33 replies to this topic

[Baulven]

You really need to look at the archives. The fact that the damage is borked has existed here since the 26th of May. Keep in mind when long Tom was fixed it was doing about 15% mech damage unless you deeper directly on the smoke. The long Tom can be a viable addition if PGI would fix their damn hotfix screw up. It was identified as an issue more than a month ago. Go yell on reddit and Twitter until they did the damn thing because they obviously don't read the forums.

Edited by Baulven, 04 July 2016 - 04:36 AM.

[Bud Crue]

Yep. Been a problem for a while. Working as intended. PGI even made that nice FP advertisement video to show off FP and all it's features...including the long tom. Pretty sure they think it is just fine and that all the players who left since P3 dropped just don't understand the genius of this new and "improved mode".

Of course older players fled FP for a variety of reasons (unit penalty, no recruitment function, Russ's seeming hatred of large groups that want to play his game, no real reason for players to play as loyalists, etc.), and not necessarily because of the long tom. To me I see Long Tom as not so much of a mechanism to encourage old players to leave FP, but rather a brilliant game mechanism to ensure that new players who are giving FP a try have zero motivation to play it again. Thus, we have a perfect combination of built in systems to ensure that all levels of players, old and new, are equally repelled and the population remains minimal. That way when they have FP events there is a momentary blip of excitement and interest which allows PGI to say: "See, everything is fine, people love FP. No need to change anything. Perhaps you would like to buy a mech pack? Yes?"

Edited by Bud Crue, 04 July 2016 - 04:52 AM.

[Palfatreos]

i think i saw a timberwolf playing in scout mission in that promo video. It not fair i want my lovely timby in scout mission to T.T

[maniacos]

Palfatreos, on 04 July 2016 - 05:11 AM, said:

i think i saw a timberwolf playing in scout mission in that promo video. It not fair i want my lovely timby in scout mission to T.T

Not only a Timber, also a Maddog and a Dire was in there...

Also the long tom in the video didn't work like the one we have now:
1. It was commanded by the team leader (in Atlas) on a specific location and not auto-aim all 2 minutes
2. It obviously didn't kill any mech despite hitting directly on the attacker's lance, the whole bunch that already had a brawl with the defenders didn't die from the long tom. What we have instead insta-kills fresh mechs that have had not a scratch before.

What ever they display in their promo, its not that what they serve in game.

On a side note I find it mostly funny that everyone has one Air strike per match per module (maximum 2) but that god tom fires all two minutes.

Edited by maniacos, 04 July 2016 - 07:06 AM.

[Jman5]

Even if they reduce the damage, it's a bad mechanic. Scouting Bonuses should be useful, but indirect advantages. Having something fall from the sky every 2 minutes and splat the other team is not fun for either team.

[Baulven]

Jman5, on 04 July 2016 - 07:35 AM, said:

Even if they reduce the damage, it's a bad mechanic. Scouting Bonuses should be useful, but indirect advantages. Having something fall from the sky every 2 minutes and splat the other team is not fun for either team.

Yea I can obviously tell you don't play faction warfare at all outside of events. Anyone that remembers when long tom was scaled back will tell you it was fine. I dropped multiple times with and against it (more against than with) and had no problems with it either lightly damaging my mech or escaping damage altogether. When they decided it needed to do 150 damage per location is when it became a stupid gimmick instead of a viable force multiplier that could be won even when in the opposition.

[nehebkau]

Baulven, on 04 July 2016 - 04:35 AM, said:

You really need to look at the archives. The fact that the damage is borked has existed here since the 26th of May. Keep in mind when long Tom was fixed it was doing about 15% mech damage unless you deeper directly on the smoke. The long Tom can be a viable addition if PGI would fix their damn hotfix screw up. It was identified as an issue more than a month ago. Go yell on reddit and Twitter until they did the damn thing because they obviously don't read the forums.

long-tom is the most stupid idea PGI has introduced in this game in a LONG time.

Hey lets introduce a game mechanic that removes the FUNDAMENTAL money, experience and fun from the game -- shooting and killing enemy mechs.

I hate playing with long-tom on my side because my cbill generation is 50%, usually, of what a NORMAL match would be. The same holds true when I am fighting against long tom.

Were PGI actually thinking, CRITICALLY, they would have said: "What should the end-game of winning an intellegence war be?

• A big-*** weapon that ruins the fun of the game?
  
• Some type of super intelligence that provides incredible battlefield data?

Had they simply played that little mind-game they would have realized how mindbogglingly stupid Long-Tom is as an outcome to Scouting missions.

The REAL end-result of 90% scouting success should be a battle-field-wide game-length UAV. Have the players with the scouting advantage be able to see everything the enemy is doing, lock onto the enemy and rain LRMs etc down. A geosynchronous intelligence platform. No ECM functionality on the enemy side and a cornucopia of Doritos to lock onto.


BUT WAIT! Our next mech pack will contain a bonus mech that is immune to long-tom! ONLY $79.95!

Edited by nehebkau, 04 July 2016 - 10:08 AM.

[Jman5]

Baulven, on 04 July 2016 - 09:43 AM, said:

Yea I can obviously tell you don't play faction warfare at all outside of events. Anyone that remembers when long tom was scaled back will tell you it was fine. I dropped multiple times with and against it (more against than with) and had no problems with it either lightly damaging my mech or escaping damage altogether. When they decided it needed to do 150 damage per location is when it became a stupid gimmick instead of a viable force multiplier that could be won even when in the opposition.

Yeah obviously, I'm a huge noob here. Weekend warrior coming through to collect muh event points.

Edited by Jman5, 04 July 2016 - 11:33 AM.

[Bud Crue]

nehebkau, on 04 July 2016 - 10:05 AM, said:

BUT WAIT! Our next mech pack will contain a bonus mech that is immune to long-tom! ONLY $79.95!

What's funny is that if they did this, people would actually buy it. Some would even defend it, since after all it would be adding "depth". Geezuz. Sorry. Bitterness is running high atm.

Gotta repeat the mantra to regain my center: PGI knows best. PGI knows best. I belong on an island. PGI knows best...

[nehebkau]

Bud Crue, on 04 July 2016 - 11:42 AM, said:

What's funny is that if they did this, people would actually buy it. Some would even defend it, since after all it would be adding "depth". Geezuz.

I see you are getting as salty as me.... when the water gets too salty for a whale to live in it -- watch out.

[DaFrog]

Jman5, on 04 July 2016 - 11:33 AM, said:

Yeah obviously, I'm a huge noob here. Weekend warrior coming through to collect muh event points.

Nah, this just means you're better at sand bagging than most.

[justcallme A S H]

I bet he doesn't mass eject though.

[KinLuu]

Baulven, on 04 July 2016 - 09:43 AM, said:

Anyone that remembers when long tom was scaled back will tell you it was fine.

No, it was not fine. It was still a bad mechanic that seriously reduced the fun in the invasion gamemode.

To rescue CW, LT needs to go. And sooner, rather than later.

[Carl Vickers]

DaFrog, on 04 July 2016 - 09:57 PM, said:

Nah, this just means you're better at sand bagging than most.

[justcallme A S H]

hahhaha

[xX PUG Xx]

Did someone seriously suggest that Jman doesn't play FP much and another that he hides in back?????............. I'm just, erm, I..... whaaaaaaaaat?

I guess tye OP doesn't play much FP if he's not came across Jman and as for the other "pilot", the less said the better. GGClose boys, at least you gave me a chuckle.

As for LT AKA the mini nuke, any game mechanic that is outside of a players control but has such a huge impact on a match is simply bad for a PvP environment. Take away the individual gamers skill and there is no point in playing IMO.

[ice trey]

I, for one, think I'd like to see Long Tom kept.

HOWEVER, not as is.

I'd like long tom, first, to no longer be automatically dropped by AI on player formations. Instead, I want to see it in player control. However, it must be dropped by someone who has taken Company Command, and only through the company command interface, making it more or less impossible to use in the thick of combat, but instead, as a free, more powerful alternative to the standard arty strikes for forcing clustered opponents out of cover without having to have LOS.

...but again, you'd be pretty much blind while you're tinkering with the company command screen, so if your team isn't helping you see where the enemy is, it'd be useless. As it is, it would also render one mech pretty much useless, as well.

Damage may not be such a major deal. Maybe drop damage but increase AoE? Maybe just increase the smoke time so that it's all but reserved for breaking up loitering mechs? Legitimately, I've never had the opportunity to see a single LT land in this game (Not terribly compelled to play MWO right now when DOOM single player is so much more fun), but from the horror stories I've heard about LTs, I feel like it would make more sense this way. The other team at least must guess where the other team is, and have to put one of their mechs out of action for a few seconds in order to pull it off. If there's a hard push going on, they're unlikely to be able to sacrifice the time to get into the menu and drop smoke on the right grid without someone exploiting their distraction.

[Pat Kell]

Carl Vickers, on 04 July 2016 - 10:14 PM, said:

That's some funny @^#$ right there.

[Sjorpha]

Carl Vickers, on 04 July 2016 - 10:14 PM, said:

You just made my day.

[MischiefSC]

Jman5, on 04 July 2016 - 11:33 AM, said:

Yeah obviously, I'm a huge noob here. Weekend warrior coming through to collect muh event points.

What I've loved in this debate is mediocre players propelled to recent success on the coat tails of LT and scouting imbalance being in such a tizzy to keep their crutch they're telling some of the top ranked players and teams "you just don't understand, get better".

It's a fundamental issue with balance. Some people will fight tooth and nail to protect a broken mechanic that advantages them because it creates the illusion of them being better at the game than they are.