4 replies to this topic

[Five by Five]

One of my clan-mates noticed this a few nights ago and we tested last night. A deployed 3rd person drone will bock energy, ballistic, and missile weapons fire. This means a deployed drone could act as a small umbrella against incoming LRM fire and even as a shield from other weapon types in certain situations (think shooting down-hill at a fleeing light with a deployed drone).

I'm sure it has something to do with the drone being an object in the game (acts like it may be part of, an extension of, the mech) and objects being solid.

Anyhow, this lends itself to a couple of interesting solution possibilities. The first is the often suggested, make the drone destroyable. The variation I suggest is, in addition to making the drone destroyable, give a mech a nice supply of drones (say 5 to 10 for starters, maybe chassis/module dependent). When a drone gets destroyed, the pilot is forced back to 1st person view until he deploys another drone. The person that destroyed the drone gets some damage points and a component destroyed reward. Now the corner peaking is no longer one way, the opposing players can shoot back and get some damage, xp, and c-bills. Also, the drones become a resource a pilots has to manage/preserve. Adds depth to the game.

The second possible solution: Since it looks like the drone is already an extension of the mech, let incoming weapons fire that hits the drone be applied to either the mech cockpit or center torso. That way, when a person is using a drone to peak around a corner or over a ridge, it is not a free-safe view, they are taking a risk of getting sniped. (being able to see means potentially being seen and shot at)

From a game-depth perspective, I like the first solution better. From a game-play balancing perspective, I like the second solution better.

Regardless of the blocked weapons fire issue and the two solutions above, it would be nice if the drone gave LOS on the using mech. Basically, if I can see the drone but not its mech, then I still have LOS on the drone's mech as though I could see it. Which means if I could normally get a target and missile lock were the mech not undercover, it's exposed drone allows it to be targeted and locked just the same.

If the LOS rules are updated to include exposed drones and either of the two methods for handling incoming weapons fire striking the drone are used, I'd with-draw my criticism of a mixed queue. Additionally some of the additional balancing the devs where looking at (like slowing down the switch from 3rd to 1st person even further) might prove be unnecessary.


edit: Haahaa, should have read the subject aloud before posting... seems like the drones not only block weapons fire, they block integration ideas as-well! .....dang things are more op than we thought!

Edited by Five by Five, 24 August 2013 - 10:15 AM.

[ShinVector]

Some people have suggested.
When the Drone gets destroyed, it should Blow Up the cockpit !

[QuaxDerBruchpilot]

Good and well-thought ideas, but what you forget about is: PGI didn't invent the 3PV-drone to add a complex futuristic element of gaining additional information (aka "a drone"). They just added this to lure the 9-year-old-cannot-figure-out-tank-type-control-kiddie (aka main paying customer) into this game.

So they will the hell do anything to make it more "realistic", like "shooting down the drone" or something similar. Within a few patches you will see the opposite happening (HUD, battlegrid, .. in 3PV for the "silent majority demanding it".

Edit: typo.

Edited by Quax1102, 26 August 2013 - 05:30 AM.

[Bacon_Warrior88]

Five by Five, on 24 August 2013 - 10:10 AM, said:

One of my clan-mates noticed this a few nights ago and we tested last night. A deployed 3rd person drone will bock energy, ballistic, and missile weapons fire. This means a deployed drone could act as a small umbrella against incoming LRM fire and even as a shield from other weapon types in certain situations (think shooting down-hill at a fleeing light with a deployed drone).

I'm sure it has something to do with the drone being an object in the game (acts like it may be part of, an extension of, the mech) and objects being solid.

Anyhow, this lends itself to a couple of interesting solution possibilities. The first is the often suggested, make the drone destroyable. The variation I suggest is, in addition to making the drone destroyable, give a mech a nice supply of drones (say 5 to 10 for starters, maybe chassis/module dependent). When a drone gets destroyed, the pilot is forced back to 1st person view until he deploys another drone. The person that destroyed the drone gets some damage points and a component destroyed reward. Now the corner peaking is no longer one way, the opposing players can shoot back and get some damage, xp, and c-bills. Also, the drones become a resource a pilots has to manage/preserve. Adds depth to the game.

The second possible solution: Since it looks like the drone is already an extension of the mech, let incoming weapons fire that hits the drone be applied to either the mech cockpit or center torso. That way, when a person is using a drone to peak around a corner or over a ridge, it is not a free-safe view, they are taking a risk of getting sniped. (being able to see means potentially being seen and shot at)

From a game-depth perspective, I like the first solution better. From a game-play balancing perspective, I like the second solution better.

Regardless of the blocked weapons fire issue and the two solutions above, it would be nice if the drone gave LOS on the using mech. Basically, if I can see the drone but not its mech, then I still have LOS on the drone's mech as though I could see it. Which means if I could normally get a target and missile lock were the mech not undercover, it's exposed drone allows it to be targeted and locked just the same.

If the LOS rules are updated to include exposed drones and either of the two methods for handling incoming weapons fire striking the drone are used, I'd with-draw my criticism of a mixed queue. Additionally some of the additional balancing the devs where looking at (like slowing down the switch from 3rd to 1st person even further) might prove be unnecessary.


edit: Haahaa, should have read the subject aloud before posting... seems like the drones not only block weapons fire, they block integration ideas as-well! .....dang things are more op than we thought!

Really like the idea of drone destruction = exp for enemy and managing drone supply. I could have fun with that

[Five by Five]

It recently occurred to me, all of those options can be rolled together into these four points:


- Updated Line of Site rules: Basically, if the 3rd person drone is visible, then LOS rules are applied as if the mech itself is visible.

- 3rd person drone as a limited resource: Make the drone destroyable and give each mech a limited supply, something like 4 or 5 drones.

- Vulnerability: When a drone is destroyed, apply a set amount of critical damage to the cockpit. I think a cockpit has 9 points of internal structure, so if there are 5 drones, apply 1.8 points of internal damage each time a drone is destroyed. For 4 drones apply 2.25 points internal damage. This can be justified by fluff, "because of the tight integration of the neural helmet and cockpit circuitry, the sudden loss of a drone damages circuits and causes health damage to the pilot."

- Improve Drone an 3rd Person: Slow drone retrieval, but speed up view shift when returning to the cockpit. This leaves the drone exposed to fire longer, but lets the pilot respond faster to unexpected threats, nice trade off. Potentially add the option for a rotating camera. (I would definitely want a smaller drone supply if the drone camera became more capable).


Basically, there's no way around 3rd person being a tactical advantage, so the idea is to take away the invulnerability and balance the advantage with some solid disadvantages (risks).