188 replies to this topic

[Gilgamesh Hoi]

Time for a balance pass on the cauldron.

Clearly they meant well in the beginning but it was too much power and the corrosive effect of that power has meant the deal has ceased to benefit the community at large, who pay the bills. I really appreciated the intentions and initial efforts, but it is time for the Cauldron to be removed from the equation and PGI to look for other viable mechanisms. The most delicate way I can frame this is that the Cauldron has lost perspective and this is warping the game to their tastes rather than the games best iteration. The less charitable take is that many within the Cauldron act, play and post as though they are more committed to reveling in the power and influence they have then an outcome that is a playing field for all.

I'd also mention that PGI has cleverly used the power and connections to manipulate the Cauldron into being an insulation against accountability for the company, and a instant army of forum bullies who shout down and tear into anyone not buying into the groupthink. Frankly... that was a brilliant move by PGI.

Fresh slate needed.

[epikt]

Personally, I'm over threads about the cauldron opened by potatoes that have no clue how the game is balanced and act entitled even though they're only playing the game for 4 months.

[evil kerensky]

epikt, on 22 May 2023 - 05:41 PM, said:

Personally, I'm over threads about the cauldron opened by potatoes that have no clue how the game is balanced and act entitled even though they're only playing the game for 4 months.

na, the man has a point. theyve been "balancing" the game for 2 years. now its cool that they want to have flavor of the month metas, but when that meta is just different flavors of laser vomit, it isnt a good thing anymore. wheres the month of srm/mrm metas? wheres the splat metas?

2 years of mid-long range vomit meta is boring.

[the check engine light]

It's actually cracking me the **** up that a slight detune of a screamingly OP mech is causing this much **** annihilation. ****** ravaging. Posterior perforation.

Edited by the check engine light, 22 May 2023 - 07:58 PM.

[The Brewer]

I have a question. Do you know who the members of the Cauldron are?

[the check engine light]

Scattershotters *******-shattered.

[chaosshade2638]

What's your proof of them making the game unfun?

[Heavy Money]

The people who complain about the Cauldron don't even know what mechs are strong right now. They complain about the meta without even being able to name it.

The Cauldron has done an excellent job and this is easy to see and understand if you know how the game works.

[the check engine light]

something about taking heavy flak means you're over the target goes here.

A mask just got pulled off and man is the face behind it ugly. (N.B.: I'm not talking about the Cauldron.)

[Curccu]

Gilgamesh Hoi, on 22 May 2023 - 05:33 PM, said:

community at large, who pay the bills....

....army of forum bullies who shout down and tear into anyone not buying into the groupthink.

Community is not the same as ARMY of forum bullies? I mean army isn't just few people it's hundreds or thousands right?

And to be sure can you show us on the paper doll where did bad corroded Caulron touch you?

[LordNothing]

The Brewer, on 22 May 2023 - 07:58 PM, said:

I have a question. Do you know who the members of the Cauldron are?

i dont even know, i may know a couple. but yea i dont use discord (nor will i ever, its sort of like windows 11 or tofu or girls with unnaturally colored hair, is just on the hard nope list) so i dont know whats going on except when they post on the forum and announce themselves as such. i suggested titles but that would just put them in the line of fire of a bunch of potato cannons. i generally like their work but think they have a few blind spots.

Edited by LordNothing, 22 May 2023 - 11:51 PM.

[Meep Meep]

I think that cauldron has a bit of a bias towards certain metas but overall they have been a very positive force of much needed change. Do they make changes that sometimes piss off certain members? Sure, but you can't please everyone all the time. I've greatly enjoyed the various flavors of ppc changes though sometimes they do overtune a wee bit and it takes a few passes to get them right.(hi snubs) But since its come out that pgi doesn't have an actual test environment for them to use to playtest changes then its going to be expected that some changes might have to be worked on over several patch cycles. The recent scattershot episode highlighted that.

[Weeny Machine]

epikt, on 22 May 2023 - 05:41 PM, said:

Personally, I'm over threads about the cauldron opened by potatoes that have no clue how the game is balanced and act entitled even though they're only playing the game for 4 months.

Jup, everyone who says that there is a sniper / laser vomit meta has no clue and only the pros know what is going on. The rest is just dumb, right?

Your post shows the whole hubris floating around packed in a nutshell. Thank you for showing it so clearly.

chaosshade2638, on 22 May 2023 - 08:05 PM, said:

What's your proof of them making the game unfun?

What is your proof that this isn't the case?

I love those strawmen... Argumentation on kindergarten level


If you have a look at the loadouts of heavies and assaults, you know what going on. As Meep Meep above said: there is a "slight" *cough, cough* tendency towards certain meta builds

Edited by Weeny Machine, 23 May 2023 - 03:23 AM.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

oh, that's brave..

sadly, there's no resources, but if there were:
I'd WISH people like the OP were to formulate the next balance pass.
srsly.
and let them bathe in the "glory" that is to come ~2seconds after he posts his patchnotes. also the glory of the next month as he tries to justify himself in each and every drop he makes - let alone the forum comments.
the hubris.. ;-D

[Weeny Machine]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, on 23 May 2023 - 03:41 AM, said:

oh, that's brave..

sadly, there's no resources, but if there were:
I'd WISH people like the OP were to formulate the next balance pass.
srsly.
and let them bathe in the "glory" that is to come ~2seconds after he posts his patchnotes. also the glory of the next month as he tries to justify himself in each and every drop he makes - let alone the forum comments.
the hubris.. ;-D

I think everyone appreciates the effort. Nevertheless, you can also point out that the meta is very lopsided. Just look at the shitload of laser boats - either for sniping or vomit. Add some Gauss and ERPPC and you have the meta.

It is also known that a couple of the vocal Cauldron players love that playstyle.

And your personal attack on the OP doesn't change that. It looks more like he insulted your shiny toy and now you lash out. That's pretty pitiful

[RockmachinE]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, on 23 May 2023 - 03:41 AM, said:

oh, that's brave..

sadly, there's no resources, but if there were:
I'd WISH people like the OP were to formulate the next balance pass.
srsly.
and let them bathe in the "glory" that is to come ~2seconds after he posts his patchnotes. also the glory of the next month as he tries to justify himself in each and every drop he makes - let alone the forum comments.
the hubris.. ;-D

I'll formulate the next balance pass.

Not hard to do a better job of what it is now.

[Gas Guzzler]

What are you talking about?

More chassis are viable right now than ever, and balance is the best it has ever been. The cauldron has done a great job.

RockmachinE, on 23 May 2023 - 06:43 AM, said:

I'll formulate the next balance pass.

Not hard to do a better job of what it is now.

I’ll believe it when I see it. Let’s see your balance pass then. I’m curious to see what you got.

[Gas Guzzler]

Weeny Machine, on 23 May 2023 - 03:05 AM, said:

Jup, everyone who says that there is a sniper / laser vomit meta has no clue and only the pros know what is going on. The rest is just dumb, right?

Your post shows the whole hubris floating around packed in a nutshell. Thank you for showing it so clearly.



What is your proof that this isn't the case?

I love those strawmen... Argumentation on kindergarten level


If you have a look at the loadouts of heavies and assaults, you know what going on. As Meep Meep above said: there is a "slight" *cough, cough* tendency towards certain meta builds

What meta builds are those? Laser vomit? Gauss ER LL? SN PPC brawlers? MRMs? AC10s? UAC boating? RACs? SNPPC-AC20? LB2 or AC2 snipers? AC5/PPC builds? SRM brawlers? SRM-AC20/LB20? PPC pop tarts? Heavy Gauss builds? Light gauss/ERPPC? ATM Boats? LRM Boats? That pretty much covers the spread, so.. you want all of those nerfed?

[Weeny Machine]

Gas Guzzler, on 23 May 2023 - 07:06 AM, said:

What meta builds are those? Laser vomit? Gauss ER LL? SN PPC brawlers? MRMs? AC10s? UAC boating? RACs? SNPPC-AC20? LB2 or AC2 snipers? AC5/PPC builds? SRM brawlers? SRM-AC20/LB20? PPC pop tarts? Heavy Gauss builds? Light gauss/ERPPC? ATM Boats? LRM Boats? That pretty much covers the spread, so.. you want all of those nerfed?

Yeah, please throw some more smoke grenades. It is ok. No worries, no one will curb this . I have come to accept that.

[The Brewer]

Weeny Machine, on 23 May 2023 - 06:36 AM, said:

I think everyone appreciates the effort. Nevertheless, you can also point out that the meta is very lopsided. Just look at the shitload of laser boats - either for sniping or vomit. Add some Gauss and ERPPC and you have the meta.

It is also known that a couple of the vocal Cauldron players love that playstyle.

And your personal attack on the OP doesn't change that. It looks more like he insulted your shiny toy and now you lash out. That's pretty pitiful

Which Cauldron members?

Gas Guzzler, on 23 May 2023 - 07:06 AM, said:

What meta builds are those? Laser vomit? Gauss ER LL? SN PPC brawlers? MRMs? AC10s? UAC boating? RACs? SNPPC-AC20? LB2 or AC2 snipers? AC5/PPC builds? SRM brawlers? SRM-AC20/LB20? PPC pop tarts? Heavy Gauss builds? Light gauss/ERPPC? ATM Boats? LRM Boats? That pretty much covers the spread, so.. you want all of those nerfed?

This is a comprehensive, but non-exhaustive list of things that work. Thank you for this. Tuning all this to work in harmony has been a long process, and from what I know, hard for them to agree upon sometimes. This list was much, much shorter three years ago when I started playing. I, for one, am glad it’s not all MPLs and medium caliber UACs in QP anymore.

Edited by The Brewer, 23 May 2023 - 08:22 AM.