43 replies to this topic

[Andi Nagasia]

so with all the Talk about weather LRMs are Over/Under Powered,
i thought id talk abit about about LRM Systems and how to balance it,

now when i say Balance LRMs i mean,
1) how to decrease the Spamable nature of LRM in Low-Skill hands,
2) increase the use-fullness of LRMs for those who use them as Support,


First off lets Look at the LRM System,
and what it means to use LRMs in general,
-0-
LRM's require you to Target onto an enemy,
this require the player to aim and lock-on to the Enemy,
and keep the enemy locked-on, until those missiles hit the target,
Damage dealt is based upon, number or LRMs used and Enemy AMS,
-0-
there is a Random factor when using LRMs with out Line-of-sight,
your locks depend on your team, if they lose their lock, you will as well,
also without Line-of-sight you cant tell if your target is under cover,
in these cases your LRM volley may miss and you'll waste ammo,
-0-
also only other weapon that requires lock-on are streaks,
and they must also be aimed to remained locked-on their target,


Second off lets Look at the LRM Pilot,
or 2 main Types of Players that Use LRMs,
-0-
the No/Low Skill Pilot
yes there are those who will equip 50+LRMs and 3000 ammo,
they will spam their Missiles at anything and everything they lock on to,
they will blast their surroundings and staying a good deal behind their team,
they will only fight at extreme range, they cant or don't know how to fight directly,
these people usually only run LRMs, and are firing the whole game,
-0-
the High/Support Skill Pilot
these are people that bring support to their team missile wise,
they will most always will bring a secondary weapon in case they run out of ammo,
they will target and fire on enemies that are sure they can hit, or enemies they can suppress,
they will move about the battlefield striping armor off enemies so allies can finish them off,
they will fire on enemies forcing them to stay in cover so Allies can move more freely,
in a rush they are right being the heavies aiding support, firing over their heads,


Solutions?
these Ideas work off of whether your LOS to the Enemy,
=LOS Spread Bonus/Penalty=
a -10-20%LRM-Spread(less spread Bonus) when firing with Line of sight,
a +10-20%LRM-Spread(more spread Penalty) when firing without Line of sight,
=LOS Damage Bonus/Penalty=
a +10-20%LRM-Damage(1.1-1.2 Damage per missile Bonus) when firing with Line of sight,
a -10-20%LRM-Damage(0.9-0.8 Damage per missile Penalty) when firing without Line of sight,
=LOS Speed Bonus/Penalty=
a +10-20%LRM-Speed(176-192 Damage per missile Bonus) when firing with Line of sight,
a -10-20%LRM-Speed(144-128 Damage per missile Penalty) when firing without Line of sight,

i feel these bonuses would offer more to LRM boats that fight with the team,
and less to those who hide and are just trying to milk the team for assists,


Thoughts, Comments, Concerns?
Thanks

Edit- Error fixed,
Edit2- Added Speed,
Edit3- Reworded

Edited by Andi Nagasia, 25 December 2014 - 12:40 PM.

[The Massive]

LRM's damage wise are fine. But from what I know about lore they were much more inaccurate without LOS.

So yes, spread and tracking penalty without los. Maybe to go with this some narc/tag quirks on some lights.

[BlackDeathLegion]

I like your idea, but I feel PGI finally ADDING C3 MASTER & C3 SLAVE UNITs, that follow TT* rules REQUIREING players to have to follow the CRIT SLOT & WEIGHT TONNAGE, would help MWO in many ways!

-PUG matches, wont be so damn watered down with so many LRM boats, REQUIRING players to get their own damn LOS locks!
-lessens the power of some meta builds/etc, since now that teamate HAS to sacrifice crit slots & tonnage to fit the C3 unit, to allow them to "target mechs and hold locks plz" for his teamates, INSTEAD of being able to CRAM 6 PPCs/LLs, etc!

[s0hno]

Depending on LOS: good idea!
Rewards for AMS should be introduced first and the effectiveness reevaluated; if more people integrate it, LRMs will be nerfed indirecly.

However, deciding between NERF!NERF! and Rawr im a Dinosaur! is pretty hard

[Telmasa]

Artemis already only works with direct line of sight to your target. The only benefit it adds to indirect fire is better lock-on time.



I don't think LRMs need nerfing. I think hit registration for other weapons should be improved, and that internal structure "health" should be buffed (maybe even with a slight armor reduction). AMS could probably use a slight improvement, as well.

Edited by Telmasa, 24 November 2014 - 01:31 PM.

[Cabbage Merchant]

I liked the suggestions of Andi Nagasia, but I would like to see a different combination of related changes.

I would like to see some kind of combination of these changes:

• LOS bonus to speed
  
• Buff AMS or encourage more to use it through rewards
  
• Reduction of LRM impulse(shake from being hit)

I really love the idea of making LRMs both more viable as a LOS weapon and less viable (BUT STILL EFFECTIVE) as a non-LOS weapon.

I really don't like it when players try to nerf LRMs to the point where they are completely (or close to) ineffective as indirect fire weapons, but I don't like that they are used almost exclusively used as indirect fire weapons.

[Mordric]

You should need LOS to lock LRM's unless you equip a BAP,NARC, or TAG a target. or also have some sort of targeting computer install on your mech. as for the guys that just stand on open ground and just act as standing targets maybe AMS could work as a system with other AMS mech in the area and work together to shoot incoming LRMS for cover.

[Kalimaster]

Lets leave them alone. They have been nerfed over and over again, and just because someone can't figure out that they need to find cover. SUBJECT DEAD....BEATEN TO DEATH OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR OVER TWO YEARS.

[Strum Wealh]

BlackDeathLegion, on 16 November 2014 - 01:24 AM, said:

I like your idea, but I feel PGI finally ADDING C3 MASTER & C3 SLAVE UNITs, that follow TT* rules REQUIREING players to have to follow the CRIT SLOT & WEIGHT TONNAGE, would help MWO in many ways!

-PUG matches, wont be so damn watered down with so many LRM boats, REQUIRING players to get their own damn LOS locks!
-lessens the power of some meta builds/etc, since now that teamate HAS to sacrifice crit slots & tonnage to fit the C3 unit, to allow them to "target mechs and hold locks plz" for his teamates, INSTEAD of being able to CRAM 6 PPCs/LLs, etc!

Strum Wealh, on 17 December 2014 - 10:37 AM, said:

"BattleMechs are also not islands unto themselves. They can share sensor data to some extent, allowing greater sensory performance than a single 'Mech can achieve. The specialized equipment of a C3 system takes this to new heights with direct battlefield applications, but all BattleMechs can at least receive basic sensory data from a unit mate." - TechManual, pg. 39

The integrated data sharing system is the lore-based explanation behind the ability to use the Indirect Fire gameplay rules (since the spotter must be able to share targeting data with the attacker). The presence (or absence) of C3 canonically has no effect on a 'Mech's ability to act as a spotter for a unit mate.

• "Indirect fire allows a unit without a direct line of sight to a target to attack that target, though a friendly unit must have a valid line of sight to the target (this unit is referred to as the spotter). An attacker with a valid LOS to a target cannot make an LRM indirect fire attack, even if that attack would have a better to-hit modifier." - Total Warfare, pg. 111
  
• "C3-equipped units spotting targets for or launching an LRM indirect fire attack use the LRM Indirect Fire rules (see p. 111), and gain no benefit from a C3 network." - Total Warfare, pg. 131

[Tincan Nightmare]

Kalimaster, on 10 December 2014 - 01:42 PM, said:

Lets leave them alone. They have been nerfed over and over again, and just because someone can't figure out that they need to find cover. SUBJECT DEAD....BEATEN TO DEATH OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR OVER TWO YEARS.

They've been nerfed due to how PGI implementated indirect fire, which also resulted in them being weak weapons in a direct LOS engagement against ballistics and energy weapons. The great closed beta lurmageddon resulted from the simple fact that anyone could hit R and get their entire team to rain LRM's on a target (hard to get cover against up to 12 incoming sources of fire), plus the poor state of hit detection for the other weapon classes at the time. If you read the OP's post (instead of just probably glancing at the title and rushing to defend the current state of LRM's) you would see that he is suggestion BUFFS for using LRM's with LOS. LRM's are supposed to be just as useful in a direct LOS engagement as any other weapon type, but will never acheive that state because it would just serve as a boost to their indirect fire ability. Would it be bad to add a level of skill requirement to indirect fire, while increasing the utility of LRM's as a general weapon firing at a target right in front of you?

[Tincan Nightmare]

Strum Wealh, on 23 December 2014 - 05:45 PM, said:

Heres the quote for the rules.

LRM Indirect Fire
Units armed with LRM-type weapons may fire those
missiles indirectly. Indirect fire allows a unit without a direct
line of sight to a target to attack that target, though a friendly
unit must have a valid line of sight to the target (this unit is
referred to as the spotter). An attacker with a valid LOS to a
target cannot make an LRM indirect fire attack, even if that
attack would have a better to-hit modifier.
Resolve LRM indirect fire attacks in the turn they are
launched. The base to-hit number is the firing unit’s Gunnery
Skill. Use the following modifiers:
• Range modifier based on the range between the target
and the firing unit, including minimum range modifiers;
• +1 for indirect fire;
• All standard modifiers for target movement;
• All standard modifiers for attacker movement and a
modifier for the spotter’s movement (infantry have no
attacker movement modifier for spotting);
• Terrain modifiers based on line of sight from the spotting
unit; this includes the +1 modifier if partial cover exists
between the spotting unit and the target. (Regardless
of whether partial cover shields the target from either
the spotting unit or the attacking unit, Damage Value
groupings from LRM indirect fire always strike the target
and not the partial cover, even if they hit a leg location;
see Partial Cover, p. 102.)
Finally, if the spotting unit makes any attacks in the turn
that it spots for another unit, apply a +1 modifier to all of the
spotting unit’s attacks, as well as a +1 modifier to the LRM
indirect fire attack. If the spotting unit makes no attacks, do
not apply these additional modifiers. The spotter can spot for
any number of attacking units to a single target, but it cannot
spot for multiple targets.

So heres the lore, the straight rules for how indirect LRM fire works in BT. So where in MWO are the penalties for the spotter to both spot and make attacks, and penalties to hit indirectly if the spotter is firing weapons. Also, if the onboard sensor links for mechs are what allow indirect fire attacks per lore, how does the rule also allow standard infantry to spot for LRM's, as they don't possess that link? I know you were responding to another posters comment about C3, and yes that system has no effect on LRM's, but 'lore' shouldn't be an arguement for why indirect fire is handled as it is in MWO when the rules make it clear that indirect fire is much harder to achieve then regular attacks, and far more involved even for the spotter than just hitting R.

[Threat Doc]

Andi Nagasia, on 15 November 2014 - 03:51 PM, said:

Second off lets Look at the LRM Pilot,
or 2 main Types of Players that Use LRMs,
-0-
the No/Low Skill Pilot
yes there are those who will equip 50+LRMs and 3000 ammo,
they will spam their Missiles at anything and everything they lock on to,
they will blast their surroundings and staying a good deal behind their team,
they will only fight at extreme range, they cant or don't know how to fight directly,
these people usually only run LRMs, and are firing the whole game,
-0-
the High/Support Skill Pilot
these are people that bring support to their team missile wise,
they will most always will bring a secondary weapon in case they run out of ammo,
they will target and fire on enemies that are sure they can hit, or enemies they can suppress,
they will move about the battlefield striping armor off enemies so allies can finish them off,
they will fire on enemies forcing them to stay in cover so Allies can move more freely,
in a rush they are right being the heavies aiding support, firing over their heads,

I like these definitions, as they allow people to ***** about more than just LRM pilots requiring no skill, when LRM pilots perhaps have far more skill than point-and-clickers.

Quote

i feel these bonuses would offer more to LRM boats that fight with the team,
and less to those who hide and are just trying to milk the team for assists,

Well, I thought the definitions might hold, but here we are back at LRM pilots requiring no skill to kill bad guys.

Honestly, the ONLY problems people really have with LRMs and "LRM spam", which is a laughable term, are...

1) The warning at the top of the screen that is there constantly,
2) The fact that each missile induces a visual-blocking explosion, and
3) The problem of not being able to see the LRM boat to fire back at it, much of the time, as it should be.

Here's the truth about LRMs...

1) Each missile does a single point of damage, not more than one point on a direct hit like lasers and ballistics do, with multiple points of damage,
2) It is difficult to lock onto a target, directly or indirectly, as it takes a minimum of five seconds to lock on without any hindrances such as ECM, Radar Deprivation, or intervening terrain, and indirect fire locks can come from ANYWHERE, and each time a lock is broken by a spotter, it hurts the entire team,
3) It is easy to counter missiles simply by moving behind a building, under an ECM umbrella, using Radar Deprivation, moving behind a rock, shutting down for a five count, and/or being in a group with your friends where AMS cuts all the missiles out of the sky, and
4) Less than 30% of missiles in any group hit, and that number is more closely related to 25%, meaning an LRM-20 hits with five missiles out of any given single volley, the same as a Medium Laser, only at range.

About the LRM 'Mech and pilot...

1) The LRM boat is the most vulnerable 'Mech on the entire map, so when your guys don't hit R, or they torso roll, or they get contact and then break it, they are doing themselves a disservice and, eventually, the LRM boat driver as well, as it still takes a minimum of five seconds to re-establish a lock each and every time a lock is broken. When any 'Mech finds an LRM boat out of position, away from the group, that LRM 'Mech is generally going to be easy prey,
2) Glory hounds and score seekers tend to not hit R, even though the game locks a target for them after only a couple of hits, but for that first crucial several seconds, they deny themselves the ability to have assistance for the kill,
3) It is exceedingly difficult for an LRM driver to score kills with their LRM boat, due to lack of locks, due to trying to suppress opposition members, and due to intervening terrain, and
4) The LRM boat pilot has to maintain their lock from launch to landing on an enemy 'Mech, otherwise the LRMs fall where they were last tracking, whether the bad guy is there or not. A lock may be re-established, but the LRM boat pilot has to do so very quickly, as LRMs have a small tracking adjustment while in the air.

So, when I hear all this bitching about driving a 'Mech into an LRM storm, when you have so many ways to counter, mitigate, or completely eliminate the threat from LRM hits, and especially because even the largest LRM box will deliver a maximum of 5 to 7 points of damage, spread all across the body of the 'Mech, I have to laugh. This simply means those who do not work to avoid the LRM storm are piss-poor pilots, not because LRMs need to be nerf'd or buff'd or anything else. I am an LRM boat driver, and I work two things for my team...

1) I suppress the enemy to allow my team to get into a better position to have an easier fight, and
2) I support my team mates by helping them kill targets quickly and efficiently. I mean, isn't that why all of us are playing in this game, so we can out-kill the other guys? Okay, then, un-bunch your panties and let's play.

Maccasimus, on 15 November 2014 - 04:48 PM, said:

LRM's damage wise are fine. But from what I know about lore they were much more inaccurate without LOS.

Without a spotter, you're absolutely right. However, with a spotter, they can really bring good fire power to the team.

Cabbage Merchant, on 03 December 2014 - 04:59 PM, said:

I would like to see some kind of combination of these changes:

• LOS bonus to speed
  
• Buff AMS or encourage more to use it through rewards
  
• Reduction of LRM impulse(shake from being hit)

I really love the idea of making LRMs both more viable as a LOS weapon and less viable (BUT STILL EFFECTIVE) as a non-LOS weapon.

I suppose I could agree with these. Something else I might advise is making it so LRMs that hit away from the cockpit do not cause explosions on-screen, or at least make screen-side explosions -ones that only show partially to the sides, top or bottom of the screen, when they're away from the cockpit. I also do not agree that players should be rewarded for using AMS... if they don't put it on their 'Mech, that's their problem, they deserve what they get. I'm almost exclusively an LRM boat driver, and I use AMS and BAP on EVERY SINGLE 'MECH in my inventory, period.

Quote

I really don't like it when players try to nerf LRMs to the point where they are completely (or close to) ineffective as indirect fire weapons, but I don't like that they are used almost exclusively used as indirect fire weapons.

Here's the problem I have with changing LRMs so they are less indirect fire useful, if you will, is that this game does not run on a Random Number Generator environment. If a laser or ballistic jockey is capable of putting their mouse, or their crosshair from a joystick over top of a 'Mech and clicking, and having that laser or ballistic weapon hit directly on that location, then having an indirect fire LRM boat out in the open is suicide for the LRM pilot. LRM boats are LRM-based, meaning once they're out of ammo, that's pretty much it for them. Now, I may carry secondary weapons on every single 'Mech I own, but that's a throwback to my board game days, and because I actually know how to design a 'Mech. These new folks coming into the game may, eventually, get down how to design a good 'Mech, but until then those who put LRMs exclusively on their 'Mech, deserve what they get. Were the mechanics of this game, such as to-hit, based on an RNG, then yes I could agree to LRM boats being more out in the open. However, it's not, and the community rightly argued against the RNG, cones of destruction, etc., so if I'm sitting behind my guys, or behind a building, or behind a hill trying to support them, don't be get your panties in a bunch when I'm hitting you from cover, alright?

There is nothing wrong with LRMs, at this stage of the game. However, there are all kinds of things wrong with hit boxes, map geometry, map design in general, and all of it is being fixed. Leave LRMs alone, please?

Edited by Kay Wolf, 03 January 2015 - 11:22 AM.

[VinJade]

the LRMs are the weakest of the long rage weapons and to be honest it has also been rendered almost useless when the over powered ecm is in play(that is what should be tinkered with) which gives the mech the phantom mech ability allowing it to vanish from radar and map instead of just jamming Arty IVs, BAPs, Streaks, & C3s while leaving everything else intact(radar/Map).

Quote

Here's the problem I have with changing LRMs so they are less indirect fire useful, if you will, is that this game does not run on a Random Number Generator environment. If a laser or ballistic jockey is capable of putting their mouse, or their crosshair from a joystick over top of a 'Mech and clicking, and having that laser or ballistic weapon hit directly on that location, then having an indirect fire LRM boat out in the open is suicide for the LRM pilot. LRM boats are LRM-based, meaning once they're out of ammo,

I agree, the changes would hamper those of us that use LRMs and as it is those with ECMs hide the enemy mechs from everything and while LRM boats require a soils target locks to be effective those with direct fire weapons doesn't and hidden behind ECM shield they can snipe at LRM boats from hidden locations which would normally allow LRM boats to target.

Quote

that's pretty much it for them. Now, I may carry secondary weapons on every single 'Mech I own, but that's a throwback to my board game days, and because I actually know how to design a 'Mech. These new folks coming into the game may, eventually, get down how to design a good 'Mech, but until then those who put LRMs exclusively on their 'Mech, deserve what they get.

I agree as do I coming from the board game I learned a long time ago that you need to have back up weapons when you run out of ammo or else you are screwed.

Quote

Were the mechanics of this game, such as to-hit, based on an RNG, then yes I could agree to LRM boats being more out in the open. However, it's not, and the community rightly argued against the RNG, cones of destruction, etc., so if I'm sitting behind my guys, or behind a building, or behind a hill trying to support them, don't be get your panties in a bunch when I'm hitting you from cover, alright? There is nothing wrong with LRMs, at this stage of the game. However, there are all kinds of things wrong with hit boxes, map geometry, map design in general, and all of it is being fixed.

I must add that they should weaken the range effect of ECMs to more or less that of a medium laser.

Quote

Leave LRMs alone, please?

again I agree.

Edited by VinJade, 17 January 2015 - 05:10 AM.

[Serpentbane]

I do some LRM boating from time to time, mainly in my CPLT A1. As with all other weapons player skills make a difference while LURMing also, even if some have a need to call ppl running LRM (and every other setup they do not like) noobs. To get the most out of my ammo, I rarely fire from more than 500m, usually 400 or less, and as often as possible with LOS. Exception is active UAV, or NARC.

In my experience, LRM's are only effective when the enemy sport no ECM and AMS. In addition, my impression is those complaining the most is players dropping AMS for extra weapons, ammo or equipment.

It do not take many AMS equipped mechs to close to nullify the effect of LRM's. When facing teams with ECM, several AMS and skilled players, LRMs are not the match-changing factor. Actually, unless you are much more than an LRM noob, your useless LRM’s might tip the scale against your team.

LRMs are a part of the game, deal with them. It is not that big a deal.

[VinJade]

LRM rain is brutal no matter what side you are on, but that can be more or less become nullified as stated by bane.
I have seen three to four mechs with AMS(some with two AMS each) reduce forty Missiles down to a small handful before it even reached the small group.

and then there is the ECM..

[animenerdmark]

I don't mind getting hit be a stream of lrms but what I dread is the REDICULES camera shake. (it can get so bad I get a bit nauseous)

Once I was trying to fight something and a stream of missiles started coming and then I COULDN”T SEE ANYTHING... hell for a fraction of a second I saw the back of my cockpit. (IMO lrms should not make my screen shake more then AC fire)

“Less than 30% of missiles in any group hit, and that number is more closely related to 25%, meaning an LRM-20 hits with five missiles out of any given single volley, the same as a Medium Laser, only at range.”
...I don't believe you, not trying to say lrms are overpowered but when I get hit by lrms it sort of a huge range of like 30-90%. acording to that math lrm 5 boats should suck but I died to one once, and each salvo share as hell wasn't doing 1 damage more like 3-5.

[VinJade]

@Mark
Acs the light ones are guilty of the worst shakes ever in the game.
they shake me up more than medium to assault bore Cannons and not even GRs shake me up as bad even getting hit by three GRs can shake me even close to AC 2-5s can.

if anything needs tweaked its the Shaking those low caliber ACs as in reduced shaking.

heck in a Light (commando at the time) I was hardly shaken by L/SRMs but ACs 2/5 shake me worse than anything else.

heck even my Adder can handle S/LRM rocking with little problem yet the AC 2/5 rocking is so bad that I couldn't even see anything other than the control panels in my cockpit.

Edited by VinJade, 17 February 2015 - 09:36 AM.

[Random Carnage]

With MWO's tiny zones and 150kph lights with narc/tag able to spot you anywhere within minutes, LRM's don't fit the role they had in the old campaigns where you had massive open world areas to manouver in. In a big area the spotter risks getting isolated/hunted down or over extending themselves while scouting. In MWO, you get a 150kph light with narc/tag running you down within 60 seconds of the game starting, then the rain comes in, which is impossible to evade unless you happen to be very close to some appropriate hard cover. The only way PGI has to moderate this is to limit damage per missile to redeculiously low amounts (for a missile), and to artifically make each missile the equivolent in weapon terms of Uncle Cletus's ret*rded Southern cousin with regard to unassisted guidance.

[Lightfoot]

How often do you play LRM support?

Artemis is supposed to give LoS a 35% accuracy boost in Battle Tech, more like 10-15% in MWO, and that is what we have now if there are no HR bugs, 10-15%. 35% competes with direct fire so-so, 10-15% encourages the smart LRM player to wait for a safe shot. Being with your team is map dependent, sometimes you need to get a good firing angle to do the most damage with LRMs rather than hiding with your team mates.

The big issue I have with LRMs is actually the new very narrow angle required to score a Center Torso hit. It is completely unrealistic for missiles that shoot so high into the air. If you are just 15-20 degrees to one side, they hit the arm and shoulder. It's like the mech arm has missile magnets in it.

The other issue is that Artemis is.....

"The Artemis IV Fire Control System is a guidance system that utilizes an infrared laser designator and tight-beam microwave transmitter which improves the accuracy of LRMs, SRMs, and MMLs by roughly thirty-five percent. The Artemis IV FCS must be mounted in the same location as the launcher it controls, taking up space and weight on a Battlemech like other components. In order to actually benefit from Artemis IV, the missiles fired must be Artemis compatible, which are more expensive than standard versions, and the firing unit must have line of sight to its target; indirectly fired LRM receives no increase in accuracy."

........ so when you are firing Artemis LRMs with LoS and they are tracking down a tight beam microwave transmitter, why do they still shoot up into the air rather that fly to the designator's target? The technology actually requires minimal arcing from the missiles to work and would make LRMs much more LoS friendly in MWO without increasing the damage. Imagine LRMs firing from your mech and going mostly straight to the target. It's a fair trade-off for LoS combat's higher risks with low damage weapons. It allows pilots to learn to be skillful with LRMs and encourages them to learn the skills.

I think most players fear highly skilled LRM pilots entering the game. And LRMs are bugged right now as far as I can tell. So if they suddenly start working again expect a lot of players to go mad with missile-hate.

[Chadamir Fitzkrieg]

BlackDeathLegion, on 16 November 2014 - 01:24 AM, said:

I like your idea, but I feel PGI finally ADDING C3 MASTER & C3 SLAVE UNITs, that follow TT* rules REQUIREING players to have to follow the CRIT SLOT & WEIGHT TONNAGE, would help MWO in many ways!

-PUG matches, wont be so damn watered down with so many LRM boats, REQUIRING players to get their own damn LOS locks!
-lessens the power of some meta builds/etc, since now that teamate HAS to sacrifice crit slots & tonnage to fit the C3 unit, to allow them to "target mechs and hold locks plz" for his teamates, INSTEAD of being able to CRAM 6 PPCs/LLs, etc!

THIS. A million times this!