[PvK]

Meson BLaster is a good weapon. It is better than the PPB if your opponent has no unphased shields, except perhaps at range 1, but often not much fleet combat is firing at range 1. It is better than PPB because it is cheaper, and more versatile for designs. On ships with multiplex tracking, it is also better because there is less damage per shot, meaning less wasted damage on overkill.

APB XII, MB V+, and PPB II+ are three of the best all-around weapons in the unmodded game. In surverying all the many other weapons in the game, many of them are much less effificent. Quibbling about how MB should be better is missing the point, unless you're abandoning the other weapons as too much work to even think about.

My current suggestion:

APB - Slightly reduce damage at highest levels (low levels are weak enough)

MB - leave alone

PPB - smooth improvement rate (as in SJ post), increase research cost significantly, increase resource cost a bit

Grav Hellbore - skip all shields, perhaps increase damage

Ripper Beam - Ok as is, though they could have more damage and less range (more like SE3, but not necessary)

Incinerator - Increase damage

Wave Motion Gun - maybe increase damage

Torpedo - increase damage and/or accuracy (do not make ROF 1)

Energy Magnifier, Acid Globule, Enveloping Acid Globule, etc - make sure torpedo and Graviton Hellbore improvements don't make these weapons obsolete.

Seekers - use the new Settings.txt ability from Last patch to give seekers a defensive to-hit bonus.

PD - reduce to-hit bonus to +30

Fighters - increase defensive bonus by perhaps 20 or so.

Massive Planetary Shield - shields x20 or more

PvK