No... Not less effective. I mean accumulator consumption.
look in update news for 2011-06-17:
* '''Change:''' Signal masker modules are now using energy over time, which means that the basic activation AP cost is really low, but the effect itself drains AP every 2 seconds. The basic AP usage is multiplied by the hit surface size of your robot. AP drain lasts while the effect is active, and the effect will drop if there is not enough AP to drain.

i think that need same effect for some other modules.

Do you have official balance statement where all this "should" described?
Again, without official dev balance statement, we cant say precisely about balance rules, we can only suggest.

Simple example: how many lights should kill a heavy? I have N1 numbers, Dazamin have N2 numbers, Hunter have N3 numbers, where N1, N2 and N3 are not correlating numbers.

Conclusion: we should only guess what balance should be.
The other question, what reimbursements should be for dramatic balance change?

I want some of what you are smoking ...

Seriously do you believe what you just wrote ?

let's look at it the other way around: can a single light kill a heavy (assume good skills and setups) ? NO. the heavy will just mop the floor with the light.

should have left light/assault masking in (or a compromise between what it was and the current/reverted masking), nerf heavies offensive capabilities (instead of defense) and everything would be swell.

I am not a dev nor well versed in pvp on perpetuum but from my limited experience, it seems like this makes for a more versatile and fun/appropriate pvp experience.

i see some fail argumentations:

a light bot/assault squad with relative low count COULD kill an ERP tank, and even survive its attacks if they haven't been built for maximum speed (LWF disadvantage, anyone?)

The NERF happend because of the POSSIBLE inbalance of several ERP-Tank heavy mechs defending an outpost during intrusion, because even with low firepower, they could primary the attacking group one-by-one and get rid of it without casualties.

I wanted to quote DEV Alf on it during the Podcast, (i think i even did):
"Alf doesn't like Paladin like tanks that can kill others " (see last panel of the link)

I completely AGREE with that intention, as i know how much it sucks to run against a nearly unkillable squad of heavies that has range + dps + speed (Beta experience Ecor vs. M2S).

I disagree about HOW it was balanced. The Aktive TANK heavy squad can still rule the intrusion with the help of a RR ET support squad behind cover. Adding some interference penalties to RR, ERP and ET, or simply an AoE EMP weapon that works better against ERP tanked targets...

Since Middle beta there has always been the call for "Anti-Blob" game mechanics. The active Tank WAS a perfect Anti blob fit without AoE weapons implemented. Now it got nerfed down to leave only one possible active tank build: the Mesmer (uh, a blue mech, as if...).

lunch break over, discuss! (and no, ERP grophos could not fart flames)

Diminishing returns on some modules would probably suit change better than just nerfing the module and changing the core values for everyone.

Why on earth would I "take those numbers"?

If you don't think heavies are worth it, don't buy one. And if it's really as unbalanced as you say, then no one else will buy heavies either. No one's forcing them to. But when a ton of people keep buying and fielding them, it's because they are worth the price and play a role that other bots cannot.

This is exactly what the overall interpretation.

don't be discussed bro

That's my query

Shouldn't mechs be the pinnacle of durability with minimal offensive capabilities? Increase shielding bonus for grophos substantially and reduce acc usage, increase seth innate resists (is that implemented yet?), and as far as Mesmers go... guess boost their rep bonus even further.

In exchange, reduce their dps output substantially.

Seems like a pretty easy solution to me. Any thoughts?

Shields got buff actually. Well, except Seth

Seems we have 2 sides. On first, there are playes who "don't want any kind of wtfpwn hmechs runnin around". On second, there are those who "invested so much money and ep into this game and want a reward".

Perhaps, those changes were too much big. PERHAPS. Perhaps even, that today's patch will revert them or makes them different. However, such things like "mah invested gimme that" never should be used like an argument. In other case, maybe we should sell EP's or buffs even for money?

ERP-tanks weren't end-of-game things. HMechs are still useable, same as all other bots. T4 fit still worth to produce and use, no matter what do you say here. This game isn't about running or killing HMechs only, that's it.