[wep lab] reason *not* to use heatsinks?

[k0rd]

Hello mercenaries!

Like many of you, I have been tinkering with my equipment (that sounds so dirty), trying to find the best weapons for my fighting style.

Based on the various stats listed in the weapons lab, I do not see any reason to not *always* include the maximum amount of heatsinks in a weapon.

I was wondering if anyone had information contrary to the idea that 100 heatsinks is always the way to go.

[Zenith]

I was wondering this myself. Surely there are drawbacks, and if not, why?

[Nigel_Strange]

Heatsinks reduce global warming. Always use them. If you choose not to use them, environmentalists will kill you.

If you do use them, your heatsinks are absorbing the global warming, which means that global temperatures will go down. However, global warming cannot happen if temperatures go down, and environmentalists will have no reason to exist. So if you use them, environmentalists will kill you.

So, use them or not, depending on whether you want environmentalists to kill you for increasing global warming or for hiding the evidence of global warming.

[k0rd]

And all of this time I thought it was poorly plotted jumps that caused global warming

[Marvin]

Sometimes you want heat.

[Frost N7]

Sometimes you want heat.

du dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnn..... i see the only use of wanting heat would be the missile cushion neat idea.

[Nigel_Strange]

Put the heat on the foes.

Seriously, though, the heat generated by the canons does not seem to significantly increase the overall heat.

The heat generated by the canons affects the fire-rate. If you have more heatsinks, the guns can cool faster and so shoot faster without overheating.

Personally, I like a warm gun, but not to the point of damage.

[-splosives-]

***Spoiler***

There is no reason not to use full heatsinks.
I asked vice the same thing during the beta tests, and he replied it was put in on player demand.

[ct6crazycanuck]

Personally the only reason I can think of is a sort of a personal handicap, it's one thing to have a weapon tailor-made to your combat style allowing you to tear through anyone foolish enough to see you as an easy target, but it's a whole other hockey game (Canadian) when you have a weapon that tends to overheat quicker, or maybe has a slow rate of fire or maybe one that pretty much inhales your energy reserves.

Adds a whole new layer of a challenge to the game.

[Munshine]

I wonder if modified weapons affect PVP in any direction.

[-splosives-]

I wonder if modified weapons affect PVP in any direction.

Yes they do. Most PvP pilots, including myself, use custom weapons.

[k0rd]

***Spoiler***

There is no reason not to use full heatsinks.
I asked vice the same thing during the beta tests, and he replied it was put in on player demand.

Thanks for the confirmation! See ya out there!

[Rubber Chicken]

***Spoiler***

There is no reason not to use full heatsinks.
I asked vice the same thing during the beta tests, and he replied it was put in on player demand.

Slightly dissapointed by this. Hopefully future updates will have a definitive balance of advantages/disadvantages to using more/less heatsink value.

[k0rd]

***Spoiler***

There is no reason not to use full heatsinks.
I asked vice the same thing during the beta tests, and he replied it was put in on player demand.

Slightly dissapointed by this. Hopefully future updates will have a definitive balance of advantages/disadvantages to using more/less heatsink value.

Me too - I kind of assumed that something that had no disadvantage would be standard design, with no slider-bar required.. or would at least have a cost associated with it.

Not complaining, mind you. This is absolutely a great game and I can't get enough of it!

[49rTbird]

Will have to test this piece as it DOES take up a much needed slot.

[Rubber Chicken]

That is a good point. Do the heatsinks you add in the weapons lab as part of your custom particles cannon act the same as the Cannon Heatsink equipment unit? And if so, do these things - in combination - stack?



[Edited on 12-12-2012 by Rubber Chicken]

[-splosives-]

heatsinks only provide positive change at no extra cost, that's the problem. to balance it, it should at least be more expensive to make, or have a negative impact on your cannon.

[Zenith]

heatsinks only provide positive change at no extra cost, that's the problem. to balance it, it should at least be more expensive to make, or have a negative impact on your cannon.

Agreed, otherwise it seems like a redundant option.

[Vice]

There are two systems of 'heatsinks' to consider:

Cannon Heatsink Equipment - This item consumes an equipment hardpoint and boosts the total heatsink capacity of the particle cannon you have installed. It's only real drawback is the consumption of an equipment hardpoint.

Heatsink Slider in Weapon Lab - This option merely exists to let you manually select and adjust the firing rate of the particle cannon you are designing. More heatsinks provide a faster firing rate because the weapon doesn't have to cool off as much between shots. If you want your cannon to fire slower so as to use less energy, lower the heatsinks. If you want it to fire faster, which will use more energy, add heatsinks.

Some people want to put as much damage on target in as short amount of time as possible. They are often excellent shots and can keep their cannon on target during kinetic impact effects from incoming gunfire.

Others want to fire slower so as to use less energy, particularly if they are thrown off-target... there missed shots will be fewer, resulting in less wasted energy. This also gives more energy to their beam cannon, allowing it to have more for dropping shields down on a target when used simultaneously. Particle cannons are energy eaters (especially high yield designs), so it's a way to taper that and balance it with other weapons/systems.

Most players will probably indeed always want the fastest firing particle cannon possible. But the option to slow it down is at least available for players (however few they may be) who want to slow their weapon down for energy conservation and yield balancing between beam and particle, depending on their play style and preferences.

[Zenith]

Ah, thanks for the info Vice, it seems the slider does have a purpose after all.

[49rTbird]

Something for everyone. I like it!:)

[Marvin]

Finally, Vice explained so even I can understand:

Heatsink Slider in Weapon Lab - This option merely exists to let you manually select and adjust the firing rate of the particle cannon you are designing. More heatsinks provide a faster firing rate because the weapon doesn't have to cool off as much between shots. If you want your cannon to fire slower so as to use less energy, lower the heatsinks. If you want it to fire faster, which will use more energy, add heatsinks.

[k0rd]

I never considered that perspective. Thanks for the information, Vice

[Munshine]

Yesterday I messed up a bit with the sliders. There is one thing that i still don't understand is how you can modify your existing loadout (particle cannons, beam, missile).

I think I'm failing to see an option menu somewhere.
I saved my profile (maxim-r, metal vapor ,excalibur etc) in a template but I don't know how to load this profile to start with ?

[Major Grubert]

Yesterday I messed up a bit with the sliders. There is one thing that i still don't understand is how you can modify your existing loadout (particle cannons, beam, missile).

I think I'm failing to see an option menu somewhere.
I saved my profile (maxim-r, metal vapor ,excalibur etc) in a template but I don't know how to load this profile to start with ?

You must remove existing weapon then custom and install new ones.
As for missiles, you need free slot to install custom ones (seems logic)

I do it already, i don't save what was before because standard weapons can be bought almost everywhere