3 replies to this topic

[BillyM]

(Note: I did a nice 6-kill 1140dmg match in my 4ppc Cataphract1x last night, so I am not just asking to disrupt a gameplay style I don't partake in. I have been taking full advantage of PPC-Warrior-Online and honestly I've never had less fun, but brawling is simply crap right now. I do miss my HBK-4SP, LL/ML 1x, LL/AC5 K2 though.)

I have watched this game go from a good mixture of short and long range moderate-duration brawls to super-alpha-warrior-online. This has always existed, but the current weapon balancing has GREATLY exacerbated the issue. I am currently seeing a ton of support for changing the heat system, or slowing convergence. These are not solving the underlying issue that ruins gameplay!

We have gotten ourselves cornered by not realizing the underlying issue, what we honestly have issues with; the fact that we are losing a good game and punchy-robot-goodness to insta-alpha warfare. Think of every build we have raged about short of the cheeze (ECM and Rock-n-Roll SSRM) but otherwise...

SRMcat - direct-fire alpha (pre-nerf, now SRM's are worthless)
Gaus/AC20cat - direct-fire alpha
Gaus/AC20jag - direct-fire alpha
JumpSnipe - direct-fire alpha
Highlander - direct-fire alpha
PPC-Stalker - direct-fire alpha

These builds do not lead to good battles or what can be considered honorable game-play. These lead to sneeky-peeky full-out alphas and tactics to minimize exposure. If you run one of these builds, you stick near cover because you know you can alpha and duck down for the recycle time. If you run against one you now have to similarly play peek-a-boo, for the fear of not seeing these enemies before you take a 30-60dmg alpha to the face.

So, in-short, my suggestion is to make Gauss/PPC/AC20 fire with a delay between them. Maybe 1/2-second between direct-fire weapon shots? That 60dmg stalker-alpha or 45dmg highlander-alpha isn't so scary spread across a few components as you twist away and assess the situation.

No more *BANG* (critical damage) or *BANG* (light leg destroyed)

Thoughts?

--billyM

[Syllogy]

This wouldn't prevent macro users from firing all weapons at once by assigning each weapon to its own weapon group and setting up a macro for 1 button to press the 1-6 keys on the keyboard to fire all groups at the same time.

[Roadbeer]

I am 100% against this.
And before anyone says anything, no, I don't run alpha builds, I'm one of the minority, the underhive that uses mixed builds and hardware other than a mouse/keyboard, and my alpha strike is usually on my 5th weapon group.

I'm not one to endorse any form of restriction on gameplay, but rather, make it so that style is 'unattractive'. I've seen some good suggestions for heat penalties, for having positive quirks on mechs that would make, say the K2 more attractive for 'boating' PPCs over the Stalker, etc.

Besides, an overheated alpha striker is a tasty morsel.

[Cyberassassin]

Well-implemented, hard point restrictions and heat penalties, are more likely to fix:
-mad aplha strikes
-boating
-lack of variety in variants seen

6srm Cat is fine. It has the pods for that loadout.
If you want to survive an encounter with one, guess what, go out >270m.
Can't do that? Coordinate with teammates for focus fire and down that 'mech quickly.

I want to see internal damamge when you alpha 6 ppcs with 99% heat buildup. IMO a mech system won't be able to recover from a spike like that when its control and monitoring system is shutdown. Wouldn't a shut-down engine have reduced cooling capacity? No circulating fluids to heat exchangers means poor cooling efficiency, etc...

-OR- limited firing ability when taking heat buildup into shutdown.