3 replies to this topic

[topgun505]

Someone suggested I put this in the suggestion forum. So here it is.

Probably one of the biggest hot buttons for the last few weeks has been ECM as everyone is well aware. There’s a lot of opinions as to whether or not it is overpowered and all sorts of suggestions on how (if at all) to tweak it or do a major overhaul on it.

One of the things that seems to be the most contested is what mechs can actually carry it. The Raven 3L and Commando 2D seem to be causing the biggest concern due to the fact that the current implementation of ECM favors taking hoards of ECM-equipped units armed with streaks so you end up seeing 3-4 of these on any given 8-man team, which means any target focused on is staring down the end of up to 12, possibly more, streak racks and if your side doesn't have more ECM equipped units, not only will they be able to use them all, but if you have any as well, you can likely not use any.

The point of this thread, however, is NOT to talk about ECM from an OP perspective. It is, rather, a suggestion that one of the things we can do to try and resolve this is to change which mechs can actually carry it.

The biggest gripe is that the current ECM-capable mechs rely on Streak missile racks to deal out a significant amount of their DPS (because it ignores net-code and thus does an excellent job of killing lights more than any other weapon) and as a result of ECM it encourages teams to take as many such units as possible so that they can use their streak weapons while denying the opponent the ability to do the same.

If you recall, initially the devs were going to put ECM on the Jenner 7D and nearly everyone went into an uproar saying that if they did so that nobody would ever take any other light mech and after a short time the devs decided against allowing the ECM on the Jenner.

I propose that the devs change which Ravens and Commandos can carry ECM.

Specifically, I propose the Raven-4X and the Commando -1B should be the ECM-capable units.

The Commando-1B has one missile rack … as opposed to the 3 racks the 2D has. So, it can still mount streaks, but not a hoard of them. Meanwhile it has 3 energy hardpoints which would allow it to mount significant energy weapons to make up for it and/or be able to mount a TAG while still being able to mount multiple energy weapons.

The Raven-4X. Well. Really … have ANY of you EVER seen a Raven-4X on the field? Aside from someone running it strictly to skill it up the pilot skills I have NEVER seen someone run it as their standard mech. That variant needs a big incentive to take it … and ECM would be just the ticket. Like the Commando-1B it also has only 1 missile rack so it can still mount streaks … but again it won’t be as powerful as the existing Raven.

I think if the Devs did this change it would give the general populace a good reason to take a number of models of mechs that we currently hardly ever see fielded … and they would be less of a powerhouse compared to what is being run now and while it may not entirely solve the issues we are seeing with ECM it would at least tone it down to tolerable levels.

[Stingz]

The Raven-3L isn't changing, it has ECM stock, and stock builds aren't changing. Besides the RVN-3L was literally built as THE EW-based mech.

[topgun505]

I fully realize it came with it standard in canon. For the sake of game balance, however, I think this change is necessary.

You realize that NONE of the Commandos ever mounted ECM in canon, right? So you have already broke with standard canon already. So may as well break this as well for the sake of game balance. Unless of course you LIKE running into 4-streak-ECM Ravens/Commandos every single 8-man game you play?

[Voidsinger]

Stingz, on 20 December 2012 - 06:19 PM, said:

The Raven-3L isn't changing, it has ECM stock, and stock builds aren't changing. Besides the RVN-3L was literally built as THE EW-based mech.

Oh come on!

That built as an EW mech argument has legs when customisation does not permit removal of the BAP, TAG and NARC, but close to 90% of 3Ls out there have only GECM from the original EW outfitting. They are Strike boats, pure and simple 2-3ML + 2 Streak.

They don't need to change the ECM platforms, they need to open up availability more to avoid ECM-based immunity that Raven-3Ls are using. Commandos aren't as bad, since the 2D has always had a strong triple Streak flavour, and with ambush being much more difficult in MWO and TT, it is understandable.

Streaks shouldn't be affected by ECM (I believe this is because MWO uses a single lockon system, and they wanted to hit LRMs). Streaks need other controls, most particularly on stacking, and those used by ECM capable units..