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[Red Scorpion]

Complaints:
-Chain fire/hit at all by LRM shakes the mech. Solution was a module that is the stability gyro, outclassed by anti-target deprivation module. So the complaint still remains when hit. Solution in modules are ineffective to this complaint aside from being missed entirely.

-Being hit by merely being targeted by their ally or something else "reveals you". Solution is to rely on ECM to blanket anti target devices. Effective to the condition of NARC and TAG, also a "buddy" reliant condition, one is more prevelant than the other.

-Being unable to escape in open terrain with very little to protect you. Solution was AMS, in large quantity they help but take up tonnage and must be facing a LRM boat in inopptorune situations starting inside bad spawn points in negative conditions. AMS is ineffective unless in high number and in enough number it is ammo vs ammo, often the AMS being the lesser of the two. Ineffective in realistic conditions. Terrain hugging as with any weapon is required but it has to be tall enough to block missiles, speed essential. Causing a "drift" in mech designing where there is a baseline, no "Dire wolf" builds in Inner Sphere meta builds for example.

Additions to throwing 10-40 tons into a "missile build":

4 tons+missile slot: NARC enforces 450m range, wep modules are nice. Resorts to taking up a peek snipers spot, get fired at etc. It is a missile that sticks to a target, presumed slow to prevent from breaking on contact. No idea behind the idea behind the balance of NARC.

1 ton+beam slot: TAG enforces visual contact to be fired at unless someone takes one(rare/buddy). Exchange fire, often with fire bay doors open. Effective only when visible, and often being fired at so the user cannot "turn the other cheek" to spread damage. Against groups it means one light(assuming best case scenario) will have to run around at range in the open and hopefully with ECM, not watching where he/she is running their mech and being fired at, where the target is not behind cover and knowing where their own missile boat(s) is/are. Otherwise a backup for a missile mech to get one volley on a light coming their way. Best effectiveness on a Streak Boat where the situation is based on being fast and controlling more of the situation and not for LRM loaded mechs. Removing a defensive laser means you either pick between the TAG or packing a large pulse laser, removing the boating ability unless you're 80+ tons. Often only one or two (or none at all) beam hard points to pick from. This applies only to Inner Sphere mechs, all clan mech boats from medium and up can tag+laser defense+boat 10-15 tons of ammo with sufficient-to-overheat LRM loads with 14+ double heat sinks.

1.5 tons+2 crit slots: BAP, backbone of missile boats for detection, lock on time and would be a mistake to not have on a missile boat that does not sling SRM's.

40k Cbills one time use per match: (Not including 30k upgrades) UAV is essential for assistance and often is useful for non LRM boat situations. Allowing you to see that red box start to come around the corner or over the hill in a direct spot can lead to a dead mech with focus fire. A scouts dream bonus and arguably the best grinding tool for the damage impared mech. Common but very easily removed. A missile boat would have to be agile to use it and get out of harms way, far enough to fire over terrain before the UAV gets shot down or runs out of run time. Often ineffective unless a medium missile boat totting lrm5's and an XL engine capable of 75+ kph.

(Basic)
Terrain of the maps. All it takes is hiding as soon as you hear "incoming missiles" from all target line of sight to break lock and move out of the way which means left or right of the firing mech. Often from the center of the fighting group if you've paid attention.

High terrain of the maps, which is growing more and more prevalant. Often you could find yourself pulled with the group (always try to stay with the group unless you run 130+ kph with ECM) into open terrain. Like for instance the water side in forest colony. You could be a brawl range mech and still use the tall pillars to block missiles. Worst map is alpine, and more often than not its a hill fight where only the steepest hills in that map are involved until the end of the match. Wisdom beats missile boats in these situations unless their team can manage locks.


The majority of people dislike facing missile boats, and the stigma grows that if you play one - you're a jerk of some kind or another. So with the thankful testing of seeing what works, what doesn't I would like to appeal something.

LRM's do about 1 damage a missile, and we can sling 60+ a volley. In opportune matches a missile boat rakes in four didgit damage numbers and were used as a farming tool for quite some time. But in recent days we've seen so few missile boats they are hardly seen except for lances and large groups, sometimes 12 man groups to be used like the old days. Something planned for, and given to the elite and fortunate to have friends people. Where the common player have no access to such things. I know it supports group play, but it removes the ability to grind such mechs for those who've seen them work and cannot do it themselves. A rambo light payer who rocks firestarters can do what 12man firestarter players get to do, but not the missile boat solo player. Relying on the off chance someone brought a TAG and uses it effectively against 12 players that have half containing target deprivation modules.

I can see where things are flowing and test numbers could provide useful data. But I must ask for some of the following changes to be considered:

Anti Missile Systems are very good at shooting things down that are aimed straight at you. But if aimed elsewhere, they have to lead a target. Yes they get to hit the side of a missile where it may have no armor but the round will pass straight through the side, and not down the etire missile itself - requiring more hits to remove the missile from a non-front angle of attack. If a player can set AMS to self-only/on for everyone/off it would be nice to see a 20% or even 50% damage reduction depending how many AMS he/she is carrying. With a 5% bonus for every other AMS in the area assisting, with misuse of AMS ammo trying to do it of course. Or something along those lines where AMS is very nice. Instead of removing that one LRM5 and making the person regret taking it, it just does 2.5 damage instead of the whole 5 damage.
~I digress that this could lead to graphics changes and mechanics changes as missiles are actually removed from play. I apologize if this suggestion is very probing and work intensive to suggest.

ECM suggestions fly everywhere but in reality a single F-117 cannot shield a C-130 from a radars view. As armor struggles to beat the weapons with new age ammunition, I feel countermeasures to target devices are the same. Where being seen visually by a system of sensors means your armor is "hit" like I suggested earler. So I suggest this(or implore someone elses idea if they thought of it first) - that ECM only allows the one who sees the person to be able to lock onto them at the long-lock-on-period that the game has already. Unable to share target data to others. So that it does not replace the functions of any other module/skill/benefit that is already in the game. In hindsight, ECM should be granted to more mechs like AMS, pay for the benefit. Cutting down offensive abilities for defense capability. Which means more aggressive LRM boats getting their own target data with line of sight. TAG/NARC removing this benefit entirely as normal, just like the long lock-on time remains without disabling the ECM.
~In the best intentions of the developers/balancers, if every mech had ECM in an army and fought another army who was unprepared, then everyone would prepare for it the very next war and also have ECM. The ECM generations described in various bits of lore/game data were huge and dropped by ships to disrupt like the current ECM does in the game now. Mech ECM's are not that "juiced up" I believe, but I could be wrong. (very wrong perhaps)

Missile flight angle choice (toggle). Sometimes you don't want to fire the missiles at an arc. Like when your team wants you to go into the tunnel with them or get left behind, or perhaps inside a big metal pyramid under a sat-dish, or under one of the many bridges in the game. A choice to fire them at the same angle SRM's travel would be a nice thing to have. Allowing even the direct-fire minded players enjoy the idea of peeking over a hill to fire PPC, AC5's and a LRM 20 at the target before ducking back down. Obviusly a direct fire LRM would reach the target faster, and the appeal would catch on easily with no waste of the effort in getting it to work. Having the missile boats acquire targets be a bit more convincing, since they already toggle missile bay doors as a starting 10 seconds thing they always do. I don't see how this would be a game changer, but certainly not a game breaker. I would love to be able to go into a cave and be able to fight.

LRM minimal distances. Instead of having a minimal distance by default of "the missile takes time to arm itself" to "the missile has a hard time hitting inside that distance". There are IS mechs that fire 4 vollies of 5 because a LRM20 is sitting in a LRM5 tube slot. That could benefit a tighter group hitting a straight almost-dumb fire shot with lock inside 180m. Especially against lights. Even with low slung arms and torso missile ports, often seen as prime SRM sling locations would help LRM's hit, and not just make LRM boats a high arm mounted/high chest mounted weapon when designing a missile boat mech. Starting debates why a Kintaro18 would beat a Catapult A1 at close range with LRM5's because of speed and where the missiles are mounted. Despite the A1 having jump jets, more space and a sixth LRM5 to use. All in all I would support an accuracy nerf inside the "bad distance" for the ability to fire them at targets inside that distance. The Clan "damage nerf scale" inside 180m is also great, but they should keep the accuracy and IS could have the different feel of inaccurate missiles inside 180 that retain their damage. Or do both to both sides, damage scale and inaccuracy since I've seen LRM aim high for clans and often miss inside that distance. Up to the makers that know the actual details inside the game to decide, though.

Artemis accuracy. Uncertain of the entire workings of artemis, but what I gather is that if you see them it will work. If you don't, then it acts like it has no artemis. When you fire the artemis works if you have them square in your sight crosshair and it will aim for the spot you clicked on them when you fired the volley. Leading to misses if aiming at a leg of a fast mech, or breaking general lock and aiming at a dead part if it's destroyed before the missiles reach it like an arm of a mech. If any scaling and changes are made, artemis should be the backing point of "hey, this is a temporary fix until we change the detail later" sort of deal. Because it's a choice upgrade that any missile mech(space allowing) to return to effective status. Just a mention of a possible back step/helpful point, no real change suggested here.

This blob (or blorb) of a text wall is in the spirit to help balance or to spark an idea or two for future changes for LRM boats. We're aware that a boat is frowned upon, and drawbacks are hard to sell once they've been added to the game to mitigate or remove certain builds from the metagame. Despite what people think one way or another, if it's doing too much then it's too much. A mech needs a certain game life from start to dead once damage is being taken (skill to cause it to happen quicker) or just unfortunate odds of a mistake made. A LRM boat can make that too easy without the touch of skill aside from locking ASAP with a whip-around to aim at a square while actually looking at a hill then clicking once they hear a buzzing noise. If people feel it was earned, then maybe it wouldn't seem so bad once you are pushed to spectate after a moment of a rattling screen, framerate drop and a whole lot of noise until you watch your mech fall over. Hopefully sparking an interest in using it as a common weapon to group with other weapon types. Lasers and missiles are synergetic as they need to aim directly at the target to be used directly. Or an AC boat that prefers the two LRM slots he gets to have to pack 2 LRM5 with a ton and a half of ammo to help rattle the opponents screen.

Sorry if this wall of words and babbling leads to nothing for you, lets keep this civil and positive.
+1 if you want LRM to fire straight if there is no lock!