Ander Thedas
Subdreddit
Test Alliance Please Ignore
26
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Posted - 2013.11.22 20:37:00 -
[1] - Quote
There have been a lot of complaints recently about the state of the game in regards to Aim Assist. Many argue that it's too powerful and borders on auto-aim. While a lot of other shooters might have opted for an increase of targeting speed moving towards targets near the reticle and decreased speed moving away from them (which would provided an increases ability for player tracking) CCP introduced a slightly magnetic system which, in the right set of circumstances, helps adhere to your target for you. While this is a totally acceptable way of achieving similar results and helping to round out the playing field for new players, many argue that it provides too big of a bonus to those who utilize it properly, with many even switching from Mouse and Keyboard setups to favoring the controller. CCP worked hard on this feature, and getting rid of it would just be a waste of time and resources when they did in fact build a very functional system that works as intended. So, perhaps there is a middle ground.
What I'm suggesting is that the Aim Assist feature is kept in the game, but instead as a toggled on option for all controller users instead as a Dropsuit Module. As a Module it would be a trade-off between either optimizing your stats (either shields or weapon damage in the High Slot, or armor and utility in the Low Slots) or by using a computer guided weapon targeting system built right into your suit for more precise aim. The trade off would be the fitting cost and the used module slot. One could argue the smartest way to implement this would be a high CPU cost, since it's a trajectory calculating computer that would require some degree of processing power in a live active battlefield.
Another balancing factor that would be difficult to implement correctly would be balancing between the different levels of suits. I propose considering a tiered system in which all starter suits get this module fit on it free of cost to help ease new players into the feel of the game. Beyond that I see two possible methods of balancing as the suit grades increase. The first would be that each grade of suit requires an equal grade of the Aim Assist Module, meaning that STD suits require the STD version, ADV suits require the ADV version and PRO suits require the PRO version. This would account for the easy fitting that Prototype suits would have of this which would not alleviate many of the issues attached to the current Aim Assist problem. With a scaling system you can be sure that each level of suit is affected semi-proportionally to the weigh of the fitting cost of the suit (which proto-type suits gaining a slight statistically advantage not in fitting cost, but in having additional module slots).
The second suggestion would be to have only one form of the module that took a uniformed percentage of your TOTAL powergrid and CPU. This would allow for more uniform dispersion of the cost across all types of suits and have less of an balance impact on Scout suits. Perhaps both the ideas could even be combined if that's found to be the sweet spot.
Having a trajectory calculating computer as a module within the suit makes a lot of sense in multiple ways. When looked at in those terms there's a very real in game lore feel to both the existence and use of the module, as well. The only draw-back I can consider would be towards weapons that Aim Assist does not affect and to Mouse and Keyboard users who would not be able to make use of this module, but I feel like proper citing of the weapons and situations in which the module will be effective within the module description would alleviate a lot of the confusion associated with it. |