Posted 22 August 2017 - 02:16 PM
I am so very tired of seeing clan fans claim the PGI favors the IS. I'm also tired, although I notice it less, of seeing IS fans claim PGI favors the clans.
Here is the situation. Games with factions need those factions to be balanced. That is a simple fact, because without approximate parity, you end up with pretty much one playable faction.
When clans were introduced, they had a vast tech advantage. Smaller, lighter, longer range weapons. Smaller, lighter equipment, particularly heat sinks (smaller). cXL.
All according to lore, great, but it makes for a lousy game. It was, purportedly, quite ugly for the IS for a while.
Since that time, PGI has been making efforts to bring more balance in, with limited success. Quirk, nerf, etc., etc. It is an on-going process, because the factions are not identical, nor should they be.
That does not mean PGI loves IS more than the clans (or vice versa). That means the PGI is trying to balance their game., with it still based on TT/lore.
Favoritism to either side is not productive for PGI. Get it?
Now, to the topic at hand.
I like the idea of every mech (clan and IS) always being able to mount at least one AMS. On the IS side I think that's already pretty much the case. It would be a boost for the clans, particularly folks running omnis who've chosen modules without an AMS point.
I also like the idea that mechs with an AMS hardpoint could put a 2nd AMS where that hardpoint is.
One change that would obviously be necessary is that any existing single AMS point would need to be removed, possibly adding another weapon hardpoint (of whatever kind the mech has the most of?). (in some ways this makes good sense, because iirc, in TT AMS could be used to target enemy mechs, not gonna happen in MWO, but precedence for the hardpoint replacement)
On mechs that can currently mount multiple AMS, the 2nd (and 3rd?) AMS points would still be locked to wherever. So, the 1st you put wherever you want (except legs), after that you put additional AMS where the hardpoint is.
Sounds workable.