5 replies to this topic

[Kaeb Odellas]

So Russ spent a fair amount of time discussing adding weapon-specific quirks to each mech for the IS quirk pass. Stuff like giving big AC20 buffs to the Yen-Lo-Wang, HBK-4G, and Flame, PPC buffs to the AWS-8Q, ERLL buffs to the Locust, and so on. He stated this was going to increase variety between the mech builds and so on, and that it would support role warfare.

I'm pretty certain I'm not alone in thinking this isn't a good idea. It would certainly make each variant more unique when compared to other variants, but this is absolutely going to destroy the variety of builds you'd see for each particular variant. Most variants are already differentiated from each other by having different hardpoints, twist and agility quirks, and in some cases different engine caps.

For instance an AWS-8Q is already very different from an AWS-8V, or even a 9M. The Awesome's role as a long-ranged fire support mech is pretty effectively enforced by its large hitboxes, but you could conceivably make certain variants more effective brawlers with selective toughness and speed/agility buffs to those variants.

Plus, there are other ways to promote certain weapons and builds for each variant than with weapon-specific quirks. For instance, a heat reduction buff for ballistic weapons would be far more useful for AC2s and AC20s than AC5s or Gauss Rifles, while a crit chance reduction quirk would be more useful for the Gauss and AC20. Percentage buffs for range helps long range weapons more than short range ones, while flat a +50m or whatever helps the short range weapons more than the long range ones. A percent heat reduction for energy weapons favors the big, hot energy weapons, while a flat 0.5 point heat reduction is a huge buff for small and medium lasers.

I'd like to see where everyone else stands on this point.

[FupDup]

If I remember correctly, part of the reason for using weapon-specific quirks is so that the numbers can be drastically inflated to extremely huge values, without breaking anything. Making a global quirk of -50% energy cooldown (or whatever is planned for the Lolcust's ERLL) might cause some issues, whereas requiring a specific weapon helps to counter that.


I do, however, agree that %-based buffs sometimes lead to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The Lolcust's leg internals are an example of this, as they needed to get jacked all the way up to 100% to make a noticeable impact.

[Kaeb Odellas]

FupDup, on 03 October 2014 - 07:34 AM, said:

If I remember correctly, part of the reason for using weapon-specific quirks is so that the numbers can be drastically inflated to extremely huge values, without breaking anything. Making a global quirk of -50% energy cooldown (or whatever is planned for the Lolcust's ERLL) might cause some issues, whereas requiring a specific weapon helps to counter that.

A global -50% energy cooldown might present problems with the 1E and 3M variants, but that's more a reason not to give that particular quirk to those variants, or at least a less powerful version. Why should Locusts be relegated to long-ranged poking to maximize effectiveness, when some pilots might prefer the higher DPS and shorter duration of the LPL.

[Scratx]

Actually, the buffs may promote certain builds but they certainly won't punish others. And I think it's been said there would be both general buffs and specific buffs. So, while in the 4G's case the AC20 would get the most relative benefit, all other ballistics and energy weapons likely would also benefit.

Another thing that it might not be in the forefront of most people's thinking is that if the buffs are most powerful as they affect the stock builds of those mechs, those very stock builds might actually approach something resembling viability. Something to consider.

Overall, whatever build you have in an IS mech, you can rest assured it's almost certainly not going to get worse with the quirks. It may not get so much better than if you were using something else, but so what?

[Mcgral18]

Edited by Mcgral18, 03 October 2014 - 09:25 AM.

[Alek Ituin]

Quirks are a fantastic way to solidify role warfare, and keep Mech variants in the same general flavor as their stock builds.

I think this is a fantastic approach to solving a lot of issues people have had with MWO, namely that stock Mechs suck, roles mean nothing, and that chassis are boiled down to little more than hitboxes and hardpoints with the current system. Quirks help set "soft" boundaries enforcing the idea that a specific chassis is meant for a specific task, without severely curtailing user customizability in the process.