While I agree with the idea of the OP, the original TT was balanced, sort of.
Trauglodyte, on 14 April 2014 - 10:10 AM, said:
That is largely the problem we're having in this game vs. table top. Most stock builds came with 1 missile launcher of some sort. A Shadowhawk with a single LRM5 wasn't meant to scare anyone because it was intended as gravy for incoming damage on a target. A single LRM5 in this game is a waste of tonnage unless you're playing idiots that don't take the time to look for where LRMs are launching from before they move and don't bother looking up to see how many are flying. A single SRM launcher is also garbage and the SRM2/LRM5 by themselves are the epitome of laughable.
You are right that the single LRM-5 and SRM-2 were pretty poor equipment for a 55-ton mech to have but we have to look at lore for why. The Shadowhawk was an old mech original production run in 2550 so it was a pretty early design. This was way before AMS was available where lightly armored targets had little protection, the sustained long range fire from the LRM and the AC/5 were to wear the enemy armor down so that the pilot could close and use the SRM and the MedLas. Now that AMS has been added to the game and LRM firing less than 15 missiles just does not work out, and SRMs have the hit problems. so effectively the SHD has effectively lost 50% of its weapons capability. Now that AMS has been buffed, nerfed, and buffed again; LRMs have been buffed and nerfed so many times I cannot keep track, the usability of the weapons have been removed. AMS was not installed on every mech, I feel like there should be limitations on that as well, just like ECM, I feel there should also be limitations on BAP.
I think the balance that the OP was referring to was that each weapon should be useful. Having the AC/2 useful at all ranges when it has similar DPS to an AC/20 makes it unbalanced versus other weapons. Having AMS so powerful limits the usefulness of LRM-5s, SRM-2 and 4s, and sometimes even SSRM-2s. The flamer... no use, unless they make certain areas of the battlefields flammable, that would be a good use for it.
So while I can agree with some of what the OP was going for I feel like there should be an adjustment for usability. Going to a BV system would be great, looking at that, provided by the MUL:
http://www.masteruni...Eras=11&Eras=12
I did a search based on 55-ton mechs available during the current time period of MWO + the Star League in the Introductory and Standard categories.
We can see that a GRF-1S has a BV of 1,253 with a LrgLas, LRM-5, and 2 MedLas while the GRF-1N has a BV of 1,272 with the PPC and LRM-10 only. They are pretty much equivalent as far as BV but the roles are a little different. The 1N is a long-range support mech while the 1S is better prepared for medium-range engagements. Using this criteria the BV could be used to create lances of a certain value. Say 5,000 points or 15,000 for a team, an LCT is usually around 500-700 points max, a lance of those could leave room for several assault mechs but essentially the teams would be evenly matched, ELO could even factor into the BV similar to the way PS and GS factored into BV for TT.
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