1
It's ok to not like them, but don't be a **** about it.
MISSILE WEAPONS
Currently SRMs and LRMs are rather underperforming, when SSRMs are kind of crazy.
So i think that both SRMs and LRMs should have their damage increased to their TT equivalents, i.e. SRM damage increased to 2dmg/missile and LRM damage to 1dmg/missile.
However, i did notice a very frustrating pattern in LRM damage spread. It seems to concentrate (at least 60%) damage to the CT and increasing it's damage would probably not sound like a very good idea. So i'd suggest making the missiles spread out slightly more (or even make so that some missiles track limbs, others side torsos and others central torso).
LRMs would also need a projectile speed increase, because at the moment they are too easy to dodge (this is coming from a player that does NOT use LRMs himself) at long distances, really ******* on the LONG RANGE part of the name.
SRMs would probably be fine with just the damage increase, but (it's more from a immersion standpoint) the missile flight pattern is just so strange. Honestly it just doesn't feel like you're shooting actual missiles and more like you're shooting unstable balls of plasma that can't really move in a comprehensible way.
SSRMs are a different beast entirely. They are simply too accurate and too easy to use. I'd suggest adding some sort of mechanic, similar to TAG in a way. Let me explain, when you have SSRMs and you press the button to shoot, instead of shooting missiles instantly, it would shoot out a laser pointer (like the TAG, but maybe different color?). After holding the laser on the enemy (maybe for a second or 1.5?) the missiles would shoot out automatically. However, if the laser breaks contact (before shooting the missiles) even for a millisecond, the missile time-counter resets.
That's just one idea, the other one is: simply giving the Streaks a similar flight pattern to the SRMs. So the missiles would track the enemy, but have an erratic flight pattern that would prevent the missiles from hitting the CT 90% of the time.
BALLISTICS
I believe that the ballistic weaponry is (more or less) balanced.
.
..
... Except for Machine guns and the LB 10-X autocannon.
Machine guns, in my honest opinion, require a SIMPLE damage boost. I'd suggest increasing the damage to 0.1 damage/bullet. That would increase the DPS to 1. Before you scream, it's going to be overpowered, listen! This would make Machine guns into the ballistic equivalent to Small Lasers (i know they're not being used much, but still). Of course Small lasers will still be better, so heck, i'd increase the DPS to 1,5 if i could! Why Small lasers would still be better?
1. Small lasers are pin-point accurate, Machine guns spread damage.
2. Small lasers don't need constant LoS, Machine guns do.
3. Small lasers don't need ammunition and generate heat, Machine guns do need ammunition, a LOT of it and if it goes boom, say good bye to your mech. Well of course, Machine guns don't generate heat.
LB 10-X autocannon. I honestly don't know how to make it better. Although, i would suggest adding different types of ammunition to it, with the ability to change between them on the fly. If i recall correctly in TT there were Cluster rounds (what we have now) and Slugs (one large bullet, like the default AC/10). But if you actually do so, it would make it a simply better version of AC/10 and probably no-one would ever use it (even if you made LB 10-X more expensive). So i'd suggest it so, the Slug rounds would match AC/10 only by its damage. The projectile speed would be decreased and the amount of heat generated by slug rounds would be increased (maybe 1.5x heat generated by AC/10?)
ENERGY WEAPONRY
I think they are mostly fine, i guess. However i believe PPCs and ERPPCs would need some balancing. Mostly to prevent PPC (or ERPPC) boating. I would suggest increasing the heat generated by the ERPPC, especially now, because you implemented Coolant flushing (I don't like you for it
).PPCs heat generation is fine, but the minimum range is not. I would suggest changing the damage drop from a linear degression to a parabolic (quadratic) degression.
This would make PPC boats more vulnerable to rushing and the Heat increase would decrease the overall performance of ERPPC boats.
MECH VARIANTS
I suggest this: all mech variants should be identical except for Hardpoints and ECM. Let me explain, i suggest that the torso twisting and especially the engine sizes should be identical. I mean, really! One of the mech variants shouldn't be able to use larger engine than any other (i guess unless it's a hero, but still). ESPECIALLY if the mech is TWO TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE. For example CN9-D is more than twice as expensive as other variants (i understand it, it has an XL engine), however it should NOT be able to use such large engines as 390 when other variants (except for the Hero) can only use 275. This is unacceptable. All of them should use the same engine ratings (I'd suggest all of them having the maximum of 300). The same problem is with the Raven (i'll talk about it later), Trebuchet and Awesome.
Raven 3L variant. Let me give you the facts about it and decide about it yourself.
1. It's able to use larger engines than any other Raven variant.
2. It has the largest amount of Module slots of all Raven variants.
3. It has arguably the best hardpoints of all Raven's (even if SSRMs were not overpowered)
4. It has ECM capability (which is overpowered, you'll find my ideas about it later)
5. It costs as much as the other two Ravens COMBINED.
Just think about it, alright?
GUARDIAN ECM SUITE
It needs to be changed.
YES IT FRACKING NEEDS IT, SPONGEBOB!!! SHUT UP
Ehm...
Anyway, so i'd suggest that it would not make you invisible to lock-on. Instead it would simply counter other equipment like the TAG, NARC beacon, Artemis, BAP etc. It could also scramble the enemy's radar when in range (180 metres).
I would also make it so that it would conceal your heat signature since it's supposed to mess up infrared too.
It shouldn't completely prevent LRM lock-on. Instead i'd suggest making it so that the time it takes to lock on to you is increased (maybe 2 times?)
This way i think ECM would no longer be a "I WIN" equipment suite. Instead it would be a situational equipment piece meant for less offense and more defense.
I understand that PGI isn't a big team, but a balanced game is a SUCCESSFUL game.
I hope you will at least consider ANYTHING i say here.
There's also a poll for people to vote, whether they agree to what i suggested or they disagreed.
Edited by Varnas, 14 April 2013 - 09:36 AM.
