10 replies to this topic

[Colby Boucher]

I think that PGI's decision to make Dropships weight restricted is a step in the right direction. But I'd like to go a step further.

With the current system, there is still nothing to suggest that light and medium class battlemechs are the workhorses of the Inner Sphere. These mechs are supposed to be relatively easy to produce and cheap. Here's what I propose.

-Make the tonnage restriction somewhere around 150-200 tons.

-Remove the requirement of taking 4 mechs.

What would this achieve? Let's assume a weight restriction of 175 tons and look at two Warrior's dropships.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dropship 1

AS7-D | ON1-K
(100 Tons)|(75 Tons)
-------------- |--------------
Slot 3 | Slot 4
(Empty) |(Empty)

_____________________________

Dropship 2

HBK-4G | BJ-3
(50 Tons)|(45 Tons)
-------------|--------------
COM-2D | SHD-2H
(25 Tons)|(55 Tons)

What do we get? Someone who brings lights / mediums can simply field more firepower overall, but the guy with a Assault and Heavy will have much more game-affecting potential per mech.

The primary flaw that I see with this system is that I just can't see two wave of Assault and Heavy mechs beating out four full-fledged waves of lights / mediums, so public games could be extremely frustrating without being able to see what your whole team is dropping with.

Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Edit: Sorry for the first dropship not being aligned properly, the way this forum formats stuff is strange.

Edited by Colby Boucher, 09 October 2014 - 12:45 PM.

[LauLiao]

What's wrong with the proposed 240?

I don't understand why we are discussing changes to a system that we don't even know how well it works yet.

Edited by LauLiao, 09 October 2014 - 12:53 PM.

[Colby Boucher]

LauLiao, on 09 October 2014 - 12:51 PM, said:

What's wrong with the proposed 240?

As has been said elsewhere, you can still take an entire Dropship full of heavies. Essentially, it just doesn't emphasize the fact that heavy and Assault class Battlemechs are not supposed to be very common. Having more strict tonnage requirements would make lights and mediums much more common, as they should be.

[Bilbo]

If you go any lower it will make the affair miserable for Assault pilots. Our choices after taking the assault mech are already severely limited and that is where you will likely get all those mediums you hope to see.

[VanillaG]

Colby Boucher, on 09 October 2014 - 12:55 PM, said:

As has been said elsewhere, you can still take an entire Dropship full of heavies. Essentially, it just doesn't emphasize the fact that heavy and Assault class Battlemechs are not supposed to be very common. Having more strict tonnage requirements would make lights and mediums much more common, as they should be.

To be fair, you can take 4x60T mechs and I don't think that anyone thinks that the 60 mechs in the game are overpowered.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

At some point you have to consider that not everyone wants to play lights and mediums. I don't think we want people dropping with 4 Dire Wolfs but the proposed system pretty much guarantees that if you take an assault you're taking a medium and a light as well. In this regard lore can take a back seat. I think 240 is a pretty reasonable number.

[Xarian]

I'm ok with a tonnage maximum, but I don't think there needs to be a tonnage minimum. Why should 4x Cicadas fulfill the requirement, but not 4x Jenners? That's silly.

[WarHippy]

240 is border line too low as it is, and anything below that is completely unreasonable in particular since you are required exactly 4 mechs.

Edited by WarHippy, 09 October 2014 - 01:17 PM.

[WarHippy]

Colby Boucher, on 09 October 2014 - 12:55 PM, said:

As has been said elsewhere, you can still take an entire Dropship full of heavies. Essentially, it just doesn't emphasize the fact that heavy and Assault class Battlemechs are not supposed to be very common. Having more strict tonnage requirements would make lights and mediums much more common, as they should be.

CW is simulating open war not little border skirmishes, and when push came to shove some units were comprised of nothing but Assault mechs. The whole mediums were more common thing goes out the window when you are fighting for your lives and home.

[LauLiao]

VanillaG, on 09 October 2014 - 01:02 PM, said:

To be fair, you can take 4x60T mechs and I don't think that anyone thinks that the 60 mechs in the game are overpowered.

Exactly. I HOPE someone brings 4 Dragons/Quickdraws.

[Lefty Lucy]

What the OP suggests is akin to tonnage-based matches in TT, which basically just don't do a good job of balancing the game at all, because numbers can easily overwhelm tonnage.