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Ok, ECM/BAP:
I think ECM works great right now but I think a couple of changes might make it much much better for both sides.
1: Have it so if the player can hold their reticle on the ECM'd mech for about 6 seconds, then the player can get data as if it wasn't ECM'd for about 3-4 seconds after their reticle leaves the mech.
The lore/logic: If the player can see the mech and keep his/her reticle on it steadily like that- it could simulate the player manually inputting target location data for sensors.
Form: Once the player has achieved target data, while that player has reticle on target, he keeps it, but once reticle leaves target (at all) the player keeps the target data for about 3-4 seconds, then loses it and must start over again.
Function: It wouldn't be as useful against faster mechs as they are harder to track, but against a brazen ECM'd atlas it could keep them from standing in the open with near (non tag) targeting impunity.
2: Not every mech should be made aware they are being disrupted. (Ofcourse the player would notice if he looked at his map and his surroundings and noticed mechs didn't have any data.) but players should not be given an active notification of being distrupted, Unless they have BAP. (BAP still wouldn't assist in targeting)
Lore/logic: If a player mounts BAP, then they should be made aware they're being disrupted, at least according to sarna, which implies non-BAP mechs wouldn't know unless they just noticed.
Form: Mechs mounting BAP would be able to alert non-BAP mechs that they're being disrupted and could therefore conclude an enemy ECM mech is in the area, since it is not always obvious.
Function: This would give BAP a reason to exist beyond just helping scouts and missile supports see farther, achieve lock faster, and target shut-down mechs.
3: Later down the road, ECM might be given a mode where the stealth is removed in favor of adding false positives (F-P) to the minimap. (Or just a different type of ECM) The mech could turn it on and if it is moving, the map would show 2-5 different signatures facing different directions and/or moving in different directions, whatever flows logically. BAP could counter this by picking out the actual mech and marking the false positives as such.
Lore/Logic: This could add a valuable mechanic for a group looking to feign, and an added value to BAP as a counter.
Form: F-P would create a different amount of mechs on the map compared to how many their actually are and could possibly change enemy strategic movements. This could be turned off or on at will.
Function: Add more value to BAP and create another interesting information warfare aspect.
4: Limit BAP to certain mechs, just as ECM is limited now. (especially key if the above changes are implemented in some way.)
Lore/logic just as ECM didn't come with every mech, BAP didn't either.
Form: Give BAP to cannon mechs that had BAP, and other appropriate ones as necessary until enough BAP mechs are available.
Function: Make other chassis viable and useful.
Terrain, buildings and Legs.
1: Fix leg damage from tiny heights, but keep leg damage for going through rough terrain at high speed (or add a chance to fall mechanic.) Example, if I ran down my local hill (made out of boulders) at a sprint, it likely wouldn't end very well, I don't think mech servos and the gyro would do that well either.
2: Add a sliding mechanic to high speed on artificially smooth surfaces like roads and building roofs. Just like a tank doing 80 kph down a road now would slide for a sudden turn, I think a mech doing 140kph that made a sharp turn would slide as well. Perhaps add a sliding scale of chance relative to mech weight and speed, and perhaps a small chance to slip entirely and fall.
This would provide an added danger to zipping around everywhere at maxed out speed.
3: Perhaps a similar mechanic for Ice?
4: Punish mechs for running into buildings/verticle terrain at high speeds. If you run into a building at anything above 50 kph, you should take a tiny bit of damage when you get stopped. 100 kph should damage you a little more, and 150kph should mangle you hardcore, for the same reason none of us go running into walls (willingly) at a sprint. I pilot everything, and I find that light mechs get away with holding the throttle at max a little too much.
Current Game Modes/Bases.
1: Assault, It is pretty good as is, but I think the base should be able to "recover" at a steady rate when it is either unoccupied, or a little faster with friendly mechs on it. This allows for games to possibly be saved from basecaps, rather than a race to Mutally Assured Capstruction.
2: Assault bases, I think the bases on Frozen City could be moved to create a little more use of the map. The Southern base could be moved farther south to make use of the floor at the bottom of the cliff. (and perhaps extend the boundary out another 200-300 meters) and likewise with the north, to use the cliff area up there. That would allow different avenues of approach to be more viable. (Currently the "Tunnel" and the broken dropship are the only two real hot-spots. The outside cliff is really only the realm of lights who dare.
3: Conquest bases, A small XP/Cbill bonus should be added to capturing bases in Conquest mode. Not large enough to promote farming, but large enough to promote base capping by all different mechs. (As it stands currently, only the real team minded players cap bases in Conquest mode because it is far more lucrative to fight, and those team minded players lose out because they're ensuring their team's victory while the other players are gobbling up Cbills through combat. Leaving none left for the cappers. The resource bonus applies to all, so the fighting is still more lucrative as damage/compents/kills is added to your resource bonus as well.)
4: Bases, I think each base should have an extra benefit to holding it- after thinking through some options (BAP bubble/ECM bubble, etc..) I think that having 2-4 AMS's mounted to the structure to provide a good missile shield for the team who owns the base would provide an added benefit and incentive to guard the base in both conquest and assault modes.
Maps.
1: Please change the color of either friendly signatures, or the map lining in the minimap/battlemap as seeing friendlies on your maps currently is a visual struggle.
2: Randomized weather patterns for the individual match? This is probably planned already for the future, but just in case.
Night Vision, Thermal Vision, and Lights.
I think to start out, a mech shouldn't have Thermal vision and night vision, rather they should have "headlights" and Thermal/Night vision would be modules one could buy, like the advanced zoom. My reasoning behind this is that Thermal vision is pretty powerful even in day maps for scouting and long range shooting (or in just plain use in the dusty part of lower River City and the foggy part of Frozen City, and along with night vision, it's powerful in River City night. To set them as modules creates a bit more competition over which one to use, and whether to use it over another module. A scout might have more use for thermal vision than a brawler, and that would also help the scout stand out more in the its role in information warfare. This would also help with the information warfare in that an ECM mech isn't necesarily seen because someone is mounting thermals, and would allow for a more tactical night fighting, allowing for stealth movements (turning off headlights) or ambushes and that could be countered by a scout.
I wouldn't make them super expensive or hard to get, as that could bring up a P2W argument, but just the fact that it would take up a module slot to have one would create a bit more decision making in a mech/team make-up.
One last thing for this: I think in order for Night vision to hold it's own against thermal (which does NV's job and then some) Night vision should maintain it's green/black contrast, but be made much sharper, keeping thermal still vague.
Mechs.
1: I think players should have the ability to rename their mechs after they're purchased, whether it be for MC, C-bills or generosity. (I suspect this was already planned, but just in case.)
2: Paints: I think that the real basic colors (White, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown) should be Cbills only(some of which already are), and I don't think they should cost 312K as that is about 60% of the price of a commando just to paint your mech. I think that about 100-150K is much more reasonable per basic color. That being said- special shades of different colors (Midnight Blue, Forest Green, Plum) should be for MC as they allow for mechs to be made in multitudes of different schemes etc.. Also flourescent paints. (The main point of this was the basic colors and the price of the paints- 1mil Cbills for a paintjob seems a bit much compared to buying a whole new mech for the price of two paintjobs.)
3: Water in relation to cooling. I know currently that Heatsinks in the legs gain benefit from being under water, but I'm not sure that any others do. This really doesn't apply to most mechs outside of lights in the current map selection, but I think with more maps with more water, having water touching any component bearing Heatsinks should benefit it. It makes sense, (Maybe even add a steam effect later on?
)Before match sequences. (That part I am SUPER excited about.)
This last patch was quite possibly one of the best immersion patches to date. The startup is awesome! (Congrats to the team who did that.)
Now, I wouldn't be human if I didn't want more: We have a free 10 seconds, there is a LOT you can do with that.
I was thinking of randomizing startup sequences between the power-up we have now and:
A cockpit view sequence of your team hot-dropping with descelerant harnesses (jumpjet suits) down to the map. Perhaps starting with "All systems nominal." "Hot-Drop initiated." and spending 5-6 seconds watching you and the mechs around you being dropped to the map with the last second being landing and taking control.
A video sequence of all mechs moving into start locations at matching speeds (about 20-40kph) and predetermined pathing from some logical point on the edge of the map near the base, with again, the last second being righting one's self to take control of the mech for the match.
Possibly also including a radio breifing of the match objectives. The immersion possibilities are endless.
And this concludes this round of what I've been thinking for the game.
Edited by Livewyr, 03 February 2013 - 07:53 AM.
