5 replies to this topic

[TheFlyingScotsman]

This is provided to argue for CT internals to take damage with every single overheating that passes above 100%, whether or not the mech shuts down and whether or not it has percs to not shut down slightly over 100%. Boats simply deal far too much damage for the current heat system to offer any realistic drawback, especially since most are on assaults and heavies to begin with. The game has turned into a giant boat-measuring contest, killing strategy and the light/medium game.

The following list comprises the different "boat" varieties, and the mechs they are able to disable, kill or critically compromise with a single alpha. Killing is instant death by headshot, disablement means they can remove a leg or arm with a single shot, and critical compromise is removing or excessively damaging a single area's armor in a single alpha, leaving the mech vulnerable to a much quicker-than-normal death. (Think exposed CT in one hit.)

Remember that the head has 33HP total when fully armored, and can die even more quickly when ammo is mounted inside. A single strike from a direct fire boat will kill with a proper headshot every time, and Laser boats are able to destroy lights and mediums with disproportionate ease.

4-5PPC / Gauss/3PPC /Trigauss 40-50FP
Light - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Medium - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Heavy - Kill/Compromise
Assault - Kill/Compromise

5-6LL 50-60FP
Light - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Medium - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Heavy - Kill//Compromise
Assault - Kill/Compromise

Dual AC20/Gauss - Quad/Sextuple AC2/AC5/UAC5 (Usually able to mount 2-4 supplemental MLs) 25-40FP.
FP is not indicative of penetrative power, these boats still kill very quickly, but deal the damage over a slightly longer period. Stats are based on ten seconds of continuous fire.

Light - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Medium - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Heavy - Kill/Disable/Compromise
Assault - Kill/Disable/Compromise

[Frank the Tank]

While I don't disagree with you. In fact, I agree the alpha striking has become a bigger problem (though due to a change in the meta not any real balance changes) and that heat penalties should be introduced. You solution for damage only after 100% doesn't solve many of the 1 hit problems, because most people are good enough to not over heat (beyond 100%) and a heat penalty does little to nothing to stop guass or AC alpha boats.

I don't have a solution to suggest. There's a bunch of possibilities, but I'm not really a fan of them.

Removing convergence could help, but it might not either. It could also make the game too complicated for most players since your shots would rarely land where the cross hair is pointing. Also to my understanding PGI has said they don't intend to look into convergence.

Heat penalties like the one your suggesting should be incorporated into the game at various heat thresholds ( 50%, 75%, 100% maybe) with different penalties at each level, imo. But like I said it doesn't fix guass boats.

The list goes on. I'm content to wait and see. It doesn't seem like player feedback is taken very seriously when it comes to the meat and potatoes of the fix. PGI will fix the problem, but its unlikely it will be done using a solution made up by a player.

[TheFlyingScotsman]

Or we could just double armor again. *Shrug*

[keith]

any mech. get a 40 point alpha aim for hud profit:D

[Asmosis]

boats don't deal any more damage than any other well built mech, assuming weapons are balanced properly.

What they do is deal all their damage at a specific range, and are weak (or inefficient at least) at non-optimal ranges whereas a mech with a balanced loadout (atlas is common) can deal decent damage at short/med/long ranges.

If you engage someone who is boating on their terms, you've already lost the strategic battle. Has nothing to do with them being OP, you just fail at logistics and so on.

[Frank the Tank]

Asmosis, on 27 April 2013 - 09:10 PM, said:

boats don't deal any more damage than any other well built mech, assuming weapons are balanced properly.

What they do is deal all their damage at a specific range, and are weak (or inefficient at least) at non-optimal ranges whereas a mech with a balanced loadout (atlas is common) can deal decent damage at short/med/long ranges.

If you engage someone who is boating on their terms, you've already lost the strategic battle. Has nothing to do with them being OP, you just fail at logistics and so on.

You're absolutely right. I play a non-boated centurion following very closely to the stock design (a big gun with backup lasers and some missiles for indirect fire). I am usually at or near the top of the scoreboard in damage, kills and assists. Boats don't deal any more damage than any well built and well piloted mech; you are correct.

However, most boats do not currently suffer from specific range or situation, except for AC/20 or SRM boats. ERPPCs and guass have a high max range and no penalty for firing up close and LLs have a fairly general range too. These are the boats that the OP is talking about. While it is possible to out smart or play boaters, don't put out crap "like boats suffer from a non optimal range," unless you're talking specifically about close range boats. At the range where a balanced mech can do adequate damage a boat is doing its full damage.