1
Spoiler
Other thoughts on this... When they said "smoke" (they being PGI announcing plans to have this in a-then-upcoming patch), I figured they would give you a small launcher (that may or may not appear on your mech) and the smoke would be launched from your mech and interact with the world using physics. "Pop," it flies through the air "Eeeeeyoooooooon" and lands "plunk." Smoke billows from it, and the strike goes there.
Naturally this makes artillery strikes more of a mainstay of -- you guessed it -- light and medium mechs rather than hulking heavies and assaults (unless they're fast enough to get close enough to reliably launch those strikes). Their potential inaccuracy could lower the cost of having them, not that the cost was really all that prohibitive to begin with (just extends a grind).
Makes great sense to me. Then base the artillery strike on the Long Tom. Take that, either use MWO's current or double the TT damage (for double the armor). Note: the 25 damage is on a direct hit, 15 damage is close proximity (within 30 meters), and 5 is a bit away (within 60 meters).
----
As for the air strike, currently it is a series of autocannon rounds at 35 damage a pop. This doesn't make any real sense.
Instead, use the Arrow IV system. This can be either a smoke signal grenade similar to above for the 'area saturation' missiles (or use this as the "mech mounted version and instead use the homing ones for air strikes.) The Air Launched version is almost identical.
Alternatively, for a different mechanic that would distinguish it from artillery strike (as arrow strikes are actually weaker per missile than long toms are per shot), would be to use the Air-Launched Homing Arrow IV missiles and as per the Arrow IV rules, someone must be using a TAG to designate a target. It could be that you must have it, alternatively you could rely on someone else's TAG. But if an enemy is tagged, you can call in the strike. The missile(s) according to the fluff will wherever the TAG is pointed and will likely fire one at a time as the Aerotech bomber flies over. A launcher always has 5 missiles. At the default 20 damage for direct hits or 10 damage for nearby indirect hits, you get up to 100 damage. If PGI keeps the 35 damage per 'projectile' that they have it'd be kinda insane, considering these are homing.
On the plus side, you should be able to weaken Arrow missiles with AMS, and with several you might be able to completely destroy a missile or two. Their area of effect will still provide damage if they got within 30 meters, though.
Also, given that just before, they gave us the Jagermech whose expressed purpose was Anti-Air... I figured we'd be able to shoot down the Aerotech bombers.
At any rate... Just my two c-bills..
Heh, then again, according to Sarna in the current time line, House Liao would have the most of these (which were re-developed using information from the Helm Memory Core) with the expressed purpose to make up for their significantly inferior numbers of assault and heavy mechs in 3044, 3046, and still maintained exclusive access to them in 3050.
Dawnstealer, on 22 January 2015 - 03:35 PM, said:
I always thought arty should be like the TAG - you point the arty-laser at a point and that's where the boom happens. So you have to hold it on target while the arty's inbound. Maybe even have a countdown thingy? I dunno - seems like that would be more fun, and skill based, than a huge, obvious smoke plume that doesn't always hit where you're aiming.
Other thoughts on this... When they said "smoke" (they being PGI announcing plans to have this in a-then-upcoming patch), I figured they would give you a small launcher (that may or may not appear on your mech) and the smoke would be launched from your mech and interact with the world using physics. "Pop," it flies through the air "Eeeeeyoooooooon" and lands "plunk." Smoke billows from it, and the strike goes there.
Naturally this makes artillery strikes more of a mainstay of -- you guessed it -- light and medium mechs rather than hulking heavies and assaults (unless they're fast enough to get close enough to reliably launch those strikes). Their potential inaccuracy could lower the cost of having them, not that the cost was really all that prohibitive to begin with (just extends a grind).
Makes great sense to me. Then base the artillery strike on the Long Tom. Take that, either use MWO's current or double the TT damage (for double the armor). Note: the 25 damage is on a direct hit, 15 damage is close proximity (within 30 meters), and 5 is a bit away (within 60 meters).
----
As for the air strike, currently it is a series of autocannon rounds at 35 damage a pop. This doesn't make any real sense.
Instead, use the Arrow IV system. This can be either a smoke signal grenade similar to above for the 'area saturation' missiles (or use this as the "mech mounted version and instead use the homing ones for air strikes.) The Air Launched version is almost identical.
Alternatively, for a different mechanic that would distinguish it from artillery strike (as arrow strikes are actually weaker per missile than long toms are per shot), would be to use the Air-Launched Homing Arrow IV missiles and as per the Arrow IV rules, someone must be using a TAG to designate a target. It could be that you must have it, alternatively you could rely on someone else's TAG. But if an enemy is tagged, you can call in the strike. The missile(s) according to the fluff will wherever the TAG is pointed and will likely fire one at a time as the Aerotech bomber flies over. A launcher always has 5 missiles. At the default 20 damage for direct hits or 10 damage for nearby indirect hits, you get up to 100 damage. If PGI keeps the 35 damage per 'projectile' that they have it'd be kinda insane, considering these are homing.
On the plus side, you should be able to weaken Arrow missiles with AMS, and with several you might be able to completely destroy a missile or two. Their area of effect will still provide damage if they got within 30 meters, though.
Also, given that just before, they gave us the Jagermech whose expressed purpose was Anti-Air... I figured we'd be able to shoot down the Aerotech bombers.
At any rate... Just my two c-bills..
Heh, then again, according to Sarna in the current time line, House Liao would have the most of these (which were re-developed using information from the Helm Memory Core) with the expressed purpose to make up for their significantly inferior numbers of assault and heavy mechs in 3044, 3046, and still maintained exclusive access to them in 3050.
Edit: Disclaimer and spoiler added so the new players don't get confused.
Edited by Koniving, 23 January 2015 - 06:16 AM.
