8 replies to this topic

[Sgt Ironballs]

Here's an idea to kick around to maybe help gameplay:

What if heat dissapation was actively impacted by throttle setting? An at rest mech should have the fastest rate of cooling (minimal contribution to heat by the engine) and a mech at full throttle should run hotter than that.

This would have a few obvious effects:
1) create tactical considerations for fight or flight
2) Reduce the circle of death routine (because we don't have rearward facing armament)
3) make stationary heavies and assaults more fearsome, but more vulnerable while moving
4) add more leapfrog unit movement with stationary/slower covering fire instead of group swarming
5) allow viability for sniper mechs to shine, right now distances close very fast for the small maps, and it would make most players want to stop occaisionally to rapidly blow off heat- but it makes them more of a target too.

Extrapolating this to different engine classes then, you could provide more risk/benifit decisions for upgrading or downgrading your rating, as that rating would be the measure of both the top speed and the minus to heat dissapation. You can upgrade for speed, but you would need extra heat sinks if you want to run and gun, or plan on using more ballistics (giving machine guns a place in the game).

I'm sure I'll get flamed for TT or canon, it's just an idea to pass around.

[Dukarriope]

This is how it already works. Watch your heat percentage when you move and when you don't, you'll see it rises slightly.

[Antony Weiner]

Mind - blown

[Valder]

Dukarriope, on 30 November 2012 - 10:25 PM, said:

This is how it already works. Watch your heat percentage when you move and when you don't, you'll see it rises slightly.

Umm... ^this.

Very noticeable on caustic valley.

[Tempered]

It is already in. It is not very noticeable unless you are in caustic. It is not a huge difference, nor should it be. Hit your jumpjets in caustic and you can often cause a melt down if already overheated.

[Sgt Ironballs]

Thank you for responses, but I think you all may have missed my point (except for the person who got their mind blown - sorry about that). In the case I'm the one who missed the point - consider taking the in game effect to a much more pronounced level (example below)

I do not think that throttle should ADD to heat, like jump jets. In fact, while your moving, I don't think your heat should go UP at all. What I was purposing was decreasing heat dissapation.

I was trying to avoid numbers in the first post, but I'll resort to them here (completely pulled out of my head for ease of calculation):

Say I run a light mech with:
1 medium laser, chain fired adds 5 heat/second
A maximum heat level of 20
5 heat sinks which can -5 heat/second
Standard 250 engine (0heat/second @ 0% throttle, +1@10%, +5@100%, there would be a few seconds of lag between throttle setting and effect on heat)

While stationary, my engine should not contribute to my heat bar. In fact, even at 100% throttle (running), my heat never rises. If I stand stationary and shoot my one laser, my heat sinks let me shoot indefinately (it's only one laser . BUT - with dynamic heat dissapation, if I gun it to full throttle, while still shooting, my heat is now 5+5-5, or +5 heat per second, or 4 seconds till overheating. Now if I can manouver at 10% throttle, and shoot constantly, I only have +5+1-5, or 1 heat per second, letting me shoot and advance for 20seconds.

If the numbers were made such that stopping was incentivised with this effective fire rate, it would also:
1) both reward beginning players (allowing them to fire more often) and team players (encouraging covering fire)
2) while toning down the power of very mobile mechs (making them attack in more like planes instead of helicoptors)
3) Give a reason to carry multiple high heat weapons (Awesome 3xPPC, efficient stationary, but aweful if mobile)
4) Make strategic load out decisions (defenders can afford fewer heat sinks/higher armor, but pay a price)

Imagine this from a light point of view - you see an Awesome charging your base - you know he can't fire till he stops and gets dissapation in check - it's a race to his rear where your weapons are more effective - you see him RIGHT there in your window, but resist firing, knowing you may overheat yourself, you race behind him just as he's about to fire, and then you slow down and start pegging him - you can't circle him completely because he's turtling and can fire with nearly no heat limit, and to have enough speed to circle means that you can't fire enough to hurt him. It becomes a shadow dance.

[Valder]

Sgt Ironballs, on 01 December 2012 - 01:45 AM, said:

consider taking the in game effect to a much more pronounced level

Hm, no thanks. I don't want to have to cut down on my already budget weapons or play Stand Still Online.

[LordBraxton]

Dukarriope, on 30 November 2012 - 10:25 PM, said:

This is how it already works. Watch your heat percentage when you move and when you don't, you'll see it rises slightly.

No that is a base heat increase, dissipation is the same no matter what, you just start from say 17% instead of 9%

OP meant stationary=greatly increased dissipation which is a whole new level that would, well still make standing still not worth it, but you could use this to alpha and then hide

[Hayashi]

This isn't the correct forum. General Discussion is for feedback on current game status, not for new ideas.

Moving to suggestions.