Posted 09 December 2012 - 01:58 PM
I have to agree. ECM changed the game for the better, but now everyone has jumped onto the ECM wagon and it's all "stay as a group and cap!" Or some such stuff.
I don't know about others, but I still tend to play scout in my Cicada (without ECM), as it's intended. I've been known to even call out targets and where the enemy is heading. What path they are taking and where on the grid they are through that wonderful team chat. The ECM blob moving around tends to ignore me, crash into the enemy ECMed blob, and I'm left alone to try and fend for myself on the outskirt or rushing into the blob to try and help.
ECM is nice, but I'm really hating how much it's being used. In the books, it was so hard and expensive to come by/maintain, it was almost never used. The fact that so many is being used is just... sad.
And for those people who whine and complain that ECM is too strong because it blocks target sharing (besides the LRM users, whom I feel their pain and understand), use the heat sensors on your mech (pressing H). It wont work on a map like Causic, but I tend to see and snipe the enemy long before they even susspect I am there. They are all "I'm ECMed. No one can OH MY GOSH! SOMEONES SHOOTING ME! WHERE ARE THEY!" Though, I have seen some people find me and yes, my snipping would be better with ECM as then they can't just look in my direction and "detect me", but it should be used as a helpful aid, not as a tactic for the whole team to live or die by.
ECM's role on the field should run more like this:
An Atlas would have it to help hide it's presence on the field till it's in possition to attack. Maybe have a couple escorts to create a heavy hitting surprise ambush.
On lights as an advance scouting force, useful for scouting enemy positions with lower risk of being detected. It's also suppose to be useful in permitting said scouts to take down lone senteries by cutting their communications so word about their precense doesn't go out.
ECM was never intended to be:
Having a light escorting a whole team of heavies to the enemy base, making it so no combat happens.
Heavies using the ECM to give themselves and their team complete immunity to missile attacks. (It should hinder missiles, not make them almost useless.)
I feel that ECM disrupting missile locks as they currently do is a tad too much. I like ECM (even though I don't field it) and feel it has it's place. However, I started this game as a Hunchback 4J. I lived off support while I learned the game. Now I run all direct line of sight weapons, thankfully before the ECM release. If I was to try starting now, I'd be very frustrated.
It isn't that ECM is too strong, but rather it has no counters but itself. That makes it a match on who has the most ECM.
To be fair though, I was playing last night and got dropped in several matches where my team had no ECM. I personally didn't feel it's presence on the field when our opponents had it, as I use a lot of different detection methodes. The rest of my team usually felt it though. I did have a few times where my no ECM random team did manage to win against a team with several ECM units. It's just not easy.
In the end, I guess I agree with you, but don't? I like ECM. Should it be tweeked? Sure. Should it have more counters? Sure. Would I quit the game because of it? Nope. It's bata. Give them some time and I'm sure it will be better. It just came out and it's going to take a while to fine tune the delecate game play balance. Just give them your open, honest feed back and be nice about it. No need to bash or yell at them. Just be honest on why you don't like something, what you think could use to be changed, and maybe suggest a few fixes yourself. Be helpful, not a hindrance. Tell them you are frustrated with how ECM is being played. Players will always use things whenever possible in ways never intended to get results that are better than average. It's a matter of how to change an item so players can only use it as intended, without making it near useless in the end. It's a lot of work.
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