160 replies to this topic

[Angel of Annihilation]

Well I finally get why many people think seismic sensors are a bit over the top.

I was on the Frozen City Map and half our team decided to sweep through ice caves to flank the enemy to the far left while the rest of our team when the traditional route over the downed dropship.

Well just as we were exiting the caves we walked into the "fishbowl". The entire enemy team was just sitting there lined up in a pretty line shoulder to shoulder and the slaughter begain. I was the first out and got time to fire one alpha that half missed before being disintegrated, the rest of my lance soon followed (total of about 30 seconds to take out 4 of us.)

Then they just turned around and all walked the other way to roll the rest of our team. Honestly I think the entire match lasted less than 3 mins.

Obviously someone picked us up on Seismic and with unusual coordination, the enemy managed to capitalize on it but for the first time I realized just how much tactical flexibility is lost because of the use of seismic sensors.

On the other hand, if someone in my lance had had seismic, we would have noticed the enemy waiting for us and not walked into that total and completely ambush so in some ways I guess it offers a more realistic battlefield with lots of unaccounted pitfalls for the unwary.

So what do you all think. OPed or more realistic?

[superteds]

op. make it shorter range, and only work if you're stationary

and probably a longer 'bloop' (definitely the proper word) time.

Edited by superteds, 30 June 2013 - 09:56 AM.

[FunkyFritter]

A good player with seismic is way scarier than one without. The ability to see enemies through walls is a massive advantage.

[Lucian Nostra]

Viktor Drake, on 30 June 2013 - 09:45 AM, said:

Well I finally get why many people think seismic sensors are a bit over the top.

I was on the Frozen City Map and half our team decided to sweep through ice caves to flank the enemy to the far left while the rest of our team when the traditional route over the downed dropship.

Well just as we were exiting the caves we walked into the "fishbowl". The entire enemy team was just sitting there lined up in a pretty line shoulder to shoulder and the slaughter begain. I was the first out and got time to fire one alpha that half missed before being disintegrated, the rest of my lance soon followed (total of about 30 seconds to take out 4 of us.)

Then they just turned around and all walked the other way to roll the rest of our team. Honestly I think the entire match lasted less than 3 mins.

Obviously someone picked us up on Seismic and with unusual coordination, the enemy managed to capitalize on it but for the first time I realized just how much tactical flexibility is lost because of the use of seismic sensors.

On the other hand, if someone in my lance had had seismic, we would have noticed the enemy waiting for us and not walked into that total and completely ambush so in some ways I guess it offers a more realistic battlefield with lots of unaccounted pitfalls for the unwary.

So what do you all think. OPed or more realistic?

So how did the seismic sensors 200m range allow them to know you where going tunnel from across the map? :S

[Khavi Vetali]

Lucian Nostra, on 30 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

So how did the seismic sensors 200m range allow them to know you where going tunnel from across the map? :S

It's 400M maxed out. Easily seen if you hug the cliff wall outside the cave, even from the elbow by ridge.

[operator0]

What's even more shocking (or disappointing) is that decent players still haven't equipped it on their mechs. The OP had a whole lance that wasn't equipped. That's pretty sad. Seismic is better than PPCs and you must...MUST...equip it if you want to win.

[jakucha]

operator0, on 30 June 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

What's even more shocking (or disappointing) is that decent players still haven't equipped it on their mechs. The OP had a whole lance that wasn't equipped. That's pretty sad. Seismic is better than PPCs and you must...MUST...equip it if you want to win.

If you're really good you'll still get by without it. It helps a lot, but in the end turning around every once in a while is at least half as effective.

[Appogee]

Are there still people who don't have Seismic...?!

I have it, I benefit significantly from its use - and I wish it didn't exist.

As I've posted before, I think it is OP and unbalances the game, especially against Lights performing a Scouting role. I would nerf it by reducing its range and also making not work while the user is moving. That would be logical while also rebalancing the impact of the module a bit.

[FunkyFritter]

jakucha, on 30 June 2013 - 10:15 AM, said:

If you're really good you'll still get by without it. It helps a lot, but in the end turning around every once in a while is at least half as effective.

If you're really good you'd still get a huge benefit from using it. Turning around doesn't tell you exactly how many mechs are on the other side of that hill.

[jeffsw6]

I said this I think the first day Seismic Sensor existed. It is hugely over-powered and a massive nerf to brawlers / strikers, who depend on surprise. Inventing that sensor exemplifies PGI's total inability to understand how the game is played.

[jakucha]

FunkyFritter, on 30 June 2013 - 10:23 AM, said:

If you're really good you'd still get a huge benefit from using it. Turning around doesn't tell you exactly how many mechs are on the other side of that hill.

I know, and I also think it should be nerfed. However, you don't need it. If you need it, you're likely not a good player in general.

[jeffsw6]

jakucha, on 30 June 2013 - 10:24 AM, said:

I know, and I also think it should be nerfed. However, you don't need it. If you need it, you're likely not a good player in general.

What other modules would you rather have? I mean, if you were playing an LRM or SSRM mech with limited module slots, I can see how you might want 360 Target Retention and/or Adv Target Decay instead of Seismic, but that's about the only situation. Outside of LRM/SSRM, I think Coolant Flush is the only module that is as useful as Seismic.

I haven't used a UAV yet though.

[xengk]

Appogee, on 30 June 2013 - 10:20 AM, said:

Are there still people who don't have Seismic...?!

I have it, I benefit significantly from its use - and I wish it didn't exist.

As I've posted before, I think it is OP and unbalances the game, especially against Lights performing a Scouting role. I would nerf it by reducing its range and also making not work while the user is moving. That would be logical while also rebalancing the impact of the module a bit.

Only 2 out of my roster of 15 mechs have a seismic installed, and they are the slowest of my build.
Making it work while immobile will not affect them as they function like a support fire turret.
The rest depends on speed and battlefield awareness, but I still sometime walk into ambush and get obliterated.

Make it function only when the user is at fullstop, also that it cannot detect enemy that are at fullspot as well.

[Jonny Taco]

Seismic sensors are a bad game mechanic that should never have been implemented.

As pgi is extremely pig headed, there is 100% 0 chance that it will be removed, so our best bet is to settle for a heavy handed nerf. Something along th lines of 100m per level in the skill up as well as increasing the "blip" time by a factor of 2 to 3.

We don't need a permanent cod uav... Implementation of such a module screams ammatuer hour yet again. It's pretty obvious that pgi is bad, and should feel bad.

[Huge]

Been using it for a few weeks. Advanced and absolutely ruining people.

It really need to be removed completely. Just take it the hell out. It ruins any prayer of Lights or Mediums do surprise flanks. Or just surprise in general. Even if they add some kind of 'you must sit still' rule. The Assaults will still get the full benefit of never being surprised ever while they unless PCC alpha after alpha.

Terrible almost pay2win module. Or at the least unreasonably rewarding long time players or those who buy GXP and premium to afford it.

[Jonny Taco]

Lucian Nostra, on 30 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

So how did the seismic sensors 200m range allow them to know you where going tunnel from across the map? :S

Stop posting in threads you know nothing about, just a bit of advice.

[Xeno Phalcon]

Seismic pretty much neutered a good chunk of the tactical play in MWO, quite frankly it was a terrible thing to put in as a constant module. I would prefer it was never in the game to begin with, but given that it is and PGI is unlikely to say "we made a mistake and are removing it", it makes more sense as a consumable like UAV.


Still would be pretty powerful, imagine ploping one on the ground in frozen city tunnel and it would alert you when anyone came near it but not give indicators of numbers of units or if it was friend or foe. I would think it wouldnt have a duration, but could be destroyed ALA UAV style.

[Warrax the Chaos Warrior]

Seismic is due to get some adjustments, and while it does need some tuning, it's really not that bad. It has just become a scapegoat for people to blame when they lose.

Case in point; the OP's example. Flanking through the tunnel on FC has always been an all-or-nothing gamble, not an unstoppable maneuver of pure tactical genius. You can be spotted at the midpoint, or the fact that most of your team is absent from the other side of the field can be spotted by a scout. Truth is, tunnel rushes were a losing proposition 80% of the time even before seismic.

I've killed many light mechs that go on to claim that seismic is OP and resposible for their deaths when the truth is that they were spotted with regular eyeballs before they ever got in to seismic range, and then proceeded to actually play badly once the fighting started. Blame a piece of equipment and you aren't learning from your mistakes.

[Livewyr]

Even my missile boat has seismic.. it is ALWAYS on my mech, even if I only have one module slot on that mech.

I've said before, it needs to give a direction, not a location, and it needs to ONLY work while you're sitting still.

[Dracol]

Just like ECM, when seismic came out how I approached the game changed.

I always assume an enemy has seismic when I plan my attack pattern unless they have shown they do not.

When running faster mechs, I never engage an enemy until the long range assets have them engaged.

Any mech I run either needs a long range weapon, or I running close support for assualts.

With seismic on the field I need to stay conscious of not being overly aggressive.

Cave/tunnel I avoid until mid game.

Does seismic make old tactics futile? Yes

Did it ruin the game for me? Not at all. Changes like these keep the game fresh for me.