10 replies to this topic

[Riddler9884]

Can someone go into the details of what exactly ECM currently does and its effects on other systems?

If an enemy Mech has ECM and you equip BAP, TAG or NAC, and/or targeting modules.
- When can you actually press R and get a lock?
- Do any of the things above affect it and how?

I'm not here to validate how bad it sucks, I just want to know if I am right suspecting BAP doesn't work or am I doing it wrong.

I posted it here to see if we can compile a ECM guide or ECM 101 and gather everything under 1 thread.

[Orgasmo]

ECM counters both the BAP and NARC. You cannot target ECM equipped enemy from outside the 180m bubble. Also when you are within the bubble, your mini map is disrupted, making you unable to tell your teammates' location. TAG is supposed to be the counter to ECM, but it's rendered useless if the ECM is within 180m of you. The only true counter to ECM is another ECM atm.

Bottom line: Don't leave home without one.

[StalaggtIKE]

Riddler9884, on 16 January 2013 - 09:33 AM, said:

Can someone go into the details of what exactly ECM currently does and its effects on other systems?

If an enemy Mech has ECM and you equip BAP, TAG or NAC, and/or targeting modules.
- When can you actually press R and get a lock?

BAP and targeting modules are negated by ECM, so you must be within 200m and outside 180m, like everyone else, to press R and get lock. If NARC is attached to anyone within ECM protection bubble, it immediately loses functionality.

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- Do any of the things above affect it and how?

TAG allows you to laser a target from 750m. However once within the 180m bubble your teammates can not lock on to your laser designation. Also it is inconsistant, but generally it takes around 5 seconds before you get a 'R' lock.

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I'm not here to validate how bad it sucks, I just want to know if I am right suspecting BAP doesn't work or am I doing it wrong.

BAP is completely countered by ECM. For the record this is canon.

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I posted it here to see if we can compile a ECM guide or ECM 101 and gather everything under 1 thread.

Good idea. Hopefully it dispels some of these myths.

[Seth]

Check out this page and let me know if it doesn't answer your questions.

http://mwowiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=ECM

EDIT: Fixed the link

Edited by Seth, 16 January 2013 - 01:47 PM.

[StalaggtIKE]

Seth, on 16 January 2013 - 12:12 PM, said:

Check out this page and let me know if it doesn't answer your questions.

mwowiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=ECM

Lol. Nope. Seriously though, your link is broken.

[Fut]

Orgasmo, on 16 January 2013 - 10:18 AM, said:

TAG is supposed to be the counter to ECM, but it's rendered useless if the ECM is within 180m of you. The only true counter to ECM is another ECM atm.

I thought that you could TAG an ECM-Mech within 180m of you and get a lock, you just can't share that lock with your teammates . Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Texugo87]

Orgasmo, on 16 January 2013 - 10:18 AM, said:

ECM counters both the BAP and NARC. ​You cannot target ECM equipped enemy from outside the 180m bubble. Also when you are within the bubble, your mini map is disrupted, making you unable to tell your teammates' location. TAG is supposed to be the counter to ECM, but it's rendered useless if the ECM is within 180m of you. The only true counter to ECM is another ECM atm.

Bottom line: Don't leave home without one.

The emphasized portion above is wrong. ECM drops detection range to 200m, The lock on block and communication block kick in a 180m. That, I think, is the main problem with ECM, there is too much overlap between these ranges. For the 20m window between them you can target ecm bubbled mechs, transmit target data, get locks, fire LRM's and SRM's, etc. The only difference being lock on time is doubled. The problem is, that 20 meter window is so small its next to impossible to stay in. So small most of us have probably never noticed it while playing. If detection range was increased to 300-400m , we would now have a vastly larger (180m to 280m respectively), and actually useful, window to operate in, while ECM still has all of the functionality it currently does.

[Riddler9884]

I was thinking something more like this


I just want to make sure I have everything in place but I am currently looking into the ecm on the wiki

Update - The wiki has all the info just not the Sensor Range Modules and at the bottom it references
http://mwomercs.com/...dian-ecm-suite/
Which has a lot of basic information its just hidden in the command chair section...

Edited by Riddler9884, 16 January 2013 - 12:56 PM.

[Abivard]

supposed to work like the chart above, not sure who has the modules to test it, I still need gxp

[StalaggtIKE]

Abivard, on 16 January 2013 - 04:48 PM, said:

supposed to work like the chart above, not sure who has the modules to test it, I still need gxp

All modules are defeated by ECM. ECM is like dividing by zero, it just fails.

Source: Sensor Range Rank 2

Edited by StalaggtIKE, 16 January 2013 - 05:40 PM.

[Indolo]

For a summary, here's excerpts from patch notes.

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When a Mech is hidden by a friendly ECM:

• Enemy Mechs will have to come within 1/4 the normal distance (200 m instead of 800 m, by default) for hidden Mechs to show up on their battlegrid and HUD. The Beagle Active Probe is of no use in extending this range.
  
• It takes twice as long to achieve a missile lock against a hidden Mech.
  
• Narc beacons will stick to hidden Mechs, but they won’t provide their normal bonuses until the Mech leaves the ECM’s range.
  
• Artemis IV does not provide any bonuses against hidden Mechs.

When your Mech is disrupted by an enemy ECM:

• You will not know where your teammates are, and they won’t know where you are, unless you have direct line of sight to each other.
  
• You cannot share any targeting data with the rest of your team, and vice versa.
  
• Your Beagle Active Probe ceases to function.
  
• You cannot achieve any missile locks.
  
• Your TAG laser can still fire but provides no bonuses.
  
• Your battlegrid and targeting information will flicker.

Between the ECM’s 180 m range, and the 200 m range for detecting Mechs hidden by ECM, there’s a 20 m radius band where you can detect a hidden Mech, target it, and get a missile lock and/or share the targeting with your teammates.

If you are not being disrupted by an enemy ECM, any hidden Mech on the other team that you hit with a TAG laser will be revealed as if it wasn’t being hidden. This allows you and your teammates to target and lock on it for as long as you can keep the TAG beam trained on it.

Your ECM in counter mode (J) will:

• Cancel the effect of one enemy ECM on Mechs (friendly or enemy) within range of your ECM (180m)
  
• However, two enemy ECMs affecting the Mech would require two counter ECMs, three would require three, etc.
  
• Completely cancel all effects of an ECM in disrupt mode equipped on an enemy Mech that is within range (180m)
  
• Mechs countered in such a way have their ECM symbol replaced with a crossed out version.
  
• You can only counter one enemy ECM in this manner.
  
• I.e. If there are two enemy Mechs with disrupt mode ECMs in range, one will be countered while the other will function normally. But two counter ECMs will counter two disrupt ECMs, etc.

12/18 Patch: ECM will now fully counter only the closest enemy Mech.

Fut, on 16 January 2013 - 12:33 PM, said:

I thought that you could TAG an ECM-Mech within 180m of you and get a lock, you just can't share that lock with your teammates . Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Incorrect. TAG is only effective outside the 180m bubble.

Edited by Indolo, 16 January 2013 - 09:00 PM.