176 replies to this topic

[Joseph Mallan]

Prezimonto, on 31 January 2014 - 11:15 AM, said:

Well where are they already?!:! (Also what are they, I want to know more!)

This game lacks defensive options. We have a hugely offensive meta because it's the only choice. Upgrades have no real in-game draw-back (Even the XL isn't much of a draw back for any mech that can take it, and if it can't, it's not used).

Even our upgraded armor only serves to free up tonnage which can only be invested (mostly) into more offensive capability. Outside of BAP/ECM/AMS (which other than AMS are indirect defense) we don't have a way to seriously increase defense. Oh wait.. JJ.. which should by much harder to use defensively (or require more tonnage investment for the utility that one or two give). Or max armor... which without JJ is very difficult to use well since everyone can and should always aim for the CT(which should always, always, always be maxed anyway).

There's just a total lack of choices... why don't we have more real trade offs between offense and defense?

Ermm I'm going too far afield here perhaps.

Project blue shield A PPC dampening "force field"

Ablative armor which reduced laser damage, but crumbles under ballistic

And reactive armor that actually explodes in a controlled manner an reduces the damage from Missiles... It can however have a fatal failure and leave a section bare!

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 31 January 2014 - 11:18 AM.

[TygerLily]

Pretty sure it will be a piece of equipment and not a module:

[Trauglodyte]

TygerLily, on 31 January 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

Pretty sure it will be a piece of equipment and not a module:

Oye! Should any of us be surprised that Russ has no idea what is going on? Granted, they're all busy so he could have missed something or been not appraised of the situation, but seriously.

Anyway, back to what you said Prez, I'm kind of on the fence on it really. If they're going to look at release an anti-missile cloud, why not just release a smoke cloud module instead and have it work on everything? Then again, they could be looking at is like it is a complete 100% anti-ALL missile shield instead of just another ECM like piece of equipment that screws just LRMs and Streaks. Just imagine how pissed that Splatmech is going to be if they roll up on you at 200ish meter and lets loose and you stand there unphased as his entire payload does nothing.

I'm trying to keep an open mind on what they mention or release. Honestly, we don't know what their line of thinking is because, well, they don't explain it to us. They're just tossing us chum and hoping we make steak out of it.

[TygerLily]

Trauglodyte, on 31 January 2014 - 11:32 AM, said:

Oye! Should any of us be surprised that Russ has no idea what is going on? Granted, they're all busy so he could have missed something or been not appraised of the situation, but seriously.

Anyway, back to what you said Prez, I'm kind of on the fence on it really. If they're going to look at release an anti-missile cloud, why not just release a smoke cloud module instead and have it work on everything? Then again, they could be looking at is like it is a complete 100% anti-ALL missile shield instead of just another ECM like piece of equipment that screws just LRMs and Streaks. Just imagine how pissed that Splatmech is going to be if they roll up on you at 200ish meter and lets loose and you stand there unphased as his entire payload does nothing.

I'm trying to keep an open mind on what they mention or release. Honestly, we don't know what their line of thinking is because, well, they don't explain it to us. They're just tossing us chum and hoping we make steak out of it.

I think what he was getting as is that Adam was calling it a module when it's probably not.

[Joseph Mallan]

TygerLily, on 31 January 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

Pretty sure it will be a piece of equipment and not a module:

[Sandpit]

Oi! maybe because it's not been discussed for deployment which would be exactly what was said in the command chair post?

[Prezimonto]

Trauglodyte, on 31 January 2014 - 11:32 AM, said:

why not just release a smoke cloud module instead and have it work on everything?

This is kind of my point. A simple, deployable, smoke wall (call it 100m in a line and 30m high for ~20 to 30 seconds) would be a blessing of an item in the game. A general purpose defense that allows players to help close distances or open distance... but it's up for everyone to look at. Screws direct fire nearly as hard as target lock dependent weapons. Get several players to pop them in a row... advance in ranks (but blind as well and now they know you're coming). It's a good tactical tool, that wouldn't be hard to get rolling, and isn't special designed against a single weapon system.

So it makes sense... so it likely will never happen.

Heck I'd love if you could purchase smoke canisters for LRM pods... no damage... put up a cloud wherever they hit (more tubes= more smoke). Would give a purpose to non-locked firing of the things.

Okay guys... fired a few volleys at the hillside of Caustic... CHARGE!!! Create smoke walls on both sides to confuse the enemy.

Edited by Prezimonto, 31 January 2014 - 11:42 AM.

[Sandpit]

Prezimonto, on 31 January 2014 - 11:39 AM, said:

This is kind of my point. A simple, deployable, smoke wall (call it 100m in a line and 30m high for ~20 to 30 seconds) would be a blessing of an item in the game. A general purpose defense that allows players to help close distances or open distance... but it's up for everyone to look at. Screws direct fire nearly as hard as target lock dependent weapons. Get several players to pop them in a row... advance in ranks (but blind as well and now they know you're coming). It's a good tactical tool, that wouldn't be hard to get rolling, and isn't special designed against a single weapon system.

So it makes sense... so it likely will never happen.

Heck I'd love if you could purchase smoke canisters for LRM pods... no damage... put up a cloud wherever they hit (more tubes= more smoke)

Why not just make that a separate module? Smoke screen module? Deploys a large area of smoke that obscures views and gives cover to crossing open areas?

[Joseph Mallan]

Sandpit, on 31 January 2014 - 11:37 AM, said:

Oi! maybe because it's not been discussed for deployment which would be exactly what was said in the command chair post?

I still like my toon Pit!

[Sandpit]

it could also be used to feint in a direction. have a couple of teammates pop some smoke and while the enemy repositions to cover that area, flank them

[tuffy963]

How about LRMs get a +25% tracking bonus against mechs that are more than 4 meters off the ground due to "reduced ground clutter interfering with missile tracking" That might make pop tarting a little bit more of a risk/reward tactic instead of the clearly reward/reward tactic it is today.

Edited by tuffy963, 31 January 2014 - 11:43 AM.

[Prezimonto]

Sandpit, on 31 January 2014 - 11:41 AM, said:

Why not just make that a separate module? Smoke screen module? Deploys a large area of smoke that obscures views and gives cover to crossing open areas?

Sure! My point being this would work as well as, with more utility than the a chaff vs. LRM module for the vast majority of situations.

Sandpit, on 31 January 2014 - 11:42 AM, said:

it could also be used to feint in a direction. have a couple of teammates pop some smoke and while the enemy repositions to cover that area, flank them

Exactly, a tool like smoke makes tactical choices in the game a larger likelyhood. It's just a better solution.

It makes a tool that is proactive rather than reactive.

But that gets back to my original questions... What's the purpose intended for the chaff module? Will it fill that purpose or be used in other ways as everyone's already talking about? Are there other better solutions?

Edited by Prezimonto, 31 January 2014 - 11:46 AM.

[Trauglodyte]

Prezimonto, on 31 January 2014 - 11:45 AM, said:

Sure! My point being this would work as well as, with more utility than the a chaff vs. LRM module for the vast majority of situations.


Exactly, a tool like smoke makes tactical choices in the game a larger likelyhood. It's just a better solution.

It makes a tool that is proactive rather than reactive.

But that gets back to my original questions... What's the purpose intended for the chaff module? Will it fill that purpose or be used in other ways as everyone's already talking about? Are there other better solutions?

That's pretty much what a lot of us have been getting at for a long time. LOS is such a big thing in this game but cruising across open terrain is a death sentence. Give us the option of momentary terrain to either move or make the enemy think that we're moving. They've already got a smoke column for artillery/air strikes so it isn't out of the realm of possibility to creat a larger plume. Hell, you could use both of those consumables as the basis and just have it be smoke that fills the area instead of artillery blasts - one being a big circle and the other being a mass wall.

[Prezimonto]

Trauglodyte, on 31 January 2014 - 12:02 PM, said:

They've already got a smoke column for artillery/air strikes so it isn't out of the realm of possibility to creat a larger plume. Hell, you could use both of those consumables as the basis and just have it be smoke that fills the area instead of artillery blasts - one being a big circle and the other being a mass wall.

Ask and Ye SHAAALLL receive! Maybe.
Sandpit, please go chat up that thread... they seem to like you.

http://mwomercs.com/...strike-modules/

Edited by Prezimonto, 31 January 2014 - 12:17 PM.

[wanderer]

I've said many times that MWO feels Counter-Strikeish.

Three guesses what was a handy consumable choice in CS...yeah, Smoke Grenade.

Being able to temporarily screw with LOS (without blocking shots) would be a blessing. Getting sniped? Smoke the area to blind them. Worried about crossing an open area? Smoke. People can still blindly fire in/out of it (and indeed, that can reveal someone in smoke- just fire at where you think the shot came from), but it also reduces precision-fire as well.

[Prezimonto]

On that note... I would love to see laser fire that hits a cockpit, dim the view for a while. Sustained fire might even blind the pilot for a few seconds.

Oh the rage that would happen.

Edited by Prezimonto, 31 January 2014 - 12:45 PM.

[Victor Morson]

TygerLily, on 31 January 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

Pretty sure it will be a piece of equipment and not a module:

ahahhahahaha.

Doubling down on that community interaction, yet, Russ?



Maybe try doubling down on team interaction?

Edited by Victor Morson, 31 January 2014 - 01:10 PM.