173 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

Greetings MechWarriors,

Starting November 4th at 10:30 AM PDT (6:30 PM UTC) the Public Test Server (PTS) will be activated for a new session of the 'Mech Re-Balance Public Test.

The changes featured in this Re-Balance PTS build upon the changes implemented in the last PTS, and are again intended for testing a specific set of isolated changes from what is currently present in the Live environment.

• 'Mechs now possess a Target Profile value that influences the time it takes for it to be targeted.
• Various changes to Skill Tree values.
• Increase to Max Range of IS ER Large Laser and IS Large Pulse Laser (this reduces the amount of damage falloff beyond Optimal Range).
• Increase to Max Range of Clan Small and Medium Laser (this reduces the amount of damage falloff beyond Optimal Range)
• Heat Scale for IS Medium Pulse Lasers now matches the Heat Scale behavior for IS Medium Lasers.
• Adjustments to Clan and IS LRM spread values and cooldown rates.
• Boost to IS Single Heat Sink cooling rate.
• Reduction to Clan Double Heat Sink heat capacity.
• Increases to base speed values of Clan and IS SRM's/SSRM's.
• Cooldown period increased for Clan and IS Gauss Rifles.
• Laser range information displayed in the HUD will now properly reflect the focus range.

The exact changes detailed further in this post should not be taken as the entirety of what the final re-balance will entail, nor are the changes listed here necessarily ‘locked in’ for any final release.
The end-goal of these public test sessions are to work toward a complete re-balance of the game’s core combat systems.

This PTS is currently scheduled to run until further notice.

If you have already participated in a previous PTS session and still have the client installed, you will only need to apply the latest patches. Otherwise, accessing the PTS will require that you download and install a separate instance of the MWO client.

The download link for the PTS installer can be found here.

For detailed instructions regarding the installation of the PTS client, please consult the main post for the last PTS.

Please do not submit any support tickets regarding issues with the Re-Balance PTS.

The Focus of this PTS Session

The last PTS session of the Re-Balance spurred a lot of positive feedback and constructive criticism throughout the community, and with that feedback in mind we are continuing to make adjustments to the Re-Balance initiative with this new PTS session.

Moving forward we are still working to address the Inner Sphere/Clan disparity, along with the introduction and adjustment of more generalized re-balance features. As you’ll see in the full details below, we are continuing to enhance the Information Warfare aspect of MWO with the refinement of the Sensor Range system and the introduction of a Target Profile system. This Target Profile system is a numerical value based on the physical size of a ‘Mech, and can affect the speed with which an enemy ‘Mech can acquire Target Information from you. Under this system it will take longer to acquire Target Information from a smaller ‘Mech, compared to the time it will take to acquire information from a larger ‘Mech. While the Target Profile values in this PTS are not drastically different from each other they are noticeable enough to impact gameplay, and do stack with any other variables that affect Targeting Info Gathering behavior, such as ECM.

This PTS also includes an array of per-variant Internal Structure and Armor Quirks intended to increase time-to-kill (TTK) across the board. These changes mean the Atlas is about to become a force to be reckoned with, while most Light ‘Mechs will be able to protect themselves considerably better compared to their current state in the live servers.

Please keep in mind that the values listed here are still being tuned. Even if a set of numbers has not changed from the previous PTS build, it doesn't mean those numbers are exactly where we want them.

Specific Changes in this PTS

Quirks

• The only Quirks that are in place for this PTS are related to Sensor Range, Inner Structure, and Armor.

Skill Trees

• Cool Run (Basic): Now increases Heat Dissipation by 2.5% (down from original 7.5% value)

• Kinetic Burst (Basic): Now increases BattleMech acceleration by 7.5% (down from original 22.5% value)

• Twist X (Basic): Now increases the maximum amount a BattleMech can twist its upper torso by 2.5% (down from original 10% value)

• Heat Containment (Basic): Now increases maximum heat threshold before a BattleMech shuts down by 5% (down from original 10% value)

• Hard Brake (Basic): Now increases BattleMech deceleration by 7.5% (down from original 25% value)

• Twist Speed (Basic): Now increases the speed at which a BattleMech can twist its upper torso by 2.5% (down from original 20% value)

• Arm Reflex (Basic): Now increases the speed at which a BattleMech can move its arms by 2.5% (down from original 15% value)

• Anchor Turn (Basic): Now increases the turning speed of a BattleMech by 2.5% (down from original 10% value)

Unlocking all Elite Tier efficiencies still applies the standard x2 multiplier to all Basic Tier efficiencies.

• Quick Ignition (Elite): Unchanged from original value.
• Fast Fire (Elite): Weapon cooldown rate now increased by 2.5% (down from original 5% value)
• Pinpoint (Elite): Unchanged, but this Skill is planned for replacement.
• Speed Tweak (Elite): Unchanged from original value.

Equipment and Weaponry

Inner Sphere Single Heat Sinks
• Chassis-equipped Single Heat Sink cooling rate increased to 1.2 (up from 1.1 for previous PTS value).
• Engine-equipped Single Heat Sink cooling rate increased to 1.2 (up from 1.1 for previous PTS value).

Clan Double Heat Sinks
• Chassis-equipped Clan Double Heat Sink heat capacity decreased to 1.1 (down from 1.2 for previous PTS value)

Inner Sphere Lasers

• IS ER Large Laser: Maximum Range increased to 1200m (up from 1080m previous PTS value)
• IS Large Pulse Laser: Maximum Range increased to 730m (up from 584m previous PTS value)
• IS Medium Pulse Laser: Heat Scale now matches that of the IS Medium Laser. 6 IS Medium Pulse Lasers can be fired without incurring a heat penalty.

Clan Lasers

• Clan ER Small Laser: Maximum Range increased to 360m (up from 320m)
• Clan ER Medium Laser: Maximum Range increased to 688 (up from 648)
• Clan Small Pulse Laser: Maximum Range increased to 297m (up from 264m)
• Clan Medium Pulse Laser: Maximum Range increased to 561m (up from 528)

Inner Sphere LRMs

• IS LRM 20: Spread reduced to 6.2m (down from 7.0m)
• IS LRM 20: Cooldown increased to 5.5s (up from 4.75s)
• IS LRM 15: Spread reduced to 5.2m (down from 5.7m)
• IS LRM 15: Cooldown increased to 4.75s (up from 4.25s)
• IS LRM 10: Spread reduced to 4.2m (down from 4.3m)
• IS LRM 10: Cooldown increased to 4.0s (up from 3.75s)

Clan LRMs

• Clan LRM 20: Spread reduced to 6.2m (down from 7.0m)
• Clan LRM 20: Cooldown increased to 6.5s (up from 5.0s)
• Clan LRM 15: Spread reduced to 5.2m (down from 5.7m)
• Clan LRM 15: Cooldown increased to 5.5s (up from 4.5s)
• Clan LRM 10: Spread reduced to 4.2m (down from 4.3m)
• Clan LRM 10: Cooldown increased to 4.5s (up from 4.0s)

All SRMs/SSRMs

• All IS and Clan SRMs: Base speed increased to 400m/s (up from 300m/s)
• All IS Streak SRMs: Base speed increased to 250m/s (up from 200m/s)
• All Clan Streak SRMs: Base speed increased to 230m/s (up from 180m/s)

All Gauss Rifles

• All IS and Clan Gauss Rifles: Cooldown increased to 5.5s (up from 4.0s)

All AC/2s

• All IS and Clan AC/2s: Base heat reduced to 0.8 (down from 1.0)
• All IS And Clan AC/2s: Now have the ability to crit Internals at the same rate as Machine Guns, with a 1.0 DMG multiplier. This means that when an AC/2 does crit it will do 2 additional points of DMG.

Targeting Mechanics

'Mech Target Profiles

'Mechs are now assigned a "Target Profile" value, which is displayed in the 'Mech Stats window with the rest of the core details. This value contributes a period of delay against enemy Target Info Gathering.

• 1000: 1 second delay
• 750: 0.75s delay
• 500: 0.5s delay
• 250: 0.25s delay
• 0: 0s delay

Targeting Range Values (HUD)

• Aiming at a targeted 'Mech will display the full optimal range of your weapons.
• Aiming at a non-targeted 'Mech will display the reduced optimal range.
• Aiming at anything other than a 'Mech will display the reduced optimal range.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This is just a test. The 'Mech Re-Balance is still a work-in-progress.
• The sole purpose of this PTS session is to test and experiment the specific aspects of the 'Mech Re-Balance listed in the previous section of this post.
• The core build used for this PTS build was derived from the October 20th patch.
• There is currently no set end-time for this PTS session.
• Attempting to access the PTS session prior to October 28th at 3:00 PM PDT (10:00 PM UTC) will result in a 'Servers Undergoing Maintenance' message.
• Your login information for the PTS client will be the same as your Live account login information.
• Any actions you take inside the PTS client, such as spending MC/C-Bills or customizing your 'Mechs, will not carry over to your Live account.
• All PTS accounts will be provided with boosted C-Bill, MC, and GXP values to allow for full testing of any desired builds. Those boosts will be provided in the PTS build only.

• The account that is used for your access to the PTS client is a 'snapshot' of your standard Live account. Any changes you make to your Live account while we are running the PTS session may not necessarily carry over to your PTS 'snapshot' account.

To help prevent any confusion with the Live environment, all general discussion of the Re-Balance PTS session should go into the Re-Balance Feedback sub-forum.

Please direct all chassis-specific discussion of this phase into the associated sub-forum for that chassis.

We request that you please only use the Re-Balance forum for constructive feedback and discussion of the Re-Balance PTS.

Download link for the Public Test Server installer!

Discuss the Re-Balance and post your feedback in the Re-Balance and Chassis sub-forums!

[-Ramrod-]

Looks good for the most part. I know it's all just a test and nothing is set in stone. But Clan lasers do NOT need a range increase. If you are going to increase the range of mediums and small...then decrease the range of large lasers. Seriously the Clans need absolutely NO buffs. I've used both IS and Clan...Clans need NO buffs.

[Lucky Noob]

Wow, i realy like that detailed Infos for us to test, Good Work.

and i already like the Pilot Tree Changes,

[Jman5]

Glad to see the AC/2 heat change. That was probably the biggest dealbreaker with the weapon. Will the AC/2 weapon cooldown module be added?

[Domenoth]

So am I reading this right? The damage reduction against Mechs you don't have targeted still begins at 60% of optimum range? But These range changes are basically moving where that 60% value is? So the fact that Clan Mediums are getting a range buff is really more like their 60% is getting moved further out (with just a touch of actual extra max range)?

[Deathlike]

Why is there no IS SL or SPL buff? Only Clans get that?

We'll see.

[Mcgral18]

Quote

• All IS And Clan AC/2s: Now have the ability to crit Internals at the same rate as Machine Guns, with a 1.0 DMG multiplier. This means that when an AC/2 does crit it will do 2 additional points of DMG.

...do you guys know how Crits work? It already has a 1.0 multiplier, and does 2 CRIT damage per crit (not the same as normal damage).

That means it deals 0.3 extra damage per crit, because 15% of Crit damage does into the IS.

Anyway...I'm sure a 52% Crit rate is VERY useful in comparison to the current 42% Crit rate....not the Rate of Fire...

[Deathlike]

Mcgral18, on 03 November 2015 - 05:35 PM, said:

...do you guys know how Crits work? It already has a 1.0 multiplier, and does 2 CRIT damage per crit (not the same as normal damage).

That means it deals 0.3 extra damage per crit, because 15% of Crit damage does into the IS.

Anyway...I'm sure a 52% Crit rate is VERY useful in comparison to the current 42% Crit rate....not the Rate of Fire...

Actually.. the MG has a weaker bonus damage multiplier IIRC. That might actually be the issue.

MG BONUS damage multiplier is @ ".9".

Edited by Deathlike, 03 November 2015 - 05:37 PM.

[luigi256]

Well I suppose I could try some AC2 builds on this PTS. Perhaps I'll throw on a LRM20 too in the testing grounds to check how much the spread change is.

Will the IS Medium laser and Medium Pulse laser be linked together with ghost heat like the Clan versions are?

I'm not sure how I feel about the reduction of the basic quirks. They seem to have been nerfed almost to no benefit, especially without Elite. Are they supposed to be nerfed so much? Will we be getting other skills soon?

[Coralld]

I'm looking forward in participating in this PTS. If its anything like the last PTS, I will have more fun in the PTS servers then the live servers.

I'm really liking the rebalance direction PGI is taking. However, the adjustments to the skill tree look a little harsh, like on the level of them being pointless. But we will see.

luigi256, on 03 November 2015 - 05:37 PM, said:

Well I suppose I could try some AC2 builds on this PTS. Perhaps I'll throw on a LRM20 too in the testing grounds to check how much the spread change is.

Will the IS Medium laser and Medium Pulse laser be linked together with ghost heat like the Clan versions are?

I'm not sure how I feel about the reduction of the basic quirks. They seem to have been nerfed almost to no benefit, especially without Elite. Are they supposed to be nerfed so much? Will we be getting other skills soon?

I feel the same way about the skill tree adjustment.

Really looking forward to playing around with AC2s and seeing how the missiles behave.

Edited by Coralld, 03 November 2015 - 05:42 PM.

[Mcgral18]

Deathlike, on 03 November 2015 - 05:36 PM, said:

Actually.. the MG has a weaker bonus damage multiplier IIRC. That might actually be the issue.

MG BONUS damage multiplier is @ ".9".

MG is at a full 9.0, 900%. 0.08*9=0.72 Crit damage, or a bonus .108 REAL damage.

critChanceIncrease="0.06,0.03,0.01" critDamMult="9.0" rof="10.0"/>

[Deathlike]

Mcgral18, on 03 November 2015 - 05:42 PM, said:

MG is at a full 9.0, 900%. 0.08*9=0.72 Crit damage, or a bonus .108 REAL damage.

critChanceIncrease="0.06,0.03,0.01" critDamMult="9.0" rof="10.0"/>

lol, I'm decimal points off.

Still, I guess we can expand the extra crit damage meme.

Edited by Deathlike, 03 November 2015 - 05:44 PM.

[Navid A1]

I had some LRM15s and LRM10s on some of my clan mechs...
looks like i'm not gonna use those any more...
because F* lurms... lurms so OP... right?


And bye bye mech skills.

[xCico]

Good to see gauss getting 5.5 sec CD, that will be def awesome change. But you will force even more laser warfare. You know PPC/ERPPC need some love as well, like speed buff? Srms getting 400m/s but IMHO I would put 500m/s so srms feel real buff. Like the skill tree changes as well. Time to get PTS

[WarHippy]

I will try these changes out, but at first glance those changes to the skill tree sound terrible(some mechs need the higher percentages just to feel better), the heat changes to Clan heatsinks are stupid without more heat dissipation, and the disgusting damage penalty inside of optimal when not targeting the mech being hit is still there so I can't help but feel this is going to suck horribly.

[Y E O N N E]

Outside of the marginally lower AC/2 heat and the increased Gauss cool-down...none of these changes make any sense...

[Deathlike]

Navid A1, on 03 November 2015 - 05:43 PM, said:

And bye bye mech skills.

That's going to be major.

While we're getting "technically" better cooling (less heat capacity though), all mechs are going to be less agile (less Atlas can track Light mech jokes).

People used to getting double efficiencies will feel some of the impact (minus the arm reflex bonus - it's meh in the first place) and complain about it.

Edited by Deathlike, 03 November 2015 - 05:47 PM.

[Sigilum Sanctum]

Yeonne Greene, on 03 November 2015 - 05:45 PM, said:

Outside of the marginally lower AC/2 heat and the increased Gauss cool-down...none of these changes make any sense...

Half of this list seems like spit-balled garbage. Who know's, we'll see tomorrow.

I might just extend my hiatus.

[Sereglach]

Ok, overall this looks really awesome, and I can't wait to test it out. However, I do have some serious concerns already:

- While the decreases in LRM spread for larger launchers is appreciated, the cooldown increases are just going to propagate the LRM/5 spam even more. That NEEDS to be addressed. LRM/5s need something to make larger launchers desirable. AMS alone doesn't really cut it, because through sheer spam and volley of fire AMS cannot keep up with LRM/5 spam.

- The changes to pulse lasers are nice, but personally I think the maximum range of weapon classes should remain the same between factions, while optimal ranges vary between factions to provide the differentiation, along with damage, heat, etc.

- The Increase to SRM and SSRM velocity is great. However, that means AMS is going to be a drastically less effective counter. AMS will probably need buffs to compensate, otherwise streaks will just utterly shred lights that much faster.

- AC/2s get love but Flamers are still waiting? While the AC/2 attention is appreciated, please, please, please give Flamers the fix they need before this rebalancing hits. I'm begging, here. Some users have shown some simple XML changes that can be made to drastically improve the status of the weapon, even while the artwork changes are still in the works. Please help flamers and fix them for this rebalance . . . so much awesome stuff is happening, please add Flamers to the list.

- I still don't think the SHS change will quite cut it. Of course, I still stand by the whole concept of smaller fixed cap with more aggressive cooling, and only allowing singles to raise the heat cap. However that's just me.

Regardless, again, it looks awesome overall, and I look forward to testing it out. I really think the targeting profiles will be a great addition to MWO, and I'm highly curious to see the quirks that we do get. Hopefully the quirk sets follow lore as much as possible.

EDIT: Oh and THANK GOD the mech skills got the hard nerf they needed! Mechs should not need to be elited just to be playable. These changes to the skills should go a long way to helping with TTK and TTL in MWO as a whole. However, I do think that Speed Tweak needs to GO. Speed Tweak is worth on average 3-4 engine sizes on mechs, which can mean literal millions of c-bills worth of free speed (in comparison to buying that engine) . . . and it completely exacerbates problems from systems like speed caps and MASC.

Edited by Sereglach, 03 November 2015 - 05:59 PM.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Stop nerfing Gauss rifles T.T