The harbinger for example can't be fitted with a full rack of heavy pulse and a 1600 plate (PG +5%) , which is stupid .
The cane can fit 6 x 425 and 1 plate and has like 355 pg left .

Lasers come with good dps, range, instant ammo in exchange for fitting costs and cap usage.

This says absolutely nothing, compare it on a range graph and you see the effects of using falloff to reach your enemies.

TLDR: Small and Medium Lasers need a look at in terms of fitting, cap use, tracking, and damage.

[Harbinger]
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Damage Control II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I

10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Medium Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 25
[empty med slot]
[empty med slot]

Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
[empty high slot]

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

This says absolutely nothing, compare it on a range graph and you see the effects of using falloff to reach your enemies.

Lasers do the least amount of dps per grid even when taking Amarr powergrind into account. Lasers do the least amount of dps for cap even when taking Amarr cap and cap use into account. (In both cases the comparisons were made with faction short range high dmg ammo)

The most extreme example is the person trying to decide the weapons for his Punisher:
(...)
In exchange for some cpu, you get a weapon that does more damage, selectable damage type, better range, better tracking, less grid use and no cap use.

If they nerf scorch, I'm going full Winmatard skills, and will never consider training another race again

Lasers do the least amount of dps per grid even when taking Amarr powergrind into account. Lasers do the least amount of dps for cap even when taking Amarr cap and cap use into account. (In both cases the comparisons were made with faction short range high dmg ammo)

The most extreme example is the person trying to decide the weapons for his Punisher:
AC200T2+rep flt emp:
dps: 27.2
optimal+falloff: 0.75+6
tracking: 0.394
grid/cpu: 3.6/6.75

GatlingT2+imp navy multfreq:
dps: 26
optimal+falloff: 3+0.625
tracking: 0.385
grid/cpu: 5.4/3

In exchange for some cpu, you get a weapon that does more damage, selectable damage type, better range, better tracking, less grid use and no cap use.

Aren't they doing the same damage @2km, with the lasers having .009 worst tracking? Don't the lasers stay even or slightly ahead if you change ammo the farther you go out? Do laser users change ammo ever?

Doesn't it have more to do with the ships themselves and how they are piloted? Don't the systems just fit the style in which the race's ships should be flown?

(real questions, I'm a newb and am making an amarr character after my trade alt has daytrading 4 and accounting 4 trained up)

to all the trolls saying cane is far superior to harb, then why is it, that you see far more harbingers than hurricanes... oh wait

As Nalha is suggesting :

2 Heat Sink vs 2 Gyro + 1 TE (all lvl 5, no drones)
7 Focused Medium Pulse + Scorch (optimal 20km) = 370 DPS
6 425mm AC + Barrage (at 20km) = 240 DPS
Their DPS are even at 13km
Edit (For the record a Brutix with 7 Heavy Neutron Blaster+ Null, 1 MagStab + 1 TE does 340 DPS at 13km)

A shield Harbi can already fit a full rack of Heavy Pulse Laser II and will do almost 430 DPS at 26km optimal (2 Heat Sink + 1 TE)
A Plated Harbi can fit 2 Stasis Webifier to slow down a leeroy Cane while switching to Multifrequency.
If your Cane can come to 3-5 km, things are differents.

TL;DR
The Harbinger is fine.

Uh-huh, stats say the Harb has comparable stats to a Cane, but real life will tell your otherwise. The shield Harbi will lose to a shield Cane (no cap booster, Cane will neut the living crap out of you), similarly a plated Cane will beat a plated Harbi, because it can have 425s, a medium neut, double web, more dps, so your double web Harby (lol no cap booster) will get a couple shots off before its cap is completely dry and the Cane is shitting all over it, even with a cap booster (small one, or you have to drop to FMP and lose any gun advantage you had), 425 Cane wins point blank (unless the Harb is running Med Drones in which case the Harb will get shat on by the first Rifter that comes along) due to more dps and only 2k EHP difference (offsetted by the fact that the Cane will be shooting @ the Harbs lowest resist).

So nice try, but no, the Harbinger may be 'fine' for Amarr standards, but next to the Winmatar Cane, it's just...bad.

Edit// I was wrong sorry, plated Cane still has enough grid for launchers so if you went with launchers instead of neuts, so no matter what the Harb fits, you'd out dps the Harb on raw stats and still have more utility lol.

Then why my Cane does more dps @ 28km with lower skills than my Harbinger @ 28km with dmg implant?

Wow look at all the stupid people claiming lasers suck...

-Liang

Not saying lasers suck but they take up too much powergrid on medium and small sized versions to the point where it gimps the ship.

Autocannons have no such issues.

So pretty much everything but autocannons have this issue. (!)

-Liang

Hybrids got a reduction in fitting in Crucible. I believe its time for the same for lasers.

Because the optimal is around 23km on your Harb and it has very little falloff.

Harb should have Focused Med Pulses on it, not heavy pulse.
Harb is a great ship, so is cane, they work completely differently, move on.

Anyone who claims lasers are bad doesnt know how to fit/use amarr ships.