28 replies to this topic

[Bobzilla]

I think only the raven should have it for two big reasons.
1. Ravens are undesirable as is.
2. Everyone will have gecm as a staple, and missles will not get used.

They've spent/wasted a lot of time balancing missles. But they didn't balance them for the gecm being in the game.

[focuspark]

Just make the module balanced: prevent heat disapation while it is active (mech needs to hide from IR vision anyways). This means snipers can use it to get into position, scouts can scout safely, and spotters can spot more safely but nobody should be unleashing hell while using the module.

[wanderer]

Deadoon, on 28 November 2012 - 04:16 AM, said:

Frankly, I see no logical reason you shouldn't be able to mount it on every mech. It is a electronic warfare suite that protects you, any mech designer worth their **** would at least allow you to have access to it as a after market addon.

Older chassis shouldn't unless they were specifically EW-built to begin with. Guardian ECM/BAP was lostech for centuries, and it's like asking "Why doesn't a WWII tank make it easy for me to mount ground-to-air missiles to kill jets?".

Because the missiles and jet fighters didn't exist when it was built, thus the capacity to deal with them isn't automatically easy to install.

Even the crude EW equipment on the early Ravens was a VERY specialist role for the 'Mech, unique in fact and incredibly inefficient- GECM/BAP and such represented a step up that reduced tonnage and space needed to fill it's specialist role AND increased it's ability to do so, but it had crude versions of those abilities to begin with, as it was designed around them.

I've got zero problems with electronics-specific hardpoints on 'Mechs. It adds variety and more reasons to use different chassis, and it also lets PGI build variants with clear "do this or that" options as well.

Say you give the Jenner-K an electronics hardpoint and a missile hardpoint in the CT.

It can choose to mount missiles OR electronics, but not both. Meanwhile, most Ravens sit there with potentially lower combat capacity but easily installed electronics pods, not having to tradeoff in the least for their role. Likewise, you can do similar things with electronics-focused machines like the Atlas-D-DC or if it shows up later, the Cyclops. They can be built around easy access to electronics, or given the ability to use vital hardpoints for either. (I think doing something similar with AMS/Ballistics would be interesting as well).

[wanderer]

focuspark, on 28 November 2012 - 09:46 AM, said:

Just make the module balanced: prevent heat disapation while it is active (mech needs to hide from IR vision anyways). This means snipers can use it to get into position, scouts can scout safely, and spotters can spot more safely but nobody should be unleashing hell while using the module.

ECM isn't some kind of stealth capacity- it merely makes many systems less effective inside it's "bubble", but doesn't lower visual or other signatures. That's the third-generation stealth armor that's coming decades down the line, itself a reworking of the super-technical and virtually impossible to reproduce EW applications like Chameleon LPS or Void-Sig, that don't show up in production for the IS (or Clans) basically ever again. Stealth armor actually DOES seriously reduce heat sink capacity- it's the equivalent of keeping 10 SHS worth of cooling tied up constantly when in operation- but that a much more bulky and complex system than the Guardian (and later Angel) ECM systems.

[Ragor]

wanderer, on 28 November 2012 - 10:49 AM, said:

(post above)

Stealth Armor is far away in the future regarding the MWO timeline@reallife.

[Streiger]

Since the Raven is the E-Horse-Mech in the game this high-capacity version of the GECM should be avilable to all variants.
But dedicated other versions of chassis which in the battletech-lore have also some e-war capabilities should also have GECM capabilitys, like ATLAS AS-7 S2 which was a dedicated model for carrying a GECM.
The Atlas AS7-D-DC did not have a GECM, so why give it to that version?
Also the Cicada and the Commando mentioned in that post
http://mwomercs.com/...37#entry1499337
have no GECM installed.
Why not implement mechs which actually are supposed to carry that system and make it as standard installment on that mech, it is not removable, it is fixed build in the chassis and uses x slots and x tons.

Quote

The reason is 8 man teams, and people's preferences for heavies and assaults.

While Guardian on fast strikers makes it a potent offence, it makes problems using it defensively. Essentially, what you do if you want your formation to have some ECM is you either have the appropriate Atlas, or you need a light to lose all the speed edge that is necessary to survive, in order to pace with assault mechs which often have 1/3 the speed, otherwise they get outside the bubble.

The light GECM Mechs would be, as Ragor said later "The dog who herds the cattle", running around, staying alive to keep his heavier mates alive. Also the GECM in a light mech would make small cout party of about 3 light mechs possible which are covered by the GECM of one light mech.
Reducing the GECM to a certain amount/class/group of mech would make dedicated warfare or tactics more important, especially in the later competitive gameplay.

[Imagine Dragons]

IMO, GECM's fitting requirements are waay waay too little to allow every single mech to have them.

[Sayyadina]

If we are to follow the principles laid out in the canonical texts, ECM is in no way limited to any one type of chassis or weight class. We see all weight classes of Mechs carrying it in the Technical Readouts. That said it does not seem to be the most common piece of equipment, and a high cost could easily justified.

[Leafia Barrett]

If they separated Guardian from Angel, this might not be as big of an issue.