5 replies to this topic

[Gryphorim]

I started this as a post in this other thread, but seeing as it was getting extensive, I decided to move it here instead.
While I'm here, I'll add a poll.

Title sums up why I'm suggesting these mechanics, so I'll just list away.

AC/PPC RECOIL
-Something like reticule shake were implimented to those weapons with high recoil, by making weapon groups with high recoil weapons off-set fire by 0.1 of a second max, and aforementioned shake for a split second, (limiting to really bad offenders). It's somewhat lore-friendly (as it spreads damage just enough, and fits with battlemechs using crappier electronics than today's modern fighting equipment.)

MISSILES
-LRM's accelerate as they fly (so they work better at the outer edge of their range) and have a very slight variance in their acceleration, so they are a little spread out when they arrive at target.

-Ditto SRMs but I wanna see these get lock-on and a REALLY wide turning arc (they're not Streaks, after all), so even if locked on, your target would need to be moving right at you or away from you, or you'd need to lead. (Deals with most of the HSR/HitReg issues, lore-friendly)

ARMING RANGE ON AC2 & 5
-AC2s and 5s having their min ranges reinstated, with shells doing reduced damage (like 1 and 2, respectively) if fired under arming range. Even have tracers visibly "ping" off of armour.

GAUSS
-Gauss needs better audible cues as to when it's charged, possibly a better visible cue, and a "soft" penalty for holding charge too long, like exponential heat gain. Also, to reinforce it's role as a sniping weapon, have rate of torso movement restrict as gauss is charged, this is to help simulate that "min range" gauss is supposed to have, by making it harder to aim at close targets.

PULSE LASERS
-And of course, pulse lasers firing one pulse per cycle, but cycling at MG speeds, so yeah, laser MG, just like described in TT. Better for brawling, running hotter, but potentially putting damage on foes quicker (that's why you bought an overweight, shortsighted laser in the first place, right?)

[Joseph Mallan]

AC Recoil, PPC not really.

Missiles
A buff to flight speed I can see... after 1/2 the max distance full speed should be reached.

I am up in the air on Minimums. The rifleman in me can't see it, the game player can.

I agree with the better/louder "Ping" for Gauss charged.

Pulse lasers... I never bought into until I was a Clanner. The ranges were just to short for me.

[Snowseth]

Ghost Heat isn't going anywhere.

Stop arguing with a brick wall. You look silly.

With that being said. I'd like to see some of your ideas implemented, regardless.
Recoil effect: Yes, maybe. Couldn't see it happening though, too much in the 'random' realm.
LRM Accel/SRM Lock-on: Yes. Yes. Definitely.
Gauss Charge Cues: Yes.
Other gauss stuff: Nope.
Pulse Lasers as MG: Oh hell yes.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

Gryphorim, on 19 February 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

AC/PPC RECOIL
-Something like reticule shake were implimented to those weapons with high recoil, by making weapon groups with high recoil weapons off-set fire by 0.1 of a second max, and aforementioned shake for a split second, (limiting to really bad offenders). It's somewhat lore-friendly (as it spreads damage just enough, and fits with battlemechs using crappier electronics than today's modern fighting equipment.)

This isn't particularly necessary, and considering the fact that there are micro-actuators, gyros, neurohelmets, etc., recoil isn't going to be all that big a deal anyway. If you want something to happen to ACs, then make them burst fire (2 shells for AC2s and 5s, 3 shells for 10s and 20s). As for PPCs, give them damage arcing (50% damage on impact, 30% on jump to an adjacent location, 20% on final jump to location adjacent to first jump location).

Gryphorim, on 19 February 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

MISSILES
-LRM's accelerate as they fly (so they work better at the outer edge of their range) and have a very slight variance in their acceleration, so they are a little spread out when they arrive at target.

-Ditto SRMs but I wanna see these get lock-on and a REALLY wide turning arc (they're not Streaks, after all), so even if locked on, your target would need to be moving right at you or away from you, or you'd need to lead. (Deals with most of the HSR/HitReg issues, lore-friendly)

I don't think SRMs need lock-on, but missile flight acceleration would be interesting and flavorful (and LRMs at extreme range could use a bit of a boost). I'd also like to see missiles go ballistic once they hit max range, rather than air burst.

Gryphorim, on 19 February 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

ARMING RANGE ON AC2 & 5
-AC2s and 5s having their min ranges reinstated, with shells doing reduced damage (like 1 and 2, respectively) if fired under arming range. Even have tracers visibly "ping" off of armour.

If you want to implement minimum ranges for these weapons, give them a minimum convergence distance. This'd make it harder to focus them at point-blank range, but they'd still do full damage (which is how they work on TT, no?).

Gryphorim, on 19 February 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

GAUSS
-Gauss needs better audible cues as to when it's charged, possibly a better visible cue, and a "soft" penalty for holding charge too long, like exponential heat gain. Also, to reinforce it's role as a sniping weapon, have rate of torso movement restrict as gauss is charged, this is to help simulate that "min range" gauss is supposed to have, by making it harder to aim at close targets.

I like the idea of having Gauss apply heat the longer you hold the charge, but having it impact movement is not necessary (and would be redundant once heat penalties get implemented). As for charge queues, they could add a charge bar alongside any of the reticule weapon group indicators that include a Gauss. Better audio queues would not be amiss either.

Gryphorim, on 19 February 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

PULSE LASERS
-And of course, pulse lasers firing one pulse per cycle, but cycling at MG speeds, so yeah, laser MG, just like described in TT. Better for brawling, running hotter, but potentially putting damage on foes quicker (that's why you bought an overweight, shortsighted laser in the first place, right?)

That's not what Pulse lasers are in the fiction or the TT. They're lasers that fire a long burst of laser pulses that auto-correct their targeting. If MWO were going to implement them according to lore, then they'd behave very oddly. When you fire one, no matter where you turn, twist, or aim, the entire beam duration will hit that same point. It'd make them very strong under certain circumstances (when you hit the correct aim point initially) and very weak all the rest of the time (no correction of aim mid-shot).

What do Pulse lasers need to be both thematic and effective? They have two advantages over standard lasers. First is damage, which comes in two flavors: damage per shot, and damage per second. The other is accuracy. In MWO, with the way lasers are implemented, burst time reduction is a great way to simulate improved accuracy without adding a lock-on mechanic or having them do a wierd literal implementation of the fiction. I'd simply take another tenth of a second off of each Pulse laser burn timer.

That leaves damage. To really distinguish Pulse weapons from standard lasers, I recommend that standard lasers (and ACs, and PPCs, and SSRMs, and LRMs) have their fire rates reduced. Leave standard SRMs and Pulse lasers where they are, with a slight reduction in heat per shot. This gives them superior dps, and makes them that much more effective relative to non-brawling weapons in a knife fight. It also has the ancillary effect of improving the overall heat situation (fewer shots in the same time period means heat sinks are relatively more effective).

[tucsonspeed6]

These are some good ideas, but I don't see them replacing ghost heat in preventing boating the same weapon for high alphas. For example, the recoil would only affect rapid firing like with the old AC2 Jagers. It wouldn't do anything to the modern boom Jagers or the old ppc boat Stalkers.

Missiles could use a buff like mid flight acceleration, but again, this is neither here nor there concerning ghost heat.

I like the gauss ideas, especially the torso nerf. I see this as a better replacement to gauss explosion or squishy hp.

[Gryphorim]

The idea with bbom-Jagers and the like, would be to have the 2 ac20's fire a tiny split second apart, with the recoil force of the first one being enough to affect the aim of the second by a small margin, just enough to make it hard to pinpoint all damage in one spot if you alpha, or even fire the two big guns as a pair. Encourages chain fire.