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I wanted to see all factors affecting Information Warfare (IW) with one glance so I can better understand them so I put them in a table. This is what we have now:
Table 1. Current situation.
Currently, MWO Information Warfare relies on the following factors:
- On/off denial of information by using ECM. Simultaneously, ECM disables the usability of locking missiles.
- BAP is used as a hard counter for ECM. Basically only enables lights with SSRMs to brawl with ECM mechs.
- TAG enables LRMs to lock on ECM covered targets.
The result of this on/off approach is this:
- Lights cannot properly scout i.e. finding an ECM covered team and letting own team know WITHOUT letting enemy team know (like when TAGging).
- ECM mechs are superior to other variants lacking the device.
- LRMs are the only weapon in the game to which there is a hard counter. Imagine aiming with your gauss/laser/PPC and Bitching Betty telling you that you simply cannot use the weapon. This results in LRMs being only usable when boated and boosted with accessories.
What information warfare should enable us to do:
- Use lights to flank the enemy and gather information of their location just by being in the right place at the right time
- Not enable another LRMapocalypse
- Instead, make LRMs a weapon people want to bring just to skin some armor off before brawling. I.e. I want people to actually install that singular LRM20 to their Atlas or LRM10 to a dragon, which nobody does nowadays partially because of the fear that a single enemy ECM mech can render a third of their arsenal useless. This has to happen without making LRMboats too powerful.
- Use information to gain advantage and denial of information/false information to disadvantage/confuse enemies
After staring at the above excel sheet for a while, I came to a conclusion that surprised me: the above points can be addressed with very little tinkering. The table lists 4 features, which we currently play with:
- Targeting range
- Target information gathering speed
- Target locking speed
- Target decay speed
If we modify these a little and add one more, the number of targets a mech can target simultaneously, we would get far. The capability to hold several targets simultaneously comes with BAP and target info gathering. This enables a scout behind enemy lines to hit the targeting key and hold several mechs targeted (filled trianle). This would 1) inform friendlies that the scout has found not just one enemy 2) enable better directing fire for friendly LRMs, perhaps making them worthy even in organized clan battles. The right corner would show info only of the most recent mech targeted.
And this brings us to the information gathering ability, which should be integral part of IW. At the moment, when we press the target key, we get the target surrounded with brackets. After a few seconds, we see the mech type and then the damage doll in the upper right corner. This should not stop there! Additionally, modules, engine (XL or normal), ammo and finally even other enemy mech locations should be able to be hacked from the enemy mech's computer.
Such valuable information should not come easily. In the table 2 below, I have listed suggested times and ranges for these actions. The higher level actions require BAP and/or target info gathering module. The point is that a light who has sneaked behind an enemy LRMboat or command mech behind lines should be able to gather information from that mech if you get close enough and if you face the mech all the time (hard time doing it while brawling). However, I can understand if the other enemy mech locations is too much. All this information can be shown in or near the enemy mech info in the upper right corner.
Table 2. Extended BAP functions. TIG = target info gathering. EDIT: Mech heat should definitely be here and come 3rd after mech damage. Enemy mech heat should not be available by default but require TIG and ~10 seconds of targeting.
BAP would no longer have to be a hard counter for ECM, because ECM itself would change followingly:
- ECM no longer completely blocks (listed as -100 % range in table 1, I know this isn't entirely accurate) weapons that need locks. Instead, within the 180 m range, it halves the detection range of the mech trying to detect it (listed as -50 % range in table 3). Thus anyone with advanced sensor range L1 (+15% = 920 m range) could detect and start targeting an ECM mech inside the 180 m bubble at 460 m.
- The time to lock weapons into mechs in ECM area is increased from 50 % to 100 %. This could even be 150 % or 200 %, depending how much there is a need to compensate for the loss of complete block.
If you have read this far, thank you. This ECM+BAP modification is my main point, which IMHO itself would be enough to make IW much better. I have listed the effects of my suggestions in this table below. If you still have the attention span to hear a bit more, I will explain the other tweaks, which are visible in the table and which would help a lot with pilot tree and LRMs. They are also somewhat important for a proper synergy between different sensory devices.
Table 3. Suggested features.
Ever since default sensor range was nerfed from 1000 m to 800 m, LRMs are the only weapon, which you cannot use at its full range at default. It's not a big deal especially since LRMs really don't do much damage at 800-1000 m range but nevertheless I think TAG range should be 800 m.
ECM is no longer a hard counter and its target locking delay was doubled and with this train of thought TAG target locking time decrease is nerfed from -50 % to -35 % to make this ECM vs. TAG gap even wider due to ECM no longer being a hard counter.
However, TAG target locking nerf is mainly due to making NARC work and have people choose it (willingly) over Artemis IV. Thus, NARC range is increased to 700 m from 450 m and the target decay time is increased to 45 s from 30 s. I don't exactly know what is the mechanic (never seen it used ;) with NARC beacon getting knocked off because of the mech being fired upon but come on, it weighs 3 tons and takes 2 slots! The NARC beacon should not come off at all. I don't care if it's unrealistic, I'm just trying to make the damn thing work.
The other tweaks basically involve making most of the skills have 3 levels. The end levels should cost shedloads of GXP (20-30k) and I know many people wouldn't like that. My point is to have some more endgame content. I mean the game is barely published and I have ~30 mechs mastered and 100 M cash and I know I'm not nearly even the most hardcore in this (some people have ~90 mechs). So I'm really the one who doesn't mind the grind (C-bills nor (G)XP). But nevertheless the big point being with these is that NOT having L3 in everything does not exclude you from IW. For example, the synergy with BAP+target info gathering works already at TIG L1. The additional L2-L3 are just for additional (but minor, not even linear) benefits and for people to sink their GXP even still in 2020, when I still plan to be playing this game.
What is not shown in the tables is that I think sensors should work together, especially BAP, which should be an information gathering and integrating tool. Therefore, to further enhance the light scout role:
- BAP should allow the targeting but not locking of seismic contacts
- BAP + target info gathering should allow targeting AND locking on seismic contacts
So what am I saying, that a light inside a tunnel can target an enemy mech outside through the tunnel wall and allow own LRMs to lock on, which are somewhere outside? Basically yes but not in the way you fear:
- If the enemy is completely stationary, seismic wont detect it
- If the enemy moves, you get the seismic blip, can target and guide missiles to it. But unfortunately the seismic blips are rather sporadic and missile tracking time is refreshed only every time your mech relays a seismic signal to your team. So the LRMs weakened tracking shouldn't make this OP as you can just basically step aside.
- According to Thomas Dziegielewski "Weapon Hits to Terrain and Weapon Fire cause Seismic events" so picking up the right blip should confuse the BAPper a little bit although if the enemy mech is firing, you can use that to target it a bit more easily, I suppose.
This explanation covers the numbers shown in the tables above. In addition, I would like to make certain remarks regarding information warfare and information gathering.
- My proposition in no way addresses passive/active radar. Couldn't this be simply implemented by an on/off switch? The active mode would be what we have now and the passive mode would halve your sensor range as well as enemy's ability to detect you. I.e. by default you see passive mechs at 400 m instead of 800 m.
- Recently there was a proposal about a new vision mode showing the different slopes of different terrain (http://mwomercs.com/...e-degree-range/). This is great. We could also have different areas of maps to have different electromagnetic background. In some areas, you get a clear signal and in some areas, the surroundings lessen your sensor range as well as the ability of enemies to detect you. For example, the center of Terra Therma, which is a hot lava pit, could also give weird EM readings or some hills in Alpine might have ore, which blocks EM signals 30 %. I.e. we need also the maps to show the importance of information warfare.
- Most importantly, the areas in maps where you have EM disturbations could be RANDOM so each time it could be possible for the enemy to flank your team unexpectedly. Again, this effect should not be on/off but strong and local or milder in a larger area so that fights don't degenerate into "finding the secret door to enemy's back".
- Introducing such variability to our sensors would pave way for more features like ghost signatures of enemy mechs in heavy EM storms or something like that. It would be already cool to have some device produce fake radar signatures but this cannot be implemented without a proper natural background like EM storms producing a similar effect. Otherwise, you just often guess that this is an ECM fake because 10 enemies are dead and you see 3 enemy signatures.
- If the EM signatures of the environment are made a factor in the game and especially if they are made random, the mechs should obviously have sensors for this. Otherwise we're just walking in the dark "oh, I see an enemy mech but can't target, damn targeting computer again during bad weather". This could be another vision mode, which could look like the old blue/red thermal.
Disclaimer: I'm supposed to write my thesis but after Bryan's presentation thoughts of CW fill my head and hijack my higher brain functions. Thanks a bunch. So in order to have proper CW, we need to fix IW. I don't pretend to know what's best but just wanted to share my thoughts. I have no doubt that the forum will put me in my place. :)
EDIT: Title.
EDIT: Added mech heat to table 2.
Edited by Rasc4l, 14 April 2014 - 03:09 AM.
