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[oldradagast]

First off, I want to thank PGI for tweaking the Awesome's hitboxes. I am enjoying my 8R far more than before now that I can actually take hits and lose components while still fighting vs. crumpling like a tin can under fire. So, again, thanks for significantly improving the playability of a fun mech.

In line with this change, I think the time has come to remove the Pretty Baby's deceleration drawback. Here's my reasoning:

1) While the Pretty Baby at the time was one of very few fast assault mechs, that is no longer the case. Thanks to Victor's and to a lesser degree the Battlemaster, we have proven that fast assault mechs do not break the game. They are a fun and different experience and are strong in the right hands, but they are not overwhelmingly powerful nor do they move fast enough to create a "lag-shield" that ignores hits on them. So, from a game balance perspective, this nerf is no longer needed out of fear of fast assault mechs.

2) Newer fast assaults do not have this drawback. Victor's and Battlemasters are one example, but the Boar's Head is the biggest one. It is a fast Atlas, and it does NOT handle like a drunken barn. While the Pretty Baby may be faster, it also has less armor and firepower, which means it presents less of a threat, even at high speeds. So, again, this nerf is not needed.

3) The nerf directly conflicts with the mech's role. The Pretty Baby has only 1 real role - to be the fastest assault mech in the game. It's unique Hero Mech nature does not come from unusual hardpoints (truthfully, they are terrible), or some other special feature (jump jets on a non-jump jet platform, etc.) Speed is it's only real feature... and yet it's drawback directly conflicts with that ability. This would be similar to limiting the Misery to an AC2 in its 1 ballistic slot - its unique ability.

4) It's an easy change to make. No hitbox scaling, no new geometry, nothing. It's probably just changing a number in a spreadsheet that gets rolled into the code. An easy fix that'll make people happy is always worth considering.

5) As always, making a mech that people spend real money to buy better will probably net some more money... and it's not as if a Pretty Baby that handles like every other Awesome will break the game, but it might garner some sales and an increased respect for PGI's game balance team.

Anyway, just my thoughts - let's help out the Pretty Baby!

Edited by oldradagast, 23 November 2013 - 10:10 AM.