LordKnightFandragon, on 09 April 2015 - 01:37 PM, said:
I do believe the commanders should have control of them.
I'm more on the line that -- heh, I didn't even have to finish that sentence to know that PGI would never do it. Though there's a few ideas I have which'll never happen.
1) Players control and manage Aerotech and land forces, whether within MWO or within sister games (AeroTech Online, BattleForces Online [I dunno.. evidently that's what the infantry-centric Battletech game is called; that and BattleTroop...I wish I was making that up]). It'd actually be a neat way to get into MWO, start as infantry and work your way up from there. The game would never support that kind of play though. Would love, at minimum if instead of Transverse they went with AeroTech online with a bit of space stuff alongside. But yeah, PGI... heh.
Seriously the sad face smiley on here isn't sad enough.

Neither is that.
2) Factions -- Not Mercs -- supply their units with a limited allotment of air and land units, controlled by the Command Mechs (as Command Mechs of higher than medium class generally have 2 seats and occasionally will have the full Command Console -- which is actually a full 3 ton command array in addition to a secondary piloting seat to take control in case if the pilot dies or loses consciousness). (Medium Command Mechs such as the Wolverine generally hold people of rank and authority).
In general the idea use of the Command Console would be the ability to direct not only the lances but also the AI units in a tactical game within the actual game.
Mercs on the other hand. Well, I mean look at the contract.

Least the faction is willing to pay a portion of the R&R costs while you're working for them... and a measily 200,000 something cbills per squad for each month the unit is still alive for the duration of the 4 month contract. And that's only for the equipment they provide you. They will pay 0 Cbills for any R&R for your own equipment.
You want an airstrike? Well the faction you're working for can provide you one, and it will pay a portion of its R&R incurred during its operation in assisting you. Wait, a Jagermech shot it down? Better hope you've got the rest of the 4,840,920 C-bills, because evidently they pay 271,500 C-Bill Equivalents and you get stuck with 4,569,420 C-Bill Equivalents that you've got shell out of pocket. Not to mention some help on the pilot's life insurance for his or her widow/widower.
But such is the Business of War.

There's other ideas, but I know they'll never happen so I'll save 'em for myself.
Far as artillery, it'd be nice if there was just some location on the map that each side had -- preferably changing as I would like turrets to also do (change locations so it's not always the exact same places) -- that you could send out your light mechs to go destroy. Something, anything, to give every kind of mech a good, proper use, instead of relying on Russ the Quirkinator or Paul the Nerfinator.