51 replies to this topic

[3rdworld]

Joseph Mallan, on 23 April 2013 - 06:43 AM, said:

That would make it OP I think not a bad suggestion but the big negative to MASC was the escalating chance to cripple the Mech. I want to keep that in this game.

If it was only like 3 seconds then you have start having a chance to cripple, I don't see how that would be OP given the weight and Crit investment.

[Joseph Mallan]

General Taskeen, on 23 April 2013 - 06:41 AM, said:

A percentage chance is an arbitrary virtual dice that the player has no control over.

"Will I jam on the first shot?"

"I don't know, the game will decide for you."

A skill-game must require the player control, and not this garbage UAC jam or implement a MASC with "Will it activate or will my Mech explode, let's let the game decide."

A good game requires a skilled player to take chances. That is the reason to have a random chance. Guns Jam, grenades go dud, Tracers fly off into the wild blue. These are things the skilled combatant deal with all the time. It takes a lot of skill to overcome equipment failure.

[General Taskeen]

Joseph Mallan, on 23 April 2013 - 06:43 AM, said:

That would make it OP I think not a bad suggestion but the big negative to MASC was the escalating chance to cripple the Mech. I want to keep that in this game.

And how it would make it OP? There is no proof unless we actually see it. Second, my best guess is that MASC will be limited by canon variant. I'm pretty sure that's what MW4 did with ECM and MASC with the later MekPaks.

Lights in MW4 were extremely fragile compared to MWO, for example, a Dasher with MASC needed it to survive and needed to control their heat to keep their speed boost or risk leg destruction. In MW:LL, it can rapidly overheat your Mech leaving little room to actually fire too much on the run.

So it comes down to do I want speed? Or should I fight? You can't do both regularly at the same time if a MASC system in a game produces high heat. Its a good balance measure for real-time Mech Warrior.

[Joseph Mallan]

General I did say "I think" It is opinion. Not a factual statement.

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 23 April 2013 - 06:55 AM.

[Roadbeer]

General Taskeen, on 23 April 2013 - 06:41 AM, said:

A percentage chance is an arbitrary virtual dice that the player has no control over.

You do realize that absolutely EVERYTHING in the universe (virtual or otherwise) operates under a chance of probability and skill is just a modifier? Right?

[MaddMaxx]

Quote

Game Rules

For Inner Sphere 'Mechs, MASC takes up a number of critical spots equal to a 'Mech's tonnage divided by 20, rounded up, and an equal tonnage. MASC is a single piece of equipment, unlike Endo Steel or Ferro-Fibrous armor, and the critical spaces must be allocated to a single location. Destruction of that location or a critical hit to the MASC will destroy the equipment.

A MASC based Atlas will require 5t and 5 slots. Seems pretty heavy for something that is breakable.

[Joseph Mallan]

MaddMaxx, on 23 April 2013 - 06:56 AM, said:

A MASC based Atlas will require 5t and 5 slots. Seems pretty heavy for something that is breakable.

Gauss Rifle!

[Volt Corsair]

I think you're all missing the point. If we get MASC, which is quite possible, all I want to do is equip it to an Atlas. The following conversation should ensue before and during MASC activation, launching it to 120 kph;

"Sir, prepare to Fast Forward!"
"Forwarding, sir!"
*Atlas blasts past the rest of the team in a mad dash defying all known physics.*
"Zoom, ************, zoom!"

[Sephlock]

I am really in favor of MASC making you face-plant if it seizes up. It should be possible for mechs like Cataphracts to behead themselves since their cockpits are front-facing.

[TungstenWall]

The way I see it (does nto fit in lore):

MASC: Allows the mech to move faster while active. Creates heat, and can cause tripping when going over rough terrain or hitting mechs or other solid objects at above 105% normal movement speed. MASC will be disabled before any damage unrelated to collisions is taken by host mech.

Unlocked MASC: Slightly faster than normal MASC. UMASC will NOT shut down on it's own, allowing an additional 15% duration of safe 'running', however it CAN eventually overheat, causing UMASC to destroy itself, or even the host mech. Rough terrain and solid objects/mechs can still cause tripping.

[Tarrasque]

General Taskeen, on 23 April 2013 - 06:41 AM, said:

A percentage chance is an arbitrary virtual dice that the player has no control over.

"Will I jam on the first shot?"

"I don't know, the game will decide for you."

A skill-game must require the player control, and not this garbage UAC jam or implement a MASC with "Will it activate or will my Mech explode, let's let the game decide."

LOL

Yeah, cuz when rifles jam in combat, soldiers go "THIS ISN'T FAIR".

Are you saying this game should *only* be based upon skill with zero chance involved? Because that isn't how existence works.

Joseph Mallan, on 23 April 2013 - 06:47 AM, said:

A good game requires a skilled player to take chances. That is the reason to have a random chance. Guns Jam, grenades go dud, Tracers fly off into the wild blue. These are things the skilled combatant deal with all the time. It takes a lot of skill to overcome equipment failure.

Good point - if anything, I rather enjoy chance-based negatives, as I like to have something to overcome, rather than just steamrolling opposition.

[stjobe]

Also, MASC won't be here until August (with the Flea).

[Grouchy]

In TT, MASC was great for charging. Sight a mech, engage MASC, get the collision and watch all the damage and critical hits register.

I am really hoping it ends up working close to that for MWO.

[FunkyFritter]

Chance has a place in competitive multiplayer games, but only in circumstances where the player can do something about their bad luck. For MASC to be useful in this game it needs to either have the RNG removed entirely or have the penalties changed to something that won't be fatal for the user 90% of the time. Unlike in TT a flea in MWO is 1/8 of your team and needs to provide value equal to other mechs. No sane light pilot is going to use one if the main draw of the mech kills you 25% of the time.

[Joseph Mallan]

Funky you are right the percentage I gave was to high. There is a 8% chance of failure the first time you fired up MASC on TT which increased by 8% on the second use and reached 25% on the third use. Keep that progression and I think MASC would be fine... Include the cool down that TT had so usable at 8% chance of failing if used every 10 seconds.

[MaddMaxx]

Joseph Mallan, on 23 April 2013 - 06:59 AM, said:

Gauss Rifle!

Damn you Joseph. I seemed to have missed the bit in the MASC description where it could shoot stuff for 15 points of damage each activation...

[KuruptU4Fun]

So can we get a sticker to put on the outside of our mechs that has the statement "In the push of a button I might be a paraplegic!"

[Joseph Mallan]

MaddMaxx, on 23 April 2013 - 08:20 AM, said:

Damn you Joseph. I seemed to have missed the bit in the MASC description where it could shoot stuff for 15 points of damage each activation...

LOL Yes you did, at least you didn't say anything about it not being fragile.

[Rippthrough]

Give it 3 seconds of operation and then a 5% chance to fail every second after that.
Plus a cooldown, so the 3s timeslot can't be spammed.

[Joseph Mallan]

KuruptU4Fun, on 23 April 2013 - 08:20 AM, said:

So can we get a sticker to put on the outside of our mechs that has the statement "In the push of a button I might be a paraplegic!"

A risk we all took using MASC for the last 26 years.

Rippthrough, on 23 April 2013 - 08:22 AM, said:

Give it 3 seconds of operation and then a 5% chance to fail every second after that.
Plus a cooldown, so the 3s timeslot can't be spammed.

Or Macroed!