I've just got this data from the PTS where I was testing out the additional depression (aim downedness) they added to these weapons. DPS C85 Modified 3600 Marauder 2667 PPA 1438 Damage / shots per clip (with max upgrades) PPA 40k / 70 Marauder 12k / 15 C85 Modified 7.2k / 6 Use/accuracy/splash discussion. The marauder is the least direct fire option, but has the largest inner splash radius, double that of the PPA for an area 4x as big. The C85 has no splash. None deal significant damage to armor. Though the PPA and C85 has lower accuracy than the marauder, in reality the marauder is more difficult to aim due to projectile drop and lower projectile speed, and its range is limited due to the same; however, it is still very easy to get even direct hits and longer ranges with it after a bit of practice. The PPA is a continuous fire option, and should suffer some DPS reduction because of that, 2HKs are possible with this, or 4 hit max splash. The C85 is a direct fire, burst damage weapon, thus has the highest DPS but a very small magazine size, also having enough shot damage to OHK. The Marauder is both direct and indirect fire, but an extended burst option. It will 2HK for one direct hit and one splash, or 3HK for splash alone. So, my thoughts and recomendations are: Firstly it sucks to be NC getting another shotgun, but I think it still has potential to be useful. Marauder, tone down the splash damage to 300, which would give a DPS of 2145, it just has too much damage for a weapon with 15 rounds and such a large splash radius. PPA, up the fire rate to 200, which would give a DPS of 1917 C85 Modified, up the projectile spread, up the magazine count 8-10, and lower the fire rate to 125rpm, for a DPS of 2500. This is to make it more viable as sustained fire into an area, instead of the direct hit option it now is which overlaps too much with the AV enforcer.
Again? Has this happened before? But yeh, dropping clip size is fine by me, there's not a huge number of options where 28s of continuous fire is called for, or even practical...
The first time they buffed it they dropped the clipsize down to what it is now, used to be like 75 or something ridiculous with even slower ROF
I think they should make the PPA have sort of a flak effect for infantry. Keep it's damage low, but make the plasma ball's hit detection the size of the ball itself. Basically make it explode when it gets near a player by like 1/2 meter. That way you can't one hit kill or anything like that, but you can damage infantry and if they don't move quick, they will get plasma burned out.
Hmmm, I kind of think that would make it too easy to get hits, so the damage would be kept low to balance that out, essentially just lowering the skill ceiling.
Well I keep trying to like the PPA but everytime I use it its just so frustrating, the splash is basically non existant, I mean sure it does do damage but you'd be a fool to go for anything but direct hits as an infantry guy can easily sprint from one piece of cover to the next before the splash'll even drop his shields.
It's already like that. If you get direct hits it takes like 4 or 5 hits to kill someone, and indirect hits do less of course, so it takes like 8-10 shots to indirectly hit someone. Rather than exploding when only near infantry, you, could make it explode when it gets near anything, effectively making it ONLY indirect hit. Great for hitting cowering infantry, but less good for shooting at infantry through doors more than s short distance. This would nicely distinguish it from the Saron, which is all about direct hits and is great for sniping long distances. Otherwise, it just makes it a long distance annoyance weapon. Which wouldn't be so bad if ALL damage earned XP rather than just damage versus aircraft.
As per first post, it'll kill in 2 direct hits or 3 if they run nano or flak; so its essentially 3 I guess. Currently the DPS is low, but I doubt these have had much attention to balance, if the skill ceiling is too low the balance pass will make em rubbish eventually, and not so fun to use either. Exploding near anything is an interesting idea, but a tricky one to implement I would imagine; and still has some of the skill ceiling problem.
