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For example, boating PPC's amplifies its advantages and disadvantages.
A PPC's biggest disadvantage is its minimum range.
To encourage players to use strategy (counter), the minimum range of a PPC can be increased. The intention is to give PPC weapons, especially boaters, a high risk.
If the minimum range of PPC's were 180m, PPC's boaters would be ineffective/neutered
at hitting mechs at close range. ER PPC's could have a minimum range of 90m.
Effects:
-With minimum range of PPC's, there is now high risk. High risk is amplified with boating.
-This will make light mechs (close range) strong, natural counters against PPC's
because light mechs are harder to hit with PPC's.
-This will encourage people to prevent boating PPC's because of such ineffectivity
when engaged in close combat (similar to LRM's).
-Vulnerable to any brawler that can close distance to the PPC sniper quickly or flank at close
range
-Encourage people to carry back up/different weapons instead of another PPC (encourage
loadout variety)
-tweaked PPC min. effective range would encourage flanking/countering the PPC;
PPC is easier to be countered
-Discourage lighter mechs from carrying PPC's (because of ineffectivity
when faced with close ranged combat)
*180m might be draconian; just an illustrative value. Perhaps start at 130m first.
I'm fine with current meta. WAIT.
But I understand that other people are really frustrated.
These people cannot develop counters to the current meta.
That's okay, I've gone through the same phase, please read.
There will always be a "current meta". There will also
always be a superior weapon, and an inferior weapon.
People who are crying out for nerfing ppc's have to realize
that there will always be a superior build/weapon that
people will tend to use more often. The meta, and all meta's
now and in the future won't be solved by nerfing the
strongest build of a meta. In that path,
MWO will have nothing in the end; no variety.
In MWO, you want to advocate the use of strategy.
Buff counters to the current meta in a way that would not
break the (ER) PPC:
Heat on PPC's can just be raised, but it doesn't encourage strategy as
much as buffing a counter to the PPC user. (I want to put more power
to the counter, not less power to the PPC user.) That is true strategy.
For example, I can currently obliterate ppc boaters when I use builds with high speed,
high armor, fast hitting weapons, high heat efficiency, and high DPS builds. ie. Pulse lasers,
AC2's, and UAC5's. The current minimum range of PPC's is only 90m.
PPC boaters are slow. PPC boaters might have a ballistic, ie. AC20 or Gauss. I will
try to find an isolated boater, close in very close, and neuter it (by removing its ballistic FIRST).
PPC's generate way too much heat and recycle way too slowly to kill me rushing in QUICKLY
with high DPS and high armor.
To buff counters of SHORT RANGE WEAPONS (to create a more diverse meta):
- FLAMERS: Can easily power down energy boaters if buffed.
Remove the 90% heat infliction cap.
If I carry flamers, and I cannot cause my opponents heat to exceed 90%,
then why are my own flamers allowed to cause my heat to exceed 90% and overheat?
-LBX:
Tighten spread; make each pellet do 1.5 damage.
At close range, the LBX would cause devestation, but very ineffective at medium or long range.
-SRM's:
Introduce SRM"s with at least 2.0 damage. 2.5 would even work.
This will make PPC boaters cry if PPC minimum range can be tweaked.
*SRM's might be weak intentionally to allow for the introduction of Streak SRM6's.
-MACHINE GUNS:
Buff to 1.2-1.5 damage per second.
AC2:
-Reduce the generated by each shot by 1/2 or 1/3.
Conclusion:
Introduce/extend/tweak the minimum range on PPC/ER PPC's but leave everything else the same in order to make the PPC a high risk and high reward weapon. It will prevent
users from boating due to such multiplied high risk. In addition, buff counters to PPC boaters with short range weapons such as flamers heat infliction (don't buff flamer damage), machine guns, and LBX.
With all this said, I still think it would be best to FIRST fix elo matchmaking (even out skill level in matches) and add variety with game plays (respawning, similar tonnage drops) and private lobby. But I guess nothing that I say will make this a priority above weapons ...
With that said, alpha striking and convergence is not a problem in the slightest bit. They are elements of the Mechwarrior franchise for PC games.
Constructive feedback please. Only feedback that relates to the topic would be greatly appreciated.
Edited by Inhibition, 06 July 2013 - 10:12 PM.
