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That said, thanks Russ for this fresh step forward in communication with the players, and I feel your pain reading the rant-y posts mixed in with the decent ones.
ON ECM: I think LRM function must be included with an ECm change, as in large, that is the main function of ECM in game currently. I think in order to expand what is possible to do with ECM and all the info warfare, LRM function needs some alteration.
With that, I do not think the alteration is earth shattering, and in general I would start in small steps, and make some kind of semi-scheduled road map for the ECM wherein there is "X" amount of time of data collection and feedback between changes/tweaks/ etc as the ideal is honed. SO then:
Step one- LRM change: make indirect fire inferior to LOS fire by a large margin. To do this, change the spread. LOS fire, functions as current. Indirect fire- make that spread massive, for instance you fire a LRM 20 at a target that is only shared by "built in C3", that LRM20 should be like a carpet bomb, missiles in a very large area on impact. This does two things-
It makes indirect fire vs a lone mech very innefficient for heat and dmg and ammo usage. Thus, LOS fire(more risk) is vastly superior.
Second, it introduces another form of LRM fire, wherein firing on a blobed up camper squad will result in decent dmg(though spread amongst numerous targets) which can encourage camping boredom squads to move and be active. Like a mini Arty strike, but more controled, with less dmg output but not the hard limit of one consumed per match.
Now that LOS fireing is so much superior to indirect, we can do a few more things:
TAG and NARC can negate, or partially negate(whatever makes sense) the spread effect of indirect fire. This is because someone spent tonnage and risk to spot the target with more then pressing R. This is in itself an info warfare, and should have enough benefit that even pug players feel using the tons for that equipment will pay off. LOS TAG and NARC would remain as current.
By tweaking the spread, and negation of said spread by TAG and NARC, we alter how the LRM boat plays enough that it opens some opportunity to ECM. Now that it's primary function doesnt need to be "invisibility cloak for LRM" it can be expanded.
Now, this expansion could be many things, maybe the number of mechs that have an ECM hardpoint could expand, so more ECM is on the field, which in turn allows teams to not deathblob quite so much(currently alomst required in PUGS to avoid missiles fire while moveing). This would be because indirect fire on a small group of mobile mechs would be largely inneffective, while purposeful spotting weith TAG/NARC currently negates ECM anyway, and direct fire(weapons I mean-edit) has never been overly affected by LOS ECM or not. So by reducing indirect fire LRM, we now have ECM in a position where it is negated by being actively spotted, negated by all LOS direct fire. This as a whole SHOULD greatly reduce the feeling players have of massing up on the DDC for the bubble, once spread range etc has been dialed in.
Another way it could expand, is to become more active- with the "required LRM negation bubble" now altered, we could look at other things, like making it so ECM carrying mech can switch to disrupt mode, and target an opponent- said opponent has radar jammed(and targetting ability) in return, ECM bubble is removed(like, PBAOE effect VS single target effect, you have to pick one or the other) Jam mode could get somthing similar, where the bubble effect could be toggled with a more powerful(as in, cuts double ECM coverage or something) single target effect.
Furthermore, an active BAP could also utilize something like this, PBAOE vs targeted counter.
Those type of changes put control of the counters, or at least potency and targets of the counter, into the players hands. Very favorable to an INFO warfare type play, it creates a semi-role for players wanting to use it.
When ECM is removed as the primary counter to LRM fire(and replaced by mobility and cover because indirect LRM fire has been spread out) we could look at ways ECM could assist players against direct fire also. No, not by some kind of magic bullet shield- somthing more subtle. Imagine you have ECm on your mech, and an enemy spots you - ECM wont help you. but say it is countered instead, and enemy can actually target you- what if ECM shifted the enemy target box(red square) so it wasnt centered on your mech? Suddenly ECM, even countered, has a way to at least help very slightly against long range snipe type fire, as enemy player cant just put the crosshair on the middle of the red box(even if he cant hardly make out your mech, hence camo would actually be useful at longer ranges as logic would say it should function) Possibly, this "shift" function could apply to team mates under the ecm bubble, even if they have been spotted also. That could be tweaked in.
I think there is a lot of possibility for ECm and info warfare to be crafted into MWO. However, I also think it completely relies on indirect LRM fire getting changed into a large AOE spread to remove the effectiveness of LRM boat/turret-mechs that arent actually actively targeting or, well, doing anything but locking on red boxes and letting fly. Otherwise, if we leave that megablob LRM boat function alone, and remove ECM's current ability as a fairly hard counter to it, we will see LRMAGGEDON again.
So, unfortunatly Russ, IMO there is no "just ECM" fix for this, i think if you want to craft up a solid info warfare system for MWO, you need to make LOS fire superior(with purposeful targetting thorugh TAG and NARC also) by far to the indirect missile spam.
(apologies for aweful spelling and such, I dont have the time or energy after mandatory 9 hours of overtime today, lol I hope this post makes sense when I am done)
Edited by Eldagore, 13 September 2014 - 05:26 PM.
(oh wait that's just MWO's horrible FPS balance and has nothing to do with a simulation)
