LRMs are worthless
- A change happens -
LRMs are too powerful
- A change happens -
LRMs are worthless
- Wait 1-3 months, repeat -
I'll admit this got me over defensive, to the point I was defending LRMs in the last pre-fix patch. However, that was because I saw the inevitable coming at me: A serious over-nerf again.
These wild, multi-changes need to stop with weapon balance. Having given them a fair shake (I later said as much on my last LRM thread), they needed the following:
* The blast damage fixed so it doesn't go into the CT regardless of hit location
* Artemis IV shouldn't work without LOS
* A slight reduction to the arc
Of course, the first one was the red alert sign. Because, once again, they ruin splash (without fixing it so it doesn't bias the CT so bad) and for the double whammy don't replace it with any damage.
So now instead of a missile doing slightly too much CT damage coming down slightly too high, we have one that is back to doing damn near no damage. Nowhere near enough to justify the 11+ tons per gun or the several tons of ammo per launcher you need to maintain them.
Of course, what is the result? Everyone is falling back to Gauss & PPC Meta. If they aren't, they're losing to people who are. We had all of a ONE DAY relief break from this crap, because LRMs were keeping them in check - good Gauss & PPC teams were STILL dominating the LRM teams, mind you, during this period. However, it did become a "perfect imbalance" almost, if LRMs had some MINOR reductions.
Seriously PGI. If you can't fix your splash damage bugs, just increase missile damage or something. But stop introducing usable missiles and then yanking them away every single time. It's really, really getting old. They were almost worth their weight-in-tonnage like the other good weapons are and needed some SLIGHT adjustment, but once again, a hammer was taken to it.
The worst part is, I have no idea when or if they will be fixing this situation. They have some odd ideas lately about what is working and what isn't, and how to buff things (Did you seriously reduce the Crit chance on MGs with the damage buff? They're still terribly UP, why the hell would you nerf them while buffing them? I am horrendously confused), and when they do fix something, they don't bring in the scalpel - they bring in the sledgehammer.
If the LRM buffs were introduced at a reasonable pace - Arc buffs one week, damage another - and debuffs were handled the same way - this wouldn't be such a big deal. But completely smashing a core weapon system every single time it starts to get a little too good - instead of TUNING it - is really really frustrating.
This is probably the 6th or 7th time this has happened over the year. By this time next week if they are not damage buffed in some way, every single person will be back to Gauss & PPC, which was boring everyone to death - even the people who are good at playing it.
I'm sorry PGI but the patch notes state people should still experience "serious pain" if caught in the open. They do not. They don't experience anywhere remotely close to the level of pain that they'd have from a Gauss or PPC in the same situation. And until they do, that's what people will use, and people will constantly complain that the PPC is overpowered instead of fixing the stupid missiles and ... arrrgh.
/Rant off.
EDIT: And yes, of course if you have a group of 4 Stalkers boating LRMs they'll do heavy damage. Better than before, in fact. But you know what would happen with 4 Stalkers boating PPCs in the same position? They'd kill you, not wound you - and in half the time. So no, I don't want to hear about how super awesome your packs of LRM assaults are. An assault boating ANYTHING should be dangerous.
EDIT 2: I forgot to bring up the fact that the AMS was massively buffed, which was fine when missiles were incredibly damaging but now makes the .2 damage increase look even sillier.
Edited by Victor Morson, 25 May 2013 - 12:57 AM.