ZariaOwnsWhips

What if we got rid of the magazine for the Laser rifle and just gave it a charge amount (basically a large magazine)
The only thing that would hold you back is heat management as distance.

Lore wise this can makes sense as well due to lasers using crystals and energy more than actual "ammo"

The Laser is the Closest thing we have to a light machine gun in this game, something like this would truly make it shine.

What if we got rid of the magazine for the Laser rifle and just gave it a charge amount (basically a large magazine)
The only thing that would hold you back is heat management as distance.

Lore wise this can makes sense as well due to lasers using crystals and energy more than actual "ammo"

The Laser is the Closest thing we have to a light machine gun in this game, something like this would truly make it shine.

Interesting idea.
It would nullify the Commando Reload bonus for the Amarr Commando though, not sure how I feel about that.

OK now let's look at role play, my amarr character isn't on the forums but he IS amarr, ak.0, viziam SCR, viziam LR, laser rifle is for the amarr, it's for people who are faction-specific, who enjoy the role playing. If you change the laser rifle in the wrong way, people in other suits will be able to effectively use the laser rifle, keyword being effective, anyone can use the laser rifle, so don't change the heat buildup, I mean the base stat heat buildup I don't mean the amarr assault bonus, if you change the base stat it changes the game.

People like things being for them, I like the LR and SCR being mine, being ours, being the empires, it's who I change into, so definitely, keep the laser with it's downfall (heat buildup). Possibly more ammo like I said but I don't have ammo 5 so I don't know.

Pulling this from my underperforming weapons thread in GD....

Laser Rifle
Quick explanation: Depending on who you talk to, the laser is either godly or complete trash. Capacity is the underlying problem.

So why is it trash? Well unlike every other weapon, the laser requires two things to be powerful. A, time, and B, distance. For some weird reason, you actually deal less damage the closer you are to your target, which a lot of players using the weapon don't understand (as it is the only weapon in the game to do this and isn't explained). You also need to keep firing the weapon for it to even deal lethal damage...and that's the real problem.

See, if you only have 25 laser capacity remaining in the clip, there is simply no reason to waste it to 0 since you can't build up heat again. having capacity below 50 means you are wasting damage potential and you must reload. Even with Amarr Assault 5 and a Victor's this same rule applies as the only way you are getting officer level damage is by holding it from 100 to 0.

The solution? Double capacity size but keep the overheat mechanic the same. The balance then relies on heat management, just like the HMG. Do you go all out to the point of overheat or do you fire in bursts to apply better DPS over time?

Possible buff: Double capacity to 200, keep overheat mechanics the same, slight increase to reserve ammo

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A more complicated solution would be to base the weapon damage on how much heat has been built up rather than just based on how long the trigger has been held. Instead of resetting the damage modifier back to 0 when you let go of the trigger, a skilled player could hold the heat level high to maintain damage output.

But seeing as the scrambler rifle heat mechanics make it do more damage than it should because pressing the trigger it technically holding the charge for a split second...I'm guessing that not only would this sort of mechanic be tricky to implement, but could also break the weapon entirely.

What if we got rid of the magazine for the Laser rifle and just gave it a charge amount (basically a large magazine)
The only thing that would hold you back is heat management as distance.

Lore wise this can makes sense as well due to lasers using crystals and energy more than actual "ammo"

The Laser is the Closest thing we have to a light machine gun in this game, something like this would truly make it shine.

I think the laser could possibly do with a minor damage increase. It's not bad, but it is kind of underwhelming. It would be nice if the weapon was more feared.

I honestly didn't find it useful in the first place with laser weapons

I'd welcome a different bonus to be honest.

It's an interesting idea, but I'd rather it not be like this. Lore wise, all energy weapons in dust have ammo. I always saw it as a kind of battery pack. The weapon doesn't even take much dropsuit power to fit.

I'm all for the idea of increasing the mag size to 200, but I don't think we need to remove the mag entirely. We have the reload animation after all.

I think the laser could possibly do with a minor damage increase. It's not bad, but it is kind of underwhelming. It would be nice if the weapon was more feared. I do find success with it from time to time though.

firstly thank you for giving this weapon the attention,

so to be serious my best with the laser rifle is 34-2, I think that's pretty darned good, the weapon is solid, it has good progression what do I mean by that? I mean the balance between the levels of STD ADV PRO OFFICER, they all feel good, the difference between the stats, it's tiered nicely is what i'm trying to say.

secondly, I can even beat people in CQC with it, because the auto-aim is just what you need, it helps you but most of the tracking is on you, the auto-aim helps to snap to your target, so it helps you get a headstart rather than allow you to melt with ease.

you know it's a lethal weapon it's really fun to use, I do reckon it needs more ammo but I could skill it up a little bit more, it's a professionals weapon, it's comfortable to use.

some players like weapons that are easy to use, some people prefer weapons that are hard to use, to sum up the laser rifle, it's a specialist weapon for sure but it's still comfortable to use.

now what would I change about it? Well I can get 34 kills with it so personally, nothing, I can have bad games with it, because sometimes due to the map and other things it's not viable to use a laser rifle, once you use it a lot you get a feel for the right situation in which to use the laser rifle.

that's another thing, it's a situational weapon, the time calls for it, but not all the time, it can be just what you need to avoid getting redlined, on certain maps with big open spaces it's silly to NOT use the laser rifle.


I love the gun and if you change it just know this, from a decent laser rifle player, there is no point in buffing anything, it doesn't need it, but what the laser rifle needs 1000000x less than a buff, is a nerf, in any capacity, they're not a troublesome weapon, if i may now speak from the side of someone who is on the receiving end of a laser rifle, a rail rifle normally sorts them out.

if a guy is melting your team, he's probably funnelling them, he has the advantage but if you get behind him? especially with a shotgun - you just found his weakness, there is the obvious weakness and strength in the laser rifle, i.e distance and control are a strength and advantage and having no distance between you and the enemy, is definitely a weakness, you have to strategically place yourself with the laser rifle.

I'm the kind of person who doesn't always like to run around, turn corners, or even go CQC with people, sometimes I like to be in my own bubble, not being aggressive, just strategically placing myself, being tactical about who I approach and when, and generally being more of a specialist player.

Now I'll remind you of when the laser rifle was insane, it was the imperial I believe? This was 1.6 around about that time, people would hide on roofs and go 35-0 with the PRO laser it was so powerful, I'm honestly not sure what was nerfed but all of a sudden I didn't see a laser rifle for months, I've taken note of the trend in what people use when, what server, what update etc.

And the right amount of people use a laser rifle now, from a merc's perspective, I don't have the market data, I don't have the data for weapons being lost, but I think one persons' average match perspective is more average than average market data as it's across servers and timezones etc.

it isn't spammed, it isn't abused, the game has to be right or you'll make hardly any kills. the games where you beast? luck, map, and lack of the opponent's ability to adapt.

OK now let's look at role play, my amarr character isn't on the forums but he IS amarr, ak.0, viziam SCR, viziam LR, laser rifle is for the amarr, it's for people who are faction-specific, who enjoy the role playing. If you change the laser rifle in the wrong way, people in other suits will be able to effectively use the laser rifle, keyword being effective, anyone can use the laser rifle, so don't change the heat buildup, I mean the base stat heat buildup I don't mean the amarr assault bonus, if you change the base stat it changes the game.

People like things being for them, I like the LR and SCR being mine, being ours, being the empires, it's who I change into, so definitely, keep the laser with it's downfall (heat buildup). Possibly more ammo like I said but I don't have ammo 5 so I don't know.

Don't change animations, reload is awesome, reminds me of perfect dark where to reload you placed an orb by the gun and it absorbed into the gun, I like the idea of playing with balls of plasma then heating them up to the point where they melt skin!

The laser beam thickness is fine, anyone could do with it being thinner but no idea how it would impact the reticule and enemy tracking, the reticule itself is barely visible, I think it should be changed but NOT to a circle like the temporary sniper rifle (now only tactical sr) reticule. The sight itself, is nice and wide, like the SCR, I like the continuity between factional weapons, keep it that way.

I love how the laser rifle looks, I'd love to have SKINs for weapons though!

on the damage curve. what if base damage was increased but the damage increase curve was levelled off?

What if the battery was fed by the suit, but the overheat fried the battery, making it necessary to replace?