14 replies to this topic

[Kasseopea]

When you got hit by a PPC in MW4, you had often your HUD jumping around, a sort of EMP effect. This way it was possible to hold somebody stunlocked with 4 PPCs + recharger, as he couldnt see anything.

Question would be - will a PPC hit cause any major sight disturbance?

[Adridos]

I can't remember at the moment, but in the assault class video, there is an Atlas getting hit by 2 PPCs.

[Roland]

I think you're going to cause unneeded angst and freak outs because you used the term "stun-locked".

I think that may be something of an overstatement, as the hud scrambling didn't actually prevent you from returning fire at all... it didn't actually stun you.

[Kasseopea]

Roland, on 11 June 2012 - 06:00 AM, said:

I think you're going to cause unneeded angst and freak outs because you used the term "stun-locked".

I think that may be something of an overstatement, as the hud scrambling didn't actually prevent you from returning fire at all... it didn't actually stun you.

Speaking from my MW4 experience, you cant see much and the HUD is wabbling and wobbling like on drugs, so you are able to shoot, but you have to be pretty experienced to pefectly hit a target without HUD. Also, missile targetting systems wont work in those 1-2 secs, which can only be extended to permanent effect, if you have PPCs with recharger, otherwise you would have to wait for them to cycle.

Used the terminus "stunlocked" because i took AI-Mechs out by constantly firing with PPC on them, so they wouldnt return fire.

Edited by Kasseopea, 11 June 2012 - 06:13 AM.

[Roland]

Kasseopea, on 11 June 2012 - 06:12 AM, said:

Speaking from my MW4 experience, you cant see much and the HUD is wabbling and wobbling like on drugs, so you are able to shoot, but you have to be pretty experienced to pefectly hit a target without HUD. Also, missile targetting systems wont work in those 1-2 secs, which can only be extended to permanent effect, if you have PPCs with recharger, otherwise you would have to wait for them to cycle.

Used the terminus "stunlocked" because i took AI-Mechs out by constantly firing with PPC on them, so they wouldnt return fire.

I don't think it actually affected missile locks, other than perhaps making it harder to keep the reticle on the target.

I'm pretty sure that in the original MW4, it was purely a cosmetic effect on the hud. And since the reticle was always in the middle of the screen, you didn't really need it to know where your weapons were going to shoot.

[Gorith]

I agree with roland I think stun-locked is really not the term your intending to use and can cause people to panic. Also if the assault video is any indication no it will not scramble your UI and honestly it shouldn't. The having your mech and screen get knocked around slightly by incoming fire however is something I would expect. I mean you did just take 10 points of dmg in one pop thats half the dmg required to force a piloting role in TT so it's a pretty substantial hit.

Edited by Gorith, 11 June 2012 - 06:20 AM.

[Badgerpants]

In the Atlas Video, it was hit with PPC's but only suffered some knockback/round, had it's facing changed but no distortion/interference to HUD. Looks like no joy on Stunlocking! (Phew, that would suck major [Redacted] if that happened!)

[Nik Van Rhijn]

I think the PPC should temporarily scramble your HUD as it is supposed to be one of its effects. Only for 1 or 2 seconds, which given recharge times would probably mean multiple mechs if you want to have a sustained effect. just like you would for ballistic "knock". "stun lock" on an AI mech is not what would happen with a person - you can always fire back on "guesstimate" or keep manouvering out of the way. We haven't really seen enough video of PPCs to have any real idea of how they perform in gam. Not to mention that there may well have been changes implemented since those videos were made. Such things tend to happen in Beta as they carry on tweaking things.

[MilitantMonk]

Back in the day...

We used to put a sticker or a erasable marker spot on the center of the screen for FPS games. Very high-tech solutions to games that had such mechanics.

[Badfinger]

MilitantMonk, on 11 June 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Back in the day...

We used to put a sticker or a erasable marker spot on the center of the screen for FPS games. Very high-tech solutions to games that had such mechanics.

Those were the days!

[Coolant]

MilitantMonk, on 11 June 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Back in the day...

We used to put a sticker or a erasable marker spot on the center of the screen for FPS games. Very high-tech solutions to games that had such mechanics.

low-tech solution to a high-tech problem

[StriplingWarrior]

MilitantMonk, on 11 June 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Back in the day...

We used to put a sticker or a erasable marker spot on the center of the screen for FPS games. Very high-tech solutions to games that had such mechanics.

I found a fine point Sharpie works very well. It also had the added benifit of making my wife keep trying to clean the screen for days.

[Southern Taxi]

Kasseopea, on 11 June 2012 - 06:12 AM, said:

Speaking from my MW4 experience, you cant see much and the HUD is wabbling and wobbling like on drugs, so you are able to shoot, but you have to be pretty experienced to pefectly hit a target without HUD. Also, missile targetting systems wont work in those 1-2 secs, which can only be extended to permanent effect, if you have PPCs with recharger, otherwise you would have to wait for them to cycle.

Used the terminus "stunlocked" because i took AI-Mechs out by constantly firing with PPC on them, so they wouldnt return fire.

At least on MW4:M, I'm able to stuff 3-4 PPC's (IDK if Light PPC has the same effect, but that would make it 4) and if I cycle trough them I pretty much solve the Overheat problem and have a steady rate of fire.

[trycksh0t]

I can't remember which book I read it in (TT book, not novel), but I remember somewhere that the only way a 'Mechs systems would be affected is if it was struck by multiple PPCs simultaneously, single PPCs had no effect on electronics.

Edit - Found it. It's in the TRO for the Burke Combat Vehicle, however that's from 2750.

"When all three PPCs hit at the same instant, they can overload a 'Mechs computer or cause enough electronic noise to jam communications or targeting data temporarily. Most Star League BattleMechs carry dampers to channel out such power bursts, but many in service to the member-states do not."

That being said, I suspect that most modern 'Mechs would be equipped with dampers to prevent that from happening. PPCs are already amazingly good, they really don't need the added benefit of messing up targeting.

Edited by trycksh0t, 11 June 2012 - 01:58 PM.

[tynaiden]

trycksh0t, on 11 June 2012 - 01:52 PM, said:

I can't remember which book I read it in (TT book, not novel), but I remember somewhere that the only way a 'Mechs systems would be affected is if it was struck by multiple PPCs simultaneously, single PPCs had no effect on electronics.

Edit - Found it. It's in the TRO for the Burke Combat Vehicle, however that's from 2750.

"When all three PPCs hit at the same instant, they can overload a 'Mechs computer or cause enough electronic noise to jam communications or targeting data temporarily. Most Star League BattleMechs carry dampers to channel out such power bursts, but many in service to the member-states do not."

That being said, I suspect that most modern 'Mechs would be equipped with dampers to prevent that from happening. PPCs are already amazingly good, they really don't need the added benefit of messing up targeting.

and apparently cause knockback to targets... That's really pushing the pro/con ratio for PPCs. I am rather sure there is other collaborative info about PPCs en-mass or to the cockpit causing some electronics issues in targets.

Concerning "modern 'Mechs"; don't forget the technology level has risen and fallen a lot in the history of Battletech. Even electronic warfare has had several drastic swings in the main timeline of Battletech. The final line in your quote also says a lot on the topic. It will (hopefully) be decided either way from a game-play and game-balance perspective since there is not a lot of precedence in TT rules that PPC hits cause any adverse affects other than damage.