Mec Leveling/Customisation and PvP Usefullness Increase.

[digidevil4]

I was thinking about this a while ago and now it seems like a good idea.
Title makes it sounds stupid but this could work.

OK So phasefront is here, shiny Bikes, boards ect well i was thinking that Mecs Should be Scraped from the Vehicle Tab and Turned into Actuall Vehicles.

Now I know what your thinking

How could that Possibly work?
Well you buy a Mec in the Phasefront shop there is 2 basic models
QL 1 Basic Scouting Mec
Ql 1 Basic Assault Mec
QL 1 Basic Mec (The balanced one)
But they would be called that they would have actual names like the Jetbikes.
So you have these 3 basic Mec molds that will be used to Sculpt YOUR perfect Mec, Threw Finding diffrent Materials that are needed you can upgrade your Mec to Ql 25, 50, 75, 100, 125,150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300.
With each of these levels the Mold gets better
E.g.
All mec molds will have the Same Hp and Power of what Each one would have at its approriate level but then you have Slots.
A Ql 1 Mec has 1 Slot
A Ql 25 Mec has a Max of 2 Slots (Req of Mec level 1)
A Ql 50 Mec has a Max of 5 Slots (Req Of Mec level 2)
A Ql 75 Mec has a Max of 7 Slots (Req of Mec level 3)
A Ql 100 Mec has a Max of 10 Slots (Req Of Mec level 4)
A Ql 125 Mec has a Max of 12 Slots (Req of Mec level 5)
A Ql 150 Mec has a Max of 15 Slots (Req Of Mec level 6)
A Ql 175 Mec has a Max of 17 Slots (Req Of Mec level 7)
A Ql 200 Mec has a Max of 20 Slots (Req Of Mec level 8)
A Ql 225 Mec has a Max of 22 Slots (Req Of Mec level 9)
A Ql 250 Mec has a Max of 25 Slots (Req Of Mec level 10)
A Ql 275 Mec has a Max of 27 Slots (Req Of Mec level 12)
A Ql 300 Mec has a Max of 30 Slots (Req Of mec level 15)

Each of these slots is used to Put in Upgrades much like the ones put into implants BUT they arent going to benefit people in any way for Twinking.
Slots items would include:

Add Mec Run Speed.
Decrease Mec Attack Speed.
Decrease Mec Recharge Speed.
Add Mec Primary ammo Capacity.
Add Mec Secondary ammo Capacity.
Decrease Mec Fling Shot Recharge.
Decrease Mec Full Auto Recharge.
Decrease Mec Burst Recharge.
Decrease Mec Equip Delay.
Add Mec Health Points.
Add Mec Agility.
Decrease XXX Dmg Taken.

OK so you can put in at lvl 220 if you have a Ql 300 and was Mec level 15 mec 30 of those but im sure your thinking OMG Nerf!!. But For example with the Attack and Recharge Speed Decreasers you would think. "Oh ill just get 15 of each of those and il do 0.10 attack 0.10 Recharge and Own everyone. With something like that you would get a cap. So for example that fastest you would be able to attack would maby be twice the speed of someone who hadnt added to it at all.
All these Slot Adds would be Able to be taken out and replaced with new ones at any time but, it costs money each time you do it, there is no shop to buy them from they are put in Via A Mec Tab.

IN the Mec Tab you would get your 30 slots
And a Slot for A Primary and Secondary Weapon.
Your Primary Weapon is the Damage Dealing one, it is normally going to be a Chain gun type weapon and Is dependant on Mec level as well as the Ql of your Mec.
Your Secondary weapon is A Either a Alternate Damage Weapon or Debuff weapon which is Usable By a Perk action.
E.g. Your Primary weapon may be A Chain-Gun Which would be Called something like (Talon-X300GI) to sounds fancy then your Secondary weapon may be something like a Net, E.g. IF it was a net you could launch it via a perk and IT would hit the target (the net would just appear like a Muzzle Flash Action) then the target would have a Debuff called "Net" which is a Snare and could be used to help infantry in battle anywhere to hit a Moving Target. Or you Might have something like A Mine Which is Very Visible, Super Visible but if someone touches it they would take a Decent ammount of Damage, like a hit from an Ap. This could lead to entirly new strategies such as Setting up mine fields To protect a base ect but such would be limited to a certain ammount per player.
E.g. If you USed all your slots on Add Secondary Ammo you could hold Maby 31 mines at most whereas someone who didnt have any slots used in that could hold 1.
And now all of a sudden all the players are like "Why didnt I Ip Trap Disarm your sitting in your Mec or inside your mini fortress of mines doing /disco... just outta shooting distance. but ofcource then you have anyone with decent health running threw them and taking it or someone with coon. Naturally these Mines would do More Damage to Mecs and would be able to be Set up in a way which Could make The game Unfair such as on top of Caps and on Spawn points.
Other Secondary weapons would include:
Nets( Ofcourse )
Sticky Gooy Stuff ( Decreased Evades )(With some Weird Name)
Gas Clouds ( AoE Dot )
Blind Mines.
Stun mines.
Droppable Countdown bombs (AoE Damage)
Flare.
Energy Drain Gas.
Ect

Other Primary Weapon would Include:
Rocket Launcher (Higher damage, slow Attack time)
Chain Guns (Fast attack, lower damage)
FlameThrower (Medium Attack, medium damage, DoT)

And Last Of all in the Tunning section (IF your still reading.... I Salute You :P)

The Body
Basically you could purchase new body part Upgrades in the shop as well as Paint Jobs.
But you wouldnt be able to be like really Diffrent like to the extent of having mutant mecs.
Body Parts Could Include:
Mec Shoulder Peices - Goes above the Legs and Unlocks Secondary weapon Slots.
Head Lamps - Sounds Useless right? Well Consider a situation where you are sorrounded by enemies and you are unaware of who is the one everyone is attacking, dont have a macro. A mec Turns on there headlight and they highlight some Newbie Soldier who everyone else is attacking, Suddenly the rest of the people know who to attack and its easyer then target calling.
I cant think of anymore. :S

OK Mec levels.
Well ingame atm we have Lost Eden level, Shadow levels, Alien levels and levels.
Mec levels are Basically level you achieve while killing Monsters OR players in your Mec. THey are not Very hard to Obtain and go to 15. So All of a sudden using your Mec out of Bs is Usefull. The More mec levels you have the more you can Tune your Mec out to your Preferences.

So Why would people use this?

Well, Suddenly the Non-Twinks and Lowbies IN Bs can Make themselves Usefull-er and Mecs are being used more regularly, Suddenly people can be more usefull and MEcs can be used in More anti Personel Warfare.
Suddenly Tower Battles our Fought with the attacks being a group of Players Crossed with Mecs for Support Dot/Debuff and Mine Laying.

And Here is where Engis get the Love they Crave so Despirately.
An Engi in a mec has the most power of anyone else in one, Because Engis are robots go well together.
They can repair there own with small cost.
They have 20 slots instead of 15.
There are engi locked Mec weapons that have certain advantages.
They Can still use there Robots in Mecs because the robots our Remote controlled.
They have Slight Hp Bonus aswell.
They have a Nanoline of Mec related Usefullness which lets them Construct Temporary Parts(Costy but effective).


So once again you are asking well if Engis get that what do we get?
First of all in the long run in your mec all that looks like alot more then it is.
And Secondly if a Enforcer uses a gun he may do good damage if hes Ip'd it (Bought parts for Mec) but he wont be as good as the one to hoom the gun Belongs (Soldier)

So they you are thinking wont that just give them a permanent shield from death?

No it wont because of one simple factor Once your mec s destroyed Totally in battle it is Unusable for the rest of that battle. Repairs can only be performed in Cities and the Mec molds are all unique to each other. 1 Mec - 1 Life - 1 Death THis rule is Specifically for BS doesnt apply to tower battles. Also an Engi with only a Mediocre Gun which would take down a decents players hp and there robots wont be much both to that player anyway, he cant kill you, you cant kill him, its when they come with groups that you should be scared, In a 1v1 the mec is useless in a 20v20 somewhere with the support of Soldiers, adventurers Agents and so on Dishing out the Damage they can be very usefull.

So whats all this about Repairs you are asking me?

well Engis can repairs mecs themselves via basic tradeskilling. Mec + Mec Fixing Tool (Engi Only) = Mec(Fixed)

UNfortunately for the rest of us we have to pay to get ours fixed.
This can be Done at the "Battle Engineers" who would stand outside the BS of each level and Sell Diffrent Ammos E.g. Bullet, Fuel Gel, Rockets, Nets, Tear Gas Canister, Energy Drain Gas Canisters ect.(Sold in 100s and the ammount u can hold depends on if you capacity sloted)
You can ask him to repair by trading Mec to him with some money.
The cost would depend on whether your side Won or not, If not he feels sorry for you and gives you a small Discount.
Prices:
Ql 300 Mec Would cost 500k
Ql 25 Mec Would Cost 5k
Ql 100 Mec Would Cost 75k

So Now you ask me so why dont we all just go around in these mecs?

Well, your side will lose without Ground support from those who are cappable of both taking damage and Dealing it.
If you are stupid enought to run straight into battle with your mec you will be seeing a large repair bill.
Mecs wont be of use to you at all times sometimes you gotten get down and in there with the fighting.
Mecs will be totally useless if you are not with a group (Except to take out Turrets and Other mecs)


So how do these differ from normal mecs except for all thise tuning, how will they show Improvement to the current ?

Well they are tougher or weaker
They can inflict pain on infantry by means of Debuff.
Suddenly the Infantry will have a reason to stick with you. (IF they want to win)
Suddenly PvP is more Meaningful
Suddenly You arent being chain killed.
But you arent getting any closer to your pvp title.

The way I see it al they would have to add for this is:
New Ammo and Muzzle Flashes.
New Nanos.
New Items.
New Mec Mesh.
Some New Perk Actions.
And Not VERY Much Coding Compared With Major Things To Make It All Work.



Before anyone points it out i am aware that You didnt actually ask me anything. one less thing to flame me about.
Secondly I am aware the chance of this being implemented even partially is like (4392075873087234095872304/1) I means its Roughly that correct me if im wrong.
I would appreciate a Bump if u think it would be awsome ingame, not whether you think it even would be put it.
Any Reply is Appreciated seeing as replys get me more views.
Feel Free to criticise me, IF you tell me this is crap with no reason i will ignore you.
If your in a Bad mood please dont Reply to this cause it wont be usefull.
Omg..... That is Long, got Carried away.
Well enjoy reading it to those who actually read it (I Salute you) to those who didnt dont be negative.
It sounds all alot bigger then it would be if u think about it.
I wrote this because mecs are So underused, when LE came out i was so dissapointed... Seriously it was just Run around around make cool noices and shoot, and it still is and i think that for mecs to be seen as an important aspect of war in the game they need to be upgraded abit.

[Disodoctor]

this was a pain in the butt to read, but is a nice idea.

[Chrys]

Cool idea

WTB mech emotes!

[Righteous]

I like the idea of any socketable/enchanted/enhanced weapon/armor/mech in AO, they don't have that yet aside from the battlesuits.

[digidevil4]

this was a pain in the butt to read, but is a nice idea.

I tried to paragraph it.... lol
and i got carried away while writing it.

[Draechus]

It is a good idea
I am ok even if they add more mechs to summon with picture beside it and different specs to choose from, depending on battlefield sittuation.

WTB Siege Mechs - A big **S Cannon that can be heard from any corner of the playfield.

[Tethien]

Mixed feelings. The idea would be great. But in another game, not AO, or at least not to the extent you describe.

Don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to have a variety of mech models available and to be able to customize them for your needs. But within the current situation of the BS, i would dislike the change a lot.

If you want to be able to fight on equal level on the BS, you have to have AI gear. This is no problem if you play AO for years, but for a newer player this is an issue. So, if you enter the BS with the intention of acquiring better gear there via VP you first of all are a target. Towers and mechs are the great equalizers there.

You might be in lousy setup, you might have a profession which is very bad for PvP in your current level rangs. You still can participate. If you place a turret and place it well or assist an assault on the core in your mech, you still help your team a lot. The price for that is reduced flexibility. A mech can only effectively fight mechs and turrets, a turret can not move, neither of them can cap. I consider that a fair compromise.

The suggestion here would break this system in two ways.

First of all, the suggestion to buy components would in the long run just result in the same arms-race we already have as infantry. I wouldn't want to see a "full AI"-equivalent mech where the owner spent 5 billions on the gear so he can beat up like 15 enemy mechs at once till he has to walk home for repairs. (And please note, if you allow upgrades for mechs, turrets follow the same system. You're looking forward to see an assembly of turrets of several billions worth each in the core? )

Second, your suggestion would put one profession, the engineer, over all others. I very much appreciate it that currently in a mech your profession does not matter. I would dislike to change that.

The concept of customizing your mechs still sounds like fun, but i would make that simply an option in your vehicles menu. You open the menu, you select a mech. Instead of calling it, you hit a "change configuration" button and get into a menu where you can set up your mech the way you want it to be. You'll get a list of all weapons and components available and can place them into your mech, up to its capacity, but you would not have to pay for the components.

When you are done outfitting your mech, you just hit a "done" button. Then when you call your mech, you get it exactly the way you set it up.

To avoid some abuse, I would consider it necessary that the mech skill is locked for 5 minuts after you change the mechs configuration. Else somebody with enough conceal could sneak up and check what the opponent is using, reconfigure his mech on the fly while being hidden and bring in the perfect counter to what the opponent is using. If you have a 5 minute downtime, you have to make a good setup already before you enter the fight.

Also note, while i say that components would not have to be bought, i don't say that there would never be effort involved in getting them. Rather, this sounds like new lines for global research: better mech weapons and armour. Only if your side for example researched the "Mech weaponry: rocket weapons" line, you would be able to fit a rocket launcher on your mech.

When going to extremes, you could even add one personal research lines which would offer access to special gear which gives like 3% more movement speed or 3% more armour. Though, this research line should then be available to everybody, no matter which profession he has.

Thus we would have all the awesome gadgets and upgrades you suggested but still have the balance of mechs and turrets instead of turning it into the same arms race as we already now have with personal gear.

Though, within the system of AO, i assume we won't see something like this happening soon.

I would already be happy if we'd see two more mech designs. A melee mech with no guns but wielding a massive axe and an artillery mech with longer range weaponry. Balancing the artillery mech would be easy enough, speed should be somewhere between the scout and assault mech, firepower should be equal to the scout while armour should be lower. To make up for this, it would have longer range than any of the mechs.

This would make attack and defence of the core in the BS much more dynamic. If the enemy defends only with turrets, you bring in the artillery mech. To fend of the artillery mech, the defenders send out some scouts. To stop the scouts, the attackers protect their artillery mechs with assault mechs. To break the assault mech protection, the defenders also need to bring in artillery, which again needs the attackers to deploy anti-artillery scout mechs. Suddenly both sides are required to bring in all mech types, instead of the current "assault mech only" battles.

For the melee mech, i right now still lack the idea on how to balance it. To make it useful, it would have to have better speed than the assault mech, good armour and lots of damage at close range. Unfortunately this combination would make it too deadly against turrets.

Anyways, this concept is only the "low cut" version which i think it could be implemented with acceptable effort in the current AO mech concept.

If the above mentioned system with components would be possible (but components not bought but researched in global research, as i already explained), i would prefer that one.

[digidevil4]

If you want to be able to fight on equal level on the BS, you have to have AI gear. This is no problem if you play AO for years, but for a newer player this is an issue. So, if you enter the BS with the intention of acquiring better gear there via VP you first of all are a target. Towers and mechs are the great equalizers there.

I am Aware I spend most my time in mid AP or AV or in Mec which is why I have gotten bored of mechs so fast, all they do is move and shoot.

You might be in lousy setup, you might have a profession which is very bad for PvP in your current level rangs. You still can participate. If you place a turret and place it well or assist an assault on the core in your mech, you still help your team a lot. The price for that is reduced flexibility. A mech can only effectively fight mechs and turrets, a turret can not move, neither of them can cap. I consider that a fair compromise.

AV damage would not be effected in a way that this couldnt still happen. Maby an increase in range to battle long range mecs.

First of all, the suggestion to buy components would in the long run just result in the same arms-race we already have as infantry. I wouldn't want to see a "full AI"-equivalent mech where the owner spent 5 billions on the gear so he can beat up like 15 enemy mechs at once till he has to walk home for repairs. (And please note, if you allow upgrades for mechs, turrets follow the same system. You're looking forward to see an assembly of turrets of several billions worth each in the core? )

You wouldnt see mecs that expensive if parts were buyable by mecs, it would be a price that players who werent around when people could make billions of creds can afford.

Second, your suggestion would put one profession, the engineer, over all others. I very much appreciate it that currently in a mech your profession does not matter. I would dislike to change that.

The Majority of Engineers would be on foot because they wouldnt really accomplish must in the mecs, they would be able to kill other players on thier own hence no pvp titles, but concidering the player taking on the Engi mec has a superior setup to that engi they would still beat them, the only thing that they do have on everyone would be the 5 extra slots and the Engi weapons, the slots could be used badly hence a bad mec, the weapon advantages would be great enough so that engis could just go around Owning everyone in sight. Maby slightly faster recharge or slightly higher dps. If anything of my idea was implemented i think engis do deserve there none combat related advantages.

The concept of customizing your mechs still sounds like fun, but i would make that simply an option in your vehicles menu. You open the menu, you select a mech. Instead of calling it, you hit a "change configuration" button and get into a menu where you can set up your mech the way you want it to be. You'll get a list of all weapons and components available and can place them into your mech, up to its capacity, but you would not have to pay for the components.

That could work aswell, I like the idea of locking weapons and such on Mec levels, levels would be easyly obtained but level locked.

To avoid some abuse, I would consider it necessary that the mech skill is locked for 5 minuts after you change the mechs configuration. Else somebody with enough conceal could sneak up and check what the opponent is using, reconfigure his mech on the fly while being hidden and bring in the perfect counter to what the opponent is using. If you have a 5 minute downtime, you have to make a good setup already before you enter the fight.

Ye thats true, although the idea to make people repair these via the rocket dude works aswell because then u will only see a certain player in one once a round.

Also note, while i say that components would not have to be bought, i don't say that there would never be effort involved in getting them. Rather, this sounds like new lines for global research: better mech weapons and armour. Only if your side for example researched the "Mech weaponry: rocket weapons" line, you would be able to fit a rocket launcher on your mech.

I like that idea, wish id thought of it

When going to extremes, you could even add one personal research lines which would offer access to special gear which gives like 3% more movement speed or 3% more armour. Though, this research line should then be available to everybody, no matter which profession he has.

Thus we would have all the awesome gadgets and upgrades you suggested but still have the balance of mechs and turrets instead of turning it into the same arms race as we already now have with personal gear.

Once again, I like that idea alot I would add it to my post but i dont have time.

Though, within the system of AO, i assume we won't see something like this happening soon.

Yep, Sadly pretty much nothing from suggestions ever happens these days.

I would already be happy if we'd see two more mech designs. A melee mech with no guns but wielding a massive axe and an artillery mech with longer range weaponry. Balancing the artillery mech would be easy enough, speed should be somewhere between the scout and assault mech, firepower should be equal to the scout while armour should be lower. To make up for this, it would have longer range than any of the mechs.

Melee Mecs would be awsome but in Ao they wouldnt work, giving Mecs melee Based Specials might work though.

This would make attack and defence of the core in the BS much more dynamic. If the enemy defends only with turrets, you bring in the artillery mech. To fend of the artillery mech, the defenders send out some scouts. To stop the scouts, the attackers protect their artillery mechs with assault mechs. To break the assault mech protection, the defenders also need to bring in artillery, which again needs the attackers to deploy anti-artillery scout mechs. Suddenly both sides are required to bring in all mech types, instead of the current "assault mech only" battles.

Yep you would see alot more mecs instead of Av being used, precisely what I would want.

For the melee mech, i right now still lack the idea on how to balance it. To make it useful, it would have to have better speed than the assault mech, good armour and lots of damage at close range. Unfortunately this combination would make it too deadly against turrets.

Your getting 2 close to RF online there. There the Melee MAU'S(Massive Assault Units) get axe arms and they move faster then regular Ranged MAU'S and can Net enemies.