3 replies to this topic

[Dorynn]

This is something that bugs me a lot, since I run Hunchbacks.

Certain mech builds can be crippled by map type. Large, open maps like Tourmaline, Arctic, and Caustic give snipers, LRM boats, and other long-range specialists the advantage, while urban maps like River City cripple the aforementioned builds with the plentiful amount of cover and hand the upper, well, hand to fast and/or tough brawler builds.

It would be a significant improvement in gameplay quality and team competency from match to match if players could choose the map they were going into. After all, would a lance not be equipped to best suit the terrain they were about to perform in?

[Donas]

This would actually have the opposite effect you're hoping for, because on those maps that lend themselves to a specific build, you would be forced into using that build just to have a chance at being competetive. there are lots of threads on this. What it comes down to is that unpredictable environmental variables are the balancing factor for those min/max builds.

A short range assassin mech is always going to be deadly on forest city because it has so many ditches and terrain pieces to use to sneak in close. the extreme range of alpine peaks makes using that build extremely impractical. thats the balance.

The more balanced your build, the less you must use pilot skill to overcome environmental variables like heat and range.

[Donas]

Dorynn, on 22 March 2013 - 04:14 PM, said:

After all, would a lance not be equipped to best suit the terrain they were about to perform in?

And the answer to this is actually "no. they would not." I know it seems crazy, but in the genre we're playing in, the level of mission-tuning that occurred was extremely minimal. Our mechlab doesnt convey this, because customizing mechs is lots of fun, but as far as the genre? it didnt happen but very rarely. There are those that will say "yeah, but this is a game and I should be able to take only my specialized build because getting lit up with my splatcat on alpine is no fun", and there is some merit to that argument. At some point though, we should actually look at the title of the game. While its a loose Version of 'mechwarrior' its still 'mechwarrior', and just because its a mmo shooter doesnt make every TT and fan fiction concept null and void.

One thing that has not done the 'specialized build' guys any favors when requesting 'mech selection' tailored to the map, is that they have classicly been the first ones to say "Get bent. Learn how to pilot. Learn how to beat it." when people complain about their boating. So they garner very little sympathy when their specialized build is suddenly rendered less effective by the environment. They are now the ones hearing "Get bent. Learn a new tactic. Adapt."

[Donas]

~~~links to a few of the forums all ready on this topic for the OP.

http://mwomercs.com/...-map-selection/
http://mwomercs.com/...ectionrotation/
http://mwomercs.com/...-map-selection/
http://mwomercs.com/...-before-launch/