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But this time we'll be taking a looking at it from the "fun vs. performance" perspective. But first let's talk about the previous state of affairs. Before engine desync, the primary balancing tool used by PGI was quirks. Some mechs supported efficient meta loadouts, and therefore received little or no quirks. Other mechs with bad hardpoints, bad hitboxes, low engine ratings etc. received quirks to compensate for their shortcomings. The whole thing was centered around bringing the performance of underperforming mechs to the adequate level.Now with the introduction of engine desync, PGI chose to use it as a balancing tool to nerf "overperforming" mechs and buff "underperforming" mechs. However, the point they completely missed is that mech's handling greatly contributes to the "fun factor" of piloting a mech. As a result, they ended up making well-performing mechs less enjoyable to play, and making underperforming mechs more enjoyable to play. At least this is how it looks on the Clan side - can't speak for the IS as I have no experience with the IS tech. An this forces a very uncomfortable choice on the players.
Let's take a look at a couple of my personal favorite Clan heavies - the Hellbringer and the Timber Wolf. The Hellbringer retained most of its mobility, because it apparently wasn't perceived as "OP". The Timber Wolf was hit by a mobility nerf, and now feels a lot clumsier than before. However, in my personal experience, it still performs better in terms of match scores and damage numbers because it can simply carry a more powerful loadout than the Hellbringer. In practical terms, it means that if PGI were to run a performance-based event for the heavy class, I as a player would have a hard choice to make. Do I take a mech that's less fun to pilot, but is more likely to bring me good match scores and let me achieve the event objectives faster, or do I take a mech that is more fun to pilot, and sacrifice my performance? Frankly, that's a choice I'd rather not make.
And it's even worse in the assault class. Since I got a lot of C-Bill and GSP from module refunds, I took this opportunity to purchase and try out most of the Clan assault chassis, and I have to say that the most enjoyable Clan assault is now the Executioner, because it received a huge buff to mobility, and now handles better than some heavies. At the same time, it is by far the weakest Clan assault, and probably the weakest of all assaults, capable of carrying roughly the same loadouts as a 65-ton Ebon Jaguar. On the contrary, the Marauder IIC is probably still the strongest Clan assault due to the sheer amount of firepower it can bring for its weight (and also due to heavy nerfs to the 100-tonners), but it is now literally disgusting to pilot, because it handles like a goddamn garbage truck. So once again, you have to make a choice between enjoing the mech you pilot or achieving good performance with it.
I don't know, maybe I've been spoiled by the Clan tech which used to offer both fun and performance in the same package. But I just feel that nerfing the "overperforming" mechs in a manner that takes the fun out of piloting them is the wrong thing to do. I think PGI should revert to the previous practice of giving quirks to underperformers to bring them to the level of well-performing mechs. If they insist on engine decoupling, then so be it - let's give the same mobility to all mechs of the same weight. But please, don't use mobility values as a nerf bat. It's no fun - literally.
Edited by DGTLDaemon, 23 May 2017 - 07:40 AM.
