3 replies to this topic

[arcangelS7]

I managed to get a few games on the PTS last night and I have a few thoughts to share about it. Please note that I am fairly a lot tier player, and that the population on the PTS was low enough that I got put into a match with very high tier players.

It wasn't an LRM apocalypse. Even with the reduced power of ECM, maintain locks during the initial phase of a match was difficult, but I found it LRMs more effective once brawling started.

The matches I played where very brawl heavy, but in my last few matches I noticed that players were switching to builds with more autocannons and PPCs. If I had played more matches, the meta could have balanced out.

Without a colour change, it was quite hard to notice the change of the crosshair when a target was hit. I like how it looks visual, but the change is very easily lost to explosions and laser fire during combat. It does need to change colour.

One of the systems I wanted to play around with was the new sensor and communications mechanics, but I found this hard to do, from a usability standpoint. I was never sure who I was connected with on my team and while I like the idea of variable sensor ranges between chassises, I was having a little trouble re-calibrating my mental setpoint for sensor distance when switch between mechs. I'd like to see them add some visual indicators on the mini-map: A red circle for your sensor range, a blue circle for your communication range and fill in your allies triangles on the map if you are connected.

With the target lock mechanic for the lasers, I found the behaviour of the R button frustrating. While attempting to target a single opponent in a tightly clustered group, I was having to smash R several times to get it to select the target I wanted, or that was called over voice chat, making me keen aware that I was going to lose a significant amount of damage from my lasers. The target lock for lasers was the change that I was the most iffy on, and I think it is a mistake.


Overall: I think the most changes are in the right direction, but some of the more interesting systems are hampered by usability problems.

[sycocys]

I can understand the lumped up deathball targeting issue - though I think as this system implements more the death ball is quite likely to start breaking up quite a bit more and people will start bringing more than 1 range of weapons systems which will change the dynamic quite a bit.

[Anachronda]

arcangelS7, on 15 October 2015 - 04:51 AM, said:

With the target lock mechanic for the lasers, I found the behaviour of the R button frustrating. While attempting to target a single opponent in a tightly clustered group, I was having to smash R several times to get it to select the target I wanted, or that was called over voice chat, making me keen aware that I was going to lose a significant amount of damage from my lasers. The target lock for lasers was the change that I was the most iffy on, and I think it is a mistake.

The R button has been annoying for a long time and if they are going to do something like that they should fix it. It would make sense if it chose the closest enemy or the one you're pointed at or something, but it doesn't. Some other games which rely on target locks actually give a configurable choice, and even in the heat of battle you can hit a different button to select the enemy that last fired on you versus the closest enemy versus the one you're centered on. In any case, I'd like to see them make the targetting system make more sense.

[sycocys]

That's something to ask for. I always liked the - next/last/closest/highlighted options, can't imagine that its out of the realm of additions that could be implemented.