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OK, so you guys want to play around with the plasma weapons because you don't think the heavier plasma weapons are nasty enough? ?Well, OK, let's think this one out...
Inherent within the Modular Cost system and the current list system is the assumption that Imperial titans can swap out weapons from time to time, be it from battle to battle, campaign to campaign, or century to century. ?The length of time is not important, what is important is that we agree that the weapons can be swapped around and are not built into the titan.
Following that line of logic, one would assume that the weapon mounts on the titan and the weapon interfaces with the mounts would have to be standardized. ?(To some extent.) ?If they weren't then whenever you changed the weapons on a titan you would be more dis-assembling and re-assembling the titan than changing out the weapons. ?Even if the weapons were not swappable, one could argue that the Imperium's reliance upon no longer understood Standard Template Construction (STC) vehicles would mean that the titans would not be individually crafted constructs but standardized designs made in a process similar to large jumbo-jets.
If the weapon mounts are standardized then wouldn't it follow that the amount of power supplied to each standardized mount would be equal among the weapon mounts? ?Even if a weapon were a ballistic weapon that did not have the large electric power conversion requirements of an energy weapon it might still take a significant amount of power to fire, not only for the servos to slue the weapon and load ordinance, but also for any magnetic/gravitic recoil compensation.
Now, if the weapons are swappable amongst weapon mounts that are standardized with a standard amount of power supplied, wouldn't follow that you can only squeeze out so much destructive firepower out of a titan weapon? ?(A maximum damage capability.) ?"Why?" you ask. ?Because matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only converted. ?The purpose of the weapon is to convert the energy given to it into a different type of energy that can be used for destructive purposes: ?
- Lasers ?(Volcano Cannons, Turbo-laser Destructors, Laser Blasters) and micro-wave emitter weapons (Melta Cannon) would take electricity and convert it into electro-magnetic radiation of different wavelengths. ?
- Gauss weapons (Quake Cannons, Vulcan Mega Bolters, Trident, any of the CC weapons) would take electricity and impart kinetic energy to a projectile, servo, or ram piston.
- Plasma weapons would take matter, heat it to where it could deliver a high amount of thermal energy as a plasma to a target, and project the plasma upon that target.
Since the standardized amount of power supplied to a weapon mount and the inability to create energy (only convert it) gives the upper limit of destructive capability of a weapon, it also serves as the lower limit of a titan weapon's destructive cpability. ?After all, when these titans and their weapons were first being designed and built, before the technological decline of the Imperium, you can be sure that the engineers would ensure that all of the weapons provided maximum firepower for the energy delivered to it. ?After all, why use a weapon that did not maximize the power given to it?
This line of reasoning is part of why I think all of the weapons should be made eqaul to each other.
The Plasma Cannon, IMO, should not be touched because it is equal to one of the three weapons that Jervis Johnson upgraded on the Imperial titans: the Gatling Blaster. ?(Take the Gatling Blaster, make it a macro weapon and slow fire to compensate for the MW.)
The Plasma Blastgun, IMO, should be a short-ranged, ?rapid-fire plasma weapon. ?The Plasma Destructor should be a long-ranged, low-rate-of-fire weapon.
There's my thinking on the subject, I relinquish the soapbox...
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I shot a Deathstrike Missile and destroyed an enemy titan in my pajamas last night. ?How it got into my pajamas I still don't know...
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but an G3 rifle would punch through it.