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[MischiefSC]

WIth light mechs now more reasonably vulnerable to damage they are not the brawlers they used to be. Someone already made a post about what to do with them next that mentioned adding more complicated tactical objectives to the game.

I read this post right after another one about how capture points don't add a lot of 'oomph' to the tactical landscape.

Here is an idea that can help with both issues:

Do not have capture points equate to a victory in either current game mode. Have them only equate to a bonus for both victor and losers profit and XP. More to the point, reduce the 'thank you for participating' cbill and XP award you get just for showing up in a match. Have it replaced instead with each player getting a bonus to both cash and XP based on what percentage of the total time that each point spent captured that was held by their team.

So, for example, on an Assault match there are only 2 capture points in play. Each starts captured by their own teams. If the game runs for 10 minutes but halfway through Blue captures the Reds capture point then finishes destroying all of team Red, Blue will get bonuses based on a sliding scale for 75% of the games capture time, while team Red only gets a bonus for having 25% of the games total capture time value.

This becomes even more important on a Conquest map. Having control of more game points for a larger percentage of the matches length equates to a bigger bonus.

In addition there would be individual bonuses for capturing. You get a small assist bonus for helping capture locations. Nice award for lights and people who help the team by capturing, not just chasing kills.

This would add value to light mechs aside from straight combat value. Since your bonus is based on the % of total captured time and not total amount of time, you're rewarded for faster victory with more points controlled.

This leaves actual game victory down to actually killing all the enemy mechs or at least having highest capture % when the timer runs out, rather than just running around to points. It keeps the focus of the game on combat but adds a powerful motivator into not just taking but HOLDING capture points. Currently there is little impetus to hold a base. You can always recapture it if you have to and impetus to take capture points is limited, making their tactical value limited.

Tying captures to XP and cbill reward suddenly makes capture points tactically relevant for premades and pugs alike, win or lose. This adds tactical value to light mechs beyond just ECM and scouting. It also adds tactical value to taking and holding capture points instead of just running through them.

Finally, it puts emphasis squarely back where it should be in the game - blowing the crap out of other mechs.