78 replies to this topic

[Lightfoot]

It just seems the Inner Sphere Mechs are so much more adaptable to having some Fun. You can shift anything around and make use of the hardpoints in any way you want. Clan Mechlab has everything Fixed in stone leaving many mechs worthless except for filling a Mech Bay.

So perhaps just nerfing Clan weapons when they are OP and loosening the Clan Mechlab fixed equipment restrictions would balance the two Faction's player populations? There is a Fun factor as well as a Balance factor and being able to change your Mech in Mechlab is a major element to the Fun of MechWarrior. And would also fix mechs like the Summoner in the process!

Edited by Lightfoot, 25 April 2015 - 11:04 AM.

[Burktross]

What happened to omnipods?

[Lightfoot]

Burktross, on 25 April 2015 - 10:59 AM, said:

What happened to omnipods?

It doesn't fix mechs like the Thor. That requires that the Fixed equipment restrictions be loosened up a bit. Surely that is obvious? How will you ever balance the Clan mechs otherwise?

[Johnny Z]

Na easy mode isnt popular.

I guess piloting the top 4 Omni mechs in shame isnt as much fun.








Hows that for a textual right and left. HAHA Accurate to.

Edited by Johnny Z, 25 April 2015 - 11:12 AM.

[Adiuvo]

Lightfoot, on 25 April 2015 - 11:02 AM, said:

It doesn't fix mechs like the Thor. That requires that the Fixed equipment restrictions be loosened up a bit. Surely that is obvious? How will you ever balance the Clan mechs otherwise?

Likewise, not every IS mech is some bastion of customization. There's only 1 viable, logical build on a DDC.

If you want customization, play a Stormcrow, Hellbringer, or Timberwolf. Those mechs all have multiple good builds.

[Lightfoot]

Johnny Z, on 25 April 2015 - 11:05 AM, said:

Na easy mode isnt popular.

Exactly. Clan mech players need the challenge of an Open Mechlab. They can keep the Engines fixed as a soft-cap, but the internals and armor type and jump-jets have to be non-fixed.

[Lightfoot]

Adiuvo, on 25 April 2015 - 11:06 AM, said:

Likewise, not every IS mech is some bastion of customization. There's only 1 viable, logical build on a DDC.

If you want customization, play a Stormcrow, Hellbringer, or Timberwolf. Those mechs all have multiple good builds.

Where are they then? Not in CW's Battle of Tukkiyad. Everyone signed up to take their more versatile Inner Sphere quirk mechs with the inherently easier to use weaponry. More accurate, less spread, cool-running, is what I mean.

Anyway, I think Clan mechs are too fixed by the Closed Mechlab. Sure certain Clan mechs can be adapted with omnipods, but most are more limited in hardpoints than Inner Sphere mechs even with that.

Edited by Lightfoot, 25 April 2015 - 11:17 AM.

[Johnny Z]

Lightfoot, on 25 April 2015 - 11:08 AM, said:

Exactly. Clan mech players need the challenge of an Open Mechlab. They can keep the Engines fixed as a soft-cap, but the internals and armor type and jump-jets have to be non-fixed.

Clans already have easy mode mechs out classing anything the Inner Sphere has.

Why would Omni mechs have unlocked engines and unlock hard points while inner sphere mechs have locked hard points and unlocked engines. Really? Really?

Edited by Johnny Z, 25 April 2015 - 11:16 AM.

[Adiuvo]

Lightfoot, on 25 April 2015 - 11:13 AM, said:

Where are they then? Not in CW's Battle of Tukkiyad. Everyone signed up to take their more versatile Inner Sphere quirk mechs with the inherently easier to use weaponry. More accurate, less spread, cool-running, is what I mean.

I'm not sure why we're using CW population as proof of anything, especially when it's revolved around a lore event atm that many people probably want to be on the winning side of.

The event also probably attracted a lot of new players to CW< and if anything is a problem for clan queues, it's how much the mechs cost.

[Lightfoot]

Adiuvo, on 25 April 2015 - 11:17 AM, said:

I'm not sure why we're using CW population as proof of anything, especially when it's revolved around a lore event atm that many people probably want to be on the winning side of.

The event also probably attracted a lot of new players to CW< and if anything is a problem for clan queues, it's how much the mechs cost.

No it was the same last weekend in every match I played. Full Inner Sphere merc units vs PUG Clan teams. And I commented that this did not bode well for the Tukkiyad event. So it's an ongoing slide to the Inner Sphere I think. Open Clan Mechlab a bit would be the most powerful fix to revitalize interest in Clan Tech. Clans are the bad guys after all, they don't even have belly buttons!




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Edited by Lightfoot, 25 April 2015 - 11:23 AM.

[Insects]

Adiuvo, on 25 April 2015 - 11:06 AM, said:

If you want customization, play a Stormcrow, Hellbringer, or Timberwolf. Those mechs all have multiple good builds.

And Direwolf.

Basically throw the rest in the bin, there are a handfull of excellent clan mechs, others very meh.

Nobody wants to pay $250 or whatever it is for all the junk mixed in. Make a pack with just the good stuff.

[Bishop Steiner]

Adiuvo, on 25 April 2015 - 11:06 AM, said:

Likewise, not every IS mech is some bastion of customization. There's only 1 viable, logical build on a DDC.

[Amsro]

Bishop Steiner, on 25 April 2015 - 11:31 AM, said:

[Xetelian]

While I don't think they're even I do think clan mechs are a lot less powerful than people try to drum them up to be.

With laser vomit being the only viable option since the ACs are disgusting it is a lot closer.

[Adiuvo]

Bishop Steiner, on 25 April 2015 - 11:31 AM, said:

I define viable as comp worthy, so I suppose that's where the issue lies.

As for... well usable I guess would be the best word, there are a few. Maybe 2? The uac one and the AC20 one and that's about it.

If someone sticks a gauss or LRMs in a DDC I just wanna cry though.

[Lightfoot]

Grisbane, on 25 April 2015 - 11:27 AM, said:

i cant see spending so much on a clan assault when i can get a competitive assault for IS for much less. to fully outfit a direwolf A to be ready for CW costs around 21 million, a king crab 0000 costs roughly 15 million.. which is less than the direwhale is stock.. a stalker costs much less and in CWI can produce as well or better than the clan assaults and once upgraded and outfitted.. costs less than a timber. can't see the economic feasibility of clan weaponry... and the fact that almost every decent clan build runs ridiculously hot doesn't help.

Stalker 4N, pimped modestly, $12,717,119 CBills

Mad Cat Alt D, $15,117,000 (est.) CBills

....................... less than 2.5 million CBills difference and the Stalker 4N is an easy to field laser-boat with minor heat problems. It's better damage than the Alt D and that's no question, of course the Alt D is fast.

So again the CBill cost is a non-issue. It's what you can do with the Mechs.



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Edited by Lightfoot, 25 April 2015 - 11:47 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Adiuvo, on 25 April 2015 - 11:43 AM, said:

I define viable as comp worthy, so I suppose that's where the issue lies.

Probably. I tend to prefer the term "Optimal" build for that, as viable simply means it can be made to work. Just a pet word peeve of mine, lol.

[One Medic Army]

It's that clan ACs are kinda junk (and most of the clan mechs don't really have the pod space to use them well), LRMs are also junk, and all that's left is different flavors of laserbarf and SRM/SSRMs. Then there's the relatively limited number of clan mechs total available, further subdivided by the ones that are gimped due to not having endo, or are too slow for their tonnage (lights), or too fast for their tonnage (gargles).

It's not that clans are weak, it's just that there aren't a lot of options for the good chassis (dire whale excepted) that aren't still quite similar. I kinda wish that PGI had lowered the damage on clan lasers, rather than raising the heat on them, would have made a pack of ERMLs more of a backup weapon, rather than a primary that spiked your heat gauge to 40-50% and required ~20DHS, which also pushes the clan laser builds into peek-n-poke territory, which is honestly kinda boring.

Edited by One Medic Army, 25 April 2015 - 11:54 AM.

[LordKnightFandragon]

Only real benefit of Omnipods is not even in this game...logistics.

If we had a repair timer on our mechs between games, the Warhawk would be signifcantly faster to fix then likely even a Hunchback. Seeing as the CLan engis just need to pop off the broke pods, slap on a new one, rewire it and done. While the HBK engis are going to have to tear the mech apart, repair this, remove that, fix the AC that got wrecked, place the whole thing back together and it would just take a loooong time.

[LordKnightFandragon]

One Medic Army, on 25 April 2015 - 11:52 AM, said:

Pretty much my take. It's that clan ACs are kinda junk (and most of the clan mechs don't really have the pod space to use them well), LRMs are also junk, and all that's left is different flavors of laserbarf and SRM/SSRMs. Then there's the relatively limited number of clan mechs total available, further subdivided by the ones that are gimped due to not having endo, or are too slow for their tonnage (lights), or too fast for their tonnage (gargles).

It's not that clans are weak, it's just that there aren't a lot of options for the good chassis (dire whale excepted) that aren't still quite similar. I kinda wish that PGI had lowered the damage on clan lasers, rather than raising the heat on them, would have made a pack of ERMLs more of a backup weapon, rather than a primary that spiked your heat gauge to 40-50% and required ~20DHS, which also pushes the clan laser builds into peek-n-poke territory, which is honestly kinda boring.

All lasers, IS and Clan, should return to TT stats, CUAC 10 and 20 should become 2 shot ACs, while the 2 and 5 are single shot, but with double rate and a fairly high jam chance if you DR. Clan ERPPC should be a 13/15. IS LRMs should spread like Clans, SRMs in general should fire in a volley like Clan LRMs, prolly improve hit reg on them a bit, and improve their accuracy alot....

Ya know the Mechcommander intro raven when he fires his SRM at that Timby? Yeah that is how they should fire.