30 replies to this topic

[Krysic]

I've been actively watching as I play and with the game in it's current iteration 90% of the time in a match the team with more ECM mechs is winning. Most of the mechs running the ECM suite have it in a side torso slot forcing you to pretty much kill them before you can destroy the component.

(I believe it's because the nature of the suite essentially makes map covering IW weapon, and IW is the key to winning. But that's another discussion.)

My suggestion...is to give a crit probability to the component that bypasses the locations armor. (imagine it's a suite broadcast antenna set on the outside of the mechs armor plating) It could be very low but would make it possible to remove an enemy advantage without sacrificing half the team to do so (especially if it's an Atlas D-DC).

This would give lights something to do as they could more easily attempt to take out enemy ECM earlier in a match without being absolutely certain of their deaths in the attempt.

Edited by Krysic, 31 January 2015 - 06:51 AM.

[Kalimaster]

I must say that this is an interesting, well conceived, and appreciated idea.

[TekoSniper]

Though it's an interesting idea, there is also the use of ppcs that negate the ecm coverage for a short amount of time, which can make a big difference especially if you can hit them several times. I'm not against nor with your idea, just something to keep in mind as you want to be careful to not make ecm so hard to use.

[Firewuff]

There are ppc bap tag uavs other ecm and turrents all defeat ecm.... and yo7 still thing its op?

[Bespoke Cheese Cake]

This whole anti-ECM thing is silly. You want to counter ECM ? Then use ECM or one of the many ways to counter ECM. Its almost akin to saying LRMs are OP, No people you need to play smart in order to win.

Edited by Bespoke Cheese Cake, 31 January 2015 - 09:19 PM.

[VinJade]

firewuff & BCC
actually it is not silly and comparing it to LRMs is actually a silly as its apples to oranges.

LRMs can easily be taken care of by AMS from a group of units in close proximity to the targeted unit and some mechs carry more than one AMS, while ECMs prevents any lock on what so ever.

PPC hits only messes with the ECM for such a limited time that you have to lock on and fire within a few seconds and we all know fast units are NOT going to stand still and allow you to get a target lock on them.

ECMs also disables a B/AP at 180 or less.

only way to truly counter an ECM is another ECM unit set to counter mode and that is it*.

ECMs nullify NARC and heavily hampers B/APs while also hiding them from map and radar.

only ones who hate anything to help balance out the ECM are those that use it and exploit it's OP game breaking system.

the only mech thus far that I know you could disable the ECM without destroying it is the Kit Fox that has an omni pod for either its left or right arm(sorry can't remember which) that allows for an ECM unit(and nothing else in that arm).

* I have played matches where my team had no ECM units while the other side has had an entire lance if not more.

I know this because I have had the ones I know for a fact ran ECM units on my team at one point or another.

so in the end ECMs have NO actual counter to them.
and to say otherwise are fooling themselves or like to abuse the ECM.

Edited by VinJade, 31 January 2015 - 10:12 PM.

[Krysic]

I run the ECM Kit Fox (right Arm Omnipod KfX-C), a Spider 5D, A Raven 3L and used to have a commando 2D and an Altas D-DC. I know very, very well how effective ECM is and feel almost gimped when I run a mech without it. (I'm not, that's just how survivable my ECM mechs feel to me.) There truly is no effective counter save a mech (as least as fast as you) with a BAP and direct LRM support or another ECM mech.

Other than the Kit Fox I've never lost my ECM while alive. That shouldn't be the case.

All of you need to stop assuming the people posting cant play. Some of us are just trying to help, no need to be ****s about it.

Edited by Krysic, 31 January 2015 - 11:15 PM.

[Krysic]

Firewuff, on 31 January 2015 - 08:34 PM, said:

There are ppc bap tag uavs other ecm and turrents all defeat ecm.... and yo7 still thing its op?

PPC = LOS High Heat, only 10 second interruption (If your LRM support is close to max range the enemy will most likely vanish before the shots get there.)
BAP = needs to be in such short range you might as well be riding the other mech (actually they extended this and it's somewhat better, but its not often a team has as many BAP carriers as the other team has ECM, I don't know why.)
TAG = Direct LOS, must be held on target (This is very difficult going 150 and tracking another mech going 150, if you haven't tried it please do.)
UAVs = Cost 40,000 C-Bills. Seriously $40,000 for a thing they can shoot down or just walk away from.
TURRETS = Well if the ECM mech is on the base the game will be telling us anyway.

ECM counters = 5
Effective, reasonably priced ECM counters = ???

Edited by Krysic, 31 January 2015 - 11:24 PM.

[Bespoke Cheese Cake]

And yay, tales of OP filled the sky. Phfft Really?

[Krysic]

Yeah really. I run ECM mechs. It'd be fine if the ECM covered just one or two allied mechs but holy hell, the blanket area thing? If i stand in the right spot I can cover 3/4 of my team. If they walk smart I can cover the entire team. How is that not overpowered?

Edited by Krysic, 01 February 2015 - 12:06 AM.

[Bespoke Cheese Cake]

And I don't have this issue because? Oh yeah thats right I use the counters made available to me.

[-Quiet-]

i really hate ECM and i use to cry alot about it..but!
if you install ACTIVE PROB its will help alot if you using an LRM boat...

Edited by bioscmos303, 01 February 2015 - 03:48 AM.

[Kaeb Odellas]

bioscmos303, on 01 February 2015 - 03:48 AM, said:

i really hate ECM and i use to cry alot about it..but!
if you install ACTIVE PROB its will help alot if you using an LRM boat...

BAP and CAP only help against nearby ECM mechs trying to disrupt your lock-on. It doesn't really help you attain or maintain locks against mechs protected by the ECM bubble. It doesn't eliminate ECM's lock-on time doubler.

[Mochyn Pupur]

ECM has always been a part of the Battletech Legacy, what makes it OP is when you can stack ECM mechs that totally negate you having BAP i.e. two ECM loaded mechs on opposition will always disrupt any counter ecm measure apart from direct fire so why put BAP in the game at all?

[Black Ivan]

ECM is intentionally broken by PGI. They know how it works and did nothing to balance it out

[ExAstris]

Anyone who thinks ECM isn't the most cost effect use of crits/tonnage in MWO (especially for PUG matches), is just flat out wrong. It is by far the most egregiously powerful force multiplier I've seen go unreasonably unchecked in any game.

The increased BAP cancel range was the best change MWO has made since ECM was introduced. But it was still just treating the symptom and not the disease. The root of the problem is how ECM utterly usurps the information flow of a match. (i.e. the stealth field)

Every mech I own with ECM has stupidly improved k/d and w/l over variants of the same chassis without it.

It is obnoxious to play against, and is too powerful for me to have any fun using. I like to win because I have skill, not because my mech gets noticed half as often as the average player due to one device's horribly unfair mechanics.

Its effects so permeate the game that out of the 30 mechs I own, 23 of them have either BAP or ECM. Of the 20 or so that get used the most, only 2 do not have one of the two. And even one of those has TAG. Its simply essential to have ECM or one of its "counters" to do well in PUG matches. Its a loadout TAX, not a choice. The gameplay variety and mechanics it brings to MWO are absolutely not worth the multiple levels of imbalance that accompanies it.

Remove the stealth field. (still haven't given a dime to the game since ECM went live, this level of stupidity cannot be rewarded)

[Idealsuspect]

ECM IS OK

The fact is that MM need adjustements for solo queue and group queue ( but hardest to equilibrate of course ) and 12' queu if exist don't need ... they are big boys.


2 games ago in solo queue we just face a team with 3 king crabs, 3 timbers pirate bane's and jumpings mechs...my team was a bunchs of average pilots and well 12 - 1 ...

PGI need to implement in MM : ELO, Tonnage, ECM users, BAP users and MAYBE mechs i mean boats carrying 4 or 6 C-streaks noobs weapons.... and also provide fair games for each of 24 players.


ELO isn't enough to pretend every games will be fair.... a skilled ( and sneaky ) player can get lots of kills, own the battlefield and in same way lose a large part of match and also maintain a false ELO.

It's my opinion.

Edited by Idealsuspect, 01 February 2015 - 10:41 AM.

[MechWarrior849305]

Sooooo... LRM bot whines 'bout ECM's OPness. Uhh... The only thing about ECM that makes it useful - hidden signatures of enemy mechs during march to your location (some kind of stealth armor). Nothing more. Your eyes are the best way to deal with that, use 'em. If you can't counter ECM with your LRM-boat mech - it's your problem, not that particular device. Free advice - use TAG, make war, not whine

Edited by DuoAngel, 01 February 2015 - 11:19 AM.

[ExAstris]

Idealsuspect, on 01 February 2015 - 10:38 AM, said:

ECM IS OK

...

PGI need to implement in MM : ELO, Tonnage, ECM users, BAP users and MAYBE mechs i mean boats carrying 4 or 6 C-streaks noobs weapons.... and also provide fair games for each of 24 players.

If you think MM should account for ECM to make balanced matches, then you think ECM is not balanced.

If it were the case that MM would account for ECM in every match so that each team had an equal number of them, then it wouldn't be quite as huge of a balance problem. Unfortunately for MWO, this game doesn't have World of Tanks' number of players. Putting more restrictions on the MM algorithm will make finding a match take more time than it already does, so that option doesn't seem optimal. Instead, lets just fix ECM once and for all by removing the stealth field.

[Firewuff]

Also 40k isnt much when you are making 100k a match. More with prem and hero mechs.