DEV Alf wrote:The reason why we thinking about changing some parameters of the ECM is we always see forum topics, ingame chats, reports about how strong it is, how OP it is.
Also we are not really like the possibility of making a player totally blind, and unable to shoot back. Ew is somekind of CC (CrowdControl), it should buy time, lower the threat, provide better control of damage you recieve but should not be able to negate it completely, from any source( per player - and we also want to keep the differences between bots). We also want it too keep worthy of using it.
The buff-debuff with the ecm strength on successful ew hit is aimed to achieve this, by lowering the chances of each following ew in given timeperiod. However with little awareness you can play around it, and still be able to ecm and suppress reliably but less often on the same target, and you should have to switch between targets to bring your EW to its maximum potential. It is some form of diminishing returns and it can be seen in many games (even for damage)
The idea of the extension is simple, with a given amount of EP spent you can slightly lower the chances of being hit by EW. We working on the modification of the extension so it should provide this bonuses to the ECCM only.
We recieved feedback manytimes that we shouldn't nerf stuff, instead make other stuff better. We intend to make ECCM better.
But eventually the problem is the reliability of the EW is too high, which is achieved by the tunings. We also working on this that the tuners should work differently. We like the idea of more drawback, flat increase, maybe flat percentage increase, or even cycletime increase, these are all a good option, but it doesn't mean that any of it will be made for sure.
We also thinking about the racial radartypes, that would bring another layer of complexity which I like, but we fear that some of the EW modules would become highly situational.
Also keep in mind that we don't talk about only fleet compositions, we have to take the funfactor of individual players into account.
(and in the future all of the tunings and similar modules will be revised)
DEV ALF,
ECM in it's current state is definitely not a problem. The ECM Tunings are potentially problematic, as I mentioned elsewhere the easiest way to solve them is to either change the percentage and add a disadvantage to fitting them, or simply make the disadvantage something relevant like 50% cycletime increase.
With 1 ECCM fitted in the current state, natural ECM success chance is as follows;
- Vs Light/Assault/Mech - 175/73.5 = ~50-55%
- Vs Zenith/Vagabond - 200/73.5 = ~45-50%
- Vs Heavy - 155/73.5 = ~60-65%
With 2 ECCM fitted in the current state, natural ECM success chance is as follows;
- - Vs Light/Assault/Mech - 250/73.5 = ~30-35%
- Vs Zenith/Vagabond - 275/73.5 = ~25-30%
- Vs Heavy - 230/73.5 = ~30%
The most important thing to remember is there is a lock-time for the robot being jammed (2-3 seconds with 2 SAmps), and a cycle time of flat 10 seconds for ECM.
So there is already a way to make ECM ineffective. It requires trading damage tunings for sensor amps and ECCM's. I've done it for years now and I simply do not care about enemy ECM, I call them as the last target and most of the time they escape.
If your concerns regarding EWar are that 2+ players can shut down 1 Player, then you're not really trying to balance EWar you're trying to balance people working together, and I'm sorry to say you won't be successful at that. In the long run, 50 people will beat 10, and it will not be fun for the 10. Any mechanic that gets put in to benefit the 10 can also be exploited by the 50 to gain an even bigger advantage.
The overall game balance is currently perfectly balanced - all robots are useful, viable and offer a plethora of customization both for the individual and for group. If you touch EWar, pelistal robots become the new FOTM. If you touch EnWar, nuimqol bots become the new FOTM. And everything else will be relegated to marginally and situationally useful.
What is being stated in forums, tickets, whatever is that EWar is too strong against Heavy mechs. But that's what it is supposed to do, otherwise Heavy mechs have no counter in-game except more heavy mechs and more remote repair.
It's entirely your prerogative if you want to balance the game according to forum posts, tickets, etc. I personally view it as metagaming the Developers into adjusting the game according to a player faction's strengths and weaknesses, but if that's how things will be done then that's fine everyone will adapt.