71 replies to this topic

[Snowseth]

At present, heat/overheating is just an annoyance. "Oh no! Better hit "O" to override shutdown!"
But in the spirit of the TT, it should be a much bigger deal.

Excessive heat should cause the mech go slower.
Excessive heat should start interfering with aiming.
Engine heats should generate extra heat.
Really excessive heat should randomly crit random pieces of equipment, but not affect armor.


The heat system does not, and probably should not, perfectly align with the TT. Instead it should roughly follow the spirit of heat being the great equalizer. It should not be what it is currently, a 1-button-override-annoyance.

Once the heat system is updated, then all weapon systems should be re-balanced. Possibly including removing all recycle times, or setting all recycle times to 2.0 or 2.5s. If heat is the great equalizer, you should be able to fire your AC20 every 2.0s, if you accept the risk that your mech is going to run slow, your AC20 is going to have a good chance of being critted as it's plastic parts start melting (especially considering it's crit size), and your AC20 ammo is going to start exploding.

[Varnas]

I picked all the Yes options.

Didn't even read them.

[MustrumRidcully]

Instead of targeting penalties (so many people cry foul when they hear anything about RNG, cone of fire or what else when it comes to aiming), I would model these with reduction in arm and torso movement range and speed.

But I don't trust PGI to pull this off and balance weapons around the new heat model.

[0I0]

I'd like to see some form of balance to mitigate the lack of any penalty for running hot. However in the current state of affairs, I don't see it working as what some would imagine.

Movement reductions, torso twist/arm speed reductions would be interesting. As a system taxed to its limits would loose allot of its efficiency from when it was at rest.

[ArmageddonKnight]

Ur recycle time idea is flawed but the overall heat penalty idea is fine.

Reason ur recycle time idea wuld not work is becouse rapid fire weapons like the MG, Ac2 and such ..would be nerfed to hell and back and u would loose any and all rapid fire weapons ..which results in even more people (more than the alreayd 90% of people) using alpha strike builds over DPS builds.

[Eternal Hunter]

Movement and accuracy reductions is fine, but wait with ammo explosions or crits, unless you hit override a lot of heat (Say go over X% of your heat threshhold)

[Spider Monkeylord]

I'm unsure exactly what's being discussed here. The *vast* majority of the time that I've overridden shutdown via heat the attempt ended in me blowing myself up, XL engine or not.

[The Strange]

I think we should keep the weapon recycle times as is. But heat is an issue. I think it might be a little difficult to code the movement restrictions and aiming difficulty, but weapon/ammo explosions are a great idea. I feel that if you exceed a certain heat level, let's say 105%, you should have a high chance of blowing some ammo, especially if located in the torso sections. If you exceed 115% heat, usually with a high heat alpha strike, you should blow your engine.

I think just shutting down isn't incentive enough to avoid hitting the alpha button when you're already running at 90% heat and getting a heat warning.

[Morventhus]

yah heat needs a few wonderful changes

[Cest7]

U get hot, you slow down.

Sounds fair.

[Karl Streiger]

As said...more heat the slower your mech move, turn and twist torso and arms.
More heat means reduction of HPS...because your heatsinks got stressed.

To long at a specific heat level and your ammo cook off. But i think the more ammo still in your bins the lesser the chance.
Ammo cocking should also depends on Ammo Type...MG cooks faster as SRM did.
SSRMs guidance system could get damaged.

Heck there are dozens of possibilitys that will reduce your mechs ability...starting with 20% heat.

Yes i prefer a early start for heat penalties.

Edited by Karl Streiger, 15 April 2013 - 11:22 PM.

[Cyke]

I voted for the first two options.

To be specific, I like the movement restrictions (reduced top speed, acceleration and turn rate), and also the additional idea brought up by MustrumRidcully about slowing down torso rotation and arm movement speed.
In my opinion, random inaccuracy is definitely out.. we should avoid that where possible.

Ammo explosions should only occur when a 'Mech stays at high heat levels for a certain period of time time. For example, over 90% heat for 5 seconds straight, and ammo starts to cook off.
Ammunition explosions due to overheating are embedded deeply in BattheTech lore, till I believe they need to be in for flavor, but not something that really seriously gimps ballistic weapons.

[Grisnir]

Cyke, on 16 April 2013 - 02:15 AM, said:

Ammo explosions should only occur when a 'Mech stays at high heat levels for a certain period of time time. For example, over 90% heat for 5 seconds straight, and ammo starts to cook off.
Ammunition explosions due to overheating are embedded deeply in BattheTech lore, till I believe they need to be in for flavor, but not something that really seriously gimps ballistic weapons.

and people would stop using ammo based weapon and boat DHS like in closed beta

[Karl Streiger]

Grisnir, on 16 April 2013 - 04:22 AM, said:

and people would stop using ammo based weapon and boat DHS like in closed beta

Closed Beta...were SHS only.

[Mechteric]

I'd like to see it at least decrease the top speed, that was one of the only good things Mechwarrior 4 did with the heat system (kinda ruined though by its flavor of constantly usable coolant flush)

[Xanezz]

CapperDeluxe, on 16 April 2013 - 05:35 AM, said:

I'd like to see it at least decrease the top speed, that was one of the only good things Mechwarrior 4 did with the heat system (kinda ruined though by its flavor of constantly usable coolant flush)

Do you mean the partial us of coolant flush? Because I don't recall it refilling on it's own. Once you're out you're out unless you found a repair station.

I actually liked the partial flushing though.

Also, yes all of the poll answers. I wish to see heat be a much more deadly factor. Overheating should have a punishment aside from shutting down.

Edited by Xanezz, 16 April 2013 - 06:55 AM.

[Nihtgenga]

Take ALL the yes-options!!! *meme*

Impairments by excessive heat make sense and add immersion, since otherwise the override button push is just an temporary hindrance to flung out another alpha, before you really have to care about it. Can be called an exploit for dedicated, heavy Alphastrikers imho, which can safely, in a calculated way deal immense and precisely tageted damage amounts by this extra shot, watching the killed enemy resting in pieces and smoking in silence, while they can cool down mostly unbothered.

Therefore, reasonable disadvantages shall be applied. Movement? Reasonable, since the overload of the heatsinks has to be compensated by limiting reactor output. Ammo explosions? Definitely, ammo cook-off is not a legend. Accuracy reduction? Makes sense, since sensors and actuators lose precision when used out of specified envelope. Last, but not least, equipment crits. Also this is reasonable, since neither barrel materials of ballistics nor missile launcher tubes like heat deformation/degradation, and also the insulation of the wirings of energy-driven weapons and/or equipment and/or ICs and/or sensors are indefinitely heat-resistant and will irreversibly fail (everybody overclocking a CPU or graphics card will know). In addition, these penalties will also be an inherent, small buff for the flamer.

(Throwing in a new twitch to heat in general: The hotter you run, the easier to detect is your mechs' signature for enemy sensors. This could be reflected in detection range or missile locking behaviour.)

However, to limit gaming fun not to much, I would suppose to make the effects of high heat loads noticeable, but not more.

[Xanezz]

I agree on this fully. Heat should be a serious risk to take and to manage, not an arbitrary limitation of dps like it is right now. (and not even this if you consider 6ppc stalkers getting away unharmed with going well far over 100% sometimes)

[M0rpHeu5]

Ammo explosions are too cruel.
Equipment crits are also cruel.
I voted the other two.

[Psydotek]

I voted Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes.

My suggestion for accuracy reduction was to have a reticle that expands the higher your heat level. This is NOT the same as an expanding firing cone. Weapons will still be pinpoint accurate and always fire at the center of your reticle regardless of heat level. However, when the reticle circle and tick marks are spread out across half your screen it makes aiming difficult since you won't be able to quickly discern where the center is.

Edited by Psydotek, 16 April 2013 - 10:30 AM.