3 replies to this topic

[Roadkill]

TL;DR - ECM should not block communcations because doing so only affects PUG players.

This is not a thread about whether or not ECM is too powerful. I have an opinion on that matter, but it isn't relevant to this particular problem.

ECM should not block communications. Not because it is unrealistic - in fact it is very realistic - but because it is very poor game design.

Why? Because it only affects PUG players, and primarily only the new ones. The rest of us are on comms with our team. Many of you may not have even noticed that ECM blocks communications because you just use VOIP to call for help or relay information about the enemy.

But PUGs? They're just screwed, and worse they probably don't know why.

They get pounced on by an ECM-equipped Raven and, dutifully (let's assume they're actually decent players), use team chat to report the Raven and call for help. Silence. Hey guys, can you give me a hand, this Raven is eating me for lunch? Silence. WTF GUYS LEHP ME!!! Silence. PUG dies. Game ends. PUG thinks everyone who plays MWO is a complete jerk. PUG stops playing. Further compounding the problem is that the PUG's teammates might have even been trying to communicate with him, but they couldn't.

This effect of ECM only penalizes the players who really shouldn't be penalized. It has no effect on the bulk of the established players because they're using VOIP. Realistic or not, it's just a bad feature.

[Bguk]

Where did this ECM blocks chat thing come from? If it's a bug then it's a bug. It does not disrupt chat.

From the patch notes:

Has two different modes. Disrupt and Counter



Disruption Mode:

* ‘Cloaks’ friendlies within 180 meters (reduces detection distance to 25% of normal range).
* Disrupts enemies sensors (targeting system), as well as targeting communication (sharing of targeting information) within 180 meters.
* Disables enemy NARC
* Disables broadcasting of TAG (if friendly is within sphere of influences); However, if you TAG a mech with ECM OUTSIDE of their sphere of influence, it allows you and your friendlies to target
* Slow down weapon locks by 25%
* Slow down target gathering by 25%
* Active Probes do not gain any benefits against ECM equipped enemies

Counter Mode:

* Neutralizes 1 nearby enemy’s ECM in Disruption mode.

Edited by Bguk, 10 December 2012 - 11:45 AM.

[Pugastrius]

ECM does a lot of over-powered things, but blocking chat is not one of them.

I suspect the issue is that "even if" your friends come to help you, they won't appear on your battle-grid because of the ECMs so you might not recognize that they did.

Edited by Pugastrius, 10 December 2012 - 11:46 AM.

[MiG77]

My sarcasm detector just broke