Ballistic Weapons
Ballistic Weapons are weapons that fire projectiles, as opposed to Energy or Missiles, and function as the basic "guns" in-game. They have modern-day equivalents, like cannons, shotguns, sniper rifles, and machine guns, making it easier to grasp how they're supposed to be used in-game.
Usage
Ballistic weapons differ in their usage depending on their type. Small-caliber auto cannons are good at destroying Battle Armor and damaging Light Mechs. Their high rate of fire along with their extreme range and ammo capacity make them best as harassing and sniping weapons. Higher caliber rounds have much shorter range and longer reload times, making them more suited for destroying slow and heavily armored targets. They are still effective at destroying light mechs and aircraft, but at a much shorter range.
Gauss rifles deliver massive damage to a single pinpoint target, so they excel at destroying components on enemy mechs. They have a slow firing rate and limited ammo, but their ability to deal all their damage with a single accurate projectile makes them perfectly suited for anti-aircraft fire. Gauss rounds have a fast, but not instantaneous travel time, so they must be led against against moving targets. Like auto cannons, light Gauss Rifles have longer range and heavy Gauss Rifles have shorter range.
Strengths
Ballistic weapons generally have low heat output and long range, though those attributes vary depending on the size and type of the round. The largest rounds in particular have quite short range made for brawling.
Weaknesses
Because ballistic weapons fire a projectile, there is a learning curve in establishing the correct lead on a target in order to register a hit. Ballistic rounds also consume ammo, which means that mechs either need free tons or need to return to base in order to continuously fire their weapons. Some ballistic rounds can also overheat the weapon itself (such as the auto cannons), which involves an aspect of micro-management that isn't found on energy weapons or missiles.
