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A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle?
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Be critical, is this a good weapon or not?
This is exactly what the Light Gauss Rifle has needed!
25%
 25%  [ 1 ]
It's a good start, but it's still got a long way to go before I'd use it over the other gauss rifles.
25%
 25%  [ 1 ]
No, why would I ever use this?
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
This is okay, but here's what I'd change... (reply with idea)
50%
 50%  [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 4
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Alisa Wolfstein
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PostPosted: 07-Jun-2018 16:53    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

I've often thought about how the Light Gauss Rifle could be made viable in comparison to its heavier siblings, because I really like the concept but its delivery is lacklustre to the extreme. So after some thought, I've come up with a way to make it better.

The "Improved Light Gauss Rifle" is as follows:

Heat: 2
Damage: 10
Minimum Range: 2
Short Range: 1-8
Medium Range: 9-16
Long Range: 17-24
Tons: 13
Critical Slots: 6
Ammo per Ton: 16
Rules Level: N/A
Cost: 475,000
Ammo Cost (per ton): 40,000
BV (2.0): 280(?)
Year of Availability (Experimental): 3085
Year of Availability (Advanced): 3092

The special feature of the Improved Light Gauss Rifle is that it is able to fire twice, like ultra autocannons, and damage is calculated in the same way as ultra autocannons (roll on the "2" column of the missile hits table to determine whether the second shot hits). However, the weapon does not jam like ultra autocannons. Instead, the capacitors overload and the rifle explodes as if it had taken a critical hit. This is a "build-up" mechanic - like a supercharger or MASC - with the failure level being a "2" on your to-hit roll (like MASC) when you have not used the double-fire mechanic previously. Each consecutive turn increases the failure level by ONE, NOT TWO. Each turn firing at single rate lowers the failure level by one, not firing the rifle at all lowers it by two. The rifle can only overload when it is fired at double rate.

E.g, I fire my Improved Light Gauss at double-fire rate four turns in a row. On the first turn I will suffer no ill effects if I roll a 3 or higher on my to-hit roll. On the second turn I need a 4 or higher to be safe, a 5 on my third turn and a 6 on my fourth. After only firing the rifles at single fire rate on my fifth turn (with no risk of the rifles exploding), the failure level drops from 6 to 5. On turn six, I do not fire the rifle at all, and the failure level drops back to 3. Even if I do not fire at double-rate on turn seven, the failure level will not go below 3.

Fluff:
In the many years that have passed since the Clan Invasion, the scientists of the Inner Sphere have been constantly striving to create new and improved versions of pre-existing technology, especially for less-desirable items. For exampe the Light Gauss Rifle was one of the most criticised weapons ever produced, some people would even consider it being described as "underwhelming" as a compliment - that's how inefficient it was. Not because the concept of the design was bad, or because the weapon is ineffective (it can have great influence in a battle when used in the right way). The problem with the Light Gauss Rifle was with it from the start: the existence of the standard Gauss Rifle. At only three tons heavier and taking up 40% more space, you get twice as much damage compared to the Light Gauss. The only drawback is 90 metres less range (the ammunition deals the same damage per ton as the Light Gauss). So no one used Light Gauss Rifles unless they had no other choice, because it was terrible compared to the standard version it was based upon. Some historians think that it was rushed out of testing as soon as the prototypes' malfunctions were fixed, rather than giving its developers more time to fine-tune the design. Adding further evidence to this theory is the fact that the issue with the Light Gauss (in relation to the standard Gauss) does not exist with the Heavy Gauss Rifle - a highly valued weapon, especially by the Lyran Commonwealth - which came into production six years after the Light Gauss Rifle.

So, it was with much trepidation that the scientists of Defiance Industries released the Improved Light Gauss Rifle in 3085. Using updated versions of technology developed for the Heavy and Improved Heavy Gauss Rifles, the Improved Light Gauss Rifle utilises capacitors with extremely fast charge rates to fire twice in the same time period as the original took to fire once. The downside of this is that the circuitry uses higher currents as one way to increase the charge time and produces more heat than the standard Light Gauss Rifle as a result. Furthermore, the capacitors cannot function at this higher rate of fire for any extended period of time - pushing the Improved Light Gauss Rifle too hard will result in an overload of the capacitors and a catastrophic discharge will occur, destroying the rifle and dealing significant damage to the internal structure around it.



So... any thoughts?
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PostPosted: 07-Jun-2018 17:10    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Considering there's an improved heavy gauss rifle, I'm actually quite surprised they didn't come out with the improved light version as well. What I don't like is the double-fire capabilities you described. I don't think rapid fire and gauss rifles belong together.
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Alisa Wolfstein
Lyran Alliance
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PostPosted: 07-Jun-2018 17:29    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

I got the inspiration from MWO, where the Light Gauss is made viable (barely) by giving it a high rate of fire. I just adapted this idea to make it compatible with tabletop. It's difficult to improve the Light Gauss Rifle without it basically becoming a standard Gauss Rifle that weighs a bit less but does proportionally the same damage per ton.
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PostPosted: 07-Jun-2018 17:59    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

These polls remind me that I need to make custom equipment a thing users can create.
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Sir Henry
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PostPosted: 07-Jun-2018 19:32    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

It's a sniper rifle. Long range, 10 Damage, 16 per ton...

I like it
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Kylo Kruis
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PostPosted: 08-Jun-2018 05:51    Post subject: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

If you were to use the double fire rule, I would keep the damage at 8 not 10 to keep it from being too overpowered compared to the standard Gauss. Also, the BV seems quite high compared to an ER PPC (228).
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Alisa Wolfstein
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PostPosted: 08-Jun-2018 06:15    Post subject: Re: A way to rescue the Light Gauss Rifle? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Kylo Kruis wrote:
If you were to use the double fire rule, I would keep the damage at 8 not 10 to keep it from being too overpowered compared to the standard Gauss. Also, the BV seems quite high compared to an ER PPC (228).


It averages the same damage as the standard Gauss but is less reliable. It has the ability to explode at any time, which the standard Gauss doesn't. It produces double the heat per shot of the standard Gauss, and when fired at double rate produces the most heat of any Gauss Rifle. It has the same minimum range and only two hexes further long range. It weighs two tons less and takes up one less critical slot. I think its about as balanced as I could make it. Also, the BV is based on the standard Gauss Rifle and Light Gauss Rifle's BVs.
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