New Experimental Weapon: multi-focus pulse lasers

[Sartris]

Want crit seeking without the annoying exploding ammo? These schematics found of recovered Battle Magic computers have a solution for you!

General rules:
* MFPLs come in three sizes: Small / Medium / Large
* Each MFPL weighs the same as a standard IS pulse, but occupies one additional crit space
* MFPLs each have three firing modes:
standard: follows all rules of conventional IS pulse weapons
scatter: treat the laser as an SRM, -1 TH bonus
reach: double the range bands and treat as an LB-X, -1 TH bonus. Does not count as flak

Large MFPL
* Scatter: on a successful hit, resolve the attack as an SRM-5
* Reach: on a successful hit, resolve as an LB-X 5

Medium MFPL
* Scatter: on a successful hit, resolve as an SRM-3
* Reach: on a successful hit, resolve as an LB-X 3

Small MFPL
* Scatter: on a successful hit, resolve as an SRM-2
* Reach: on a successful hit, resolve as an LB-X 2

[The_Caveman]

Interesting idea. Closer to how I think pulse lasers should have worked from the beginning.

Compared with vanilla pulse lasers, though, they seem a bit too good for what they are. The large version compares too favorably with both standard PPC and LB-5X. The multiple firing modes also allow them to cover too many niches at once.

Suggestion 1: remove the standard firing mode and to-hit bonuses altogether; instead roll small/medium/large on the 3/4/5 column of the cluster table with a +2 bonus as with Artemis, and make the damage 1 point/hit at long, 2 points at medium, and 3 points at short; set the range bands the same as IS standard lasers; increase the heat of all sizes by 2. 2 crits for the small version seems overkill, drop it back to 1.

The small then becomes a drop-in replacement for a medium laser, with much shorter range but higher peak damage. The medium version fits between MPL and LPPC as a midrange weapon with more but less consistent damage and a bit more heat. And the large is almost as good a brawling weapon as the LPL, with a menacing peak damage, while also having most of the standard PPC's range at the price of reduced long-range damage.

Suggestion 2: treat them exactly as energy LBX weapons of sizes 5, 7, and 10, with only cluster mode available, and use the standard laser range brackets. Again, make the small version a single crit slot, but leave heat alone. Damage averages a bit worse than standard lasers but with cluster spread and accuracy bonus to make up the shortfall.

The large version ends up being a very nasty close-in anti-aircraft weapon and natural companion to a PPC, while the small compares decently to MG Arrays, and the medium presents an alternative to SRMs as a brawler's mainstay.

[Atarlost]

Compared with vanilla pulse lasers, though, they seem a bit too good for what they are. The large version compares too favorably with both standard PPC and LB-5X. The multiple firing modes also allow them to cover too many niches at once.

What?  New pulse lasers should not be compared to old pulse lasers.  They should be compared to weapons that don't suck. 

A MFPL still only does concentrated damage out to its standard range.  PPCs beat up LPLs and take their lunch money.  The PPC is at least as accurate except within 3 hexes and at exactly 7 hexes.  It always does more damage.  Its medium is longer than the LPL's long and even if you allow extreme for the LPL and not for the PPC the PPC still has more range.  In Reach mode a LMFPL does not do concentrated damage and cannot be compared to the PPC. 

In reach mode a LMFPL has brackets of 6/14/20.  A LB-5x has brackets of 8/14/21.  The LB-5X has flack, which is its primary role, and has a slug option at the 8/14/21 brackets.  The LB-5X is also slightly lighter at 10.5 tons including both ammo types and half a heatsink while the LPL is 12 tons with the 5 DHS needed to keep it cool. 

The LB-5X is a little threatened if you don't want slug mode, and are not a vehicle, and either have lots of open crit slots or are able to hide the required DHS in your engine, and aren't carrying it for its flak role, but it's not going to ruin the LB-5X the way the SNPPC ruins the LPL. 

Scatter mode is comparable to a 6 ton (1 ton ammo, 2 DHS) SRM-6.  The medium long brackets are a hex longer and it hits at -1, but it has fewer clusters.  That's pretty sad.  The LMFPL has more modes, but SRMs have ammo options and LB-5X does what SRM-5 does in terms of critseeking anyways. 

Compared to, say, the MML-5, the LMFPL is pretty sad.  It critseeks better at long range and it has chunky damage at short range from the traditional pulse mode, but it's also heavier, hotter, and lacks the wide variety of utility specialty ammo can give. 

[The_Caveman]

What?  New pulse lasers should not be compared to old pulse lasers.  They should be compared to weapons that don't suck. 

If these exist why would you ever take conventional pulse lasers, aside from being totally crit-packed?

IS large and medium pulse lasers have problems, but the solution is not an entirely new class of weapon that fills the same niche and renders them completely obsolete. That's not how BattleTech works.

[Sartris]

i mean i could just wheel out superweapons that eclipse old gear in every way but that's not really interesting, is it? they're prototype weapons from circa 3063-3067 that modifies existing technology by adding utility to really common weapons.

sorry you don't like it

[The_Caveman]

i mean i could just wheel out superweapons that eclipse old gear in every way but that's not really interesting, is it? they're prototype weapons from circa 3063-3067 that modifies existing technology by adding utility to really common weapons.

sorry you don't like it

It's not about like or dislike, it's that BT runs on the principle of "no such thing as a free lunch" (at least within the same tech base). If you add capability somewhere, you have to take it away somewhere else.

[Retry]

If these exist why would you ever take conventional pulse lasers, aside from being totally crit-packed?

IS large and medium pulse lasers have problems, but the solution is not an entirely new class of weapon that fills the same niche and renders them completely obsolete. That's not how BattleTech works.

Both IS LPLs and MPLs were obsolete on-introduction by the standard Medium Laser, no need for any fancy high-tech gear.

[Darzoni]

Suggestion 2: treat them exactly as energy LBX weapons of sizes 5, 7, and 10, with only cluster mode available, and use the standard laser range brackets. Again, make the small version a single crit slot, but leave heat alone. Damage averages a bit worse than standard lasers but with cluster spread and accuracy bonus to make up the shortfall.

The large version ends up being a very nasty close-in anti-aircraft weapon and natural companion to a PPC, while the small compares decently to MG Arrays, and the medium presents an alternative to SRMs as a brawler's mainstay.

Personally I think this is the best option since it doesn't overshadow nearly as many things and it seems like the kind of thing the techs would actually be tinkering with in-universe.

"George, I got a crazy idea.  But just hear me out: What if we took the LB-X cluster munitions and made them lasers?"
"Dude...  you know I'm a sucker for a good light show."

[Sartris]

that was the intent, yeah. an actual prototype would probably drop the original pulse function because something something fizzicks. ironically i kept that function in the original draft because i didn't want to be accused of side-grade weapons

[Atarlost]

that was the intent, yeah. an actual prototype would probably drop the original pulse function because something something fizzicks. ironically i kept that function in the original draft because i didn't want to be accused of side-grade weapons

You were right in the original draft.  Sidegrades of already obsolete weapons are pointless.  Sidegrades of actually useful weapons are fine.  MPLs and LPLs have always fallen into the former category.  The SPL has so little range that the SMFPL is kind of useless except as an anti-infantry weapon.  In the original draft version it might be the best anti-infantry weapon that isn't a flamer. 

The thing is, the scatter mode is basically useless.  It doesn't get more critical threats than the reach mode and 2 point clusters are nothing to write home about.  You can have a LB-5X and a ML instead of a LMFPL and the ML will make up the extra damage scatter mode would do. 

The MMFPL's isn't much better.  In small scale applications you probably have heatsinks to spare and two ERML have the same average number of clusters for 5 points each.  In large scale applications the LB-20X is comparable to 7 reach mode MMFPLs and by weight gets you about 4.  Scatter mode range is kind of anemic.  Also, that many heatsinks are a lot of crits if you can't hide them all in the engine. 

The SMFPL is just useless without SPL mode.  SPL mode does 2d6 damage to infantry.  SRM mode does 2.  LB-2x mode also does 2.  In large numbers where something with so few clusters can be considered a meaningful crit seeker you can use LMGs which weigh half as much, use half as many crits, put out no heat, and can run 6 or 7 off a half ton lot of ammo.  The ER Flamer is also a thing.  The ER Flamer has more range dealing 2d6 to infantry and as a heat weapon is deadly to BA.  It produces twice the heat, but it's about seven times as effective as a SMFPL without SPL mode.