7 replies to this topic

[Aaren Kai]

I am going to say something blasphemous. What if we left weapon weight, heat, ammo, and damage all at the current levels and instead we bumped up slots instead?

Using the current whipping boy, PPC, we bump up the slots to say...6 (currently 3). This would mean that it would be very hard to start boating them in large numbers due to the fact that you would only be able to place one per arm, and two in torso max.

Lets also remember to boat large numbers, people take an XL engine (now only one ppc per torso) and DHS. Which would make the boat limited to 4 PPC, and 4 external heat DHS. Not even possible to take Endo or FF. Less alpha strike fearsome, unmanageable heat, and slower as there is less ability to gain back weight savings.

In addition, The Awesome with 3 ppc can still be built.

This, I think, would help return to building balanced mechs with secondary weapons which are smaller. Thoughts?

[Unbound Inferno]

This has promise. But I'd still say up heat, and size.

Or add a price of additional PPC increases size. One PPC is 3, two are 4 each, 3 are 5 each.

But still add heat. Those things need the real fix of proper heat cost.

[One Medic Army]

Bumping up tonnage and/or crit slots may invalidate stock builds, and as such they will not be changed.

More reasonable solutions:
Make PPCs less heat efficient than medium lasers.
Make PPCs not have a projectile velocity so fast hitting lights at 600m is easy.

Edited by One Medic Army, 29 June 2013 - 10:26 AM.

[Unbound Inferno]

No... I am vehemently against slowing the PPC projectile speed. It finally fits its role, it just does ti too well.

Add heat is the solution I believe is the real fix.

Though crit sizes.. would adding it up really invalidate other builds? I know weight's out of the question, but I think there is space for the crit sizes if its a step style, depending on the mech - but I don't know for certain.

[The Strange]

Personally, I think they should put it back to default values. The only reason the PPC got a projectile speed increase from 1200m/s was the wonky netcode. Since the release of the ballistic HSR, that increase is no longer needed. Now it's just overkill. They should be put back to default heat and speed values, then start the balancing from there.

[Jonny Taco]

The addition of maximum size for each weapon slot is the solution, not universal wide sweeping nerfs that will make certain stock builds impossible.

[Aaren Kai]

One Medic Army, on 29 June 2013 - 10:26 AM, said:

Bumping up tonnage and/or crit slots may invalidate stock builds, and as such they will not be changed.

More reasonable solutions:
Make PPCs less heat efficient than medium lasers.
Make PPCs not have a projectile velocity so fast hitting lights at 600m is easy.

Is this just a hypothetical? I am not sure of any of the current or incoming mechs this would invalidate. Though it would reduce some flexibility. However, that seems like an okay trade to me, logically things shouldn't be so extremely flexible until omnimechs at least.

I mean the technology is lost, the factories are supposed to be the only things that can build them. But Joe Tech can swap engines, Endo steel structure, cram a PPC where a small laser goes...

Ooooooorr... Stock mechs get twice the durability, altered mechs do not, this would be to represent the jury rigged nature of changes.

[dario03]

I would rather we had a maximum amount of crits be allowed per weapon class. Or add something else like power draw and assign every weapon a certain amount of draw and each mech a amount of power (possibly affected by engine). That way stock builds wouldn't have to be affected, every mech could still run every weapon (assuming it has the hardpoints), hardpoints wouldn't need to be lowered. So for example you could still have stalkers with 6 energy harpoints but lets say it can only use 10 crits for those weapons. They could carry 6ml if they want or 5LL, or 3ppc and 1ml but they wouldn't be able to carry 6LL or 4ppc, Or add in the power draw system (or call it whatever) and tweak those numbers to get different limits. Could help balance some mechs out too, for example maybe do something like let the awesome have more energy potential than the stalker.