Bush Hopper, on 15 May 2015 - 03:06 PM, said:
Today I decided to dust off my Trebuchet and try my lrm boat which I haven't had played for quite some time.
To make it short: it was a horrible experience. I played about 8 matches and each team seemed to have 3-4 ECM mechs. However, adding to the balancing problems which ECM and missiles have had...I felt that the LRM ammo is an issue now. So many shots miss due to the ECM influence (e.g. the lock gets lost sooner)..it isn't funny anymore.
Which leas to the following issue:
Adding support weaponry to the e.g. Trebuchet means that you have even less LRM ammo...which means your launchers run dry even sooner and you are forced to do battle with MLasers.
Leaving support weaponry and adding ammo means...well, many shots miss anyway and you will be useless soon also.
This ECM inflation hurts LRMs dearly and I think that an ammo increase, like the autocannons got, wouldn't be too wrong so LRM mechs could run some backup weapons. Bear in mind please that I do not have any experience with assault LRM boars (I just have my Treb)
Anyway, I won't touch my Treb anytime soon.
LRMs have had ammo inflation. Tabletop LRMs have 120 missiles to a tonne of ammo, MWO LRMs have 180- the same degree of inflation has affected all ammo-based systems outside of the AMS and Machine Gun, which use a completely different ammo system than their tabletop counterparts.
I would say a reduction in ECM effect (or an overall change to sensors and electronics equipment) is much more appropriate than an overall boost to LRMs to counter ECM- boosting LRMs in any way that improves their performance against ECM could very easily distort their power out of proportion when ECM is not present.