Power usage during a firefight is linear until you hit an overload threshold, so calculate average draw per weapon and armor, then multiply by expected combat time. Keep the loadout balanced: don't stack the heavy cannon if you only need medium firepower, the extra power drain isn’t worth the marginal damage. Use a simple spreadsheet: columns for weapon, power draw, heat, damage; rows for time intervals. Then compare total energy consumption against battery capacity plus regeneration. The loadout with the lowest power-to-damage ratio will give you the best endurance. Adjust for heat sinks and coolant, because overheat can kill you faster than power loss. Remember, precision matters—every kilowatt counts.

That’s the way to go—add the marginal damage per kilowatt and heat weighting, then you’ll see the true efficiency curve. Keep the numbers tight and you’ll outlast the enemy before their batteries fry.