22 replies to this topic

[ExAstris]

Prologue:

MWO has seen the revision of many aspects of the Mechwarrior franchise to bring it up to date in terms of simulator greatness. Some systems have gotten tweaks, others entire overhauls.

The information warfare is something that has been entirely overhauled from pervious mechwarrior games, and it was a pillar of MWO's initial design to intergrate this into the game.

The current implimentation uses limited radar arcs and LOS in conjunction with information sharing between friendlies to form the basis of i-war, then uses various equipment pieces and a few modules to augment and modify that base.

It is my opinion that there is a far better way to bring MWO up to date in the i-war realm.



Goals:

I intend to present a system that plays on the strengths of MWO's base i-war system. It will be a comprehensive system that includes and affects all mechs in the game. Key electronic warfare items in the game will have their statistics rewritten in this system, namely, ECM, BAP, and the pilot sensor modules will all be overhauled. The result should be a far more intricate interplay of information gathering, sharing, and denial that involves every mech, while leaving significant room for chasis with enhanced i-war capabilities.




The Suggestion:

Every mech will have its own "Information Warfare Suite" (IWS) that will be represented by a new tab on the mech screen. Clicking on this tab will bring up a screen that shows your mech's sensor capabilities, both in terms of raw stats and in terms of special modifiers.

Base stats that every mech will have include
1. sensor sweep angle (standard in MWO is 90 degrees).
2. sensor lock range (distance you get a red bracket on standard enemies)
3. information link (standard sharing of target info to allies)

In addition to this information will be a series of slots for each mech. There will be two types of slots, offensive, and defensive. There will also be two levels of each slot, standard and advanced. Every chasis will have a number of offensive and/or defensive slots depending on the type of chasis that it is. Every chasis will be able to mount standard offensive and/or defensive Information Warfare Modules (IWM). Special conditions will need to be met for a chasis to mount advanced IWMs.

There will be a wide variety of IWM available to mechs. They should probably be cheaper than pilot modules as these are not intended as end-game content, but primary-game augments.


So thats the core idea, every mech has an Information Warfare Suite, that suite has basic sensor capabilities along with Information Warfare Modules that modify those sensor/sharing abilities.



Examples:

It would be hard to see how this is advantageous without some examples, so I'm going to list off a series of hypothetical modules that could be introduced to MWO so we can get a feel for how this is going to affect gameplay. (I use the word 'hardlock' to refer to a mech that you have used 'r' to lock up, to differentiate it from other mechs your computer has a 'lock' on). This section of the proposal is largely hypothetical and hugely subject to change/balancing. I present it both so that the breadth of the system I present can be comprehended, and so that the raw number of potential ideas that could be in MWO that will just be lost with the current limitation to canon equipment pieces can also be seen. Classic TT was just not designed for the options we have in a modern simulator.

Standard Offensive Modules:
1. Increase lock range against all targets by X%.
2. Ignore standard defensive IWMs that reduce your lock on range on opposing mechs.
3. Reduce time required to obtain missile lock by 50%.
4. Gather advanced target data (at normal rate) on all targets you could hardlock, not just the target you currently have hardlocked. (So when you swap to that target mid-fight you instantly have it)
5. Gather advanced target data at double the normal rate.
6. Rapid flight trajectory update interlink - improved launch angle for LRMs you launch (by controlling them better and getting them to swerve a bit less your computer can get them to conserve a bit more fuel and therefore give them better flight trajectories)
7. Target interlink disruption - Targets you hardlock within x meters cannot relay information to their allies.
8. Target sensor scrambler - Targets you hardlock with x meters have their sensor range reduced by X%, gather information at 25% normal speed.
9. Target fire-control scrambler - Targets you hardlock within x meters do not benefit from the Rapid flight trajectory update interlink, missile lock-time reduction modules, TAG/Artemis/NARC clustering bonuses, and suffer from increased convergence time.
10. Minimum range compensator - Firing algorithms adjusted to compesate for weapons with minimum range, causing weapons to deal X% of their normal damage inside their minimum range (instead of 0%).

Standard Defensive Modules:
1. Reduce enemies effective targeting range against you by X%.
2. Missile homing disruptors - LRMs do not benefit from any grouping bonuses against you, enemy missile locks against you cannot be aquired faster than normal.
3. White Noise generators - Enemy mechs can lock on to you from +X% range, however, all enemies gather advanced information about you at Y% rate (drastically reduced, making it hard to get updated paper-doll info and initial weapons loadout confirmation).
4. High-powered transciever - You can transmit and recieve information from friendly mechs that are being suppressed by Standard Offensive IWMs.
5. Sensor Suite Modification: Brawler: Reduced maximum locking range by X%, increased scan angle to 180 degrees.
6. Sensor Suite Modification: Sniper: Increased maximum locking range by X%, reduced forward scan angle to 60 degrees.
7. Sensor Suite Modification: Support: Hard-locks take an extra +X seconds to decay, reduced forward scan angle to 60 degrees.
8. Seismic Motion Sensors: All mechs that are moving within audio range show up on your minimap regardless of jamming (probably only 100m range (75m if target is walking or reversing), but 360).


So now we have an idea of all the fun things that basic level Information Warfare Modules could do for a mech. (and this is just the beginning!)

So to show how this might work, lets take a few mechs. I'll use a Centurion and a Catapult to start with. The Centurion is typically a brawler chasis, so its probably going to be fairly balanced on the ewar front. Suppose it has two offensive and two defensive IWM slots. This guy is pretty tired of enemy lights sneaking by him, nor does he like it when they spot him out for LRMs, so he takes offensive modules 2 and 7, letting him ignore his enemies' Standard Defensive Modules that reduce his locking range (i.e. defensive module 1) as well as being able to suppress his targets transmitter, reducing the odds that he'll be spotted by one enemy mech and rained on by the entire parade because of it. On the defensive side he takes a high powered transciever and a white noise generator. He isn't worried about hiding from his enemy, but he doesn't want to lose contact with his allies as he is an anchor to the front line, nor does he want his enemies to realize that he's forgone his arm mounted autocannon for a hefty load of SRM launchers in his torso. The longer they don't know that, the better.

There are dozens of other ways the Centurion could have tweaked his IWS, but given what this pilot wants to do on the field, this is what he has chosen. Our Catapult is a different beast though, designed as fire-support, the Catapult isn't likely to be sporting a heavy defensive suite of electronics, so its more likely to sport 3 offensive and 1 defensive IWM slot.

Supposing our Catapult is going the traditional LRM route, he might opt for 3, 6, and 10 on the offensive side with number 7 on the defensive side. This will maximize the effectiveness of his support fire... but only while he is not subject to any enemy i-war gear as he has no counters and defense against being jammed, disrupted, or hidden from.



OK, so now we have a few examples out there and the basics of the system should be fairly easy to get a grasp on. Now to the complicated stuff.


Advanced Offensive and Defensive Modules

These are going to be much more strict in terms of what mechs can mount them. In fact, it may be the case that no mech can mount them in virtue of its on-board IWS. They may require the presence of an advanced piece of equipment in order to mount into the mechs IWS. I mentioned earlier that the current equipment pieces would have to be rewritten into this system, and this is where. ECM would allow the mounting of a certain number of Advanced Defensive Modules. BAP would likely allow mounting of a certain number of advanced offensive modules. The demands of balance could modify the number of modules they allow, and whether they are just pre-existing IWM slots that get 'upgraded' to advanced slots, or if they are entire extra slots the mech gets on top of its pre-existing IWS. But some really fun stuff could come out of these. I present a list here, not as a comprehensive selection, but a tease of the possibilities inherent to this system that our current i-war system simply cannot ever avail us to given its being hardlocked to an extremely short list of actual equipment pieces.

Advanced Offensive Modules:
1.Extreme Range Detection - magnify your scan range by X% (way bigger than the standard offensive IWM)
2. Diffractive Detection Algorithms - Detect enemy mechs without LOS so long as they are within your scan angle and within X distance (subject to balance)
3. Information Warfare Link Hack - While less than X distance (very close) of an enemy mech you have hardlocked that does not possess an tranciever module enhancements, you hack into his IWS and gain minimap position data for all enemy mechs he is in contact with. (but no locking capability, just minimap updates)
4. Anti-Stealth Detection Array - Ignore normal and advanced defensive modules on enemy mechs that reduce the range at which you could normally detect them.
5. Omni-directional Radar - You can detect enemies at your maximum scan distance in all directions.
6. Ignore Standard Defensive modules 2 and 3 and gain target data 2x as fast as normal.
7. Hard Sensor Suppression - Targets you have hardlocked suffer the effects of standard offensive modules 8, 9, and 10.

Advanced Defensive Modules:
1. Reduce the range at which enemies can lock onto you by X% (very large).
2. All of your defensive module benefits are shared between allies within X meters of you.
3. High-Powered White Noise Generator - No mechs can share information within X meters of you (friend or foe), even over standard Defensive module 4.
4. Multi-phase transciever - You can always send and recieve information from allies.
5. Atmospheric ionizer - produces ionization in the thermal bandwidth in the atmosphere X meters in all directions around your mech, causing contrast on thermal vision to be terrible in your vicinity.


Now again, for a hard example so we can get a feel for this system. Suppose the Raven is considered an epic information warfare mech and so it gets a 3/3 system build into its base chasis (compared to our Centurion's 2/2 and our Catapults 3/1). But these 3 offensive and 3 defensive IWM are all standard level mods. So our Raven will be more effective on the i-war scene than a Centurion, but it won't dominate right away. However, lets suppose its a variant we can put an ECM on. Suppose also that it is decided that ECM both converts one standard defensive module slot to an advanced one, and grants an additional advanced defensive module slot. So now our raven is a 3/2-2, sporting 7 IWMs, 2 from the game-alteringly powerful selection in the Advanced Defensive Module section.



Drawback of this system:
The current pilot module selection in the "sensor" system will have to go. Refund the pilots who purchased those for their GXP and c-bills if/when this implimentation is taken. I'd additionally recommend a replacement pilot module section for... you know... actual piloting... like bonuses to stability, knock down, turn rate, maximum terrain climb angle, etc. But thats another thread.

The other big drawback is that its going to take alot of reprograming of the current ewar effects into a bunch of individual modules, as well as a whole new loadout screen in the mechbay. Lots of time. But the benefit is that we have a far more robust system for future expansion of the i-war game.






Conclusion:

Of course, this system could be refined, the lists altered, the stats tweaked, but here's the take-home gist of it:

Give every mech an Information Warfare Suite. This makes every mech important to the process of gathering, diseminating, and utelizing information on the battlefield. Give different mechs different general specializations within that field so some become better at getting and using information (offensive), while others get better at maintaining and diseminating that information (defensive). And finally, put in at least 2 tiers of equipment on the offensive and defensive end and reserve that equipment for chasis that are specifically marked as extra-effective in the realm of information warfare.




Doing this takes alot of overhead work, but in the end we get a system that makes information warfare:

1. Matter to every mech, both in the loadout bay, and on the field.
2. Far more robust for future expansion.
3. Emphasize player customization and choice.
4. Retain the capacity to impliment mech variants with a high degree of specialization towards i-war.
5. Ability to rebalance the one or two specific attributes of trouble modules instead of trying to balance a dozen factors in the one-equipment-does-all approach that is being currently taken due to strict adherence to the TT original equipment lists (an adherence this proposal would still abide by!)
6. Put more stuff on the table for players to buy = more incentive to play.

[Murdalizer]

+1

With some tweaking this would be so much better than the current one...which feels crude and lacks any kind of finesse.

Your take on ECM opens up for alot more customization, and the current one does the opposite.

But it would take a long time to program and then theres tweaking and balancing. but i wouldnt mind the wait.


And btw ''Classic TT was just not designed for the options we have in a modern simulator.''...i agree with this, but there might be a shitstorm coming your way:P

[Tolkien]

Bump for a good idea.

I favor having ECM type interference with enemy systems be a soft counter rather than a hard counter, and a system like you are describing would be a good way to also get some variety in it rather than having the current on-off swiss army shotgun ECM.

With a soft counter the affected system still works, but at greatly reduced effectiveness. For example, rather than having ECM knock out LRM and SSRM locks completely (absent a tag, or being in the very tiny 20m wide 'zone'), maybe it would have been better to increase their lock on times or make the missiles spread out / miss much more.

The current implementation of ECM is far too powerful and far too binary for a 1.5 ton 2 slot item. In terms of personal taste, I liked the feel of the game much more before it was jammed in.

Edited by Tolkien, 18 December 2012 - 05:45 AM.

[Orkimedes]

The potential for customisation and future expansions is immense, for that alone it receives a +1 from me, the current all-or-nothing approach only serves to enhance the brilliance of this proposition. I think it is well worth the (pretty big, when you think about it) investment for PGI to implement this, or a similar system, at some point. I myself would like to see it sooner, rather than later, but it's much more expansive and therefore much harder to code, not to mention balance.

[Tolkien]

Orkimedes, on 18 December 2012 - 05:49 AM, said:

The potential for customisation and future expansions is immense, for that alone it receives a +1 from me, the current all-or-nothing approach only serves to enhance the brilliance of this proposition. I think it is well worth the (pretty big, when you think about it) investment for PGI to implement this, or a similar system, at some point. I myself would like to see it sooner, rather than later, but it's much more expansive and therefore much harder to code, not to mention balance.

I couldn't help but say it - the patch notes said that the current ECM they put in was originally more powerful and they toned it down before release... so I think that it being hard to balance is the least of our concerns

[SGT Unther]

I'm in favor of this +1

It really opens up different avenues of mech customization alone

[Pando]

That was a-lot to read, but well worth it. Thank you for the post OP.

I'm diggin' the customization embedded within realistic views IMO.

[Murdalizer]

Small Bump

[Tripic]

This would be great and it equals out the playing field a bit more as is its one way or the other and if you don't have a guy with ecm on your team your sol. This way you would be able to select a little more of what was going to happen and sacrifice what you need to get what you want out of your mech.

[ExAstris]

I would like to thank everyone for their responses, positive feedback, and in general taking the time to read the entire thing.

I'm commenting again because I have even more ideas that gel perfectly with this Comprehensive take on Information Warfare.

First off, several of the more advanced modules of TT lore would be easy to impliment into this system without horrendous gameplay effects by allow them to be the requisite unlock to particular Information Warfare Modules. So even aside from the previous proposal to make ECM/BAP/etc the unlock for tier 2 IWMs, it could be further restricted so that some tier 2 IWMs are only accesable if you have a particular equipment piece unlocked.

For example, the Guardian ECM and the Angel ECM should grant access to at least a few different tier 2 IWMs, while the Beagle Active Probe and the Bloodhound Probe should also grant access to a different selection.

It leaves room for differentiation, as the exact IWDs the mech ends up mounting still have a selection among them, but also allows mechs to be differentiated based on which ECM or Probe they carry because they won't merely be unlocks to higher tier IWMs, but additionally unlocks to a few particular tier 2 IWMs only available via that equipment piece's presence.


And just in case it isn't obvious enough how much more variety this system would generate on the information warfare and customization fronts, here are a few more IWMs.

Tier 1 Defensive Information Warfare modules.
(a.) Fast Response AMS Sensor and Tracking Gear - Your AMS is particular good at shooting down missiles with a limited response time, making it more effective against SRMs and SSRMs.
(b.) Long Range AMS Sensor and Tracking Gear - Your AMS has been modified with longer range ammunition and tracking equipment, making it better suited to downing LRM barrages and covering allies.
(c.) Group AMS Datalink - Any allies you can communicate with inside X meters (probably AMS range) coordinates its AMS fire with yours against barrages to set up anti-missile kill-boxes, increasing the effectiveness of your grouped AMSs, but only when firing as a group. Provides no benefit if only your AMS(s) are within X meters.
(d.) Shock Buffering - Your electronics suite as been hardened against electric shock, you suffer no disruption from PPC fire or the Targeted EMP Emitter.
(e.) Rear Warning Sensor - Enemy mechs within X meters of your back 180 degrees trigger a proximity alarm in your mech, alterting you to sneaky enemies.


Tier 1 Offensive Information Warfare modules.
(a.) Enhanced TAG Detection Array - You can recieve TAG information from allies TAG as if it were your own, and can designate and recieve enemies with your TAG from +X meters.
(b.) Enhanced NARC pods - Your narc beacons also have a 360 sensor on them with a range of X meters. You may fire this through the air and recieve contact information along the flight path, and/or fire it at terrain and recieve target information from that sensor location for Y seconds.
(c.) Enhanced Thermal Vision - Your computer better filters out hot terrain in thermal vision mode, increasing contrast with enemy targets, especially for cool enemies and/or those in hot environments.
(d.) Basic Image Enhancement - All mech sillhouettes within X meters are outlined by your HUD, making it easier to see enemy and friendly positions and orientations in low visbility conditions.
(e.) Targeted EMP Emitter - Once every X seconds (probably 30-60) you may press (the relevant bound button your keyboard, probably J) when you have an enemy targeted within Y meters. That target's HUD becomes entirely scramled for one second, loses its hardlocked target(s), and must reaquire all advanced target data from scratch (i.e. paper doll info and weapon loadouts).
(f.) Multi-hardlock Tracking Gear - Your HUD can keep up to 3 targets hardlocked simultaneously. Target data for the one closest to the center of your vision is displayed as your target information, and your lock-on weapons will track the one closts to your center of vision. Friendly units recieve target data you transmit from all hardlocked targets.
(g.) Updatable Missile-target Subroutines - Your computer can cause missiles to redirect to a new hardlocked target mid-flight, instead of only being able to reaquire the original target for flight trajectory updates.



So again, alot more options with this system for Information Warfare than the current implimentation allows. While it would take a little programming work, most of the core systems are already in place as this would only need a seperate page in the mechlab and use its own seperate set of modules just like the current pilot modules do. So while its more work than keeping it as is, this proposal doesn't exactly rewrite the MWO basecode either, rather piggy-backing on the already present module mechanics.

Cheers.

Edited by ExAstris, 30 December 2012 - 02:08 PM.

[RWilliams]

Sounds like some awesome stuff to me.

[Xandralkus]

I...think I actually like this one! It's all supplementary and never acts as a hard-counter against missile platforms, while not giving missile platforms absolutely free reign over open spaces.

Just remember, not every catapult should be pure fire support. People who like catapults and like brawling can (and should) be able to configure a pure brawling catapult. The same goes for sniper/fire support Centurions.

All the stuff should be mountable in any mech, so that any mech can be configured to perform any role (or juxtaposition of roles). This includes the advanced Ewar stuff too - although that would probably eat up a LOT of criticals & tonnage.

[Reno Blade]

+ 9001
Very well done.
It may take some time to get all this into the game, but i believe, that this is what the Devs would call "End game content" with modules !!

[ExAstris]

Equipment: Command Console: Allows access to Command Modules for your mech's Information Warfare Suite.

Command Module Examples: (Some lifted directly from the original info dump for I-war)

1). Satelite Sweep: So long as your transciever is not jammed, you order an orbiting friendly satellite to perform a high intensity scan of the battlefield for enemy locations (subject to verticle LOS). The scan reveals the location of all enemies to you for a short time, you may transmit this minimap data to allies you can communicate with. Satellite takes X seconds to recharge its scanners (probably a couple hundred seconds so that only a couple of scans can be made each match at stragetically valuable times)
2). Rapid Precision Artillery Strike: You call in a moderate damage artillery strike that hits a small area over a very short period of time. Useful to deal maximum damage to non-mobile enemies or key objectives.
3). Rapid Area Artillery Strike: You call in a low damage artillery strike that hits a large area over a short period of time. Useful to deal some damage to multiple enemy units in an area, or to help hit those on the move.
4). Continous Bombardment: You call in a very low damage but continuous artillery bombardment of an area. You may update the area you wish to bombard. Useful for area denial. (Bombardment is very weak, so units that stay in a region to cap would only suffer minor damage for the 20 or so seconds required)
5). Target Priority List: You list your opponents according to their priority as targets. Friendly units recieve additional target symbols to confirm their priority. You may change target priorities on the fly and friendly units are automatically updated.
6). Reconaissance Drone: You call in a low flying drone that loiters over a specific area and relays target information visually. Can provide minimap updates on ECM units. Can be shot down. Only X drones may be called in per match (probably only 1 or 2).

And a few more extreme ideas:
7). Automated Turret Paradrop: Once per match, call in a paradrop of an automated allied gun turret to the location your reticle is currently indicating (low armor, probably just a couple medium lasers and machine guns). The turret has a scan range of 100m and will relay target info to your team if able. Bases the turret is set on cannot be capped by the enemy until the turret is destroyed. The turret will relay to you when it is being attacked.
8). Allied X Paradrop: Same as before, but can be done with a small infantry unit or vehicles if/when they are implimented.
9). Friendly Spotter Team: Sends a team of scout troops to your designated location. They are camaflagued appropriate to the map and relay information about enemy movement within their visual range. May be killed by the enemy, and show up on enemy sensors within X meters (probably 50-100).



While some of those last few won't be feasable for a long time (needs alot more assets in-game), we again have a taste of the options this implimentation of Information Warfare gives us with respect to allowing equipment pieces to unlock a subset of individually weaker modules.

In particular in this example, I've given over a half dozen possible options for a piece of equipment that currently does nothing in the game, but would find alot of utility in this set up.

[SICk Nick]

Me likey!

BTW, the Atlas with the Command Console...what was the plan they had with that?

[Sesambrot]

Who do we have to bribe to get that implemented!?!

[Juuso Karhu]

Sounds like good stuff. Don't know what to say, honestly... seems that you've thought it all out already.

[Volthorne]

NEEDS MOAR UPVOTES!!!

[Phoenix Branson]

+1

[Murdalizer]

Great stuff...+1 again