Ok, so with the discussion in the other post, I am now convinced than LRM called shoot use cluster mechanic.
The test made by Jade_Rook show that, when CT was targeted, between 51% and 69% missiles hit him.
But, the LRM have still their better damage/tons compare to long-range AC weapon (8 again 5, 60% better).
So, if we take a base of 100 for 5 damage by tons, that would make 160 for 8 damage by tons.
50% of 160: 80
60% of 160: 96
70% of 160: 112
So, AC weapons have a tiny advantage for called shoot again LRM. PPC and LL laser, with their same damage/tons but no cluster, are clearly better than LRM.
[...]
Edit: Missed your other questions:
AC/2 - okay yes, they're not that great but I haven't found a good alternative to the AC/2s on the gun Jaeger. They add a bit of kick to a sniper mech that can't pack two more AC/5s for lack of tonnage or long-range energy without creating heat problems. First mod I make to the Jaeger is to strip the mLasers in favor of the Jumpjets. I leave the AC/2s alone.
I have no idea why people don't like AC/10s. Since updating my KCs with AC/10s they take a lot less damage and the + and ++ versions (Kali Yama) do enough damage to blow a healthy head off in one hit. 10s have much longer range, much less heat than AC/20s I'd like them if they weighed the same as the 20s but they weigh a smidge less. AC/10 haters are hung up on damage like it was World of Warcraft or something and not a TBS with a lot of details.
Large Lasers have 0 minimum range making them mix well with your long and short range weapons. Until you get better heat equip you can't pack a lot of them on but they still mix nicely with AC/5s or 10s when tonnage is low and cooling is plentiful. With Heat exchangers my Atlas 2 currently mixes L Lasers with its other equip.
PPCs - Extreme range energy weapon with plenty of stab damage? What's not to like. Especially the ++ ones with insane stability damage. Any mech can equip one without disastrous heat consequences and a lot more stuff will fall down and go boom as a result.
Interesting. But to be honest, I write too quickly when I ask you what advantage you find to these weapons. It's no the true question for this debate.
The true question is: do these weapons have enough advantage to justify to take them instead of LRM, SRM or medium laser? Rephrase: do all these weapons are equally useful that LRM, SRM or medium laser?
I will tell you why I think that LRM, SRM and M laser are more powerful than other weapons. It's not only because of damage by tons, like RealCadaver think, it's because of stability damage.
When you obtain the LRM 15 and 20, it's become really easy to make fall an enemy mech. Some people use the knockdown are their only weapon to win: they kill enemy pilot by that and that work because knockdown gives also an aim malus. That work and give a very good salvage.
But who said mech fall, said also free called shoot. There free called shoot are what make pinpoint damage pointless. I don't need pinpoint damage because I can choose the target I want. Damages by tons become very important because they allow me to destroy quicker the part I want to destroy. If I use an L laser to called shoot a CT, it will do only 40 damage. If I use 5 M laser, I will deal 125 damages. So, with 2 mech equip with SRM and M laser, you can destroy in one turn the CT of a mech knockdown, so destroy an enemy in one turn (often, only one mech is enough). That why LRM, SRM and M lasers are so powerful.
When I start to use this tactic, I really had the feeling to past in easy mod. Mission, when I need to "kill specific target than retreat" or "hold the position X turns" finished, will all enemies mech destroy and a lance almost intact in my side. I kill all enemies to the second to last mission with just some internal damage on my mech (I had one Higlander, one Battlemaster, one Black Knight and one Jaggermech). The last mission was a joke for me so much it was easy. I made missions with 5 skulls with a drop tons of 4 skull and that is still very easy.
When I compare with the time when I used all the weapon, I don't see a reason to change. Not because AC weapons, LL and PPC are useless. But because the others are far better.
I wish I could use all weapons in the game. I will like to do. But I am so used to optimize in games that it's hard to force myself to use something I consider bad. So it's why I want to LRM be nerfed, directly or indirectly.