Clone D
1360
   |
Posted - 2015.01.16 14:14:00 -
[1] - Quote
TL;DR Don't reply if you can't take the time to read an OP
Preface
RE: https://forums.dust514.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=181612&find=unread
These conclusions are drawn from the frequency at which I have observed mercs choosing to HP tank over choosing proper maneuvering and mobility. People in this game generally want to hide behind huge amounts of HP, hence the invincible shield gunlogis who use a 1500 hp heavy suit.
Strafing From Behind Cover
When a merc is behind cover, how does he/she engage the enemy? There is no peeking out from behind walls in this game. You're either behind cover or fully exposed. If you try to inch out from behind cover, then your shots will hit the invisible hit-detection wall in front of you until you finally inch out and are fully exposed.
This leaves two options:
1. strafe out from behind cover.
2. face to one side, run out from behind cover, then turn to face the opponent, aim and shoot.
Option 1 is obviously the more efficient option and creates more of a sense of realism. If we penalize strafing speed, then strafing from behind cover will result in taking more damage from enemy fire while attempting to pop out and shoot.
Now, most fittings that I see on the field are shield/armor modded in some form or fashion. When their strafing capabilities suffer because of this, then mercs will likely be inclined to further shield/armor tank their fitting for survivability.
Conclusion: strafe penalty encourages HP tanking.
Strafing In The Open
When an experienced merc finds him/her self engaging the enemy in the open, he/she considers the ranges of the weapons of both parties. The ideal is to remain just outside of the effective range of the opponent, while remaining within the effective range of your own weapon, all while staying directly out of the line of fire of the enemy. This results in strafing in an arc shape or line at a constant distance away from the enemy.
If strafing is penalized, then remaining at that optimum distance while engaging and strafing will result in difficulty staying directly out of the line of fire of the enemy. Because mercs will continue to be hit while strafing, my conjecture is that they will abandon strafing for weaving while running toward the opponent.
Of course, weaving at its most basic form will result in the swift closing of distance between the two mercs, concluding in their standing three feet away from each other shooting into each others faces at point blank, trying to strafe to no avail.
Once weaving becomes the de facto method of engagement, more mercs will shield/armor tank in order to survive those last final blows at point blank range.
Conclusion: strafe penalty encourages HP tanking.
Critical Thinking
Without some form of HP modification we call our suits squishy. Why is that? Do they not already have enough HP to perform the role for which they were intended? Or do we face, yet again, another game design flaw concerning the amount of default HP given to a dropsuit in comparison to the variations of HP tanking that we encounter on the field? |
Clone D
1363
|
Posted - 2015.01.16 18:58:00 -
[3] - Quote
Were the actual numbers for the penalties posted anywhere?
Also, another argument against penalizing shield extenders is that it devalues high slots. There is now no HP modifier for high slots without a strafe penalty, while low slots do have that option. For that reason, I would be inclined to choose dropsuits with more low slots than high slots.
Precision modules have effectively been nerfed due to close/med/far ewar.
Shield extenders have been nerfed due to strafe penalty.
This leaves damage modifiers, myofibril stimulants, shield energizers and shield rechargers as favored modules for hi slots, of which I would only be inclined to use damage modifiers. |