Mechwarrior Online

[Arthur_Parker]

It's the only module I always equip, it's more useful than longer range sensors at times.  They could knock a bit of range off it at least, makes sneaking around in a light a bit pointless and you can easily spot someone without it.

[Falconeer]

Proposed nerf is to make it only work if you are standing still, or sense enemy mechs on a range that grows bigger the heavier the "sensed" 'mech is. Or to make the interval between bleeps longer. It's not that hard to fix this I think, I hope they do it soon. As it is now it is really a legalized wallhack and there isn't a single reason to not use it. Not to mention that it totally flattens the tactical aspect of the game.

[Falconeer]

Paul Inouye on weapon balance.

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to let you know that I have just returned from a 2 week break so expect some new things to come when it comes to weapon updates/balancing.

Prior to leaving on break, I put in a series of requests for certain weapon subsystems to be implemented. These implementations have been completed but I have not had time to check them yet. Once I've checked and approved these changes, they make their way into a build. At that point QA attacks the feature set and I can start setting numbers.

Do not fear, I am VERY well aware of the hot topics right now and they will be addressed. I am not going to give numbers or timelines until the changes have been put forth into a pre-release build that will be about 2 weeks away from going live. At that time, I will fully let you know what the changes and implications of any balancing will have on the game.

From this point forward, in our quest to hit our launch date, you are going to see an aggressive series of weapon updates with each patch.

That being said, high on priority is the SRM spread/damage and the high alpha meta going on in the game. I'll update you on these as soon as the changes have been put into test.

-Paul

[Arthur_Parker]

He's still an arsehole though.

[Ironwood]

lol.

[Falconeer]

I had a Spider-5D rotting in my mechbay so I looked up and see what I could do with it. Turns out there's a very viable build with an ER-PPC which is a good idea cause you run like hell, you have ECM, and you don't have to keep aim on your target because HELLO PPC. It feels overpowered to me, meaning I can't really see any flaw in it. Heat efficiency is 1.9 so you never ever overheat. I don't know, once again I think it's stupid. And there's no way in hell a Spider should ever be able to equip a PPC (unless it's a snub-nose PPC from 3067, according to Sarna). Fuck this weapon.

[Ironwood]

The new weapon noises are messing with my head.  Even when I'm shooting, I don't know whats firing.

[Lantyssa]

And there's no way in hell a Spider should ever be able to equip a PPC (unless it's a snub-nose PPC from 3067, according to Sarna). Fuck this weapon.

In ancient times I had a custom Stinger with an ERLL.  It makes sense a Spider could do an ERPPC.  Consider that a Raven can do two though...

[Merusk]

My spider with PPC just feels fragile as fuck.  I think I'm shooting things wrong because I never get kills in it.  Just a lot of frustration and low-damage plinks.  I got 5 shots on an Atlas' rear armor a few weeks ago and he didn't even turn orange.

[Kageru]

ERPPC definitely should have a minimum range and probably a chassis weight limit / weigh more, but then weapon balance is pretty shitty. Spider builds dancing around taking point blank ERPPC shots is not how it should work. Though the 2xAC/20 Jeaeger or 6 PPC stalkers still do the bulk of the killing.

The gameplay generally seems to end up being very old style. Ideally a line of slow firing muskets (PPC, Gauss) behind cover on the high ground, cannon fire if you can catch them in the open (LRM) and if they close its a chaotic melee. It's also amusing how much of the weaponry in Mechwarrior is archaic. Huge expensive weapon systems without 360 degree vision or sensors (though the pilot picture has vision enhancement), tiny visual ranges, ballistic weapons with tragic ranges and dumb mounts. *Long* range missiles that can fire a whole kilometer and lock on from 800m. It's all just odd... it needs a "lost technology" angle like Games Workshops mech equivalent had.

[Falconeer]

Don't know the Games Workshops angle, but is this (Lostech) pretty much what ou are talking about?

As a concept, LosTech is often used to describe the loss of technological knowledge over the course of war.

In the early Succession Wars, all parties deliberately sought to destroy the enemy infrastructure. Amidst the overall ruthless mayhem that obliterated entire worlds, factories, shipyards and star-ships were prime targets. Humanity as a whole literally bombed itself back into a proverbial 'stone age,' and the Successor Lords realized too late that the damage was beyond repair.

I think someone during tabletop/rpg development had your same doubts in the 80s, and came up with this cheap "fix".

[Lantyssa]

It was their flimsy excuse to allow reasonable distances.  Maps would have to be huge to allow realistic weaponry and melee rules would have to be tossed out.  Plus it allows for more detailed strategy in tight terrain.

Handwave it however you want, but the tabletop game just wouldn't be as exciting without the close distances.  (Aerospace has much more reasonable ones, so they were aware of it.)

[Samprimary]

If you ever wonder about the restraints on mechwarrior technology, just think about pacific rim. With today's technology, we would obliterate the kaiju with completely unerringly accurate hypersonic missiles that would punch molten shaped charge jets of metal straight through their bodies and kill them deader than shit. And we could guide these weapons from space, if we wanted. Fuck you, Kaiju.

But then we wouldn't have Pacific Rim, the Movie. You have to come up with some tech rationalization to get war back to a form which is generally fun to simulate.

Think of the contrast between early aerial combat dogfighting and the way air to air 'combat' would be handled now, for instance. Realistic WWI-WWII air combat simulation is fun, but combat simulation of modern air combat would be boring as shit.

[Falconeer]

General XP conversion is half price through the weekend.

[Ironwood]

That's always tempting.

[satael]

Awesome MWO desktop setup (imgur album) 

[satael]

I think I'm starting to hate Alpine Peaks conquest in an assault mech so much that I'll just quit whenever it comes up (haven't actually done so yet since I think it's rude but most of my playing sessions seem to end with that being the last game) 

[Falconeer]

Alpine Peaks is my least favourite map, although I think it is probably gonna be a good one with 12 'mechs and for real team play. It's just a shitty one to play with pubbies as it definitely requires coordination and scouting. Also, it's the one as you say where picking the wrong 'mech can really suck the fun out of it, so maybe it'll improve by the time pre-game lobby will allow us to pick 'mechs based on map and team.

[Merusk]

If I get Alpine in an assault I just hang back at the base until someone encounters the enemy.  Given the long-range metagame I'm not at a disadvantage this way.  It also helps to delay the enemy so my team will (hopefully) cap if we've both gone to the right or left from our start spots and missed each other.

[Ironwood]

Alpine peaks is that awesome one with the killbox that every fucking retard wanders into to get shot from miles away, yeah ?

 

[satael]

Alpine peaks is that awesome one with the killbox that every fucking retard wanders into to get shot from miles away, yeah ?

 

It's the one that now has most (atleast it feels like it) of the map inaccessible to mechs like the atlas due the limitation on how steep a hill you can climb.

[Ironwood]

Ah.  I had forgotten that change. 

[Falconeer]

Wow. I don't know if you have seen this, but I missed it and it's amazing. Long article on how they create maps. It doens't make me hate them less for beins so slow, but I loved the sketches and all the other behind the scene stuff.

[Evildrider]

They really put a lot of in depth thought into their maps. 

[Kageru]

I've played each of the maps they have often enough that I barely notice it anymore. It's all just unimportant and annoying clutter, and unlike WoT slope, cover and concealment are simplistic. And on the snow or night levels it's truly invisible and migraine inducing. I have no idea how bored of these maps the veterans must be.

I'm fighting the temptation to make a catapult missile boat. Although I love the model, and the missile animation, it didn't take long to realise PPC's / Gauss to the face beat sitting there trying to get a lock on, waiting for a PUG team mate to hold a lock or finding an opponent not hugging cover. Most of the maps are so cluttered holding a lock and finding an exposed enemy, outside of firing into melee, isn't easy.

Got my Jenner (scavenger) and Raven (ECM) pimped out, part way through the mastery skill, and could work towards filling them out with modules... but I think I'm mostly done, the game doesn't need one more AC/40 Jaeger, PPC stalker or confused and lost atlas and I don't think there's many more mysteries left in the game-play. It will be fun watching them try and evolve it into something deeper though. Though given how close launch is...

[Slayerik]

Tried playing a few matches last night and I just don't enjoy it like I did.  Maybe a few months and I'll try it again.

[Kageru]

I can't help seeing the mechs as fat old men now. Bumping into each other, slowly stomping forward, turning slowly, failing to climb any appreciable slope and needing a breather after doing anything. Gives a very different mental image to the game.

[Falconeer]

You know, it won't last, but there's a Tournament this weekend, and as of now I am 7th in the Awesome ladder. Sure, least played 'mech ever, still this is quite fun. I am also pretty sure I can improve my score (top 5 get a reward). I just have no idea how good can the others do.

[Ironwood]

Fairly easy when there's only 17 people left playing the game mate.

[Falconeer]

Sure, game is dead. Anyway, it is certainly not my skill and more that only 1% of the players seems to know about the tournament or care to opt in. I've been asking in chat every game and usually one player out of three matches has heard about it and cared to join. My Stalker is 120th in the ladder at the moment, and that's a 'mech I have 2.40 K/D with.

That said, I had one of the weirdest matches yesterday and it counted for the tournament (means no grouping allowed) so I am sure that's keeping me afloat. First time ever for me that time runs out. Also, not sure what the other 15 players were doing while I was pounding on stuff with just two ERPPC and three SRM6 on a super long range map.

[Falconeer]

Looks like someone found a way to access the Lava World map which is still a work in progress.
Looks nice.

[Falconeer]

Concept Art for the Wolverine.

[Ironwood]

Then why are the original battlemaster pics there ?

[Merusk]

If you do it all in the same file you conserve electrons.

I mean, you don't start a whole new sketchbook when there's white space, right?

[Falconeer]

Am I missing some more /green? The sketch on the left is the old Wolverine sketch, not a Battlemaster...