20 replies to this topic

[oneproduct]

The color of lasers are quite helpful in quickly identifying the capabilities of another mech and to determine if the beams being shot at you are threatening at your current distance.

This works fantastically for small and medium lasers but both large lasers and ER large lasers have the same color beam. The same it true for PPCs and ER PPCs.

Couldn't we change the ER versions of large lasers and PPCs to different colors?

[Davers]

No, that's why we use the 'R' button.

[DrxAbstract]

Stand in the open at 900m, get shot... Did it hurt? There's your answer.

[Davers]

DrxAbstract, on 19 January 2014 - 10:38 AM, said:

Stand in the open at 900m, get shot... Did it hurt? There's your answer.

I use a similar system in real life to determine if things are hot.

[DrxAbstract]

Davers, on 19 January 2014 - 10:41 AM, said:

I use a similar system in real life to determine if things are hot.

And you're still here! Kudos to you my friend.

[Davers]

DrxAbstract, on 19 January 2014 - 10:46 AM, said:

And you're still here! Kudos to you my friend.

Me and my seven remaining fingers thank you.

[oneproduct]

Please, hold on a minute and be reasonable here. What argument do you have against it? Why don't we make small and medium lasers blue as well then?

Plus what if you're getting shot by multiple people at once? You can't tell which has the large laser and which has the ER large lasers at a glance. Or what if they have ECM or are out of radar range and you can't target lock them?

There's no reason not to have these things visually distinct like we do for small and medium lasers.

[Davers]

Why don't we color all the different AC rounds and missiles too while we are at it? That way we can be attacked by rainbows all match.

[oneproduct]

LRMs are already visually distinct between standard guidance and artemis.

All the other laser are already colored different except this one.

And you're still not addressing my questions. What real argument do you have against it? Why not change the color of the last laser when it benefits gameplay? If you hate rainbows so much then why not make small and medium lasers the same color as large?

You can paint your mech any color of the rainbow, so it's not like we're going into new territory anyways. That green and purple painted Jester is already shooting red, green and blue lights at you, one more doesn't hurt.

Edited by oneproduct, 19 January 2014 - 02:15 PM.

[M4NTiC0R3X]

I think ER LL looks and sounds diff, could be mistaken but a slightly brighter blue on ER LL. as if hotter. maybe make ER PPC a slightly brighter blue?

Davers, on 19 January 2014 - 01:49 PM, said:

Why don't we color all the different AC rounds and missiles too while we are at it? That way we can be attacked by rainbows all match.

I can tell which is which by speed shape size and sound of thud if it hits.

You guys need to turn up volume apparently.

Edited by M4NTiC0R3X, 19 January 2014 - 02:20 PM.

[DrxAbstract]

In every iteration of Mechwarrior, Small, Medium and Large lasers have always been red, green and blue, respectively, while PPCs have been lightning blue. Any further differentiation is unnecessary for two reasons:

1. The Lasers share similar effective and maximum ranges.
2. You should be doing your best to avoid damage by any reasonable means, many of such tactics work regardless of the Standard or ER presence which makes the necessity of knowing either way very low.

The only weapon you could possibly want to know either way with is the PPC because of the extreme difference between the effective ranges and the minimum range... Which pressing 'R' tells you. You should still be doing your best to avoid getting shot.

[oneproduct]

That's not true. In Mechwarrior 3 small laser were blue and large lasers were red. In Mechwarrior 4 all Inner Sphere lasers were red and all Clan lasers were green. MWO matches Mechwarrior 2 in its laser colors. So while I understand the nod to history, it doesn't hurt to change ER large laser color to be something different as history has changed many times.

And while obviously avoiding damage is preferred, there are some situations where you can't and knowing the difference between a large and ER large laser can be useful, particularly for fast mechs using ER large lasers to harass slower mechs who only have large lasers.

And since you can't always press R since large lasers and PPC are effective outside of radar range and ECM is a thing, it wouldn't hurt to have this information encoded in the color of the laser.

The other difference is that in the old Mechwarrior games, lasers did all their damage in one shot. Here since you have to maintain your target there are situations where you'll be hit the first time and you can't tell if it's a large laser just on the edge of its maximum range or an ER large laser that just grazed you for a moment.

Edited by oneproduct, 19 January 2014 - 03:09 PM.

[Davers]

oneproduct, on 19 January 2014 - 03:07 PM, said:

That's not true. In Mechwarrior 3 small laser were blue and large lasers were red. In Mechwarrior 4 all Inner Sphere lasers were red and all Clan lasers were green. MWO matches Mechwarrior 2 in its laser colors. So while I understand the nod to history, it doesn't hurt to change ER large laser color to be something different as history has changed many times.

And while obviously avoiding damage is preferred, there are some situations where you can't and knowing the difference between a large and ER large laser can be useful, particularly for fast mechs using ER large lasers to harass slower mechs who only have large lasers.

And since you can't always press R since large lasers and PPC are effective outside of radar range and ECM is a thing, it wouldn't hurt to have this information encoded in the color of the laser.

The other difference is that in the old Mechwarrior games, lasers did all their damage in one shot. Here since you have to maintain your target there are situations where you'll be hit the first time and you can't tell if it's a large laser just on the edge of its maximum range or an ER large laser that just grazed you for a moment.

But isn't the exact purpose of ECM to hide information about the opponent? I think we shouldn't color code every laser for the same reasons we shouldn't be able to look at all the opponent's loadouts before the match. Call it 'fog of war' if you will.

[Davers]

M4NTiC0R3X, on 19 January 2014 - 02:18 PM, said:

I think ER LL looks and sounds diff, could be mistaken but a slightly brighter blue on ER LL. as if hotter. maybe make ER PPC a slightly brighter blue?



I can tell which is which by speed shape size and sound of thud if it hits.

You guys need to turn up volume apparently.

I'm deaf from the nvidia ad when you launch the game.

[oneproduct]

Davers, on 19 January 2014 - 03:37 PM, said:

But isn't the exact purpose of ECM to hide information about the opponent? I think we shouldn't color code every laser for the same reasons we shouldn't be able to look at all the opponent's loadouts before the match. Call it 'fog of war' if you will.

If the lasers weren't color coded at all that would be fine by me as well, so long as we stick with something consistent. Right now you can distinguish all the lasers except large and ER large.

[Davers]

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." -R.W. Emerson

Edited by Davers, 19 January 2014 - 04:26 PM.

[kesuga7]

i don't see WHY not
aside from learn to differentiate damage at range ( including shorter ranges)

honestly i don't see how a ER large laser/Er PPC with a different hue of blue would significantly hurt the game
it might even help newer players i dunno

@davers only 2 Laser variants haven't been color codded , it wouldn't hinder the fog of war too badly but i can understand wanting immersion
Such as AC variants giving proper amount of shake
or Lrm artemis reverting to its cooler flight pattern :L

Edited by kesuga7, 19 January 2014 - 04:36 PM.

[Firewuff]

so when clan lasers are here do we use Hot pink and purple? seriously this is such a non-issue its not funny. if some one is shooting you GET OUT OF THE WAY... period...

[Bhael Fire]

3 colors is enough.

I don't really feel like tasting the rainbow when I play MWO.

[Davers]

Well the laser colours are based off the scale of visual light, so that means ER LLs would be purple. As a Marik (historically big laser lovers) I wouldn't be too against it. But PPCs have always been described as 'bluish man made lightning'.

I hadn't even thought of the Clan weapons and if they would have different colours. Orange for smalls, yellow for medium, and indigo for large? Not really sure about that!