88 replies to this topic

[Snuglninja]

KuruptU4Fun, on 07 December 2012 - 01:30 PM, said:

ECM works the way it does now, stop thinking it should work the way you'd like it to. Test out new tactics to counter it until you find something that does work at least somewhat effectively. Just like most of us have already been doing. And yes that includes preemie 8vs8 matches that use min/max teams.

So you are saying a game I have invested money in, time, and actually was probably playing the table top version before you were alive, I should say screw it? Play a game that has become more like the moronic fps of Halo and COD? No thanks. If ECM stays I go back to mekamek ant mbpt. I know you don't care, and don't let the door hit you, but until I am sure that pgi has thrown away Battle tech and invented a new game just to satisfy the ADHD kids that have no idea of "tactics" or "strategy" then I am going to be here.

[GatorG]

Brock7142, on 07 December 2012 - 01:49 PM, said:

The buld is: Atlas D-DC-2 Gauss Rifles, 3 Short Range Missiles, 2 Medium Range Lasers

This is the 3rd or 4th thread I have seen you posting this impossible build on. Not sure why you are doing that, but as an Atlas driver I would love to be able to run that build.

[LOWJACKCITY]

you know what, Ive changed my position. I used to hate ECM for the all the reasons everyone else as posted, but now....I love it. It makes people feel invincible and wouldn't you know it made me start using my old dusty ac20cat again. dominating the brawl. DOMINATING. I especially like to target ECMers first...not for any strategic advantage...just to make them annoyed they only got to play for 10 seconds.

take my options of using non SRM missiles as viable will you? fine. I'm cool with one shotting people all day into oblivion. Thanks PGI!

[WardenWolf]

GatorG, on 07 December 2012 - 03:20 PM, said:

This is the 3rd or 4th thread I have seen you posting this impossible build on. Not sure why you are doing that, but as an Atlas driver I would love to be able to run that build.

He said on the previous page that he was told that build by pilots running it - so either they are just messing with him (faking crazy builds to throw other players off), or he misunderstood them... or maybe *maybe* there is a bug somewhere. But if there is, I cannot find it.

[Solis Obscuri]

OP: sounds very reasonable. Very close to what I myself suggested as a fix: http://mwomercs.com/...doesnt-fix-ecm/

[WardenWolf]

Solis Obscuri, on 07 December 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

OP: sounds very reasonable. Very close to what I myself suggested as a fix: http://mwomercs.com/...doesnt-fix-ecm/

I'm glad a lot of people are coming to similar conclusions - it makes me feel less crazy

Hopefully someone at PGI is listening...

[BlackSquirrel]

Brock7142, on 07 December 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

Not talking about being "crisp" I'm talking about it becoming outright blurred. Like fill in the screen WTH am I looking at blue blurr.

Mechs not running ECM, have more clearer silhouettes than the same varients that don't run ECM. At long-range, and up close.

Never had this issue. Post a screen shot.

[Solis Obscuri]

WardenWolf, on 07 December 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

I'm glad a lot of people are coming to similar conclusions - it makes me feel less crazy

Hopefully someone at PGI is listening...

I think the PGI team who cooked up ECM were actually still playing on that short-lived build from last month where LRMs still did 2.0 damage and Artemis gave them ridiculous accuracy... that's the only way I can conceive of them believing it was 'balanced'.

[FrostPaw]

Protect Carrier from being targeted.

Ability to Jam enemy mechs within 200m range of Carrier so they cannot target or lock on anybody so long as that ECM mech remains within 200m of them.

Narc Counters Carriers ability to be immune to targeting or lock on for the duration of the beacon.

This gives ECM using mechs a specific role, they are immune to lock on in most circumstances, they have an easier time getting to missile boats or streak boats and then staying in range of those enemies neutralizes their ability to contribute to the fight.

It makes it pro-active, you have to close on the enemy to jam them from targeting friendly mechs.

[PeeAeMKay]

I like the constructive discussion in this thread :-)

My friend and I intuitively assumed that you would regain the ability to lock on a target cloaked by ECM if you just got close enough. I think that would be one way of taking the edge off of it, especially if the lock data in that case would be transmitted to team members again.

It would open up a couple of gameplay options:

• Instead of just forming a blob under your own ECM bubble all the time, it would encourage you to close in on the enemy with at least a couple of mechs, while the LRM boats and snipers could stay with the ECM mech.
  
• The attacking mechs take on the risk of receiving the most damage, and have to bridge the distance without getting shot down before they get into range. This would force them to use cover extensively.
  
• If they reach the enemy, it would put the other team under much more pressure, because they can suddenly be targeted by LRM missiles again. So they have to coordinate against this. Also, spot assists against cloaked enemies could give an even bigger bonus.

It's not perfect, it could just mean a lot of light mechs swarming you all the time, giving your position away despite ECM. Also, that would stop ECM being a counter against streak cats.

I also like the approach of ECM only disrupting enemy radar within the 180m.

I also like making the ECM mech basically a missile magnet. This would give it an interesting tweak, mechs within the ECM bubble are still safe, but the mobility of the blob is still limited, because the ECM mech has to stay in cover. Or maybe the mech has to disable ECM every once in a while to advance without being rained upon with missiles.

[Snuglninja]

I would like to see it go to tabletop rules. Make ams a touch better, or do something with the lock on mechanic for ssrm, perhaps make the ssrm require a new lock after each time its fired.

[Khobai]

Quote

Halve the target lock distance required for mechs inside the bubble (it is currently at something like 1/4, which is the bulk of what makes it so powerful at the moment)

ECM should not even reduce sensor range. Its ECM not a cloaking device/stealth armor/null signature system.

[Tolkien]

ECM in its current form is the swiss army shotgun of electronic warfare... It manages to Scramble radar, Jam communications, and somehow cloak itself... Oh and to boot it is only countered by another ECM... screw that.

[Elkarlo]

ATM ECM does something else:
http://mwomercs.com/...ork-ecm-module/
And i think this should be fixed before we start Balancing.

[WardenWolf]

Elkarlo, on 08 December 2012 - 07:53 AM, said:

ATM ECM does something else:
http://mwomercs.com/...ork-ecm-module/
And i think this should be fixed before we start Balancing.

Interesting - I run only with ECM at the moment (Atlas D-DC) and usually 2-3 others in my group do as well... but I had not noticed any added lag issues. I will try to watch for that in the future and will post on your thread if I see similar issues.

[Slanski]

In my humble opinion ECM should work in the following manner:

ECM present or not present. Check.
Counter ECM present nullifies ECM present within its sphere. Check.

No stacking of ECM. One counter ECM nullifies all ECM within its sphere.

[DivineEvil]

Well, if NARC and TAG and BAG would counter ECM in their own manner (NARC allowing locking of target hit, TAG allowing locking on target tagged and BAG reducing the negative effect of reducing locking range) then the current idea of ECM would work just perfectly.

But in opposite way, as it is now, it would be better to make it the OPs way.

Edited by DivineEvil, 11 December 2012 - 03:57 AM.

[DocBach]

YES!!!

Your idea is right on - since ECM is only suppose to effect C3, Artemis, NARC and Beagle, this also assumes that our data sharing is a system like C3 so our sharing of target info gets killed if we're in the bubble as well. This would balance the ECM to where it's still a useful system, but not a REQUIRED system.

[Tykelau]

I use mostly direct fire weapons, lasers, gauss and AC, yet I still find ECM to be a bad idea simply because it makes teamwork harder. I always use the minimap to see where my team is and where they are facing so I can then determine where is the most useful location for me to be. Add in 2-3 ECM mechs and now all of that team info is gone.

This game already has very very very poor communication, please do not make it even worse!

[Teralitha]

This is what ECM should really do - http://mwomercs.com/...22#entry1609022