Been keeping quiet for a while since I am not interested in having lengthy discussions now, but this post has caught my eye. This is a
very tersely written comment, so that I avoid writing a thesis on MWO weapon balance since I have a
DEEP passion for this game - I can elaborate on my points if needed (if I feel like it)
. I hope my comments make sense and I don't screw up >_< 1*
Problem with discussing weapon balance now is that current game balance is pretty good now thanks to the
extraordinary work from Cauldron/ Gulag, so things aren’t as black and white as since March 2021.*2
This means we can no longer balance weapons and mechs in the game because they are clearly unbalanced – as there are few builds that are so obviously unbalanced now (e.g. C-ERPPC and MC-II-DS in March 2021, MLX as of recent):
So before I make concrete suggestions, I want to ask the Cauldron the following questions:
What kind of game do you envisage MWO to be?*3
What does the Cauldron and the community think of the following aspects of not just IS PPC/ Gauss, but weapons in general:
Long range vs. Short range.
Alpha-focused vs. DPS-focused.
PPFLD vs. Laser Burn vs. Burst Damage vs. Kitchen Sink vs. Freeform.
1* I understand that lore is a part of the MW community, but my comments will not consider lore at all. Discuss this as you please, bearing in mind the balance between lore vs. fun factor.
2* Should we even be focusing on mech and weapon balance now? I feel it is better to balance out modes and maps before we fine-tune mechs and weapons – I think the current sniper meta is
not because the weapons are imbalanced, but because the majority of the current
map pool such as Tourmaline Desert, Frozen City (new), and Polar Highlands (new) favor long-range builds moreso than short-range builds, plus
cap points in Conquest and Domination are usually in exposed spaces for some stupid reason.
3* I realise that MWO is never going to work as a game that follows the lore closely, as the disastrous Beta versions have shown. Nevertheless, does the community want the game to be a battle of attrition like World of Warships or original Mechwarrior games? Or a true tactical shooter like Counter-Strike or Valorant? Or some deathmatch free-for-all like Call of Duty? Because the whole game will have to be built and balanced towards
ONE of these concepts sooner or later – it can’t cater to everything without being super complicated.
Wherever the game is headed, I think there will always be room for casual and competitive game modes in my experience.
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That said I can make some basic points regarding OP’s discussion – hopefully it adds to the discussion and helps most folks gain deeper understanding about how the game works:
TLDR: I agree and mostly in accordance with Navid’s suggestions, but beware of future updates, meta bias, and map/ mode balance.
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Comparison with other weapons:
I feel that to properly balance IS PPC/ Gauss at this point,
we need to consider the big picture:
Recall that PPCs are generally high-heat slow-firing PPFLD weapons with an anti-ECM mechanic in MWO, while Gauss are virtually heatless high-velocity long-range slow-firing PPFLD weapons with a charge mechanic in MWO.
To cut a long story short, I think, based on my calculations and observations in community and in-game:
Laservom is currently slightly too strong in long and mid-range (including the unbuffed IS-MPL – a mid-short weapon), IS PPC/ Gauss are mostly OK with HPPC a bit weak and SNPPC a bit weak by themselves, Clan PPC is OK, AC’s are OK, UAC’s are OK (can be very powerful, but always difficult to use in these particular builds), most brawl builds are OK (except IS-LBX20, SRMs, SSRMS, flamers), etc.
I do agree that IS PPCs are propped up by quirks moreso in comparison with other weapon types: so
a minor buff is probably in order for STD PPC, HPPC, SNPPC, and ERPPC, while quirks for PPCs are cut back.
Now: If LGRs are re-linked with IS PPCs, then IS PPCs and LGRs will need a buff to compensate.
The problem is the consideration of hybrid, bracket, and kitchen sink builds:
For example, the current Gaussvom build is a very strong combo: following through with OP’s suggestion would no doubt buff this combo. I think I know exactly which builds OP is referring to in the Gaussvom argument, and these mechs can be nerfed without affecting too many builds.
Another build type to consider is LRM hybrid builds. With this buff, it would be easier to confirm kills with LRMs after a PPC salvo.
All things considered,
I personally would like to see LGR get relinked to PPC, but I sure as hell
hope it doesn’t buff stuff such as Gaussvom or stronger AC/ PPC combos to ridiculous levels.
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OP’s Example of Changes:
My opinions on what each weapon should do:
LPPC: “Cheaper” PPC option.
PPC: The bridge between LPPCs to max alpha PPCs, or bridge between low alpha PPCs to HPPCs.
HPPC: Specialized long-range heavy-hitter, strongly disagree that min-range gets linear drop-off. I want this to have a heavy-hitter sniper feel, but with difficulty to compensate.
SNPPC: “Cheaper” and hotter AC20 option.
ERPPC: Clan ERPPC, but better and without splash damage.
Std Gauss: ERPPCs, but without the heat. Can be combined with lasers. I agree to lower cooldown and charge time.
LGRs: Similar to Gauss, but trades a lot of alpha damage for cooldown and “cost”. Should be a viable alternative whether used single or double.
Since PPC/ Gauss are supposed to be high-alpha, slow-firing, PPFLD weapons:
I do not want these weapons to have faster ROF or lower alpha.
I also think
adding splash damage is a bad idea, especially considering aim convergence, UACs, missiles, etc. has made pure PPFLD a rarity. For example, if I wanted to trade a bit of DPS from an AC10 for anti-ECM, I will simply switch to a double LPPC. And if I wanted to reduce heat on my PPCs in a kitchen sink build, but don’t have the heat sinks – I switch to AC’s.
In addition, I have often seen 2 ERPPC + 2 Gauss (and dual Heavy Gauss) NOT act like PPFLD alphas.
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In Practice:
I have often thought of
IS PPC/ Gauss as suitable in the following roles:
Finisher, Punishes Peeking, Hit-And-Fade, Anti-ECM.
Compare this to an oft compared weapon,
ERLL:
Suppression, Damager.
Therefore, I feel that whatever changes are made to IS PPC/ Gauss should
emphasize the role that it has fitted into over the lifetime of MWO, especially if weapons such as the Railgun and Plasma Cannon get introduced into MWO in the future.
The example of changes of increased alpha damage as the primary buff is something I very much support, because it fits perfectly into PPC/ Gauss’s current roles.
Also, its worth mentioning that mid-long range lasers, bracket builds, PPFLD, LRMs, and MRMs are all low skill floor weapons IMO, compared to kitchen sink builds, LRM hybrids, AC-vomit, etc. (SRMs, ATMs, AC2s, MG’s, etc. are average skill-floor IMO)
So,
pure PPFLD builds should be inherently a bit weaker at the highest level gameplay (e.g. Faction Play, Competitive) when compared to AC2s for example, but
stronger at lower levels (e.g. Quick play at tiers 4 to 5).
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The Big Picture: The Debate of Alpha vs. DPS:
As IS PPC/ Gauss are generally high-alpha builds that compete with other high-alpha builds such as lasers:
I would like to propose
adjusting heat sink values (especially heat cap) in order to buff DPS builds relative to alpha builds:
1. This will reduce the prevalence and ease of use of high-alpha builds (e.g. 63 alpha laservom, 100+ alpha builds), but not eliminate them since these builds can still be accessed by single heat sink mods.
2. This should reduce firepower across the board, since worse heat values will influence how long DPS builds can fire, as well as the max alpha a mech can fire without instantly overheating. In addition, “odd” weapons such as RACs, Gauss, and MG’s can be nerfed to compensate, and NPC’s can be adjusted.
3. This should increase the range of builds available to ALL mechs: For lights, more builds will obviously become viable. For assaults, you have more to choose from between DHS (DPS) and SHS (alpha) builds.
4. You have a choice of putting more crap on your mech to boost its alpha and burst damage, or removing some crap to boost its DPS.
My suggestion can be tested: if it doesn’t work, then ditch it of course!
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