlefield; making opponents panic under the sheer volume of fire coming down range. I believe it carries fifty rounds per ton of ammunition which means that the space required for ammunition is quite large. My ineffectiveness with such a great weapon is what led me to explore ways to ensure I am more effective in combat. Lowering the Skill Cap I have tried to use the AC/2 on almost every chassis I have owned that was capable of carrying it. No matter whether I mounted it in an arm or on a side torso I could not make myself be accurate with it, I have no explanation for this...it just wasn’t meant to be. So a friend of mine who is an avid FPS player asked me why I wasted so much time trying to improve on my weakness instead of refining what I was already good at (Thanks Jon). Because of this I no longer even look at AC/2s, but AC/20s and Gauss Rifles are my new best friends. Everyone who plays this game is likely to have weapons that are proving difficult to master. If you are, quit using them! If you like using AC/10s then spend your time refining your abilities with it. A couple of players I run with have turned the Gauss Rifle into an art form, but it came naturally to them and took very little work to make them beyond lethal. (pepperdoggy and Scius) I am not saying to never use those difficult weapons again, but if you are playing with team mates that want to be competitive, use what you are already good at and then become better with them. I have been playing this game since the beginning of June and every day I get a little bit more accurate with my primary weapons or I learn how to penetrate that Jenner’s LAG SHIELD a little more consistently. All I am saying is that it is easier to refine a skill you already have then it is to learn a new one. If your Unit Leaders suggest that you try something a little different than the Gauss Rifle you’ve heard so much about, listen to them...they have probably already wasted hours on them and just want to save you the time. In a Nutshell To lower the skill cap required to be an effective killer in MWO all you need to do is continue to use the weaponry you are already good at or that are easy to use, you will become more dangerous, I guarantee it! All of those cooler weapons that you dream of using; pursue them on your time when it won’t affect the success of you team mates. I left all of the technical data out of this on purpose; it is more about a train of thought than a detailed stat for stat on each weapon and their effectiveness on paper. Get a feeling for your style of play and use it to your advantage. I wrote this from work where I don't have access to any specifics regarding Ammunition and numbers per ton, I hope I'm fairly close; I'll update this from home with the proper numbers if I'm wrong.
Velocity: I find it helpful when coming back to a ballistic weapon I haven't used in a while to waste a shot or two into a mountain just to get used to the speed again. Trajectory:Does bullet drop exist in this game? I've not noticed my ballistics falling. Leading: As with velocity, it usually takes me a shot or two get a good lead, but after that I can hit repeatedly. In the brawl, especially with the AC/20, you want to shoot the leading edge of the enemy mech as they circle around you. You'll hit center pretty easy that way. Just like to add my brief comments on each: AC/20: The biggest drawback, IMO, is that it requires a STD engine to be placed in a side torso, and requires specific models to fit in the arm. Gauss: The biggest plus with the Gauss is it works great as a psuedo-AC/20 up close, and it does great at long range. The downsides are the 3 HP on the weapon itself, and the fact it is the heaviest weapon in game. AC/10: Best all-around, but not really great at anything. I do agree, great starter ballistic. LB-10X: Only comment I have is off-topic, regarding point-shooting vs. aiming with real-life shotguns. AC/5: Pretty sure AC/5 is 30 rounds-per-ton, UAC/5 is 25. I agree it's probably a better choice for lighter mechs than AC/2, because the AC/2 burns through a lot of ammo. UAC/5: I don't look at jamming as a problem; it's an opportunity to cool down or use defensive maneuvers. This particular cannon has a unique playstyle, you burst and then when you jam you survive, and then repeat. AC/2: 75 per ton. Less DPS than AC/20, but two AC/2s weighs less and can actually fit on more mechs. I would caution people from throwing an AC/2 onto a second ballistic slot just because it would fit, though...pay attention to your tonnage. Regarding skill cap, I think brand new players are better off ignoring ballistics (and missiles, PPCs, and flamers) at first, and just get used to piloting and team play using lasers. After you're used to the basics, then ballistics and missiles become good options to slowly expand your skillset.
