On the subject of range being advantageous to certain weapon types: Yes, I believe the current metagame (heavily influenced by an unbalanced ECM mechanic) encourages lots of brawling. SRMs are a nearly ideal brawling weapon at the moment. Ergo, builds that can carry lots of SRMs are desirable. The A1 can carry lots of SRMs, so it is back in play. K2 Splatcats are also back in fashion because of how common close-range engagements are currently.
But prior to ECM, there were still a fair number of close engagements, and massed SSRMs had become the FotM build - not so efficient in terms of damage per hardpoint as SRMs, but very reliable at hitting even the fastest targets, and much more reliable at focusing damage on the torso within their full range (not just the first 100m of it) regardless of how the target jinked or twisted to spread damage.
If we had maps that were huge open flats with a ridgeline near the border instead, I fully expect we'd see the K2 Gausscat return in force - great ability to concentrate damage, much lower heat build-up than massed PPC builds even after the latest PPC buff.
Any weapons setup that can deliver massive point damage with manageable heat build-up and minimal convergence issues is going to be favorable. Period. From A1 Boomcats to K2 Splatcats/Gausscats to the 9 Small Laser Fastbacks of CB to the AWS-8R LRM-boats with Artemis and 2.0 damage per missile, anything that can dump a big payload (and preferably a very well-focused one) is always going to be a strong option - it destroys the target in the shortest time possible while also minimizing its capability to respond.
High DPS builds really are never quite as good, since they are vulnerable to being disabled or destroyed by a heavy-alpha build before they can perform adequate damage to disable it. The only exceptions to this are extremely fast/nimble high DPS builds (current SSRM lights) that can evade firing arcs, and builds that can put a target into "lockdown" either by jarring aimpoint (multiple AC/2 or UAC/5 builds before impact nerf) or outright shutting it down (Trollmandos with broken Flamers in early CB.) Of course, builds that can promote a perpetual stun effect are, themselves, problematic from a balance standpoint as well, hence some of the Flamer heat and light AC shaking nerfs.
But the core issue, I think, remains that arm/torso convergence only really works as an anti-alpha-boating mechanic on 'mechs that need to split similar weapon types between their arms and torsos and have separate traverse rates for their arms and torsos. Hence a CPLT-K2 or a CTF-4X is a better Gauss boat than a CTF-3D, despite having an equal number of hardpoints available.
Nerfing individual weapons or chassis because they make a useful boat isn't necessarily going to do anything except drive people to boat the next FotM weapon/chassis combo. Implementing mechanics that force people to fire place shots individually, or ones that degrade accuracy on heavy alpha-strikes, are probably a better solution.
Edited by Solis Obscuri, 07 February 2013 - 01:34 PM.
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QuantumButler, on 07 February 2013 - 08:10 AM, said:
Doesn't need to be nerfed, you need to be more situationally aware of what you are facing and it's inherent weaknesses.
