The 0.5.3 RAC2

[(TLL) Heretic]

The 0.5.3 RAC2 is almost perfect.  As many will know I've been bitching about the RACs (and the RAC2 specifically) for some years now but I've got to say that I am very impressed with the changes to the weapon!

If there is one issue it is that the RAC2s price does not match it's improved capabilities; I would suggest a moderately large increase to this weapons price; the RAC Partisan feels more like a 55-65K asset, and is too massive an amount of firepower for a rank 1 vehicle IMHO.


Now back to my RAC/Mauler/MWLL Fanboy stuff 
Can I please have a Mauler that replaces the U/AC2s with RAC2s pretty pretty please!*with sugar on top!*
2ERLarge Beams, 4RAC2s, 2MRM10s and GECM if he can fit it and it'd be an IS Siege Engine! (Hell I'd drop the beams for Flamers for a RAC2 Mauler!) 

[TheSneak]

Rly??

Care to fill a nub in on what the changes are and why the rac2 is good? I have tried rac2's in the past and found them pretty meh (at least in comparison to reaonably priced alternatives like Partisan P's, AC Hollanders etc)

I love AC asset variants (partisans, huit prime, warthog, seige engine etc etc) and would be very keen to hear about another asset worth using with RAC's.

[(TLL) Heretic]

Rly??

Yes 

Care to fill a nub in on what the changes are and why the rac2 is good?

I have tried rac2's in the past and found them pretty meh (at least in comparison to reaonably priced alternatives like Partisan P's, AC Hollanders etc)


Raw Dakka Dakka damage.  The RAC2 in 10s of fire does the equivalent damage as a Clan ERLarge Beam Laser over those same 10seconds (test it for yourself).  And it's doing this at medium range(and now it has good, if not great accuracy...a gameplay win-win!).  This is all as it should be, in Lore this is what makes the RAC2 a murder weapon in 2s and 4s.

RAC2s used to spread like crazy, the choke has been tightened over several patches and as such their accuracy has improved.  While many patches ago the RAC2 was a weapon that only did 25% of it's damage past 400m we now have a weapon that does almost full damage out to about 80% of it's listed range (these are all my approximations not hard numbers).

I love AC asset variants (partisans, huit prime, warthog, seige engine etc etc) and would be very keen to hear about another asset worth using with RAC's.

Same here, same list; my fixation with the Siege Engine is borderline addiction   The Mauler is the obvious choice as it has the weapons slots and is the right tech (An Awesome with 2RAC5 and 2LXPL would also be welcome, I don't think it has the slots for 4RAC2s and other weapons!EDIT: Although 2RAC5 and 2RAC2...like an Annihilator, might be very cool to try out, and it'd probably fit on the Mauler too with how MWLL does things weight-wise), but really it's the chance to use MRMs and RAC2s together that excites me, I suspect that these two systems will marry happily in an orgy of destruction and fire

But the real point of the thread is to praise the Devs for making me love the MWLL RAC2! and ask for a price increase to that said weapon as the Quad RAC2 Partisan is too brutal now for a rank 1 asset. 

[TheSneak]

OM NOM NOM

thanks heretic

And thankyou, o beloved Devs.

[=KoS= Eldragon]

I'm still not particularly impressed with the RAC2. Its good when you have 4 of them. But that's 16 tons of firepower. For 4 RAC2s you can have dual LBX20*. Take the RAC2 Uziel for a spin and see how you do. Hint: Its still terrible

I still see the quad RAC2 partisan as an easy kill when I'm in anything but a starting asset. Even then I just run away and fight at range.

But I'm going to withhold judgement until we get more RAC2 variants. RAC2 on aircraft, single RAC2 mixed with several other weapons on heavy, etc.

*We don't really know the tonnage of the RAC2 in MWLL. If RAC2 is 5-6 tons I think its a decent backup weapon, but not at 8.

[(TLL) Heretic]

I'm still not particularly impressed with the RAC2. Its good when you have 4 of them. But that's 16 tons of firepower. For 4 RAC2s you can have dual LBX20*. Take the RAC2 Uziel for a spin and see how you do. Hint: Its still terrible


I've always found the Uziel awful in MWLL, but I would love to love it like I do the MWLL Bushwhacker. A RAC2s top damage in CBT is 8points (like a large laser), 2 of them are still 4points less damage than the LB-20X so 2LB-20X should always be superior to 4RAC2s in raw damage output (However 2RAC5 should equal 3LB-20Xs of damage!....if we follow the lore accurately).

The advantage of the 2RAC2 over the LB-20X is range (plus the RoF difference means the RAC2 is useful against all targets), MWLL also adds a slight boost to the RACs damage against vehicles, plus it has the same AA modifier as the LBX.

My opinion on the LB-10X & 20Xs RoF leading to ASF-instagib is what makes the LBX superior to all other weapons for AA....this is just pure cheese TBH and I hope the Devs follow the example they set with the LB-5X and increase the RoF on the 10X and 20X as well.


I still see the quad RAC2 partisan as an easy kill when I'm in anything but a starting asset. Even then I just run away and fight at range.


Tell that to Bobby, a few days back we were working together on RingOfFire (my favourite map right now) and he went 26-0 using the same RAC Partisan all match.  4CERLBLs worth of firepower does the job on any asset as long there's something more threatening than a Partisan to shoot at (My Siege Engine got less kills but more game points and suffered more RTBs than his killer RAC Partisan, but he gets several hundred cool points for style!).  I admit that I've only played about 10 hours of 0.5.3 but the RAC Partisan has been my starter for most of it and has earned me my Siege Engine (usually) much faster than my Raven E ever did.

Another example; last night I joined a RingOfFire game for the last 45minutes on Huntress, my RAC Partisan (Smuglyanka I call her ) got me 6 kills (2VTOLS, 1 BA, 1 Uziel, 1 Bushwhacker and 1 Osiris IIRC) before the friendly front line collapsed and I was bumrushed by some mediums 3to1 (including one pissed of Bushy B former-VTOL pilot ); I spawned just 5K short of my Siege Engine, asked for the cash but was killed by a dedicated BA before I could buy my 'mech .  Point is, I rode out into a game that had been going on 5-10minutes already, grabbed some kills with ease and would have made it back to base with around 130-140K after trade-in had it not been for the Vet in the Bushy..and this is a fairly typical example; back a few patches the RAC Partisan was removed from the startup ranks for this reason (and that was when the guns were only effective under 200m!).

But I'm going to withhold judgement until we get more RAC2 variants. RAC2 on aircraft, single RAC2 mixed with several other weapons on heavy, etc.

This we need!  Mauler and Warhammer would be good possibilities. Warhammer 2RAC2s, MRM20 some MXPL and 2t free for the RACs sounds possible replacement for the Cheaphammer(RAC2s being so cheap right now)? And my 4RAC2 MRM10s Mauler I would love to test out of course.

*We don't really know the tonnage of the RAC2 in MWLL. If RAC2 is 5-6 tons I think its a decent backup weapon, but not at 8.

[=KoS= Eldragon]

Anecdotes do not measure an asset's worth. Too many variables, its simply not scientific. Besides, kills are not a measure of a weapon's worth. I've been SKN with -1 kills many times.

Twinkletoes and I were dueling in RAC2 Uziels and found we still needed to close to RAC5 range in order to be effective against a moving target.  It seems to do fine against slow heavy mechs, but by then you're facing a lot of firepower. Why not use a RAC5 for just 2 tons more?

MWLL rewards burst damage. A CERLL does all of its damage in a short time, giving you time to spread damage and find cover. While the RAC2 requires you to stay on target for a long period of time. Sure if someone is foolish enough to stand next to a RAC2 partisan they are going to get cut up. I'd much rather have an LBX20 or CERLL where I can fire and seek cover rather than keep myself exposed for long periods of time.

Given a mechlab, I'd place the RAC2 in a backup weapon position. Great for filling in the time waiting for my burst weapons to reload. Or perhaps mix it with Medium X-Pulse.

[Virt]

I was in a RAC2 Huit last night and couldn't bring down a Vtroll over the course of a minute.   My ping was 300 so allowing for the lag was no doubt an issue.   But still, I expected to do a little better than that.

[Ressk [CSF]]

its too bad the GAU-8 isnt in battletech, that would solve our RAC woes.

[Taemien]

I was in a RAC2 Huit last night and couldn't bring down a Vtroll over the course of a minute.   My ping was 300 so allowing for the lag was no doubt an issue.   But still, I expected to do a little better than that.

Huits are clan and do not have the RAC2's. Also Vtols don't have the modifers like ASF, need to use lasers to bring them down fact. As soon as a decent vtol pilot sees ACs coming, they evade. Lasers they can't evade as well.

[Virt]

LOL, but other than that, my post was entirely relevant LOL.

[Spanish Inquisition]

its too bad the GAU-8 isnt in battletech, that would solve our RAC woes.

It's called the RAC2. Durr.

[Squibby]

I find the RAC partisan so so against heavier mechs, it takes too long to kill stuff especially when you need to pause every so often to cool off the barrels.

I do find it rapes face against aircraft and vtols though, much better than the other partyvans.

[NSallaNuto]

In my opinion RAC2 is much better now but it still needs a bit more of damage and/or faster rate (and probably cost a bit more as well), right now you need 4 of them in order to do appreciable damage.

The RAC2 Partisan is good but it is an extreme configuration, dual RACs are about useless especially on a fat mech like the Uziel.

[Ressk [CSF]]

its too bad the GAU-8 isnt in battletech, that would solve our RAC woes.

It's called the RAC2. Durr.

GAU-8 avenger cannon? the thing that kills tanks in seconds flat? oh well lol.

i believe we are getting close to the general AC (of any kind) problem, where most if not all are underpowered.