When reading the various battletech books (haven't read them all, kinda got bored at a certain point) I get the impression that the biggest battlemechs are maybe 4-5 stories tall. This doesn't jive with what we see in the game as our mechs tower over very tall buildings and make the various cars and vans dotted around seem miniscule by comparison.
Now, granted, my own personal perception is not a good justification for suggesting this change in this area, but I was thinking about this in relation to MWO and my thoughts are that if battlemechs were shrunk down to say, 2/3 or even half their current size across the board, it would have the potential to change the game for the better in the following ways:
- More cover would be available to be used by all mechs
- It would be harder to hit enemies, particularly at longer ranges, meaning that more skill would be involved in using longer ranged weapons to deal precision damage, and in reality "sniping" would be become about doing some general damage to enemies at longer range unless the pilots were excellent.
- There would therefore be less reason to directly nerf weapons & mechs associated the higher damage longer range meta builds.
- You would see a better mixture of combat forms as more closer range weapons used/fighting as, if sized properly, those would be the route to achieve precision fire.
- Maps would feel a lot larger and therefore more immersive.
- Mechs would feel faster as they would move at the same speeds as present. Movement speed would not be scaled down.
- Range would not be scaled down, so longer range weapons would feel more long range than at present.
- Existing maps may provide additional tactical and strategic options by default of downscaling mechs.
- It would be possible to make mechs too small, and make longer range weapons useless as a consequence
- consideration would have to be given to missile clusters, which would have to also be scaled down accordingly.
- Mech carcass decorations on various maps (tourmaline) would have to be scaled down as appropriate.
- There would invariably be some people who QQ as with everything, as there is no such thing as a change that pleases everyone.
- Jumpjets would need rebalanced.
Edited by NextGame, 06 February 2014 - 02:47 AM.