12 replies to this topic

[Khobai]

I was reading the Battletech Strategic Operations book and theres a list of optional design quirks on pg193. I really think quirks like this would be a great way to balance out the mechs and differentiate them a little more. Not all of the ones in the book apply to MWO but heres some examples:

Positive quirks:
Combat Computer - Stalker, helps mech manage heat better
Command Battlemech - Atlas, Wolverine, gives initiative bonus to team
Hyper-Extending Actuator - Quickdraw, increased arm movement
Improved Life Support - Shadowhawk, lower chance of taking pilot damage from overheating
Reinforced Legs - Highlander, less damage to legs when doing death from above attacks
Stable - Dragon, less chance of falling down

Negative quirks:
Bad Reputation - Blackjack, no one wants to buy the mech
Cramped Cockpit - Wolverine, penalty to piloting checks
Exposed Acutators - Commando, actuators more likely to get critted
No/Minimal Arms - Stalker, penalty when standing up from knockdown
No Ejection System - Spider, self-explanatory
Reduced Armor - Jagermech, has a lower max armor value

Edited by Khobai, 10 January 2014 - 09:51 PM.

[Pjwned]

Not going to elaborate on what any of those quirks do for folks that aren't familiar with them?

[Khobai]

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Not going to elaborate on what any of those quirks do for folks that aren't familiar with them?

done.

[YueFei]

They should buff the non-JJ capable Mech variants with much greater acceleration/deceleration. To borrow from aerial combat terms, if JJ equipped mechs are "boom and zoom", then the non-JJ mechs should be "turn and burn".

It would mean that non-JJ capable mechs could use cover horizontally much better, on par with a JJ-equipped mech's ability to use cover vertically.

[Khobai]

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It would mean that non-JJ capable mechs could use cover horizontally much better, on par with a JJ-equipped mech's ability to use cover vertically.

JJ mechs spend tonnage on jumpjets though. Wouldnt be fair to give non-JJ an equivalent advantage that doesnt cost tonnage.

[YueFei]

Khobai, on 10 January 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

JJ mechs spend tonnage on jumpjets though. Wouldnt be fair to give non-JJ an equivalent advantage that doesnt cost tonnage.

Doesn't necessarily have to give non-JJ equipped mechs the ability to step in and out of cover in less than 1 second the way a JJ-equipped mech can take a jump shot (and only expose the upper body). Just some extra acceleration/deceleration, that you still have to invest into engine weight to get the most out of.

Look how clumsy the Awesomes are with low-slung and wide-set weapons and slow engine limits on most variants. It takes a loooong time for an Awesome to step from cover, take a shot, and step back into cover (on top of having horrible hitboxes). Use a different acceleration/deceleration formula for those Awesome variants, so they can more nimbly step in and out of cover.

I mean, not only are Awesomes screwed by being quite wide, with bad hitboxes, but the low-slung weapons means if you try to hill-hump, you expose more of yourself and you're exposed for much longer. And the weapons being wide-set means if you try to pillar hump, you also must move a greater distance to clear your guns from the side of the building in order to shoot.

And the finally when you do manage to step out of cover and shoot, the wide-set weapons gives you lousy convergence on moving targets. Aim ahead of a moving target and watch 2 PPCs miss wide on either side, with 1 landing on target, LOL.

Edited by YueFei, 10 January 2014 - 10:00 PM.

[theta123]

Khobai, on 10 January 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

JJ mechs spend tonnage on jumpjets though. Wouldnt be fair to give non-JJ an equivalent advantage that doesnt cost tonnage.

But currently ,mechs with JJ and ECM have massive advantages over mechs who dont. And these days 3/4 of the team has JJ and ECM

[Khobai]

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But currently ,mechs with JJ and ECM have massive advantages over mechs who dont. And these days 3/4 of the team has JJ and ECM

Some do, but its largely inconsistent.

For example, the Catapult has less hardpoints because it has jumpjets. But the Highlander doesnt have that same downside for some reason.

The downsides for JJ and ECM needs to be consistent for all mechs that have that equipment.

[Pjwned]

Khobai, on 10 January 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

JJ mechs spend tonnage on jumpjets though. Wouldnt be fair to give non-JJ an equivalent advantage that doesnt cost tonnage.

The tonnage requirement for mechs that just poptart all day is pretty laughable though. I'm not saying it's nothing, but if you're just going to hump a hill all day you don't need much in the way of a big engine or varied weapons and half a ton isn't very much when you have a mech that weighs over 60.

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

Khobai, on 11 January 2014 - 07:43 AM, said:

Some do, but its largely inconsistent.

For example, the Catapult has less hardpoints because it has jumpjets. But the Highlander doesnt have that same downside for some reason.

The downsides for JJ and ECM needs to be consistent for all mechs that have that equipment.

Well that wasn't always true. The K2 never had jump jets but at one point it had 2 energy slots in both arms.

But then came the Early Beta Nerf Brigade and it lots 2 energy hard points, some torso twisting / pitch and it lost a Module slot. Rarely do I ever see a K2 despite how sexy it looks.

[Khobai]

Yeah the K2 should really have 8 hardpoints like a Jagermech.

[990Dreams]

Khobai, on 10 January 2014 - 05:24 PM, said:

Exposed Acutators - Commando, actuators more likely to get critted

Yes. because the bad Mechs with a bad quirk-rep need to be made worse and the good Mechs that have good quirk-reps need to be made better. I just quoted on example but think about it for a while, the OP Mechs that have good design quirks just get a boost if they add this system...

[Khobai]

Quote

Yes. because the bad Mechs with a bad quirk-rep need to be made worse and the good Mechs that have good quirk-reps need to be made better. I just quoted on example but think about it for a while, the OP Mechs that have good design quirks just get a boost if they add this system...

Theyre just examples from the book. Im saying MWO should do something similar. Not copy it exactly.