This is a bit underwhelming. I'll explain in a calm, thought out manner. Hopefully this post isn't looked over by PGI because I disagree with their decision.
ECM is strong for several reasons, none of which were mentioned in this post:
1)
It creates not only a protective, anti-LRM / anti-SSRM bubble around you and your friends within 200 meters of you, but it ALSO actively jams enemies within that same radius.
This is a tad excessive, making it a two-for-one piece of equipment. What it SHOULD do is either A, or B. Either cloak you and your friends to radar outside of 200 meters and make getting a missile lock impossible (without TAG, or PPC), OR jam enemy mechs. Not both.
Right now you can run up to that LRM boat sitting on a hill, sit behind it, and ruin his day. Or you can stay with your team and ruin his day also. There's no decision making in that. There's no "well I better stay with my team," or "well I better run up and jam." It does both without you having to think about it.
2)
It counters BAP, a piece of equipment which (while available to every mech) weighs exactly the same, and has the same number of crits assigned to it. These two pieces of equipment should be Yin and Yang.
Enemy has ECM? Bring BAP to help fight (some) of its effects.
Enemy has BAP? Good thing you brought ECM to help fight (some) of its effects.
See what I did there? This isn't rock-paper-scissors design. This is more involved design. Don't make 1 piece of equipment completely negate another. ECM does that currently with regards to BAP.
3)
ECM on light mechs packing streaks. I dont think anyone here will argue that a Raven 3L is a stronger mech choice than, say, another light mech packing lasers and streaks that DOESN'T have ECM. The Raven will, obviously, win 9/10 times (assuming pilots of equal skill.... and ok I made that stat up for emphasis).
Right now ECM has pretty much dominated the whole light-mech aspect of the game. Back in closed beta you'd have jenners running around happy and free. Right now, while they're still running around, they're not nearly as practical as bringing ECM. Why? Scroll back up to point #1.
Now, that said, here are some things I do agree with PGI on ECM (so as to show I'm not just a rage poster angry at PGI over everything):
A)
Yes, light mechs are easier to hit now, thank you. The recent changes to net code has made them much less scary. I can pretty effectively knock out a Raven 3L with Autocannons without much worry. Easy to leg, easy to kill.
Thank you for considering the whole team-play implication that hiding friendly mechs caught inside of an enemy ECM bubble carries. Its easily one of the more ridiculous aspects of ECM, and should never have been there in the first place. (it effectively makes point #1 a 3-for-1, rather than a 2-for-1 piece of equipment)
C)
Thank you for taking the time to make the post. I realize it's a HUGE hot topic and that you'll never please everyone with ECM, so thank you for touching on it, even if people (myself included) find that your reply was mediocre at best. You tried, or it looks like you tried, to engage the community in discussion on it and I applaud you for the initial effort. You're not done yet though.
Please, PGI, reconsider some more changes to ECM. It's currently a no-brainer, 3-for-1 piece of equipment that makes other pieces of gear completely, 100% obsolete without any one piece of gear (aside from another ECM) that can do the same to it (yes, PPC, I'm looking at you. Go sit back in your corner.)
Note: The whole PPC thing, while yes, it can counter ECM, is hardly what I'd consider a great counter for it. It's like if instead of AMS they made it so hitting a mech with a gauss-rifle shot will prevent it from using LRM's for 4 seconds. Its just a bandaid fix that doesn't really address everything that makes ECM strong while ignoring a currently in-game piece of equipment aptly suited for such a task.
Edited by Weaselball, 03 April 2013 - 02:49 PM.