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1) Remove the pinpoint accuracy of alpha strikes.
One o the major issues that I see as leading to the glut of sniping, is the fact that alpha striking high damage weapons(such as guass and PPC's) provide a high level of accuracy, typically hitting the same section even at long ranges. I don't think that it would be a bad thing to add a bit of 'long range spread'..
What I mean by this, is that the spread of weapons fired in alpha increases the more weapons that are fired at a time. Nothing massive but enough that firing tons of weapons at the same time has more of a shotgun effect than a sniper effect.
2) Change the close range balance of the game. Right now, the 'main' culprits behind the sniping game are just as effective at short range as they are at long range(ERPPC and Guass). This used to be balanced out by the difficulty of using these weapons at short ranges. However, HSR, among other things, have made these weapons just as easy to use at short ranges as they are at long ranges. This is something that I think could be fixed two ways.. Either A) Reduce the effectiveness of these weapons at short ranges(either by difficulty of use or artificial means) or Increase the effectiveness of short range weapons(SRM's, Small lasers, and the like). Make it punishing for these snipers if someone kitted out for short ranges gets into their face. Really, I'd like to reintroduce brawling to the game.
3) Re-evaluate where you stand with regards to role warfare and weight balance. As of right now, the game really gives incentives damage over everything else. There isn't enough of a carrot out there for people to do anything other than load up in the biggest, baddest mech they can with the most firepower they can pack into it. There isn't enough of a punishment for going in giant groups of death over mobility. There is little reason an encouragement to spread out, thus you limit the viable tactics all the way down to 'get in a group and wander around until you make contact'. This puts medium and light mechs at a disadvantage since(when combined with HSR) their tradeoff of survive ability for mobility is negated by both the concentration of firepower currently going on and the (lack of) incentives to capture and control nodes over slugging it out with the opposing team. There are, of course, secondary issues to this that needs to be addressed(such as, for example, how seismic sensor favors heavier mechs overall).
Overall, I find the current state of the game lends little reason(other than stubbornness) to encourage mixed lances and tactics. It is overly predictable how each match will go, which routes each side will take, and how the fight will be conducted.
Edited by Foxfire, 22 June 2013 - 01:13 PM.
