1 reply to this topic

[Aiden Whitefield]

I know this has been discussed many times on the forums, and some people may consider this beating a dead horse, but I want to toss out my ideas on the subject of possibly adding reticle shake to the game.

One thing that bugs me about the current aiming mechanics is the obvious lack of any reticle sway accompanying 'Mech movement. While in the cockpit, you can see the 'Mech shaking and swaying around you as it moves and is jostled around by the terrain and incoming fire, but your rock-steady point of view doesn't reflect any of that. It makes it feel as if you, as the pilot, are completely disconnected from the machine itself, simply frozen in empty space inside the cockpit. I know some people are going to pull the gyro-stabilization card, but even the best gyroscopic stabilization systems aren't perfect, and never will be- there will always be some discernible transfer of kinetic energy, no matter how well the system is designed.

Proposal Assumptions:

• The targeting reticle is super-imposed on the faceplate of the neurohelmet, as opposed to being projected onto the inner surfaces of the cockpit or some other less elegant solution.
  
• The pilot's seat is equipped with a gyroscopic stabilization and/or kinetic dampening system beneath it to absorb and/or offset vibrations that would be transferred to the pilot, through the seat, from the 'Mech's superstructure.
  
• The gyroscopic stabilization and kinetic dampening systems on 'Mechs aren't perfect, and some kinetic energy will inevitably be transferred throguh the machine's superstructure to the pilot.
  
• The pilot is strapped into the 'Mech's pilot seat, preventing them from being flung around too much by 'Mech motion and impacts.
  
• All reticle sway is caused by the computer-assisted aiming system constantly updating to reflect the 'Mech's exact weapon alignemnt at any given time.

The Proposal:

• The amount of reticle sway is affected by speed, tonnage, and weight distribution, as according to the current 'Mech chassis and loadout, up to a certain maximum deviation.
  
• The sway amount of both the arm reticle and the torso reticle are affected by impacts to the 'Mech's torso, head, and legs.
  
• Arm reticle sway is separately affected more-so by impacts to the 'Mech's arms. Being hit in the arm will knock the arm reticle around on the screen more than the torso reticle, up to a certain maximum deviation.
  
• Light 'Mechs have less sway than the other weight classes, due to being built with more efficient GS and KD systems in the first place, to offset the fact that they have little capacity for shock-absorption.

Related proposals:

• Large kinetic weapons (missiles, autocannons, gauss rifle) produce excess recoil that is reflected by a small, brief jump in the appropriate arm and/or torso reticle. Energy weapons don't have this effect.
  
• The pilot is affected by physics just like the 'Mechs are. When the mech gets knocked around, the pilot also gets knocked around appropriately inside the cockpit.
  
• Tiered gyroscopic stabilization/kinetic dampening systems could be added as customizable aspects of each 'Mech, providing several levels of improvement in reticle sway reduction. It could never be completely eliminated, though. Possible 'Mech structures to place them in could be: arms, head, and/or legs.

I'm sure I've forgotten to include a few things I wanted to in here, so feel free to point things out and toss in your own thoughts and ideas.

Edited by Aiden Whitefield, 28 October 2013 - 04:26 PM.

[Sandpit]

I'm just not a huge fan of anything that takes away from a player's ability and skill when it comes to aiming. If anything, i'd rather see something along the lines of hitbox readjustment. I don't understand why everyone hates on pinpoint damage. Hitbox adjustment and upping armor values a bit are a much better way to do things than to tell me that even though I'm excellent at doing everything I need to do (IE putting my reticles on a mech) in order to target specific areas on a mech I can't hit it.