4 replies to this topic

[Kareekoe]

Nothing too crazy or over the top, it's a sort of simple suggestion.

Karee thinks LRMs can be made better and worth using without making them overpowered by simply changing how they go about flying towards enemies when locked onto them.

Suggestion for LRM change goes as follows:
Add verticality to the range calculations so it's no longer purely horizontal.
Make the range represent how far or wide a max firing arch/flight path can be to the target rather than how far it can go horizontally.
Add calculated range values of Flight Paths/Firing Arch onto the UI of a mech with LRMs equipped somewhere near the aiming-reticle that changes with the cover the enemy mech is hiding behind and their position.

This would decrease the horizontal range by a decent amount all the way up to a lot depending on the firing arch/flight path the missiles would need to take in order to hit the enemy due to verticality being added to range calculations.

But it would mean that hitting enemies with LRM would be possible from just about anywhere so long as:
The one firing the LRM is close enough to the enemy for the flight path/firing arch to hit the target.
The Target is not under a bridge/overpass/floor to block overhead missiles from coming down onto them.
The Target doesn't move far enough or to drastically different enough cover to out range or trick the flight path/firing arch into hitting the new cover they ran behind or cause the missiles to travel too far.
The Target doesn't have enough AMS/ECM in disrupt mode cover.
The Target doesn't have Radar Deprivation skills/quirks and/or doesn't move out of sensor range/line of sight of the spotters.
The Target's ECM disruption coverage is countered.

Edited by Kareekoe, 01 March 2024 - 09:11 PM.

[Ignatius Audene]

I kinda think u missed one step in your argument. Currently u just nerv lrm range?

[Kareekoe]

Ignatius Audene, on 02 March 2024 - 02:55 AM, said:

I kinda think u missed one step in your argument. Currently u just nerv lrm range?

What step is missing in her suggestion?

Not a nerf, more a change to how the LRMs travel to locked-on enemies and how intelligently the range is used.

Lets say for example:
There is an enemy 500 meters away but they're behind cover of about 20-30 meters tall.
The LRM's one has equipped have a max range of 1400 meters that can be used to make a flight path/firing arch to reach the enemy.
When the LRM's lock on, they will display the range of which their current flight path/firing arch needs/consumes in order to reach the enemy.
The flight path itself might even be visible if there is a toggle feature that allows the LRM user to turn it on or off at will.
If the enemy is within reach of that range, the value next to the aiming reticle could change color or have a symbol representing "in range" pop up, then would be the time to launch the LRMs.
After they are launched, the LRMs will take that flight path/firing arch, flying over the cover and directly into the enemy from above with little to none of the missiles crashing into the cover nor crashing into any environment along the way.

How LRMs would work based on her suggestion (Translation):
Enemy 500 meters away.
LRM with 1400 meter max range.
Lock on.
In range symbol pops up.
Shoot.
LRMs fly/arch over cover to hit enemy.
LRMs successfully use their 1400 meter range to hit the 500 meter away enemy, likely using around or less than 700-900m out of the total 1400m to do so.

How LRMs work currently:
Enemy 500 meters away.
LRM with 1400 meter max range.
Lock on.
Shoot.
LRMs crash into cover.
LRMs fail to make use of that extra around 900 meter range they could have reasonably used to fly/arch over the cover and reach the enemy.

Edited by Kareekoe, 02 March 2024 - 08:51 PM.

[JumpingHunter]

So this is more about fixing LRM pathfinding and crashing into the covers, rather than about the range. I think fixing LRM pathfinding would be very good, and if i understood you correctly, with your solution the closer target is the more unobstructed trajectory LRMs can choose to travel though in order to not crash into the cover. I like that idea, but i think pathfinding system so complicated would be too much for MWO for now, idk if it can even be implemented...

[torsie]

If we cant program more intelligent rockets, what if we had completely new weapon instead? We got new weapons and we got changes to angles for missiles, so both should work.

Add third LRM weapon, to normal and artemis we already have, and it will always shoot in big huge arc going 90° up directly from your mech.

This will help with problem for rockets when they just fall into earth, you will always know how they will act both you and person who you shoot at.
And because it would be completely new weapon, you can change stats for it without making rest of missiles worse or better.

They will be much slower to get to target, they will be worse on shorter distance because even if your target is right next to you they will still go up and then down.
They will also be better for that whole "indirect fire" idea, now if you shoot missiles without target they just hit earth, but if your rockets go in arc, you could aim at side of building and hit person behind it, something like you can do with artillery attack consumable.

You can after that just change speed, spread, damage, weight, slots. If anyone just likes raining missiles, they can use this.

I also dont know how ATM works, but changing damage from different distance is good idea. Maybe they could do more damage when you are more far away.