Let's address the upcoming meta, Paul style

I don't need to tell you about the upcoming system designed to curb laser vomit damage at this point. It's yet another overly complex and weird system that's designed to balance the game. To put it shortly, their intentions are good (curbing high laser alphas) but their implementation is horrible (pushing the lock mechanic). Anyway enough about the past, we'll talk about the future now!

So I predict (I may be wrong) that Gauss/ERPPC is going to make an epic comeback with the new system. Not the good ol' fashioned poptarting but just in general peeking/poking with that combination. It's almost certain that in a few months' time, the queues will be saturated by those 'Mechs and builds designed to make the most of this combination. Slowly, we'll come a full circle and the forums' attention will turn to "high damage instant pinpoint damage", with the culprits being Gauss/AC and PPC.

In order to assist Paul and reduce his one-year-long cycles of balancing, I decided to come up with a few ways to address this upcoming meta problem, his style. Here we go:

Infotech+ for projectile weapons

On top of the current laser infotech system, we'll get a completely new and separate locking system. It will be represented by a circle on the current targeting box. The circle will get bigger or smaller depending on the amount of time you target an enemy and their sensor strength. If the circle diameter is smaller than the square root of the perimeter of the targeting box (targeting box size will change according to target size), you will apply full damage with projectile weapons. 

Infotech+ in action. In this case, you'll get reduced damage.
If it's bigger than that value, then the circle will start wobbling around the crosshair. The farther it deviates from the crosshair, the less your optimal range will get. However, here's the trick. If you manage to shoot just as the circle center moves over the crosshair, you'll still do full damage. Bam, skill emphasized.

This should address ERPPC/Gauss meta properly, by having players uninstall the game in a rapid fashion.

Weapon Damage Matrix

Instead of keep chasing after the new meta, a new revolutionary system is introduced. The new WDM system will be designed with one aspect in mind, balancing the game on the fly. It'll also be an industry-first and will be sold and licensed to upcoming AAA game partners. 

In this system, the game balance is completely automated by clever algorithms. Each day, clever scripts with scourge over the gameplay logs and check which weapon system was the most effective that day. If a weapon is found to violate a certain damage threshold, their damage values will be reduced or increased. Another algorithm will read the official forums/Reddit and count the amount of "X is OP" posts, this will be weighed in during the daily weapon adjustments. 'Mech popularity is also tracked and they'll be nerfed or buffed within the same system. It'll also work in conjunction of the current Ghost Heat and Infotech systems.

With this, the game balance problem will be solved efficiently and cost-effective. ERPPCs dominating? Bam, the next day they'll do 8 damage for 20 heat. Lasers too effective? Ghost heat limit reduced to 2 for all lasers. Dire Wolf too strong? Kapow! Dire Wolf targeting delay is now 20 seconds.

It'll solve the community complaints about the game balance completely, by continuously discombobulating them with adjustments. 

Good Old Fashioned Speed Nerfs

Instead of wasting everyone's time and getting negative feedback after negative feedback, this problem is solved in the good ol' fashioned way. Effective immediately these changes will take place:
  • Gauss projectile speed: 500 m/s
  • ERPPC projectile speed: 400 m/s
  • PPC projectile speed: 350 m/s
This will make aiming harder and make sure only the best of the best can land shots at extreme ranges. The skill is again, emphasized.

I hope you enjoyed my suggetions and I hope Paul finds them inspiring too! If you have other ideas, please drop them below too!
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About Rak

I'm an engineer who likes to write extremely long articles about games that border simulation and mainstream.
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