Here, have a
chart.
65-85 is where you will dominate with a laser rifle. And I mean
dominate with an LR. The problem that I've found is that it is living hell trying to find a situation where someone is a) gullible enough to run into the open when they know an enemy with a laser rifle is out there b) part of a rare mid-range sniper nest c) willing to engage you at 65-85m with whatever weapon they happen to be armed with or d) close enough to dying that it doesn't matter that they're a bit too far or to close to be in your optimal range.
There are a few rules you have to keep in mind when attempting to dominate with the LR.
1.) I know you will be tempted, but
do not listen to the urge to engage in a scrambler pistol duel with the enemy when they get close. If they know you're coming, it won't work out well for you.
2.) If you're attempting to engage in the open, watch the kill feed for sniper kills. You rate the danger based on how many people are killed by snipers.
3.) GET THE AMARR ASSAULT SUIT. Or, at the very least, the skills for it. You /will/ overheat a lot. Having some extra breathing room that the 5% decrease to overheat per level provides is absolutely wonderful.
4.) When you can, find cover. A hill, a wall, a building; anything at all. This is a rule with all weapons. You should know this by now!
5.) When you have cover, use it to charge up your Laser Rifle. Not "charge up" in the way that SCRs use it. I mean that you should actually fire against the wall and keep firing when you pop out of cover because the longer you hold down the "fire" button, the more it'll hurt the enemy. If you ever let go of the fire button, all that heat you built up will count for nothing.
6.) This will change with the introduction of the scope for the LR, but while the the iron sights
are here, use them to judge distance. If an enemy's body doesn't fit inside your iron-sights,
run the **** away. If they fit perfectly within your iron-sights, then they are within a decent range, and you should be able to kill them if they aren't looking in your direction.
7.) If you hear gunfire, don
not approach. Run sideways if you're at a good distance. Run away if you're too close. Or stay low if you're in a good position. Put down nanohives. Droplinks.
This will be the section where I talk about the negatives of the laser rifle.
There are so many weird caveats with the Laser Rifle that the description on the weapon (when you triangle it from the marketplace) doesn't warn you about. For example, that the damage of the weapon is based on how long you're firing it. That overheats hurt you. That there is a
veryspecific range within which it is useful. Beyond that, I feel like there aren't enough situations in which it is useful to justify using it regularly. Especially not in Ambush, where situations have a tendency to be uncontrollable *coughcoughspawnsystemcough*
It's a fantastically fun weapon to use when you can control the situation, but too often you will be unable to find that perfect range to get people from.
I'd like people who have more experience with the laser rifle, scrambler rifles, and tactical assault rifles to compare and contrast. I'm too tired right now.