6 replies to this topic

[FoXabre]

Why doesn't MWO have this?

WARNING!!! Prepare yourself for this wall of text and rambling! But if you think like I do, this will sound super exciting!

TLDR: Heat Scale similar to TT in MWO would adjust the game for balanced load outs, longer fights, more thinking, and a much more enjoyable and fulfilling Battletech/Mechwarrior experience...and we need it NAO!

Right now we can generate as much heat as we want and as long as we keep below 100% we're fine. I'm not Battletech expert, but I keep seeing the heat scale on the record sheets I've taken peeks at. I believe the developers have always mentioned that they will try to stay true to the TT and make adjustments necessary to adapt to a FPS. This has me baffled as to why we don't have this system and why something like Ghost heat was necessary.

Here is my thinking on using the heat scale.

At certain percentages of heat, there is a chance for a penalty. Lower heat means less of a chance, higher heat means greater chance. The penalties range from shut downs to ammo explosions (and would be awesome to see heat effects on the pilots too but that may be asking for too much right now).

Here's an example.

I fire some weapons and generate 15% heat.
I have passed the 10% barrier and a check is made to see if a penalty applies.
Overheat penalty is made and an imminent shutdown warning is display on HUD.
I press O to overide shutdown and continue on. Override has been noted for future penalties.
I continue to fire weapons and generate 30% heat.
I have passed the 20% and 30% barrier and have an overide shutdown penalty.
An ammo explosion penalty is made and cooks off one crit worth of ammo.
Luckily due to the knowledge of this system in place, I was smart enough not to have ammo shoved in my legs or head, and had it safely stored with CASE protection. Also, I have a small laser so that I can continue to do some damage while I let the majority of my heat dissipate.

I think this system would truly make this a thinking man's shooter. Deciding whether or not to override a shutdown to continue to fire weapons, risk possible ammo explosions, choose smaller weaponry due to less heat generated so I can manage heat and prevent shutdowns. Waiting before making the next attack, using cover or torso twisting to soak damage, cool off and make my next attack. It seems to me that it has everything this game is lacking which in turn gives us PPC/AC and LRM meta games.

If your ammo cooked off early on because of your high heat alphas, no one would take those builds. You'd be a mangled mess before the fight really heated up.

All of the sudden, that small laser on the Hunchback and Awesome become useful. Having that supplemental SRM2 like on the Thunderbolt gives you a chance to dish out some damage while keeping heat under control. Possible ammo explosions that could result in amputation of the legs would make people think about moving ammo to areas that survive a hit while using CASE.

Here's a little idea of what I was thinking for the heat scale. The Maths are not with me at this moment but the numbers here are purely for illustrative purposes. I'm 100% certain they would need to be adjusted. Expecially if we end up with modifiers when several heat thresholds are exceeded and override penalties incurred.

10% Heat = 5% Shutdown Chance
20% Heat = 10% Shutdown Chance, 1% Ammo Explosion Chance
30% Heat = 20% Shutdown Chance, 3% Ammo Explosions Chance
40% Heat = 30% Shutdown Chance, 6% Ammo Explosion Chance
50% Heat = 40% Shutdown Chance, 9% Ammo Explosion Chance, 1% Speed Reduction
60% Heat = 50% Shutdown Chance, 12% Ammo Explosion chance, 3% Speed Reduction, Pilot becomes very sweaty (Yum!)
70% Heat = 60% Shutdown Chance, 24% Ammo Explosion Chance, 6% Speed Reduction, Minor blurred vision
80% heat = 70% Shutdown Chance, 36% Ammo Explosion Chance, 9% Speed Reduction, Blurred vision
90% Heat = 80% Shutdown Chance, 48% Ammo Explosions Chance, 15% Speed Reduction, Minor internal structure damage, Severe blurred vision, 15% Pilot unconscious chance
100% Heat = 100% Shutdown Chance, 60% Ammo Explosion Chance, Internal structure damage, 30% Pilot unconscious chance.

(So many opportunities for pilot efficiencies, etc!)

I'm not expert on the Battletech rules so maybe some of you with that knowledge can help make this work even better. There's probably many more things we can take from the TT and make MWO much better!

It would be a major change to the game, but on developer side, it's pretty well just a layer of logic. Everything else is already in the game (ie. Ammo explosions, Shutdown, override, etc.)

Anyways, it was frustrating me that this is in my head, the thought of it sounds awesome, and it's not in the game. Perhaps I'm just thinking that this is the greatest thing ever and am blind to the flaws, so please, tell me what you think. Is PGI crazy for not having this system in place on day one? Or am I crazy for thinking this could work in MWO? You tell me, and tell them!

[Malleus011]

PGI seems uninterested in alternate ideas to their current heat system - not that we don't keep trying new suggestions.

[CDLord HHGD]

I have long railed for a 30 pt. heat cap like in TT...... You got my support.

[Buckminster]

I've also pushed for heat changes (check link in my sig). A little less extreme than your ideas, but we definitely need to put heat penalties back in.

My only complaint would be that the issues start at 10%. You'd need to really revamp heat sinks to make them more effective, or else you'd have a very strong chance of a mech shutting down from firing a pair of PPCs (up to 66% heat) even if they had plenty of heat sinks. With the current system the heat would spike to 20, and then the heat sinks would remove that heat. You'd need to change the system so that the heat sinks prevented that heat spike in the first place.

[WHITERABBITS]

I would like this too!

Fuzzy radar should be in there also!

[FoXabre]

cdlord, on 28 May 2014 - 07:54 AM, said:

I have long railed for a 30 pt. heat cap like in TT...... You got my support.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

Buckminster, on 28 May 2014 - 08:21 AM, said:

I've also pushed for heat changes (check link in my sig). A little less extreme than your ideas, but we definitely need to put heat penalties back in.

My only complaint would be that the issues start at 10%. You'd need to really revamp heat sinks to make them more effective, or else you'd have a very strong chance of a mech shutting down from firing a pair of PPCs (up to 66% heat) even if they had plenty of heat sinks. With the current system the heat would spike to 20, and then the heat sinks would remove that heat. You'd need to change the system so that the heat sinks prevented that heat spike in the first place.

My apologies, it was late at night and I should have done more searching than I did. I started the heat scale early but with the thought that it would be very tiny chances of anything happening. The scale I did is very raw. I didn't put as much effort into it as I could. I had another look at the TT heat scale and realized that the penalties really didn't start to stack up until higher up. Once I have some spare time I'll see about modifying it some more.

WHITERABBITS, on 28 May 2014 - 09:16 AM, said:

I would like this too!

Fuzzy radar should be in there also!

Thanks! I like you're idea too. Makes perfect sense to have glitches in the system (ie. HUD, displays ,etc.) when there is too much heat. I'll see about working that in.

[Ryvucz]

Ooo, killed by heat stroke.

Everyone loves ammo explosions!