10 replies to this topic

[Christof Romulus]

http://www.sarna.net...le_Field_Damper

I don't take any credit in finding this as, even though I'm an avid MechWarrior fan I never even knew of its existence - but something tells me that this would find a significant amount of use in this game in its current state.

Perhaps make it reactive with a duration with a maximum number of uses of about 6, instead of activating it for a duration?

(Example 1: Stalker A fires 6 PPCs at Atlas A equipped with the Blue Shield. All damage from all 6 PPC shots is reduced by 50%. Any additional PPC damage would also be halved for the next 4 seconds and not count as an activation of the Blue Shield. Atlas A has 5 activations left of the Blue Shield.

Example 2: Stalker A fires 1 PPC at Atlas A equipped with the Blue Shield. .5 seconds later Stalker A fires 2 more PPCs at Atlas A. Damage from ALL PPC fire is halved, and any additional PPC damage would also be halved for the next 3.5 seconds and not count as an activation of the Blue Shield. Atlas A has 5 activations left of the Blue Shield)

I think that putting this into the game early may be warranted, as those who believe that PPC gameplay is what is affecting their ability to play will equip the Blue Shield (and then no longer have to complain about it, but probably still will).

Basically here is how putting this into the game would play out: At first100% of all mechs are going to use the Blue Shield because even if the PPC isn't overpowered, presently MANY people simply think it is (and this will be accompanied by much complaining from PPC boats).

Over time (maybe 4 months), the over-use of the Blue Shield will die down, as 3 tons and 5 critical locations can be expensive to have just to reduce damage from one of many possible weapons, which mostly will be abandoned like rats from a sinking ship.

Ultimately (6 to 8 months down the line), some mechs who are focused on brawling (likely Atlas users, or Hunchback users) will possibly still use the Blue Shield because they need any advantage they can get to get to brawling range - largely the PPC may be found on some mechs (likely replaced by, as hard as this is to believe, the Large Laser) but not in large quantities, as the risk of coming across a Blue Shield would always be ever-present.

Anyway, just an idea.

[Yiazmat]

while neat, it would just be easier to raise the heat on ppcs to 13 and 15 to bring them down a peg.

[Unbound Inferno]

Yiazmat, on 05 July 2013 - 11:25 PM, said:

while neat, it would just be easier to raise the heat on ppcs to 13 and 15 to bring them down a peg.

10 PPC and 15 ERPPC I think you mean.

[Sephlock]

This + glazed armor could help when Clan PPCs hit also...

[mike29tw]

Oh great, another binary counter.

Didn't we learn anything from ECM?

[Christof Romulus]

Unbound Inferno, on 05 July 2013 - 11:27 PM, said:

10 PPC and 15 ERPPC I think you mean.

TT values were 10 and 15, but original MWO values were 10 and 13 - which I actually found acceptable.

mike29tw, on 05 July 2013 - 11:49 PM, said:

Oh great, another binary counter.

Didn't we learn anything from ECM?

There's are differences between ECM and Blue Shield
- ECM is only available on one type of mech, while Blue Shield can be equipped on all mechs.
- Blue shield eventually fails
- ECM performs more functions than simply stopping LRM / SRM fire (affects multiple weapons)

Before the thread degrades into the nerf this or that thread that I see coming, let me be clear: I am a fan of the PPC - and I honestly haven't played Mechwarrior Online for 8 months. 8 months ago this game was entirely different, and many people were crying out to BUFF the PPC to where it is now. Personally, I don't think that there's anything wrong with the PPC as it is now, the damage that it deals, or the speed of its projectile. (Having the PPC's heat be 10 and ERPPC heat be 13, as it was 8 months ago, would be fine by me, but I'm just going to let everyone know right now that won't have any affect on the boating of this weapon).

With that said, in 3053, the Blue Shield is actually created by the Inner Sphere - and likely was because Clan ERPPCs did 15: so it's coming eventually, I'm just suggesting that it show up sooner. Yes, it's binary - either you have it or don't, but unlike ECM, the LESS people that use PPC's the less effective the Blue Shield becomes (while ECM will always affect your opponent or benefit your allies, REGARDLESS of the weapon system they use) and at a certain point when PPCs become scarce enough fielding the Blue shield will be a waste of weight and critical locations. (After all, if you enter any match and nobody on the opposing team has a PPC, then the Blue Shield is wasted space).

[El Bandito]

Seems PPCs were OP even back in its TT days that they had to come up with this equipment which is not even mentioned in the novels.

Edited by El Bandito, 06 July 2013 - 01:07 AM.

[ApolloKaras]

yeah but when that thing explodes its a huge liability... Though I never played with the Tech 3 stuff to be honest.

[Gaan Cathal]

Christof Romulus, on 06 July 2013 - 12:05 AM, said:

There's are differences between ECM and Blue Shield
- ECM is only available on one type of mech, while Blue Shield can be equipped on all mechs.
- Blue shield eventually fails
- ECM performs more functions than simply stopping LRM / SRM fire (affects multiple weapons)

[..]

With that said, in 3053, the Blue Shield is actually created by the Inner Sphere - and likely was because Clan ERPPCs did 15: so it's coming eventually, I'm just suggesting that it show up sooner. Yes, it's binary - either you have it or don't, but unlike ECM, the LESS people that use PPC's the less effective the Blue Shield becomes (while ECM will always affect your opponent or benefit your allies, REGARDLESS of the weapon system they use) and at a certain point when PPCs become scarce enough fielding the Blue shield will be a waste of weight and critical locations. (After all, if you enter any match and nobody on the opposing team has a PPC, then the Blue Shield is wasted space).

Binary counters are bad design, they just are. ECM being a slightly different terrible binary counter doesn't, you know, help the fact that this would still be a binary counter. Instituting a 3-ton tax to not get ****** by the poor current design of high-alpha doesn't actually constitute a solution to the high-alpha problem, it just masks it by rendering one part of the problem unplayable (a'la the first incarnation of ECM). It's like SSRMs. They're broken, but all that's happened is ECM appearing as a hard counter, followed by BAP as a hard counter to that while the core design of SSRMs is still broken and still going to be a problem when you can boat six SSRM6s.

El Bandito, on 06 July 2013 - 12:11 AM, said:

Seems PPCs were OP even back in its TT days that they had to come up with this equipment which is not even mentioned in the novels.

Odd way to put it, since the novels are based on the game?

[Adridos]

El Bandito, on 06 July 2013 - 12:11 AM, said:

Seems PPCs were OP even back in its TT days that they had to come up with this equipment which is not even mentioned in the novels.

Hahahaha... no.

Do you remember all the whine when we had them on TT values? All the whining of PGI not listening to playerbase and that their speed buffs are of no use and that simply lowering the heat will make everything all right.

[El Bandito]

Gaan Cathal, on 06 July 2013 - 02:39 AM, said:

Odd way to put it, since the novels are based on the game?

Because PPCs don't dominate in the novels. No need for Field Dampener.

Edited by El Bandito, 06 July 2013 - 02:48 AM.