Re: Root Issue: INCENTIVES TO PLAY, INCENTIVES TO FIGHT
I feel like the topic of discussion is shifting to something completely different now, which is the aesthetic look of the bots rather than their functions. I actually completely agree that some bots should be reskinned to look more humanoid mech like, especially the starter arkhe, I even posted extensively about it in beta.
The light ewar bots are akin to fast interceptors in EvE, you don't catch those(even with the warping mechanic) unless they run right over your face or you have interceptors of your own. This mechanic has always seemed fine since they are balanced by not doing much damage, in fact it has been this way for many years. A fast scout class adds an element to the game I would hate to see made null and void and I don't see a temporary afterburner being the answer, you're just making the class slightly more annoying to play since it has a longer travel time inbetween places. They will still travel in groups, they will still kill solo mechs, they will still get to pick their fights and run away, so what would change?
One idea someone mentioned on TS last night was increasing the effectiveness of medium reppers. This would buff mechs and heavy mechs survivability quite a bit against light bots without making them really OP in big fights where they get focus fired by other mechs.