4 replies to this topic

[Reposter]

Hi guys, just wondering if they could make such that Streak SRMs can fire even without target lock on? Very often I see ally players just die trying to get a lock on with Streak SRMs, maybe making it dumb fire capable as well as lock on capable would make it more popular choice to equip Streak SRMs and make them more user friendly.

Balance wise you could make the spread more when dumb firing Steak SRMS and when lock on is confirmed the Streak SRM missile spread could be less and more lethal than dumb fire mode?

Just think about it.

[MechanicalWraith]

Streak type missiles refuse to launch (by design, to conserve ammunition) unless the launcher's microwave targeting laser finds a suitably interesting subject. I personally support them not dumb-firing, but at the same time I hate that they use the same tracking mechanism as LRMs. I would suggest that SSRMs (or SLRMs if we ever get those) get changed to a more faithful representation of their locking technology, such as that of MW4 - where Streaks would lock onto the target if it were simply under the crosshairs at launch. This would eliminate the issues with fighting the all-too-common fast mechs that peek and duck behind corners so fast SSRMs can't even lock (the kind of mechs SSRMs are meant to fight), and also allow them to be used while under the disrupt effect of an enemy ECM.

Edited by MechanicalWraith, 10 October 2017 - 02:05 AM.

[Lightfoot]

SSRMs were never really balanced for MWO. With the imminent arrival of Clan SSRM 6, SSRMs were just made into arcade missiles. They have a 14% chance to hit any section except the head and a 16% chance to hit the center torso. They used to aim for the mech's center mass as homing missiles would and 6xSSRM2's used to be equivalent to 4 SSRM6.

Anyway, what this means is SSRMs are not very good against heavier targets in MWO.

MechWarrior 3 had SSRMs balanced very well. They homed on the center mass and were good damage, but they had a wide turning arc so a zig-zaging Light mech was almost impossible to hit. But, there was a skill to using them so with practice your aiming trajectories got better. Of course assaults and heavies were easier to hit and took more damage. But the balance was all in the turning arc, not in the damage level being nerfed so badly that they are only for Light mechs. Much better than MWO's SSRMs.

SSRMs should at least lock faster in MWO.

[MechanicalWraith]

SSRMs do lock faster unless paired with slow-locking missiles, but otherwise in the same way. That's the problem, they're supposed to refuse launch unless they have LoS on a target, currently they can lock onto targets shared by allies/UAVs (laser-authentication says they shouldn't), and they're also disabled by ECM's "Low Signal" disrupt effect (laser-based tracking shouldn't care).

MW4's tracking model for streaks was perfect in my opinion, they'd track to whatever component you were pointing at when you launched them, so skill meant something.

[Reposter]

Ok, while we have different ideas how to balance SSRMs, we are in agreement that SSRMs are not currently very user friendly.