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As it has been several times before, Extra Credits hits the nail with one of it's topics:
So what is going wrong? Apart from various per-se imbalances with ECM because of the cheap weight/crit costs for a gigantic benefit, this equipment does add next to nothing on the receiving side's game experience besides frustration.
Well, PGI tries, but fails. We have BAP and TAG to counter ECM, as well as ECM itself. My take on why these options don't hit the nerve of counterplay as it's described in the video:
- BAP: does only help in a small margin between the long range shield and short range shield effect of ECM. Usually the couple of meters are either crossed easily by the ECM mech or too difficult to keep in the heat of the battle. Even if one tried to do so, the ECM mech can usually identify the biggest threat and push towards him (mostly suitable for lights, these are the bigger nuiseance since bigger mechs can be hit more easily without SSRMs).
- TAG: only useful in long range fights, is invalidated as soon as the ECM mech get's into close range. Also only an option for mostly static, big/slow mechs, lighter mechs can't really be tracked for a sufficient time (always assuming there is no moron behind the wheel of the ECM mech, otherwise it's already an easy kill). It also forces you to keep the crosshair on a mech, effectively rendering weapons with travel time useless most of the time (which also accounts for lock-on weapons, where it actually is a reasonable balancing cost-vs-benefit game mechanic).
- ECM: the best option, but mostly nullified because your mech can't equip it and your own ECM mechs are far away. There also are numerous games where one side has no ECM while half the other team sports them. As ECM is not considered in matchmaking this adds to the frustration.
- Light mechs / to some degree fast mechs: already quite hard to hit but offers the option to choose SSRM to come by these little suckers, a weapon that is often one of the worse choices in terms of firepower directed at larger mechs. Nullified by ECM, makes lights the most durable mech class in many cases - especially the Raven, but that might be due to additional bugs (when will these be fixed BTW?).
- Long range sniping: already only countered a little bit by LRMs (apart from counter sniping), it at least forces the enemy into cover for a few moments. Nullified by ECM, although there's one of the rare occasions where TAG can be useful. But it often takes two mechs in cooperation that are taken out of the game for some time to come by one enemy that can easily avoid the whole effort by reversing throttle.
Besides competitive play (i think there the default is still 8x ECM on each team most of the time) that allows for deeper coordinated actions, ECM has nothing to add to the game for casual players besides negative effects (recieving side of couse). I get the idea they had with the whole information warfare stuff and how it would play out, but IMHO they still failed at every attempt to make it an interesting asset in terms of variety of tactical choices. It's used as an almost imprenetable team stealth field or personal shield in the majority of cases, and the information warfare boils down to luck and randomness (both of which aren't desirable in a skill-based or tactical game).
You expect the suggestion of a solution? I have none, it's also not my job and there are myriads of proposed solutions on the forums already on how to turn ECM into a less OP, balanced and fun mechanic that actually adds to the gameplay instead of taking from it. PGI only has to do their homework - which it has to do for months now i might add.
