3 replies to this topic

[Himmelganger]

So what do I mean by that weird heading, let me clarify. If you use your jump jets for 1 second your weapons will be in non-functioning for an equal time frame. Why do it you ask? To make the game less one dimensional, more new player friendly and bring the game more into line with lore/TT. It is a neat solution to the issue of the current meta's rather boring game play style without having to do changes to weapons, or make JJ totally useless.

Some would say that one could instead disallow weapons discharge while JJ are in use, the problem there is that as soon as you stop using the jets, you are in free fall and you can fire. That is the way the current meta works, so it is not a solution. If you do not allow weapons to fire in free fall, trying to remedy pop-tarting, you take away non-jump jet Mechs ability to fire when they are falling.

By instead having the weapon nonoperational cycle time be linked to the burn time of the JJ it makes sure that you cannot pop-tart, as your will always have to use more time to ascend then descend. Also mechs just falling down from a terrain feature will still be able to discharge their weapons and thereby not be penalized. While at the same time JJ will again become about mobility and not a means to an end as a weapon system.

Implanting this will bring the current meta to a close, that will be applauded by some and cried over by others, this is unavoidable. Hopefully it will herald a more instinctive and open meta back to the game, a meta that is more in keeping with the the heritage of BattleTech and Mechwarrior in general. By making the new meta more instinctive we will open the door to new players who can jump into a Mech and not be stymied by a meta that is rather involved and overly complex in its current state, but instead have fun from the moments they took their first baby steps in a trial Mech.

There will be an out pouring from many players who have invested lots of time into mastering the current meta, but to be honest I do not see that as an issue. Those of us who have mastered pop-tarting are already neck deep in the game and so we will most likely grit our teeth and master the new meta come what may it be. In the end a free to play game like MWO continuously need fresh players to log on and provide fresh cash to keep the servers running. A wider player base will be a boon to the community as a whole, it will strengthen it while making our game more robust at the same time.

I will close with saying that it is my firm belief that if my suggestion is implemented, it will bring us back to the what Mechwarrior should be about. Mechs maneuvering to close with and engage the enemy, and not stand in a corner humping rocks, while spewing hot plasma all over the place!

Edited by Himmelganger, 21 May 2014 - 04:57 AM.

[Karl Streiger]

As a non poptarter - i have to disagree.

Make JJs better is the way to go - not to make them worse and worser -> a victor that would be able to jump with high "steerable" jumpjets 120m in any direction -> will need a hard initial trust - and a long cool down phase.

With the hard inital thrust you can't peakaboo because when you fire the JJs you will be 12-18m in mid air and 30m in (the direction you have pressed the "jumpjet steering"

Try to poptart then - and after that you may have to wait 10-15sec before you make the next hop. Much better as to remove weapon firing in midair

[Rogue Jedi]

Interesting idea but I would prefer

a 45 degree fowards and up thrust,
this should limit poptarting (because to fire over an obsticle without jumping over it would require careful repositioning before and after every jump)
and enhance the use of jumpjets for repositioning (there canon use),

possibly have the first 2 jets used purely for thrust and any additional jets allowing for airbourne manuverability, so if you want a mech to be able to turn while airbourne (as many mechs currenlty do) you would need 3+ jets.

[Himmelganger]

Karl Streiger, on 21 May 2014 - 05:04 AM, said:

As a non poptarter - i have to disagree.

Make JJs better is the way to go - not to make them worse and worser -> a victor that would be able to jump with high "steerable" jumpjets 120m in any direction -> will need a hard initial trust - and a long cool down phase.

With the hard inital thrust you can't peakaboo because when you fire the JJs you will be 12-18m in mid air and 30m in (the direction you have pressed the "jumpjet steering"

Try to poptart then - and after that you may have to wait 10-15sec before you make the next hop. Much better as to remove weapon firing in midair

I like your suggestions and I would like to see that kind of overhaul of the JJ system be implemented, but I am not sure that your suggestion could be or would be brought into the current system as it stands today, my suggestion is fairly simple to implement in comparrison as there is no radical shift in the operation of the JJ themselves, but again I like what you suggest.