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TheMagician, on 28 June 2013 - 05:05 AM, said:
What would happen to gameplay, if PPCs were to suddenly disappear? Well, we found out a bit yesterday. Steel Jaguar and Swords of Kentares played a best of 5 match on conquest mode, and as a part of the match stipulations there were no PPCs used. So, what were the results?
Well, first, we saw lots of other weapons. We saw: Large lasers, large pulse lasers, small pulse lasers, SRMs, streaks, medium lasers, gauss, UAC5s, AC20s, and more. We also saw a greater diveristy of mechs being taken (part of this is due to league rules, which prevented you from taking more than 3 of 1 chassi for certain drops, and more than 2 for another + needing at least 4 different chassis per drop, but this wasn't the only reason). We saw teams take a mix of different cataphracts, jagers, stalkers, DDCs, cents, hunchbacks, jenners, and ravens. No, we still aren't seeing that many quickdraws, trebuchets, or dragons. But those mechs were viable options if a team decided to, just that many haven't played them enough to bother taking.
The matches were intense, movement was very important, aim and piloting skill were still vital, and overall the matches were very fun. I am not saying we should remove PPCs, but it does show how one weapon so incredibly changes how the game is played. Thus, based on looking at all factors, I think that if PGI reduces PPC effectiveness by a small degree (the proposed current boating rules will have little to no effect, and is honestly not a useful way to spend time), that the game will get fairly well balanced fast. This can be done by increasing the PPC heat (perhaps the midpoint between where it was, and where it is).
I think these matches also show something else that we desperately need, which is to provide better class or tonnage based balance. Not in 'two teams are equal in tonnage', but in one's that encourage a wider use of mechs. Many of the games we now enter in open queue use 5-6 assault mechs.I know this in the works, but we'd love to hear more information about that, so that we, the players, can talk about what we most enjoy.
Well, first, we saw lots of other weapons. We saw: Large lasers, large pulse lasers, small pulse lasers, SRMs, streaks, medium lasers, gauss, UAC5s, AC20s, and more. We also saw a greater diveristy of mechs being taken (part of this is due to league rules, which prevented you from taking more than 3 of 1 chassi for certain drops, and more than 2 for another + needing at least 4 different chassis per drop, but this wasn't the only reason). We saw teams take a mix of different cataphracts, jagers, stalkers, DDCs, cents, hunchbacks, jenners, and ravens. No, we still aren't seeing that many quickdraws, trebuchets, or dragons. But those mechs were viable options if a team decided to, just that many haven't played them enough to bother taking.
The matches were intense, movement was very important, aim and piloting skill were still vital, and overall the matches were very fun. I am not saying we should remove PPCs, but it does show how one weapon so incredibly changes how the game is played. Thus, based on looking at all factors, I think that if PGI reduces PPC effectiveness by a small degree (the proposed current boating rules will have little to no effect, and is honestly not a useful way to spend time), that the game will get fairly well balanced fast. This can be done by increasing the PPC heat (perhaps the midpoint between where it was, and where it is).
I think these matches also show something else that we desperately need, which is to provide better class or tonnage based balance. Not in 'two teams are equal in tonnage', but in one's that encourage a wider use of mechs. Many of the games we now enter in open queue use 5-6 assault mechs.I know this in the works, but we'd love to hear more information about that, so that we, the players, can talk about what we most enjoy.
Remove erppc and most will go over to erLL the min range for many would mean they would not chose them which would lessen the amount
