Ships & Modules

You're missing something. If you fit both long and short range at the same time, you'll never being doing optimal damage from all your weapons -- if you're close, your long range guns will be useless and if you're far away, your short range guns will be useless.

The answer is to dictate range -- you decide how far you want to be from the rats and stay there. Fit an AB and MWD. Orbit if you'd like. Find the ideal range for your weapon system and stay there. Then fit all short- or long-range guns and watch them all work together.

I'm guessing the OP is talking about PVE primarily.

As far as that goes, fit your ship how you like. This is a game for you to enjoy.

In PVP, you'll want to fit your ship for that properly.

what ship are you using?
which rats are you shooting at?
what fit are you using?

Yes. In PVP if you are 100% long range and I get my ACs under your guns you die.
In PVP if you are 50% long and 50% short, if I get under your long guns with my shorts, you die.
If you kite me at long range with your 50% long, you're doing only half damage which means: you've given me twice the amount of time to close on you, or escape.

If I'm arty fit, you'll die because you're doing 50% damage.

If you KNEW I was coming at you with short range ship, you'd go for 100% long guns and speed to kite me. So, when I say "properly" I meant "PVP properly", with either a scram, disruptor, etc - and a rack of similar guns.

In PVE, I've flow plenty of ships with varying weaponry, and usually it just wasn't as efficient as all sames. And that's too bad, because I like the idea of varying weapon types - such as a dessie with two arties and the rest shorts. Ah... blah blah blah.

In PVE fit what you like and what feels best for you. That's my main point. PVP is a different beast. Fit accordingly.

well in most PvE situations the rats are pretty predictable IE the frigs close within 10km the cruisers stay at 15 then teh BS break into groups some try to hump your hull and others stay the hell out orbits.

generally you want all the same gun type IE short/long to maximize your DPS

my alt is an AC queen near max skilled so his autos hit out far enough on missions to get the BS at 50km if i dont burn them down this also allows me to melt cruisers that get close and touch me

i usually leave frigs for drones

the primary reason it is bad is
range differences
ROF
Skills
fitting Reqs

on the Cane if you want the dps and have skills use missles to match your guns IE short/long range

i have tried the mix gun types it is just not worth it like already stated you get half dps at different ranges instead of maxxing on a set of skills/gear

Don't get jumped. The best way to NOT get jumped is to keep your eye on D-Scan while in low sec. D-Scan + Local is your best friend and best defense against any roaming PVP hunters.

If you DO get jumped and you are warp disrupted/scrammed, FIGHT. Many people that get jumped panic and don't really fight back too much (because they're suddenly thrust in a situation they weren't prepared for and they fumble their mouse/keyboard). Fight back immediately and maybe you'll win.

I take it this would be an endorsement for all short guns if i am in a situation that might turn PVP.

You should look at what type of weapon you use before you start thinking about optimal/falloff. Using projectiles you are meant to fight in your falloff.

A simple way to know if you are doing good/decent damage is optimal + around half falloff. Split ranges on weapons are bad because it gives you low damage output at all ranges. Drones are generally only for frigs and cruisers unless you fly a ship that relies on drones for their main damage output.

You always want to be able to dictate range generally, either keeping away from the target you're shooting or getting up close and personal. While keeping at range from the rats can mitigate some of their damage you should primarily be concerned about your distance to the target you are shooting.

Eve survival is a good site to check out if you're uncertain about any mission. It's not the most up to date anymore, but most of the information is still correct. You'll find what range the different rats orbit at and their damage types as well there. For example: Angel Cartel gets up close in Autocannon range, while Guristas usually stay at range where Artillery can track them.

Warp scrambling frigates is usually the first rats you want to blow up, and webbing rats if you need to control your range.

One thing about PVE is that you can research situations and learn about what sort of enemies you'll be facing; that way, you can refit your ship as necessary. If you're a mission runner, for example, you'll want to maximize your short-range firepower against the Angel Cartel, which likes to fly close and will get under your long-range guns, while you'll want longer-range weaponry against the Guristas, who will tend to stand off well beyond the reach of your short-range weapons. Mix your guns, and like they said above, you're throwing away half your damage potential no matter what you're facing, which is not good against enemies with regenerating tanks - cut your DPS in half and you'll find the rats tanking your damage outright. Even if you're able to break their tanks, it's horribly inefficient; the alternate guns are just wasting CPU, powergrid, and turret slots.

And I'm sorry, but the thought of someone who's put mixed weapons on a Loki, a Tempest Fleet Issue, and a Maelstrom makes me want to go cry in my beer. That's just a waste of expensive hulls. And I'm afraid to ask how those ships are tanked.

In the beginning, I didn't get it either. Fit one set for long range, one for the inevitable frigates that get in close. But after a while you get it. You learn what it means to keep something at-range. You learn the benefits of a single, solitary weapon system. I've started playing again with mixed weapon systems recently (like the Scythe Fleet for COSMOS missions or the Typhoon for playing around in L4's); not sure what I think about it now. Learn to keep targets at range and use the weapons for that range, and you'll see how much more efficient you can kill.