7 replies to this topic

[Funkin Disher]

Hello!

I've been really on the fence about posting this, since everybody has their own ideas on balance and these forums are sort of notorious for both its vitriol and lack of participation from the devs.

But damnit if i'm going to be cowed by that, so I have a list to present!

AMMO:
1 ton equals 200 damage
Exceptions: Gauss, would have to round up or down

MAX RANGE
Equals 1.5x normal weapon range
Exceptions: None

HEAT
Double heatsinks are true to their 2x dissipation
Heat sinks do not add to max heat threshold
Heat threshold is determined by tonnage, eg 20 + 1 per 5 tons of mech tonnage or 10 + one third mech tonnage
Higher heat levels have cumulative penalties. for example:

50% heat hud flicker

60% heat convergence slows/stops

70% heat cannot target enemies

80% heat chance of internal damage

90% heat chance of ammo cookoff

100% heat shutdown

Override button pauses heat penalties within a certain range for a limited time (not a toggle)

Alternatively ignores heat penalties as if x% lower for a limited time (again not a toggle)

GHOST HEAT
Replaced with targeting load. Firing more weapons that can be handled (could even be the same numbers used now) stops convergence and in severe cases makes reticule shake

COMPONENTS
All components have HP equal to 8+slots taken in that section, or some other universal calculation

LASERS
Fire as long as the trigger is held. If you stop firing before the duration is finished then the remainder of your beam time is taken off your recycle time as a %

GAUSS & PPCs
All do their full damage with no splash
have significantly reduced base velocity, and share a charge mechanic like the current gauss
Charge mechanic increases velocity, and the weapon can be fired at any point during the charge
Heat dissipation is halted while charging
PPCs fire a stream like a laser (though a very short duration)
Gauss is no longer more fragile than other weapons (see COMPONENTS), but could probably keep the exploding thing (gauss are very debated)
Mechs with velocity quirks can instead have charge speed quirks

MGs
1 DPS, with slightly increased projectile speed and spread

FLAMERS
1 DPS, with 1 HPS to both you and your target (to a max of x% heat)

ULTRA ACs
Double the firing rate but feature a JJ/MASC bar that disables and damages the weapon if filled, forcing the user to employ short, controlled bursts compared to regular ACs steady shell output

LBX ACs
50% of pellets land on reticule, 50% spread as normal

LRMs
- Somewhat flattened flight arc
- Faster flight speed
- Faster lock speed
- Cannot obtain lock without direct line of sight, TAG or NARC
- Do not lose lock after launched

AMS
Increased firing speed and/or range to compete with faster LRM speeds

SRMs
2 Damage per missile
Clan SRMs fire in paired volleys (like their ACs)

ELECTRONICS
ECM and AMS hardpoints are replaced by Equipment hardpoints
Equipment hardpoints can mount:
ECM
BAP
AMS
TAG
Command Console
Targeting computer
Artermis
MASC
NARC (possibly)

ECM
Increases lock on time against you, reduces range you can be targeted from. Affects only the bearer.

BAP
Decreases lock on time against targets, increases range you can target, can detect shut down mechs within close proximity.

TAG
Always on and invisible, allows indirect lock from friendly LRM carriers, increases crit chance and speeds convergence

Command Console
Provides damage bonus for friendlies damaging your target, speeds target info gathering

Targeting Computer
speeds weapon velocities and target info gathering

Note: Each piece of equipment is supposed to do something cool and unique, and different from modules. What I wrote above are just suggestions (not that the rest of all this isn't). The important thing is that the whole ECM thing is redone to provide soft counters and minor benefits, not hard counters and gamechangers.

Artemis
Tightens clustering and increases missile speeds
SRMs: 50% of missiles land on reticule, 50% spread as normal
LRMs: 2/5 missiles land on reticule, 3/5 spread as normal

CONVERGENCE
Slow convergence overall
Arm weapons converge faster than torso weapons

MODULES
Add weapon charge speed, duration and velocity modules to accompany recycle time and range.
Radar deprivation changed to opposite of target decay, as in not immediate loss of lock

COOLDOWN
Find and replace the word 'cooldown' with 'recycle'.

I'll be adding more at some point, as it comes to me. I'm on the lookout for ideas that promote skill over luck because of that some of the devs said about going in an esports direction, as well as general balance stuff.
What do you think? Please be constructive. We want to improve the game dont we?

Edited by Funkin Disher, 30 July 2015 - 02:17 AM.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

I have similar thoughts for most of these, my only concerns are with Heat Capacity, UACs, and LRMs.

Using this model would give 100 tonners 60 max Capacity and 20 tonners 20 max Capacity. So the first effect of the Hud flicker will occur at 30 Heat on the 100 tonner and 10 Heat for the 20 tonner, so would need to adjust when the first effects kick in. Otherwise it should be fine for testing out how it influences gameplay, I have my own thoughts that I've been brainstorming myself in a thread floating around these parts.

WIth UACs, increased heat is gonna be better than reticle shake I feel. And I'd like to see if its possible to adapt the MASC system for Ultra mode, where tapping the fire button would activate Ultra mode, increasing the rate of fire and the meter, holding fire, the UAC's fire in normal mode and would not increase the meter and would possibly need the weapons to not fire so that the meter depletes. If the meter goes to red, then there is damage to the weapon, disabling it for the match.

WIth LRMs, with adjustments to Locks and increased velocity, we'd just have to see through testing if there are any other necessary adjustments required so that they are improved, but still balanced against other weapons; so I'd keep in mind extending the cooldown, having the various systems have the same cooldown value, and exploring various ripple fire patterns as necessary.

[Funkin Disher]

Thanks!

I'm not a numbers man, so heat capacity for weight would have to be adjusted by someone more numerically inclined than I

Good idea with UACs, perhaps they all have half the recycle time at the cost of a MASC-like bar that causes them to be disabled when filled (short, controlled bursts to keep it down), but on the other hand cannot be turned off which gives regular ACs some use via reliability

Not mentioned above, i'd make them fire and forget, not losing their lock if you do after you launch. Keeping their fire rate down with a long recycle time should hopefully balance them out.

[Kalimaster]

I know that you have a good idea, however the weapons values were laid down during the days when Battletech, a.k.a. Mechwarrior, was a pen and paper game.

[Funkin Disher]

Could you explain further? I don't see how any of the above suggestions conflict with Sarna, at least any more than the game already does (looking at you ECM).

[Funkin Disher]

Additional bits and pieces:

Movement Archetypes:
2 for each weight class, for a total of 8. Gives that little bit of difference that could make a few mechs that little bit more freeing to play.

Side idea: MASC temporarily improves your movement archetype and top speed instead of boosting engine size.

Weapon Modules:
Work on weapon groups/types instead of singular weapons. Allows a little variation from boating a single weapon. Could be linked to heat/targeting scale weapon groups if balance/economy is a concern.

The Daily Draw
You know those chance draws we get during events every now and again? Those would be cool to have on a daily basis, in smaller amounts to encourage people to play each day. For example every day when your double XP resets on your mechs you can get some draws. For every 20 points you get in a non-CW match or for every 35 you get in a CW match you get a draw, to a maximum of 5 draws if you have a great match for 100 or 175 points respectively.
Make sure the daily draw has a low chance at MC to allow the cash to flow still. Adding omnipods to the draw would be nice too.

Custom Geo
Give the ability to pay MC to unlock special geo for mechs' / chassis, in the same way that we can modify our paintjobs. Maybe even just do it in sections to maximize profit and customizability.

[Bogkesh]

Not sure how they could be implemented but I would like to see inferno missiles at some point

[Funkin Disher]

Hopefully as soon as they figure out how to work ammo for ACs they can work on more fun missile ammo as well.