Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Why Small Pulse Laser takes more powergrid and CPU to fit than Small AutoCannons?

I understand the lore explanation. Laser use energy, energy comes from powergrid, to manage that powergrid you need CPU, so you need more powergrid and CPU in order to fit a laser. That's fine with me, my problem is how much more it cost compare to AC.

Let's compare Laser and AutoCannon:
Laser Pros:
- High optimal range so you can apply your full damage at various range.
- About 15% more base damage.
- Can change ammo on the fly to adjust to the range of the battle.
- Doesn't need to reload ammo.
Laser Cons:
- Cost capacitor to use.
- Can only do EM and Thermal damage.
- About 25% slower tracking than AC.
- Low falloff range.

AutoCannon Pros:
- High tracking.
- Can do any damage type.
- High falloff range.
AutoCannon Cons:
- Takes 10seconds to change ammo.
- Needs to reload ammo once in a while.
- Low optimal range.

To summarize: Laser's got range flexibility and better base Damage. AutoCannon's got damage type flexibility, better tracking and no capacitor cost. Sounds relatively balanced.

Let's now compare fit requirements (all level 5 skills):
3xMedium Pulse Laser cost: 32.4 Powergrid, 38.25 CPU .
3x200mm AutoCannon cost: 10.8 Powergrid, 20.25 CPU.

In other words, a set of lasers will cost about 3 times more Powergrid and 2 times more CPU than its Autocannon counterpart.

One ship I enjoy flying is the Punisher. If I go for a buffer fit (no rigs, all 5 skills) I get:
- 6.23k EHP for a laser fit. (With one PowerGrid Implant to fit the last low slot.)
- 8.50k EHP for a AutoCannon fit.
About 35% more EHP on the AutoCannon fit.

My point: Laser and Autocannon are already relatively balanced if you compare their pros and cons. The huge gap in fitting requirement isn't justify and they should be balanced to a more comparable level.


PS: I hear Hybrid weapon are in the same boat as Laser, I didn't include them simply because I don't use them. I also hear hybrid weapon are getting rebalanced, I wish they could balance Energy weapon at the same time.

What he's saying is that Autocannon are much better for frigates because they don't suck up as much powergrid. Sure, the Punisher has a good tank even with lasers, but AC just makes it better.

AC are 20% better. Should it be balanced? I think so.

The fact is : all race can fit a battleship with full T2 weapons exept for the Amarr because T2 tachyon laser beam powergrid cost is so hight that it's impossible is fit them without rigs or low slot power grid boost.

lasers have many issues, and i aggree with OP... too much PG needed, too much cap needed.
worst part is minmitar t2 EM/thermal resistance is retardly high.

lasers should have
-best tracking
-2nd best DPS within optimal
-low falloff
-most cap use
-PG should take the most, but amarr ships need PG boost, tachyons take WAY to much PG.

The same can be said of 425mm rails, with the additional benefit of lol dps.

I meant on some of the racial boats that use them, btw, obviously they fit in Amar BS with their huge grid.

And you're right, tachs should be gimped.

Of course you don't even know what it is to fit your rails megathron with 3 CCC and meds of cap rechargers do you?

Ho and my 425mm rails would like to have a talk with you, they need new models around 850mm effective has your tachyons.

Why should lasers have the best tracking? Autocannons should have crazy tracking since Mimatar ships are designed to use kiting methods over a straight tank.

Lazors already have great DPS potential. Maybe your skills are not advanced enough to effectively utilize Lazors

Falloff on Lazors are determined by skill, type of turret used, and ammo. Don't care for the falloff, try changing the crystals used.

Energy weapons should have use more cap than any other. Hybrids take a ton of cap to use as well, however, there are ways around cap use. Try fitting Cap Boosters.

As much as I understand that Amarr BS might be tight on PG when using tachyons, I can say this. Those turrets are long range sniper class turrets. Either you need to train your weapons upgrade skills and your adavanced weapon upgrade skills to V, or you should consider using less tank. The issue of tachyons are either a problem with lack of skill trained, trying to do too much with your ship fit, or a combo of both. No ship in Eve should be able to have an insane tank coupled with insane DPS. Try using the ships to their original purpose.

Of course Minmatar T2 ships have great EM/Therm resistances. Going by the storyline Minmatar and Amarr factions are constantly at war. So why wouldn't Minmatar design their T2 ships to tank their enemy? Amarr has insane EM/EXP resistances to counter Minmatar. Would you like some cheese whit that wine?

A lot of T1 amarr hulls are bad fitting wise this was somewhat intended from the early days where lasers where the most powerful weapon system. A lot of thing however changed since this and CCP did only address 3 ships(Zealot/Omen/Apoc) in this regards in the boost 4 years ago(Omen only to 50% since they didn't improved the fitting as requested). It gets better for the Harbinger, the BS and most of the T2 ships later on, where you can fit a full rack of the bigger guns and still some sort of tank.

As for fitting changes to acs, it wouldn't help much, since you generally got lots of power grid left on many minmatar ships, that are generally based on the ability to fit artillery fitting wise, so it wouldn't hurt them, but your fitting if you want to use acs instead of lasers.



Tachyons are a weapon size above large turrets. It is intended that you can't fit them on every hull and there are hulls specially designed around tachyon use(NM/Pala) that absolutely take the cake in regards of dps and tracking at medium ranges compared to other long range fits.

Because CCP buffed autocannons but didn't increase their fitting requirements.