22 replies to this topic

[Cyborne Elemental]

May just be me, but I really thing that these ECM towers in the ESCORT game mode should not have scouting ability.

The Turrets that are placed around, sure why not.
But the ECM towers being able to spot, with such a wide coverage area really seem to be unbalanced when they can scout and are non-destroyable.

just my opinion..

[RestosIII]

I've been wondering this for awhile, but... Is it just me, or are they taking away the "Scouting" bonus you normally get from being the first person to spot an enemy? Because I haven't gotten that bonus a single time in that game mode AFAIK, and if the towers steal it, that's an indirect nerf to lights. Again.

[topgun505]

Yeah I might actually like that mode without the stupid towers (or at least make them destructible).

[Dracol]

Just in case y'all are unaware, the towers cannot be destroyed, but they can be captured. Something like 15 secs standing next to em flips em.

[Mystere]

Dracol, on 29 December 2016 - 10:56 AM, said:

Just in case y'all are unaware, the towers cannot be destroyed, but they can be captured. Something like 15 secs standing next to em flips em.

Being able to destroy them is better. It's like locking someone up in a huge room and killing the lights one by one in a horror movie.

Edited by Mystere, 29 December 2016 - 11:01 AM.

[Verkhne]

escort is hell for light mechs..trying to flip radar quite likely to get tagged by a turret or Lrm, Scouting boni hard to get. God forbid trying to fight near a red dropship..Poor mode and actually feel , for the first time in this game, that afking out may be an option..That would be bad for game I know but...(or give me ideas as to how to help Locust survivability in this mode??)

[Fox the Apprentice]

Dracol, on 29 December 2016 - 10:56 AM, said:

Just in case y'all are unaware, the towers cannot be destroyed, but they can be captured. Something like 15 secs standing next to em flips em.

5 secs to neutral, 5 secs to capped IIRC

[Jackal Noble]

I've come to the understanding on here that one should respect others opinions and input.
Well, I'm going to throw that out the window for this:

Git gud.
I enjoy Escort because it employs a mobile element, the Derpsie Atlas, which promotes teamwork, but also because it allows for covert and open movement safe from skilless LRMers (the backfield campers, who decide after every single member of their time that actually fought is dead, that then is a good time to employ the two large pulse lasers conveniently located on the mechs arms).

I feel it allows for the maps to be played in a more fluid, tactical manner where more of the map actually gets utilized instead of the center of the map, on every map.

The towers are great and can either help you in achieving your objective or hinder you and cause you to lose the match if you ignore them(which a surprising amount of players tend to do; does no one read the patch notes?)
My number one objective for either offense or defense at the start of a match is to push for on the fore most towers to either protect them or utilize them for my teammates.

I mean, it's amazing enough that PGI put out a new game mode that wasn't fraught with mishaps. That alone is worthy of pause.

Seriously, the game mode is finally a step away (albeit a minor one) from 12 shades of deathmatch, which in my mind justifies it's existence alone.
Also, this brings to point one of the glaring issues with this game: the varied opinionations of it's user base.

Normally, I am a very understanding and patient person but this time, it's not the game mode, it's you.

Edited by JackalBeast, 29 December 2016 - 01:38 PM.

[Jackal Noble]

Oh yeah, almost forgot:

Mediocre Tip - Don't hump the VIP

[Ruar]

JackalBeast, on 29 December 2016 - 01:37 PM, said:

I've come to the understanding on here that one should respect others opinions and input...

I think there is potential in Escort mode, but it's crappy in it's current form.

The ECM towers don't make much sense because they provide too much benefit to the defense. They should either be removed or given to the attackers. After all, the attackers know there is a VIP moving through the area, dropping in sensors prior to attacking makes more sense than the defense having them.

The biggest flaw in Escort mode is the VIP itself. One reason is the amount of armor, the other is the ECM. Combined they make the VIP stupid powerful and give a huge advantage to the defending team.

I think the armor needs to be reduced. Maybe not the front armor but the rear armor needs to be much less. This would force the defenders to actually defend instead of simply hunt down the attacking team while they are filtering in to find the VIP.

Alternately, the ECM should be removed so the attacking team can find and coordinate against the VIP. I think every match I've been in as attacker the VIP is at the half way mark before they are spotted. Spotting the VIP requires the sacrifice of multiple lights/mediums who have to run the gauntlet of the attackers to get in close enough to provide the target.

So either the armor gets reduced forcing the defenders to actually defend, or the ECM gets pulled so the attackers can find and target the VIP at a reasonable distance.


Escort mode could be a lot of fun, but right now it isn't.

[JudauAshta]

here's a pro tip for you

DONT PLAY ESCORT

it's a unbalanced and **** mode. favoring one side in most situations.

[The Unstoppable Puggernaut]

On a side note, I really think these towers should be on most maps regardless of the mode. It could really help on Polar lrmlands especially where there's no cover.

[Alistair Winter]

Gotta nerf those OP light mechs by creating a bunch of ECM towers with UAV-capability around the map, and auto-hit turrets with lasers to boot.

We wouldn't want light mechs to have too much of an impact on the game and rise from their position of the least popular weight class in the game.

[Snazzy Dragon]

Dracol, on 29 December 2016 - 10:56 AM, said:

Just in case y'all are unaware, the towers cannot be destroyed, but they can be captured. Something like 15 secs standing next to em flips em.

Good thing most of those towers are out in the open and any LRM pilot with a quarter of a brain cell will lock onto you and make you pay for turning the tower around.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Snazzy Dragon, on 29 December 2016 - 03:11 PM, said:

Good thing most of those towers are out in the open and any LRM pilot with a quarter of a brain cell will lock onto you and make you pay for turning the tower around.

Not to mention there's no actual safe method of approaching these towers. They're always in the open, they don't have blind spots like UAVs do (really, UAVs need to be able to get a direct LOS on you to report your position; ECM towers do NOT do this!), and they can't even be remotely shut down by ERPPC or something. Can't even counter-ECM the things, and your own ECM gets countered by it.

Just make it possible to disable them by hitting them with a PPC, the same way as an ECM mech does, and problem solved. Doesn't even have to be destructible, just make it possible to jam the things.

[Revis Volek]

Mister D, on 29 December 2016 - 08:24 AM, said:

May just be me, but I really thing that these ECM towers in the ESCORT game mode should not have scouting ability.

The Turrets that are placed around, sure why not.
But the ECM towers being able to spot, with such a wide coverage area really seem to be unbalanced when they can scout and are non-destroyable.

just my opinion..

They are dumb and take the bread right out of our light pilots mouths.


PGI wants info warfare and they make ECM towers which negate any need for scouting or info, they just tell you where the mechs are for 90% of the match.


Well done guys, par for the course.

[roboPrancer]

Fox With A Shotgun, on 29 December 2016 - 05:11 PM, said:

Not to mention there's no actual safe method of approaching these towers. They're always in the open, they don't have blind spots like UAVs do (really, UAVs need to be able to get a direct LOS on you to report your position; ECM towers do NOT do this!), and they can't even be remotely shut down by ERPPC or something. Can't even counter-ECM the things, and your own ECM gets countered by it.

Just make it possible to disable them by hitting them with a PPC, the same way as an ECM mech does, and problem solved. Doesn't even have to be destructible, just make it possible to jam the things.

That's my only beef with the new towers. They render ECM and also BAP totally useless. There should definitely be more ways to disable these towers, they are super powerful in their current form.

[Vellron2005]

The only problem I have with ECM towers is that they are not "towers".

They might be called beacons, antennae, or generators.. but not towers.. A tower implies a building, not something that small..

Other than that.. they are fine..

[Y E O N N E]

Revis Volek, on 29 December 2016 - 06:11 PM, said:

They are dumb and take the bread right out of our light pilots mouths.


PGI wants info warfare and they make ECM towers which negate any need for scouting or info, they just tell you where the mechs are for 90% of the match.


Well done guys, par for the course.

Not only do they negate the need for one team to scout, the proximity of turrets also kills the opposition's ability to scout as well. Hooray, two turret encounters and the ST on my Locust is now open and ready for plunder!

[Thor Sten]

I like Escort. It's a very good step away from the boring skirmishes, but yeah, could need some work. My ideas.

a ) Would love for a random evac-points, with the team leader setting waypoints for the VIP to guide it there.

b ) If they worked like the Seismic Sensors instead of UAVs ("...something red moving over here..."), the towers would still be valuable enough.

c ) The turrets are pretty deadly for the lowers end of lights and pretty negligible for everybody else. OK, after I have learned where they are placed, I can often take 2-4 turrets out without my locust being total scrap metal at the end, but that's tedious memorizing instead of responding to the actual match at hand. Perhaps, it would help, if they were more duarble, but less precise? Would give lights a chance to take them out, while also make them more interesting than a "one-shot" for heavier mechs.

EDIT: Or, what about removing the UAV-ability of towers for seismic and giving the (tougher or even indestructible) turrets TAG. Whatever they hit with it, is then transmitted instead of everything...

Edited by Thor Sten, 30 December 2016 - 05:12 AM.