65 replies to this topic

[Livewyr]

Poll says it all.

Would you use ECM more if it was available on more mechs? Some heavier mediums and heavies, and the lighter assaults?

[Edit: Added additional answers for those who wouldn't use it on principle.]

Edited by Livewyr, 27 April 2014 - 10:47 AM.

[Geeks On Hugs]

I would definitely USE it but ECM should be a rare ability. It is very powerful and as it is a heavily ECMed team can be hard to beat. It renders LRMs useless for starters.

I think the amount of mech variants that support ECM right now is just about right...obviously some clan mechs will need to support them too. I love ECM and play it heavily myself but I understand that that limits my chassis choices as it should be.

[Kaldor]

I voted no on all 3. The only mech of the 6 listed that really needs any help is perhaps the Orion.

If they are going to add ECM to a mech, it needs to be done on light heavies like Dragons or Quikdraws. Right now these chassis are at the bottom of the barrel desperately need something to do.

[FupDup]

My own candidates for ECM, carriers, IMO, are...

Lights: Locust

Mediums: Trebuchet

Heavies: Orion, maybe a Thunderbolt variant

Assault: Battlemaster 1G (to compensate for horribad gimped torso quirks)

[Durant Carlyle]

My candidates for more ECM 'Mechs: None. ECM is already way too common in matches.

[Flaming oblivion]

Yeah I'm amused by this they got rid of a decent ecm poll getting at the real issue , ecm needs toning down not giving to more mechs lmao, funny .This is not directly aimed at the OP, its not your fault but a similar poll was introduced yesterday reguarding ecm being to powerful yesterday , It was stopped by the mod's (because they were afraid of the answer they knew they'd get) because it wasn't appropriate for this section of the forum which is the only place you can put a poll up.

Edited by Flaming oblivion, 27 April 2014 - 09:56 PM.

[Livewyr]

Flaming oblivion, on 27 April 2014 - 06:59 PM, said:

Yeah I'm amused by this they got rid of a decent ecm poll getting at the real issue , ecm needs toning down not giving to more mechs lmao, funny .This is not directly aimed at the OP, its not your fault but a similar poll was introduced yesterday reguarding ecm being to powerful yesterday , It was stopped by the mod's (because they were afraid of the answer they knew they'd get) because it wasn't appropriate for this section of the forum which is the only place you can put a poll up.

*chuckle* I know. I had to change the "angle" of the poll.


[Edited to reflect intended nature]

Edited by Livewyr, 28 April 2014 - 02:39 AM.

[Flaming oblivion]

Whoops got flustered when typing edited to reflect what it was meant to, I'll leave the most part of the post up so players are aware of the other thread and let them make there own minds up about why it was truly closed.

Edited by Flaming oblivion, 27 April 2014 - 09:57 PM.

[ImperialKnight]

The game doesn't need more ECM mechs.

I would accept at most one more heavy chasis with ECM and it should be a "weak" chasis, e.g. Dragon or Quickdraw, since we do not currently have a Heavy ECM mech

[Strum Wealh]

I voted "yes" on each, with the provision that it would be limited to each chassis' "LosTech/3050-era" variant (e.g. the AS7-K instead of the DDC, The ON1-M would gain ECM capability, the CTF-3D would gain ECM capability, the CN9-D would gain ECM capability, the SHD-2D2 would gain ECM capability, the CDA-3M would retain its ECM capability, the COM-2D would lose its ECM capability in favor of the COM-5S being introduced as the ECM-capable variant, and so on).

[TygerLily]

Give ECM to Locusts, Dragons and the Awesome 9M...canonical? No. Beef up "bad" Mechs? Yes!!!

[DocBach]

As much as I hate how ECM works in this game, if a 'Mech I have can use it, I have it on there before anything else.

I wish we had real information warfare that wasn't about shooting the enemy with PPC's or using modules that cost a hundred times more than the ECM equipment.

[CMetz]

I see nothing wrong with the implementation of ECM in the game. That being said, it should only be on select chassis, and those should be the ones more geared toward electronic warfare in canon. There are hard counters for ECM in this game, and its up to each individual player to bring them. I rarely leave home without a beagle. I definitely don't leave home without TAG when running LRMs. Want to watch an opposing force crumble? Kill their ECM Atlas. All of a sudden things slip into disarray when Plan A is beat. ECM on its own defeats streaks and LRMs, as well as limits targeting data. It can be countered 3 ways. TAG, BAP and UAV. You can also blow off the left torso, since you know that is where the ECM resides.

[DocBach]

The problem with information warfare is because the effects of ECM are so overreaching, causes those three hard counters to pretty much serve solely as off switches for ECM, rather than adding a layer of complexity or utility to information warfare.

Beagle should be buffed to being substantially better than standard sensors (for the same weight as an ECM pod, its effect is much less) providing units beyond LOS like seismic sensors

ECM should hard counter the effects of Beagle, and provide some soft counters to standard sensors such as blocking targeting information or adding static to the minimap the closer you are to the ECM unit.

One of the biggest effects of ECM is the fact that without being on a third party voice chat, effective combat communications is nearly impossible in this game - ECM is incredibly harder to deal with if you are not grouped up and the only quick data you can send to a team mate is sensor information.

[CMetz]

Beagle is so underused and undervalued in this game. It gives the effects of two modules AND partial effects of artemis for 1.5 tons. You basically get target info gathering, sensor range, and decreased lock on time for paltry tonnage. Add those modules to a BAP equipped mech and if a duck farts at 1200m you will know about it first.

[Rumrunner2]

Completely wrong way.
Instead MORE mech with ECM, we need LESS mechs with ecm.

[DocBach]

CMetz, on 28 April 2014 - 07:37 AM, said:

Beagle is so underused and undervalued in this game. It gives the effects of two modules AND partial effects of artemis for 1.5 tons. You basically get target info gathering, sensor range, and decreased lock on time for paltry tonnage. Add those modules to a BAP equipped mech and if a duck farts at 1200m you will know about it first.

Unless, of course, the enemy has an ECM 'Mech outside of Beagle's 120m range.....

Beagle is suppose to be an active probe - ie an active radar that searches beyond what standard sensors can detect - not just additional boost in sensor range, but additional ability; think of it like the longbow system on an Apache or Kiowa... you can observe key avenues of approach from behind cover. The probe mechanic from the expanded board game rules let you look at an enemy record sheet in detail, imagine if a scout with Beagle could hide behind a cliff, but probe enemy 'Mechs to detect weaknesses like ammunition stored in legs that only have 18 armor?

Beagle could be so much more than just doing what a bunch of modules already do. In fact, it's suppose to do pretty much what all of them do to begin with. Beagle got neutered, while ECM got injected with steroids.

[Grimmrog]

tbh. I dunno, but ECM is way too powerful.

just right now, city environment night stuation, neither heat nor Nighvision show opps, you can't lock while getting shot. And when your own team does nto have any ECM you die without even knowing where to go.

And I hate beeing the guy arrying the ECM all day, since the mechs I can put it on are only a few and those that I do not like.

it would be good if ECM would be reduced to 400 or maybe even 500m not lockable. Otherwise the team not having it is just totally on the disadvantage. And once ECM is not that powerful anymore it would be nice to have more mechs beeing able to carry it.
So when playing in random grps normally the team with no ECM is on a heavy disadvantage of not havign information about what si going on where. or you have at least more ECM's possibel so both get the disadvantage.

[Hans Von Lohman]

Give ECM to under performing mechs, like the Awesome or Quickdraw to give them a new lease on life.

Better yet, nerf ECM so it doesn't stop locks, but as a consolation prize you never get the paper doll readout of enemy mechs under ECM (countered by TAG or Beagle). It should stop information about the enemy, not weapon targeting.

[Noesis]

ECM is definaltey needed on some of the Clan platforms to counter the already existant IS capabilities.

It could also be a useful way to counter balance the almost certain need for lights to be as mobile as they can for defensive purposes due to Clan speeds being restricted by Omnimech rules.