just a quick discussion question for everyone...if you have to choose...
What would you prefere personally from these approaches for balancing/"nerfing" alphas:
1. Stats of the weapon only.
This would nerf weapons which are boated (e.g. SPL were nerfed already, so many lights are using HML instead)
-> Downside: it will affect lighter mechs and low-hardpoint variants as well as "boats", so each weapon will feel "weak" if not boated (so this is moving more towards boats)
2. Ghost Heat limits only.
This would target boats only and would reduce relatively easily the volley size.
-> Downside: it will force people to do 1-2 combis instead of alpha, even on lighter mechs
-> Downside: there are loopholes that allow certain groups to work together without triggering GH (e.g. Large and Med lasers together, or ACs + SRMs + laser)
3. Energy Draw instead of GH.
This would tacke all GH limitations and all combinations together to limit overall dps output of the game by extra heat.
-> Downside: everything is generating more heat with penalties, even mixed builds
4. Heat scale effects (alone/on top).
This would reduce movement, aiming and targeting speed depending on your mechs heat levels (e.g. above 50% / 70%).
-> Downside: probably not efficient without existing Ghost heat to move the heat up in the first place to trigger the effects
5. Ghost Charging (name tbd).
This would be a new idea where the Ghost Heat /Energy Draw does not increase heat, but other stats.
e.g. Firing 6 PPCs together will charge up the weapons (maybe ~1sec), or firing multiple lasers will make the beam duration and cooldown 25% longer...
maybe multiple Gauss will charge 50% longer, or missiles/uAC bursts will be longer.
->Downside: New things require a lot more theory crafting and testing on top of the already developed GH and ED mechanics.
personally, I'd probably would rank these choices like this:
3. - Energy Draw, as my top favorite, but it will require some tweaking imho:
earlier penalties, but lower, so you are not getting huge spike after crossing the red line.
4./5. - Heat Scale effects and other effects, as an on-top effect for ED or GH, but not as stand alone.
2. GH, as a short therm solutions before 3 and 4/5 can be used. This should be triggered early with low amound of penalty:
e.g. max of 3 large or 4 med lasers, but low penalty, so you can still use more.
e.g. 2x AC20 with lower penalty multiplier, so you will trigger GH, but not as spiky as now.
e.g. 3x SRM6 instead of 4x SRM6 without GH, but lower penalty again.
1. Stat changes, only for making weapons overall more difficult.
e.g. all ACs to be burst and all lasers (besides pulse) to be longer burns.
Edited by Reno Blade, 23 May 2018 - 02:19 AM.