1)nope. Better have it increasing in dmg uptil 95m
2) better zoom optics please
3) nope. It would still be useless, considering that it will damage you initially at 15/-shot. I propose a much-more rapid increase in damage should you go with this suggestion

If damage builds up on target as opposed to on beam, then wouldn't you think it would make it even more useless?

Then your target manages to escape the bean, so now the weapon does the same damage it did before you had it on target.

The range issue is correct, as it does make no sense.

Everybody and their grandma knows about how sucky the LR sights are.

I don't think its unfair at all. Its a weapon designed to be used by Amarrians....not by mercenaries, traitors, and heretics.

But what I am saying is that a dropsuit designed by that race would take into account its own style of warfare.

I don't think its unfair the gallente get a CPU reduction of hybrid weapons, or the caldari get a reload boost, nor do I think the Minnies have a bad bonus in having extra side arm rounds.

The Amarr bonus is perfectly sound, while I do agree a skill would be nice it would just make the amarr suit better which Im not going to complain about.....even so its hardly unfair the amarr get a bonus to the weapon type the dropsuit was intended to be used with.

You know... for some reason, this thread made me consider the viability of having lasers be able to totally ignore shields, and directly impact armour.

Lets say we weakened damage even further, but implemented the damage scaling based on how long you had a laser on a target. Would that merit being able to ignore shields?

"You make it sound so awful that they need to bend physics a bit"

Let me tell you about how outer space in eve is more fluid than void. It's a common joke that we're actually playing internet space submarines.

I like the fact that the laser rifle works in a way that isn't intuitive. It's one of the few truly original weapons that makes me feel like I'm playing in a sci-fi universe rather than a modern military shooter with costumes.

I equate sci-fi with the existence of things that don't work exactly like things I can experience in real life, today. There is also very little hardness to the New Eden sci-fi. Physics least of all. Gameplay trumps science in this universe, which is why we have fluid mechanics for space and the concept of "up". When I play a game I look for things that add fun to the experience. Encountering a gun on the battlefield that makes me need to close the distance quickly if I want to live, or stick in cover and find a different approach, is fun. The more damage at range mechanic dramatically alters the strategy of the game. If we took your approach and made the laser have a damage profile that is identical to an assault rifle, then we might as well just reskin it as an assault rifle. The important thing isn't whether the gun displays bullets or light when it fires, but how the gun behaves and shapes your choices in a fight. Different is better than more of the same.

Kage - I'm with ya for 1 point, against ya for another, and completely undecided on the third.

Scope - yes.

Range / Damage Mechanic change I disagree with partly. I like the inverted range - keeps it better at Long range operation without being too powerful. But I agree that the drop off in damage at range is wierd. Shouldn't it just have a maximum range? The end of that max range is the end of the optimum as well? Make the range fully inverted.

Heat buildup? Meh. I don't know. As it stands its better for catching groups of guys in the open.