I have a habit of reverse-engineering Battletech equipment. What would a 4-damage standard laser look like? Can you make an MRM version of the SRM? What equation creates the tonnage of a given rating of a fusion engine?
Recently, I turned to ACs. Unlike missiles standard AC equations came out in one night's worth of work. Simple stuff. It was a bit tricky with the AC2's and AC5's having the same heat, but easy-peasy.
The template to turn an AC into a Light Autocannon was a bit harder. There are only two, so it's hard to make a nuanced trendline. If an AC2 loses 6 hexes range and an AC5 loses 3 hexes of range, then an AC8 would lose 0 hexes. An AC11 gains 3 hexes and in the end a “Light” AC 20 weighed 9 tons and had the reach of an LRM for the same heat and ammo efficiency as its standard counterpart.
Why would a weapon ostensibly made to create an AC niche nerf the LAC2 so much? Were banked LAC2’s keeping someone at FASA up at night? It was frustrating, as someone who likes choosing equipment and someone who likes making equipment.
Then I looked at the LBX and Ultra ACs. Really looked. I’d skimmed them a few times. Maybe cluck-clucked as I used an LBX 5 to round out an assault playload or made a joke LBX Jagermech, but I never really held the numbers up side-by-side.
I’m late to the party but my bewilderment is vast. If you’ve never crunched the numbers of this craptacularity, we’re gonna do it now.
LBX ACs. LBX ACs have a reputation for being a bit lighter, running a bit cooler, and shooting a bit farther. All of the LBX ACs get a range bracket up grade. The LBX5 and LBX2 keep their minimum ranges, but even considering the absurdity of them having minimum ranges in the first place, I’m shocked they didn’t get get any bigger.
Similarly, the two boys can’t run any cooler. That is, so long as you lay a finger over the line on the weapons and equipment table that includes machine guns.
No one actually weighs less, except the LBX10, the golden boy of the autocannon family (or maybe daddy’s little girl? Dare we gender the autocannons?). I’ll go over the AC10 later.
The crits are ridiculous though. Was the 2 damage–or 1.2 damage for the cluster munitions–at 27 hexes so valuable that we needed to give it 300% percent more crits? An AC2 is the size of a small laser. An LBX2 is bigger than a PPC. It’s a 6-ton weapon that’s less scary than that small laser; literally, what harm can it do?
But no, if an Atlas mechwarrior loses their mind, we don’t want them packing more than six LBX2’s into their torsos. 36 tons isn’t a large enough deterrent to making their fucked-up flipper baby birthed by a Charger, a Jagermech, and a Christmas cracker.
AC 5 and 20 both gain 1 crit in their conversion, but the LBX10 loses a crit? I keep checking because that’s insane. I’m checking this as I edit this, I checked it when I transcribed it from handwritten notes, I checked it when I handwrote this, and looking at it the first time prompted me to write this. My brain is literally reluctant to believe that every other LBX version gains crits versus its standard version except for the one that was pretty much the best this whole time anyway.
Was it not clear enough it was your favorite, guys? Did you make steady, remorseless eye contact with the AC/2 while writing that? Did she hurt you?
Ammunition per ton is the same, which means that only two classes of LBX autocannons can carry both ammo types without inciting that thing from cartoons where someone turns into a turkey leg in front of a hungry person, but instead of a turkey leg, it’s an unguarded munitions dump with a firecracker stand outside.
Now the UACs. Heavier and meaner than the standard, right? Now, UACs all gain a single ton of weight, which is more relevant for the 6-ton AC2, and less for the 12-ton AC10. I guess I shouldn’t forget the range bonus, and how could I? One additional long range hex and one additional medium range hex. We also lose a hex of minimum range. With the ability to deal almost 3.3 damage, the UAC2’s strongest upgrade over its predecessor is the ability to get rid of ammo faster.
Unless it jams.
The UAC5 is reasonable. I mean, it would be reasonable if the AC5 itself was reasonable. Plus two long range hexes, plus one medium range hex, and one less minimum range are all fine. On average, it’s hitting about large laser damage…with less focus and more ammo dependence and a chance to jam.
For the weight of a large laser and five heat sinks, are five extra hexes of range and one less heat really worth it? Your mileage may vary. But it’s gonna be the large laser most of the time. If you need range, or crit seeking, get the crap LBX5. If you want reach and damage in five point clusters, get an LRM 15.
The UAC20 has insane crazy pants ammo consumption. Crazy heat. Its small dick energy range gets a few hexes, which are worth more than the ones the lighter UACs get because the AC20 is so short–lol–on range.Lunacy weapon, even if it’s not that great.
But these ranges. If everyone else got a Salt Bae’s worth of seasoning, the UAC10 got a Dutch East India Company’s worth. A whole bloody range bracket? +1 Short Range, +2 Medium Range, and +3 Long Range, and still no minimum range? The AC5 got 3 hexes of minimum range for that range profile, possibly for its hubris of reaching out to 18 hexes. The UAC10 was obviously dealing with some new New Testament FASA where Jordan Weisman sent down his only begotten son and version patch to forgive the sins of their past.
But not for the AC2s and AC5s though. I guess minimum ranges are just for the circumsized.
There's this assumption in games that parts are roughly equal or exist in a niche. Yeah, Sushi Go's Egg Nigiri is objectively bad, but in a drafting game the limited availability of Nigiri give you the option between choosing it or nothing. 'Mech creation isn't a drafting game and battle value and C-Bills don't vary enough for ACs to be a value sink.
I get that vehicles exist, but I like my big stompy 'mech game to be about big stompy 'mechs. Not every piece of equipment has to be good on them, and maybe even 'mainstream' equipment doesn't need to be. Hey maybe some of this equipment is good against certain units (I understand aerospace fighters have control rolls that can be facilitated with light autocannons).
I mean, I don't get that stuff. I know it. I just hate that the number lines aren't smooth and I've got a tool in front of me I can't justify using without sticking my hands deep into the roleplaying trough.
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