Pokey Dravon
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
1729
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Posted - 2014.01.24 22:40:00 -
[1] - Quote
I think the point OP is trying to make is that the optimal range of the Rail Rifle isn't working quite as intended.
Assuming DPS is similar, all weapons should have a maximum and minimum range. Maximum range is dictacted by Falloff Damage and Accuracy, these are easy enough to set.
Minimum range is important however because if DPS is similar between weapons, the long range weapon needs to be weak in short range, as not to make the short range weapons obsolete. However minimum range is a bit more difficult to control, so far CCP has limited the short range of weapons with a couple factors:
Fire Rate: Low fire rate weapons are more difficult to use at close range because landing each shot becomes more difficult, and because each shot holds a higher % of your DPS, accuracy is crucial. This is why using Sniper Rifles at close range is difficult.
Charge time: Charge time delays the time before the first shot fires which means the enemy at close range can deal additional DPS before you can retaliate. At range however, you are hopefully outside the enemy's optimal range, and as such charge is less important.
Now there are a number of addition things that can help/hinder weapons in terms of range.
Dispersion: Dispersion paired with a high fire rate is actually a benefit for close range weapons, and is the reason the recent HMG fix made the weapon so much more useful. Because fire rate and dispersion are high, it provides a solid area of DPS which is not useful at long range, but allows for easier kills at short range.
Long Range weapons need to have low dispersion so they're accurate at range. However,low dispersion when ADS but high dispersion when hipfired for long range weapons allows them to be accurate when scoped in, but compounds the low fire rate issue if attempted to be fired from the hip.
Recoil: Recoil is Dust is painfully low and players don't have to work very hard to control recoil. That aside, works in a similar way to dispersion in that it makes it difficult to consistently land shots on the same point. Generally speaking recoil should be reduced when ADS, effectively pushing the effective range out slightly. Recoil can be used however to discourage hipfire, particularly for medium range weapons.
ADS Tracking: Tracking speed is particularly instrumental in long vs short range combat. At long ranges, traversal velocity of targets is fairly slow making tracking speed non-issue, as they move across the scree fairly slowly. However, at close range when traversal velocity is very high, ADS track is extremely important. Decreasing the ADS tracking speed pushed minimum range out as it becomes increasingly difficult to track close range targets. Note that hipfire tracking should never be reduced between weapons of similar frame, as it hinders general movement.
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In then end, the 4 rifles should have an effective range which looks like a series of rings around the user, representing a minimum and maximum range. The Plasma Rifle should little to no minimum range and a short maximum range, with Combat Rifle, Scrambler Rifle, and Rail Rifle forming additional rings further and further from the user with some overlap between each of them.
1.8 Sentinels
Damage Efficiency
Effective HP
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Pokey Dravon
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
1731
|
Posted - 2014.01.24 23:31:00 -
[3] - Quote
Bojo The Mighty wrote:Pokey Dravon wrote:That is the other option. If DPS is different between each rifle, then the range issue is easier to handle. If DPS remains constant or similar, you need to resort to the mechanics I outlined above. It only seems logical and much easier for developers to balance, rather than making everything pretty close in DPS and adding extremities and weird nerfs that don't really nerf in weapon handling (charge time of rail rifle cough cough). They really need to go back to basics right now, it's a clusterfuck.
Tiericide....
1.8 Sentinels
Damage Efficiency
Effective HP
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