10 replies to this topic

[Wildstreak]

(Could not figure out where else to put this, it is not for a serious Suggestion.)

Every now and then someone has mentioned how MWO does not have heat scale penalties at certain levels like TT. So far TMK I have never seen a more developed list of one though there may be ideas out there I do not know about. I have believed there should be one.

For fun and to exercise my brain, I have worked on such a conversion and made some discoveries along the way. This shows what I did and why I changed things since, as you will see, not everything in TT converts well to MWO.

PHASE 4 (CURRENT) HEAT SCALE

First number column is MWO heat scale percentages.

100 Shutdown
96.7
93.3 Energy Penalty 3
90.0
86.7 Shutdown, avoid on 81.81%+
83.3 -83.33% of Max Speed
80.0 Ballistic/Missile Jam chance +20%
76.7 Energy Penalty 2
73.3 Shutdown, avoid on 63.63%+
70.0
66.7 -66.67% of Max Speed
63.3 Energy Penalty 1
60.0 Shutdown, avoid on 45.45%+
56.7 Ballistic/Missile Jam chance +15%
53.3
50.0 -50% of Max Speed
46.7 Shutdown, avoid on 27.27%+
43.3 Ballistic/Missile Jam chance +10%
40.0
36.7
33.3 -33.33% of Max Speed
30.0
26.7 Ballistic/Missile Jam chance +5%
23.3
20.0
16.7 -16.67% of Max Speed
13.3
10.0
06.7
03.3
00.0

This is where I currently stand, only 3 things remain.

Decision #1 - Figure out the penalty towards Energy Weapons.
For the Energy penalty I am trying to figure out a way to do damage reduction based on the notion Energy draws the weapon's strength from the engine, as the heat increases some engine power is diverted to deal with that causing a power (thus damage) loss to the Energy weapon. I am thinking of a system that penalizes Energy based percentage of damage or range lost before firing.
93.3 Energy Penalty 3 - -75% weapon damage/range
76.7 Energy Penalty 2 - -50% weapon damage/range
63.3 Energy Penalty 1 - -25% weapon damage/range

Decision #2 - Tweak where the penalties occur on the scale, they do not have to remain at the original TT levels. 16.7% heat may be low to start kicking in the first penalty, also the Ballistic/Missile Jam penalty kicks in a little earlier than half the amount to hit the first Energy Penalty.

Decision #3 - Tweak the percentages of Shutdown/Explosion/Jamming chances.

Note, I would exclude MGs and Flamers from weapon penalties, those weapons suffer enough.

I am also thinking for weapon penalties, to show in the HUD a weapon reached a penalty, the color of the weapon(s) name in the bottom right could change so the pilot would know where his weapons stand on the heat scale instead of having to remember the scale.
Currently weapon name color is some kind of dull yellow, I think they turn black if you lose the weapon from damage.
First Weapon Penalty - Orange name
Second Weapon Penalty - Light Red name
Third Weapon Penalty - Dark Red name
Fourth Weapon Penalty - Grey name

Speed penalties would be noted by the speed indicator, shutdown is obvious.

Guess any second post explaining how I got to Phase 4 has to wait, tried putting it up but it changed the OP.

Edited by Merchant, 12 November 2013 - 07:28 PM.

[akpavker]

every one of these idea's sound terrible......

this game already has to many complicated/bad mechanics, we don't need any more!

[Dirus Nigh]

While I believe the game should have a more dynamic heat effect system, this is just punishing. The effects you have here would just out right **** off players and make it a struggle to play.

Heat effects should be noticeable with out be detrimental. For example, an increase in weapon cycle time, or missile lock on time is fine, but out right jamming weapons into non functionality is just frustrating. Do you really want the heat system to bring the problems of UAC5 jamming to every non energy weapon in the game?

[aniviron]

I'm not really sure you need to add in a separate energy weapons penalty, given that the moment you fire any energy weapons your speed is going to be immediately cut down by at least 33% if not 50%+ on a hot map, plus a chance at shutting down. I mean, you do realize that you'd get to fire a JR7-F once or maybe twice at most before you risked shutdown, and it would cripple your speed, meaning you're as good as dead anyway.

What did the JR-7F, HBK-4P, and all the Quickdraws, Awesomes, and Stalkers ever do to you that makes you want to doom them to extinction anyway?

[mike29tw]

If heat scale is to be put into MWO, it should be significantly simplified because we're dissipating heat in real-time, rather than in a 10-sec round.

[OneEyed Jack]

Not only would it need to be simplified, with much fewer individual penalty levels, but it would need to start much later. Penalties for firing a single weapon on a cool-running mech is simply ludicrous.

[Galenit]

The penaltys should have a higher threshold. Starting over 50% heat.

The speed penalty should be dynamical.
Like 1% less speed for every 2% heat over 50% heat.

I miss ammo explosion chance in your list.
Like over 75% heat you have a chance for ammo explosion every 5 seconds with a chance of 1% for every 1% heat over 75%.

I miss torsotwistspeed penalty.
Like 1% less torsotwistspeed for every 1% heat over 50%.

Jamchances for ballistic:
0.5% for every 1% heat over 60% heat.

Minimap flicker start around 70% heat.
FF on screen and minimap disapering for seconds start around 80% heat.
minimap and ff does not function anymore over 90% heat.

If convergence would have a real impact on the game, it should start getting worse with high heat.
Like 0.1 more convergence time for every 1% heat over 55%.

Recycle of all weapons gets slower by 0.1 for every 1% heat over 65%

BAP and ECM have chance for breaks of 5 seconds with a chance of 1% for every 1% heat over 50% checked every 5 seconds.

AMS reduced range of 5m for every 1% heat over 70%

Edited by Galenit, 13 November 2013 - 02:30 AM.

[TheGallows]

In TT a mech with the 10 basic double heat sinks could fire 6 medium lasers at flank speed without gaining heat. In MWO, you can't run 6 medium lasers heat neutral even if you stuff literally every single other crit slot with double heat sinks.

The result of implementing heat penalties would be to encourage more ballistic weapons and more heavies/assaults that don't mind reduced speed.

TT rules should be added to MWO if they can improve the game, not simply because they exist.

[Joseph Mallan]

akpavker, on 12 November 2013 - 08:14 PM, said:

every one of these idea's sound terrible......

this game already has to many complicated/bad mechanics, we don't need any more!

So you are saying that you could not handle a heat Mechanic similar to one this High School grad was able to follow for 30 years? Is that it?

[Cactus In The Rear]

I think it could work if the heat dissipation was raised.

[Botaine]

Your list is too complicated overall and the penalties start at too cool of a heat, but I like the idea of heat causing problems with various parts of the mech. A mech should run normally until it is about at 75% heat, then as heat increases above that point, speed reduction, jam rate and other penalties increase linearly up to 100% heat, causing shutdown.