Possible mechanic to differentiate UACs from ACs. And help make UAC2s more useful to bring along.

Clan UACs are sort of in a really weird place. Jamming is a huge RNG factor. The Burst fire doesn't really make sense. UAC 2s are basically a waste of tonnage. Dakka is either OP or UP based on a number of factors, and the Kodiak 3 is proving that clan ballistics can be VERY powerful if given the proper platform.

I propose a very unique solution that comes in many changes.

1. Clans favor hit and run and versatility. I propose that all clan UACs will share a common pool of ammunition. Similar to LRMs or Srms all autocanons will share a common amunition supply. Thus promoting the idea and improving the feasibility of wielding different types of UACs on your mech without worrying about losing 1 gun, and the ammo for the other gun leaving you with 200 rounds of uac5 ammo, but only a functioning UAC10. This would additionally normalize ammo efficiency across clan UACS. Bigger UACs will fire more rounds, faster.

2)Every projectile deals 2 damage. So a UAC 20 would simply fire 10 times faster than a uac/2. Additionally, the larger the UAC the larger the cone of fire on the cannons. These can be tweaked, but I'm thinking a very similar spread to the way the LBx cannons are implemented.

3. Larger weapons are more heat efficient. Currently the UAC-5 is for some reason the most efficient weapon in the game. Not sure the rationale, but it's sort of silly to have this random curve of efficiency. Every where else in the game, the shorter the range of the weapon, the more heat efficient it is, except for ac/10 and 20s. If we start with the uac2 as a base line for damage/heat @ 0.80 heat, we can bump it up a bit to 1.0 heat per round, leaving it at a solid 2 damage per heat, still surpasing all other weapons in the game for heat efficiency at that range, save for the gauss rifle. UAC5 will use .7 heat per shot, uac 10 will use 0.6 uac/20 will use .55 heat per shot. These number subject to balancing/ change.

4)All UACs will have the same optimal range of 650m, and SAME projectile speed of 1200m/s. Since they will be sharing a similar spread to the lbx cannons, there will be an optimal range for players to decide when they're missing too much to be worth firing. The thing that will differentiate them is that the smaller UACs will maintain a much tighter cone of fire, with the uac2s having "perfect" aim as they currently do. This means that UAC20s, can still be used to effectively, suppress or apply area of effect fire to bunched up enemies, while essentially being a waste of ammo to fire at a single target at 600m, it would allow them to contribute in certain situation.

5. Slight increase in DPS to account for increased face time while firing. Due to the spread, and the face time required for the larger UACs, A slight bump in DPS will be required to balance them out. I propose that the UAC 20, fire 3 rounds per second, bringing it up to 6dps from 5. UAC 10 will fire 2.5 round per second from 4 to 5dps. UAC5 will fire 2 shots per second from 3.01 to 4dps. UAC 2 will retain its 0.72s cooldown. While this may seem like a nerf to UAC2s, reducing their effective range, by allowing them to effectively work with the other ACs, the UAC2s become a poke weapon to efficiently make precision shots at range and against smaller targets, whilst not forcing the mech to juggle UAC2 ammo versus the rest of their weapon supply, they'll also be able to fire along side the other UACs without having to worry about the substantial difference in projectile velocities.

6. Ghost heat. UAC ghost heat will be removed and replaced with a ramping exponential heat generation similar to the flamer. With the difference that each gun will heat and cool independently. They will be able to fire for approximately 10 seconds before increased heat starts to kick in. This will prevent a user from using a single UAC/20 and just drilling through enemies at point blank range.

Final thoughts on the change and experience. 1)While is doesn't matter, this would be a more accurate implementation of the lore's version of UACs. They fire a ton of bullets, and the shorter ranges of the larger cannons are justified by the inability to stay on target when firing at such a high rate of fire.

2)User Experience, people LOVE dakka. They like to fire a hail of bullets and watch their opponent's mech get shredded. You can see it by the use of firecontrol to create a rapid chaingun effect and people using 6xac2 KGC, or the 3ac2 shadowcats despite the fact that torso twisting and alpha striking is more effective.

3. Getting hit by these being engaged at close range by a uac20 will be terrifying. Currently, it's like pop pop pop, and then that it. With this implementation the victim will feel like they're being shredded by a hail of gunfire.

4)Crits and damage spread. Everyone hates damage spread, but everyone loves crits. This will help differentiate UACs from ACs, in the ACs will be about landing fewer better placed shots, while UACs will be about hammering your enemy all over their mech.

5)No more jamming, but more facetime required. Nothing worse than peeking out, and having 3/4 or 4/4 uacs jam on the fire volley. That being said, being on the other end and having an enemy be able to alpha 80 damage out of 4 uac10s then twist away or duck is brutal. These will make UACs super sized machineguns instead some wierd burst firing giant cannons.

As usual, please don't fixate on specific numbers, just the idea of changing UACs from double tap vs jam, to extra face time for more DPS.