I realize the developers of MWO have been trying to stay true to the table top values and rules, which is a noble goal. It ensures a very good baseline for where to start with all of these values. The problem is that it allows too little space for balance.
But we're working with computers capable of performing complex mathematical equations thousands of times per second. Why are we using the exact values which were originally established to be easy for table top players to calculate on the fly with paper and pencil?
Going forward this suggestion gives the game play balance one critical thing:
Wiggle room. The number space to change the values by simple integer increments during balancing adjustments without resulting in odd fractions or wide swings in individual weapon performance.
This change will do nothing to change current damage/heat/armor mechanics, because they will all change at the same time. Server load increase should be marginal to non-existent, because the load on the servers comes from the number of calculations performed, and not the values of those calculations(at least, not until the value of those calculations changes by several more orders of magnitude beyond this).
This change has nearly no negative implication for the future either, because the subsequent increases to these values as more 'Mechs are added to the game is essentially none. Simply perform the same increase to any values added to the game before they are added, and continue to balance from there. There's no worry about the values becoming over-inflated later, because there is no level adjustment in this game.
Edited by Throet, 14 October 2013 - 03:40 PM.