10 replies to this topic

[Scurry]

So.....we've heard about how sized hardpoints would help to mitigate certain balance problems concerning boating and whatnot.

What if instead of sized hardpoints, we had soft limits on what you could install in them? E.g. sticking a UAC5 in an MG slot - increased jam chance and cooldown time. LPL in a Medlas slot? Sure, but it's gonna generate more heat and recharge more slowly.

You could also extend this to certain existing quirks that seem overly powerful - Thunderwub? Only certain hardpoints will get the full MPL boost - the rest will have to make do with the generic boost.

Or this could just be an added kludge factor to an already clunky weapons balance system. What do you all think?

(Yeah, I know modifying convergence is supposed to solve a lot of issues too, but just for the sake of discussion here......)

[Rhaythe]

That isn't a bad idea whatsoever.

[Lostdragon]

Sounds needlessly complicated. I think there are simpler, more elegant solutions to the issues the game has.

[Fate 6]

If you don't want us to customize our mechs then just make it stock-only. Otherwise, just make the quirks more intelligently chosen.

[Water Bear]

I believe this exact idea has been proposed before. I'm personally too lazy to do the forum search but it's there.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

It's doable.

For example, Clan Omni Pods have certain quirks that activate when running stock combination. So it's plausible to adapt that system to incorporate design inefficiencies when customizing mechs. So it's still full customization but with tangible draw backs to fine tune balancing when warranted.

One example is taking a Direwolf and slapping 5 or 6 UAC/5s or some combo with dual Gauss. One of the reasons why Clan ballistics have not be improved yet is this badboy's boating ability.

So why not explore using that system to say extend the cooldown on some weapons when boated on a Dire? Instead of having a flat quirk penalty placed on certain omnipods, and aside from slapping different weapon combos with just ghost heat.

Edited by Praetor Knight, 08 May 2015 - 09:21 AM.

[Sundervine]

I will not say this is a bad idea, however since it is true it could get awfully complicated, I recommend amending it as follows:

Stock load on IS mechs, all weapons have a bonus 10% cooldown and heat generation. This of course would account for the time and money put into the stock build in R&D and the like if you need fluff. Since changing any of these things will, for fluff of course, unbalance the chassis, and control mechanisms reduce the bonus.
To keep it as KISS as possible make it the bonus change like this. If you change the weapon at all it reduces the weapons bonuses by -5%. No matter what the change is. Then if the weapon is larger than the other weapon crit slot wise then it reduces it by another -5%. Last but not least if it is over twice the crit slot space then it is another -5% change. This would at most give you a -5% bonus to cooldown and heat generation. Not much but enough to show you are really taxing the basic design. However most of the time it will still have a +5% bonus.

This would not effect clan mechs because they are made to change. So they would neither get the bonus nor the negative modifications.

Anyway overall not a bad idea, but instead of lowering the performance of anything bigger just give stock loadout a bonus.

[Spleenslitta]

It is complicated but it shows a lot of promise.
It would actually do just as much as getting rid of convergence and getting some custom targeting reticles for each mech.

Great idea.

[Lily from animove]

How do you explain that to a newbie?

surely we have plenty of ideas but which one is a good one by coding, and which one is a good one by keepign a consistent and easy to understand mechanic for the game?

[terrycloth]

So instead of buffing the weapons you want people to use, you nerf the weapons you don't want them to use? There's nothing wrong with that in principle, but it's functionally identical to quirks except that you want to apply it blindly based on the stock config instead of trying to apply it intelligently to chassis that need it.

It's also cumbersome and complicated. It's easier to give a Hollander positive gauss rifle quirks than to give *every other light with a ballistic slot* negative ones.

[MilesTeg1982]

how about class specific ghost heat instead of these quirks like for example:

light mechs can fire only 1 LL / PPCs at a time without ghostheat
meds and heavies can fire 2 LL / PPCs at a time
assaults can fire 3 LL / PPCs at a time

however - these changes should be applied for IS AND Clans - this way Clans would be able to counter the Stalker4N with a Warhawk (which would still be pretty hot).