Fractal Softworks Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

Author Topic: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser  (Read 1425 times)

Morgan Rue

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
    • View Profile
Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« on: August 01, 2019, 01:14:16 AM »

It matches neither it's description nor OP cost in performance.

It could:
Have 700 range instead of 600 range
Do more damage per burst but fire slower, keeping the overall DPS the same
Fire faster and have more charges, or have it recharge faster
or something else entirely, I don't know. It just doesn't feel effective for it's cost, especially compared to stuff like the Phase Lance.

It's 4 more OP and a larger mount for... slightly better damage and slightly better range compared to a normal Burst PD Laser. And unless I'm missing something, the Heavy Burst Laser actually less flux efficient than a normal Burst PD Laser?
Logged
Dauntless.

TaLaR

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2794
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2019, 01:28:12 AM »

The only thing it's kind of good at is intercepting mirvs and sabots before they go 2nd stage (due to extra range and power compared to small Burst PD). But this is more a theoretical advantage than practical: it's trivial to make it waste charges because it doesn't prioritize targets. Just use some swarmers/locusts or any other spammable missiles as distraction (since they can't be filtered out with IPDAI like flares).
« Last Edit: August 01, 2019, 01:30:08 AM by TaLaR »
Logged

Schwartz

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1452
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2019, 04:33:51 AM »

I think for the most part the stats are fine. But: When you're investing in a medium PD solution, it damn well better hold up as one. I would like to see faster recharge and possibly more charges stored.
Logged

Megas

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 12117
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2019, 05:27:14 AM »

If I do not need the extra range and charges, I may undergun and use small burst PD instead.  Heavy Burst Laser is a bit of a lemon compared to small burst PD.

I would not mind it seeing either more damage or faster recharge (or no recharge) so that it can be powerful enough for assault and become a general-purpose weapon like dual flak.
Logged

SCC

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 4112
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2019, 09:30:23 AM »

Extra range would be nice, as would be constant fire instead of bursts. It could make it more preferential for midline ships, though.

Inventor Raccoon

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 451
  • Digging through trash for a hydroflux catalyst
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2019, 10:22:08 AM »

I think its flux usage could definitely be reduced. It's a PD weapon with the efficiency of a strike weapon at 1.36.
Logged

Megas

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 12117
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2019, 10:33:04 AM »

Heavy Burst Laser is barely stronger than Burst PD.  The only things going for it is more range and charges.
Logged

TJJ

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1905
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2019, 11:09:47 AM »

Agreed, though burst pd is itself a bit of a lemon.

I bet pd effectiveness of the burst pd would not be significantly reduced if it had only a single charge.
Not that I'm suggesting such a change, just pointing out where the flaw of the current implementation lies.
Logged

Wyvern

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 3784
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2019, 11:20:11 AM »

Energy PD effectiveness suffered heavily from the removal of the high flux damage bonus; none of them got a compensatory damage boost, and the high flux bonus worked really well with PD: if you were low on flux, your PD was mostly ineffective, but you could safely take missiles on shields and not care.  Whereas at high flux, when you really needed your PD online because your shields couldn't take the hits, was when your PD was nearing +50% damage and could actually take out missiles effectively.

Next patch makes the high flux damage bonus available again, at least as a potential skill choice.  So I'd tend to say, wait and see what that does to energy PD options before calling for buffs; they may not need it.
Logged
Wyvern is 100% correct about the math.

Megas

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 12117
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2019, 11:30:53 AM »

Quote
Energy PD effectiveness suffered heavily from the removal of the high flux damage bonus
It was more of a sidegrade.  They gained range (except burst PD line) and become an OP or two cheaper.  LR PD was a flux hog at 100/sec during a release or two.
Logged

Morgan Rue

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
    • View Profile
Re: Slightly buff the Heavy Burst Laser
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2019, 06:32:17 PM »

Energy PD effectiveness suffered heavily from the removal of the high flux damage bonus; none of them got a compensatory damage boost, and the high flux bonus worked really well with PD: if you were low on flux, your PD was mostly ineffective, but you could safely take missiles on shields and not care.  Whereas at high flux, when you really needed your PD online because your shields couldn't take the hits, was when your PD was nearing +50% damage and could actually take out missiles effectively.

Next patch makes the high flux damage bonus available again, at least as a potential skill choice.  So I'd tend to say, wait and see what that does to energy PD options before calling for buffs; they may not need it.
Burst PD mixed with regular PD lasers is already extremely effective. I'm just pointing out that the HBL doesn't seem to offer much more compared to the BPDL.
Logged
Dauntless.