battle/hq module update

[LarkinVB]

ORIGINAL: Rays1

I noticed something that I'm not sure is a bug or by design. But you can't unlink a titan without turning off the scanner. Not a big deal. Just fyi if its a bug.

Not sure wether it's a bug or feature. Lets call it a feature, ok ? [:D]

[Rays1]

LMAO[:D]

[LarkinVB]

1.2.2b41 will allow to unlink by selecting the already linked titan with the link scanner attack mode.

[gazra]

LarkinVB, I apologize if I offended you in any way. That was certainly not my intention. I was not and am not demanding anything from this computer game. The truth is that I consider Titans of Steel: Warring Suns to be one of the 6 best 'Mech (or mecha)-genre computer games that I have EVER played (the others being MechCommander, MechCommander 2, MechWarrior, MechWarrior 4: Vengeance and its expansion Black Knight, and MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries). However, what distinguishes this computer game from all of those others is that all of those other games (with the exception of MechWarrior) end as soon as the player finishes the campaign in the game, whereas Titans of Steel: Warring Suns is an endless game because the game can generate random battles, and players continue to post new scenarios and campaigns up in this forum over time.

LarkinVB, I appreciate immensely the amount of work that you have been doing and the number of changes that you have been making in v1.2.2 of the game! I realize that you have been making these changes to satisfy only yourself and your friends who you play the game with. I wish that I had the aptitude to be able to program my own computer games. I am currently creating my own scenario for this game, but I won't post it up until I finish playing everybody else's scenarios and campaigns to make sure that mine isn't similar to somebody else's.

I am just offering player feedback, and expressing my constructive opinions. That's what game forums are supposed to be for.

88. Primary/seconday attributes calculation of skill max values changed from (p*10 + s*5)/3 to (p*9 + s*6)/3

That formula can be simplified to 3*p + 2*s

Personally, I think that the "Mod2 (AS)" values of the 6 different grades of E.C.M. devices in v1.2.1 of the game were perfect just the way that they were. At short range, the chance to successfully actively scan an enemy Titan that was equipped with E.C.M. 6 was difficult but fair and reasonable. The current "Mod2 (AS)" values in v1.2.2 of the game cause the following effects:
1. Players' Titans can't see (and hence fire at) enemy Titans that are approximately 10 or more hexes away even when players' Titans have a direct line-of-sight with those enemy Titans (which is just silly and unrealistic. If a player's Titan used a telescopic sight, then the player's Titan should be able to see and fire at any enemy Titan that the player's Titan has an unimpeded line-of-sight with as long as it is within range of the player's weapons - no amount of E.C.M. trickery would prevent this);
2. At close range, players' Jocks/Titans have a maximum chance of only approximately 2% to successfully actively scan an enemy Titan that has an E.C.M. 6 active. This makes it not worth attempting to actively scan such enemy Titans any more;
3. Players' Jocks/Titans lose their lock on enemy Titans and fail to successfully actively scan enemy Titans so often now that it makes active scanning attempts annoying, tedious, and too repetitive (whereas active scanning attempts used to be fun).
Does anybody else feel this way?

Thorgrim wrote:

28. No more called hits with machine guns.
They're going to get (back) a bit on the useless side IMO. They don't give any experience at all (occasionally they give 1 or 2 CXPs at point blank range, maybe 1 out of 3). Designs like the Piranha that relied on that ability are made useless.
Maybe reduce their range to point blank, with no double damage (and heat) ability, and keep the ability to call shots?

LarkinVB wrote:

I removed called hits because they made MGs clearly overpowered. It was very easy to rip of predamaged locations with MG called hits at point blank to the point of imbalance.

Does anybody else think that reinstating the Machine Gun's ability to make called shots but removing the Machine Gun's ability to do double damage at point-blank range is a good compromise? It would make gameplay more realistic because every other direct-fire weapon (that does normal damage and doesn't have a special effect) can make called shots.

[LarkinVB]

ORIGINAL: gazra


The current "Mod2 (AS)" values in v1.2.2 of the game cause the following effects:
1. Players' Titans can't see (and hence fire at) enemy Titans that are approximately 10 or more hexes away even when players' Titans have a direct line-of-sight with those enemy Titans (which is just silly and unrealistic. If a player's Titan used a telescopic sight, then the player's Titan should be able to see and fire at any enemy Titan that the player's Titan has an unimpeded line-of-sight with as long as it is within range of the player's weapons - no amount of E.C.M. trickery would prevent this);
2. At close range, players' Jocks/Titans have a maximum chance of only approximately 2% to successfully actively scan an enemy Titan that has an E.C.M. 6 active. This makes it not worth attempting to actively scan such enemy Titans any more;
3. Players' Jocks/Titans lose their lock on and fail to successfully actively scan enemy Titans so often now that it makes active scanning attempts annoying, tedious, and too repetitive (whereas active scanning attempts used to be fun).

1. If there is a direct line of sight the ECM is not modifying this at all. Therefore titans will not invisible and can be fired at. The ECM is only reducing the virtual scan height due to scanner systems and titans marked with 'x' can become invisible due to their ECM system. This is the same game mechanic as in v1.2.1, just the reduction of virtual scan height is increased with a better ECM Mod2.

2. ECM6 is a rare, big and heavy piece of equipment und worth the effect of hardly being scanned. I found big ECMs being unbalanced with 1.2.1. Now they are worth something. Usually your oppenents field a variety of ECMs with ECM6 being the exception. Just don't waste your time on them.

3. Loosing lock game mechanics did not change. If you just stop scanning targets where you have a minimal chance of success it won't become tedious.

ECM were underpowered in gerneral and the higher ones even more so.

Does anybody else think that reinstating the Machine Gun's ability to make called shots but removing the Machine Gun's ability to do double damage at point-blank range is a good compromise? It would make gameplay more realistic because every other direct-fire weapon (that does normal damage and doesn't have a special effect) can make called shots.

I think it is also realistic to assume that fast firing weapons are less accurate than cannons or lasers. I like the double damage at point blank too. What I can do is to reallow called shots at a to hit penalty but I'm not sure about this.

[Ghstbear]

I am glad about the ECM 6.  I have one team who is full of pilots that are generally excellent marksmen.  They go around easily lopping off heads.  It's quick, it's efficient, and it doesn't matter how big you are.  The only thing that gives them a challenge is a big titan that can't be scanned.  It's good to have something in the game that irritates you a bit.  That's what makes it worth playing.

Just my opinion.

[jureidinim]

Just saying - again - big thanks to Larkin for the continued improvements in this game.
I looked at the latest update readme file (have been away from game a few months) and the fixes/additions/changes list is staggering

Two Thumbs up Larkin!

[Thorgrim]

Are you sure you don't want to rethink the MG issue, as the patch is going to be finalized? [;)]
(called shots, no double damage)

[LarkinVB]

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim

Are you sure you don't want to rethink the MG issue, as the patch is going to be finalized? [;)]
(called shots, no double damage)

Yes I'm sure. It played it and like it this way. Btw it seems it will not be finalized soon. [;)]

[Thorgrim]

A couple of suggestions:
 
Could you make an editor for the game's stats? A simple UI that allows us to change equipment stats, and save the database with the changes - a tmerge option would be great! You know, if one would want to change say, the speeds for the Heavy and Assault chassis  [;)]  It'd also make the game moddable in an easy way, which would be a bonus.
I know you don't want to spend too much time with this type of things, but.. please?  [:D]  hehe.
 
 
The other change I didn't caer much for, MGs. [8D] How about getting an option when firing them at close range, let's call it Ultra mode (like Ultra Autocannons in BT), which would result in the current double damage @ double heat and ammo expenditure; also, as in BT, there would be a chance for the weapon to Jam when fired in this mode.
Easiest way would be to have a fixed say 50% chance for the MG to jam, which would result in the weapon being unavailable until a skill check would be passed by the jock (related to his Cannon skill). Or, the chance to jam would be related to the Cannon skill.
I'm not sure 100-skill(%) would be a good idea; maybe ahving a lower limit like 25% or so. Having a lower decrease rate could hamper low level jocks a bit too much.
The UI part, maybe a right-click on the weapons name, to choose firing mode? Another button I guess would be too many changes.
 
Anyways, just some thoughts.

[LarkinVB]

Hey Iceman, be honest. You aren't playing the game any more (any games you can recommend ?), just throwing ideas around. [;)]

Currently TOS is only second for me after Disciples III hotseat with my friend. D3 has lots of problems but balance is nicely moddable with text files.

The MG changes are too much work for little gain because I like it the way it works. An editor would be nice but it will cost me several hours to code, again with no gain for my playing experience. To be honest my pleasure is the driving force for more changes at this very late stage of TOS lifespan.

[Ghstbear]

ToS is the only game I play. I am glad you do it.