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[Hammer Hand]

TLDNR – Add and randomize drop zones, data points and bases. Mix the lances so you do not have all of 1 weight class in a lance.

The main notion is to add drop zones and randomize them. I am not a programmer and so I have almost no idea how easy or hard this would be. I also know there have been a lot of good ideas posted before this and there will be more after it too.

Adding drop zones can add a lot of diversity to the game, where the fights are, and what the best positions are etc. This is especially true on the larger maps.

For skirmish and assault, you could have a lance drop between two enemy lances. The mission becomes a rescue operation (save the lance or as many mechs as you can). If your team is down a lance, it becomes guerilla warfare. For example, you’re in your drop ship, everyone is connected and you are getting ready to drop. A message comes through saying we have a problem (taking fire, fighters inbound etc.) you must eject now – “eject, eject, eject” and you are out, low level dropped on the battle field. You must find the rest of the company and then achieve the mission objective. The enemy is in unknown positions and moving who knows where. The alt tab people must pay more attention to know the mission, and coms become more important. Mech builds would have to change, possibly to more balanced builds. The meta in pug matches would change and pre-drop coms would matter (what is your build and how do I support you?).

For Conquest, randomize the data points and the drop zones. Scouting and guerilla warfare become more important. As data points are found, they appear on both team’s maps. The battle time can be increased or decreased per drop. Most points win.

For Escort missions, randomize the drop zones and the pick-up zone. For the defenders, one lance drops near the VIP. The other 2 are random. The hunters must find the other lances and the VIP. 2 opposing lances may be dropped within 500 meters of each other. Emergency hot drop.

Another idea is delay one lance dropping in. Say the drop ship got lost, was damaged, had to re-route, whatever it was delayed. Then they drop in a previous lance’s drop zone as a reinforcement. While they are coming in, they can hear coms from the 2 lances on the ground.

Mechs in the drop ship could get a benefit of the drop ship’s sensors. For the few seconds, they are in it.

For Assault, use one base with turrets and walls. Drop 1 lance in the base and give them a sensor advantage. Drop 2 lances outside the base (not close), they can either go in the base or move to flank the enemy. Randomize the attacker lances drop zones, they must decide whether to hunt the 2 lances, or attack the base.

Last one is give a secondary objective so that you can lose the fight but achieve the secondary goal. For Skirmish, say kill 10 enemy mechs etc. This maybe too hard for programmers to call a simple change.

These ideas are intended to give quick variety to the game. No new game modes, no new maps. Just adding some variety and uncertainty to the existing options.