3 replies to this topic

[Carnelian]

Once ECM is brought in in line, why not restrict its use not to certain mechs, but to engines of a certain size and below? That way, heavier mechs can still equip it, but at the cost of losing a lot of speed, while lights and mediums will be able to use it much more freely, giving them a much needed advantage. It can even be rationalized by saying that an engine above a certain output generates too much interference, or something along those lines.

This might break a couple of lore builds, but I feel that the game should always supersede lore.

[Draykin]

I do not support this idea at all. Why? Because your engine has absolutely nothing to do with ECM. By your logic, AS7-D-DCs suddenly have a lot less use. Every Light ever will just want to equip ECM. ECM is not meant to be carried by every single person on a team. It's much better to just have only certain chassis capable of carrying it.

[Ristle]

With PGI's strong commitment to upkeeping the lore and TT whenever possible, sometimes for the worse, I really don't see this method working out. It would just make the death balls slower at best case, and at worse, people would realize they still can't hit a 120+ speeding light most of the time, even with such a proposed handicap.

It would also allow for some truly broken builds, the likes of which would destroy game balance in ways unexpected. Instead of being able to get a lock on a far off sniper that's too far to obtain ECM status from his teammates, you would instead have things like the Cataphract 3D taking precision shots at you from well beyond the range most mechs could counter. Your options would be to hope you or your team have LL or some ballistics to fight back with, dumb fire LRMs on his position and hope for the best, or have to move in towards his location while he has optimal chances to take your team apart.

I dunno about you, but I personally feel the current lore version they have that limits it to specific points on select chassis is pretty fair. See a D-DC? Take out his torso with enough damage, and maybe a lucky crit, and you just crippled his team. Lights get annoying, but it gives them a role in the battlefield besides being bearers of lag shield: "Information Warfare", since lights can zip around and gather intel on the enemy teams, and disrupt as needed, adding a layer of depth.

[Carnelian]

Draykin: I have absolutely no interest in keeping things "realistic". If realism was the goal, projectiles wouldn't be travelling the speed of a video game missile, and PPCs would hitscan. My suggestions are strictly from a gameplay perspective.

That said...

S B: You raise some good points. I still would like to see ECM available on more light-medium mechs though, as it will increase the viability of chassi otherwise overlooked for the ones with the obvious ECM advantage. But like I said, this would need to go hand in hand with a slight change in ECM mechanics, perhaps with the standard model only benifitting yourself with a larger one applying the "umbrella" we have now.

Since ECM is being looked at, I just want to get as many ideas as possible in the open. Thank you for the feedback.