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[Kael Posavatz]

Ghost Heat vs Energy Draw

Ghost Heat scaled up heat based on number of X weapon fired. If you fired more of weapon X than the 'max', you incurred a heat penalty. Instead of arbitrary numbers, Energy Draw scales up heat when you fire more than 'damage x', it doesn't matter what weapon(s) are used.

In a straight up comparison the two are a wash. In terms of ease of use and intuitiveness, Energy Draw is a poor second-best.

The mechanics of Ghost Heat (how many of each weapon), are now buried under years of posts, difficult to find, and somewhat hard to grasp (in terms of how much additional heat will be generated). That said, it was relatively easy to use 'N-number of X-weapon'. Take a look at the chart and most mechs don't use more than N of X in their builds anyway.

Energy draw requires players to make careful calculations when setting up firing groups. Okay, sounds easier. Problem is once you are in combat and start losing weapons, you start using other weapons to make up the difference. Toss in energy draw and suddenly in addition to fighting your mech you are trying to do maths while...

Point is, Ghost Heat is taken into account during the mech-building portion of play-time. Energy Draw takes those calculations and injects them into the match portion of play-time where they are, at best, a nascence.

The fact that it isn't a one-for-one ration between damage and energy draw, or even grouped by class of weapons (Energy, Missiles, Ballistics), but rather creates a new type of division within the weapon systems were none previously existed further complicates things.

And the cockpit clutter! Energy draw, heat bar, throttle, MASC, jump jets, coolant flush... Cirque du Soleil has less going on than the inside of my Shadowcat.

Frankly, if I was a new player already struggling with the other difficulties this game throws at us, I would probably not continue playing.



instant v duration potential-damage

Okay, potential damage leaves the originating mech in one of two ways: instant, and duration. Instant are LB-X, PPC, IS autocannons and missiles, and all SRM/Streaks. Duration are Clan AC/UAC, Clan LRMs, and all lasers.

So, question, how does losing potential damage from a duration-weapon system affect energy draw? Take the Clan ultra-AC-20, it's damage potential comes in a 4-round burst, each round dealing 5 pts of damage. If it jams after the second round, does it only charge '10' to the energy-draw mechanic? Likewise if I'm tooling along in a BJ (my first mech, still have 'em), and I open up with 2x Large Laser 2x Med Pulse (30 damage), and I lose a large laser halfway through its beam duration (4.5-ish damage), can I trip a small pulse laser (4 damage) without incurring a heat penalty?

As is, this seems to be a clever way to get Clan-loyalists killed. The Ultra-20 will get hammered with heat for double-tapping (assuming it doesn't jam), and two ultra-10s the same (Mauler? yeah, about that...). And if the Ultra-20 jams after the first round it still counts as the full -20 to energy draw so you have to wait. If you are using a UAC-20 you are in brawling distance so waiting probably isn't a very good idea, but if you don't you overheat and...


other gameplay mechanic-stuff

AC-5 series, seems lethargic. The global cooldown increase, and the hammer taken to the modules is noticeable, but the AC-5s are...slow

Gauss--this is even worse than the AC-5. For one thing, I really liked the charge mechanic as a way to differentiate it from the other ballistic weapons. I'd prefer a hold-charge with increased damage when destroyed, but that's neither here nor there. I realize that some people have figured out a way to use more than 2 gauss rifles? Fine, put in a hard limit. Done, move along.

Gauss problems--The new duration is so long that Gauss are onlyviable as a snipe weapon, if an enemy gets close the cycle time is so long that a mech equipped with gauss will be unable to defend itself at close range in most instances. Since distance-poking is a thing in the opening portion of a match, this may not be an true hindrance, but since most matches end at close range, mechs with gauss will become another LRM-boat-type target, that is "that's a gauss-sniper, close fast and it's helpless".

Colors on heat bar: YES! But make it the whole bar changes color instead of a little tiny square under it.

Double heatsinks: YES! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?


PTU

Glad that you put this out for us to play test, but I could not get a match within a reasonable time period those times I was able to log onto it. Most of those I talked to were doing the event. I did spend time tooling around in the testing grounds, but that is, admittedly, different. Perhaps you should consider making the PTU the event with awards to live accounts for participating.