Posted 05 July 2016 - 08:13 AM
There are two issues, the first is the high alpha meta, the second is the need to balance the same set of core assets for two very different games.
This attempts to address the first, without considering the second.
In QP, the mixed-tech teams allow Clan Mechs to augment the weaknesses of their team's IS mechs, while the same team's IS mechs cover the weaknesses of the Clan Mechs. The maps are open enough that a team dominated by Clan-tech players (note, dominance does not mean most populous, but that these are the players driving the action) can use speed to keep the range open (two strengths of Clans), whereas a team that is IS dominant can use the cover of their clan tech to close to brawl-range where shorter beam durations and pin-point ballistics give them an edge.
In FP you have pure tech teams, which means neither side is able to use the other's strengths to cover their own weaknesses. Theoretically, this means each side should play to their strengths while guarding their weaknesses. Unfortunately, that is not what you get. Initial point of contact is often less than 400 meters, and time to close is less than five seconds. An IS team that is aggressively handled thus finds it fairly easy to get into their optimal range, while a Clan team has a hard time keeping the IS at theirs.
Furthermore, many of the FP maps have significant terrain features that tend to force close-range battles. Bunkering the O-gens was done to obviate against the light-rush tactic that both sides were sort of employing at the time. But this also had the effect of making the objective area more constricted.
As a result, in 'Attack' the terrain, close objectives, turrets, and need to address objectives, is weighted towards the defenders. The terrain features of most maps favor IS defense over a Clan defense. Vitric Forge and Emerald Taiga, both of which necessitate a brawl unless the IS team allows itself to be drawn into a less-than-optimal engagement, flat-out favor IS in any mode over the Clans. Notably, Grim Portico is open enough once past the gateway-chokepoint that attacker/defender are on a much more equal footing and often comes down to who has the better coordination (the Clans to keep IS at range by maneuvering and concentrating fire in chokepoints, or IS to hammer through chokepoints to close range) with the winner most often ending with a one wave advantage.
In counter-attack, the exposed nature of Omega is such that offensive units can engage it, and once ahead on kills, pull back to their side of the gates where the terrain usually favors a long-range engagement (in this scenario, Boreal, Sulfurous, and Hellebore become straight-up long-range duels that favor clans, while Portico, Forge, and Taiga are maneuvering free-for-alls where coordination trumps range or firepower).
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Andi Nagasia, on 20 October 2015 - 08:07 PM, said:
