Arx Ardashir
Imperium Aeternum
90
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Posted - 2013.07.10 20:06:00 -
[1] - Quote
TL;DR is marked at approx 2/3 down.
Ok, so we all know that dropsuit racial bonuses tend to favor weapons of the same race. Amarr has overheat/cooling bonuses for their lasers, Minmatar have +ammo bonuses for their "lots of guns" approach to life, and Gallente and Caldari have hybrid bonuses.
What I want to focus on is one of the Amarr Sentinel's racial bonuses: 5% reduction to feedback damage per level.
Currently, we have no heavy weapons that deal feedback damage. However, 2 of the 3 Amarrian weapons (Scrambler and Laser Rifles) do, so it's safe to assume that the Amarrian heavy weapon will also have an overheat/feedback mechanic.
Right now the Laser Rifle does an insane 225 feedback damage at proto level, especially crazy when compared to the flat 50 feedback damage that all Scrambler Rifles have. If the LR was a heavy weapon, a level 5 sentinel would take only 169 damage from feedback, shaving off 56 damage. If the Scrambler Rifle was a heavy weapon, then a level 5 sentinel would take only 37 damage, shaving off a negligible (to a heavy's EHP) 13 damage. That means that to make the bonus worthwhile, the Amarr heavy weapon will have to do at least as much, if not greater, feedback damage as the Laser Rifle.
But what fun is taking just a little less damage from your weapon feedback if your gun is going to be seized up for the next 5+ seconds?
With that, I want to specify the difference between a reduction to feedback damage and a reduction to heat buildup. A reduction to heat buildup means that you can better manage your heat before the weapon overheats. This means that you can fire longer before having to stop to let the weapon cool down. A reduction to feedback damage, on the other hand, only benefits you when the weapon overheats, which is usually only when you make a mistake and don't manage your heat properly. Bonuses should empower your ability, not make punishments for mistakes a little less harsh.
Herein lies my proposal:(TL;DR)
Instead of seizing upon overheat, I propose that the Amarrian heavy weapon keep firing, pulsing feedback damage every second that it is overheated.
What this will do is it will allow the Amarrian Heavy, the one who should have the best efficiency with it's race's weapon, to fire the heavy weapon in an overheated state for longer. It takes 25% less damage per pulse, allowing it to squeeze out the extra bit of dps from it's weapon before it has to stop/dies.
Minmatar heavies should be best at HMGing, Caldari best at Forging, Gallente best at whatever they're going to be doing, and the Amarr best at heavy lasering (or whatever they're going to be doing.) Taking just a bit of damage off when a gun becomes completely unusable is not a bonus. Letting the Amarr suit power through the overload of it's race's weapon in order to get out the needed dps better than any other heavy is a bonus. |