Has the Battle Arrmor become too powerfull?

[Virt]

Any takers on putting together a team consisting of exclusively BA and pitting it vs another team of various mechs? My money is on the BA's winning. They'll die alot more but they'll wrack up far more points I'll bet.

Yep.  I've already observed that in a couple of battles just after 3.0 was released.   

Maps with lots of close cover, like Inferno, also tilt the batte in favour of BAs somewhat.

But I'm ok with their power, would just like to get a reward for killing them which is more commensurate with the damage they do.

[Brainwright]

I think we should test this. Any takers on putting together a team consisting of exclusively BA and pitting it vs another team of various mechs? My money is on the BA's winning. They'll die alot more but they'll wrack up far more points I'll bet.

I'll take that challenge and field a team of Uziel Cs and Hollander Cs.

Then we can put this thread to rest.

[NSallaNuto]

It should be BAs vs any kind of mechs, not BAs vs the best BA killer mechs.

Or make it a team with 1/2 BAs and 1/2 Mechs vs a team of just mechs. This way you can evaluate the weight of BAs into a team.

[MerfMerf]

Why should there be restrictions in what mechs are chosen?
If during any game the enemy team has many BA a few will switch to mechs with good BA killing weapons (Warthog <3) and swat them.

Your second suggestion of a mixed them versus a non-mixed team is far better me thinks. And if the mixed team does NOT win I think it indicates a failure of the combined arms thinking.

/Merf - To achieve statistical relevance the team members would have to be switched and several matches played however,,,,

[(TLL)martinroshak]

The problem with battle armors is they're so hard to hit with anything short of a pulse laser.  I've shot flamers, ppcs, ac's, lbx's, etc. inches from a BA and they don't even get touched and they just run circles around you without taking any damage. Roll up with a Nova Cat and you can basically chew up every BA.

If I can hit them spot on with my shoddy FPS, everyone should be fine

Agreed

[Virt]

I've noticed since 0.3 that I can't kill BAs with flamers now...(?)

[HAARP]

I've noticed since 0.3 that I can't kill BAs with flamers now...(?)

lrn2aim

[Virt]

Hard to miss with flamers.

[Incubus 24-7]

I think the BA is now worth the effort, cause u can actually hurt mechs.
I mostly play BA on marshes cause there are so many places to hide and ambush mechs.

[(TLL) Heretic]

Would like to see an increase in the points you get from killing BA; but very probably there should also be a reduction in the points a BA gets from hitting 'mechs.

Was once in a game right after 0.3 launch where I was the only 'mech pilot on our side, with 4-5 guys working as a team as BA from an APC I ran around bringing the pray to them and they fed me cash; I was in an Assault minutes after start.

Maybe it was just the leet skillz of the BA pilots but it did feel a lot faster and more rewarding than fielding 5 'mechs (even though the game ended most of the BA players were on 3/12-18 K/D), the score difference in the teams was huge in our favour.

They're definitely not OP though, anyone with a Large laser is BA-proof if they have a C3 Scout or are faster than an Assault.  And they're often little more than free kills in most situations involving 35-100 ton machines.

[NSallaNuto]

I agree with Heretic, the BA are no OP but are definitely the best way to make score while giving the enemy team almost nothing.

I was in a game today, 1 vs 1, an Owens B vs a single BA, the result was the Owens always killing the BA, the score was like 8 to 0 but the BA team had double score and would have won at the end, then more players joined.

The money pumping side is also important, a BA can have everything, including a personal APC, with the default money, everything else can be donated, a huge advantage. If a BA is supposed to be equivalent to a Mech (5 CBT BAs) then costs and rewards should be comparable to mechs. BAs more advanced weapons should not be purchasable with the base money.

[CharlesBronson]

Let me start of by saying I find BA to be incredibly annoying.  I hate them...  But that probably means that they are doing their job quite well.  I am in full agreement with the scoring disparity issue though.

I am also irritated by the quick fire rate of these little roaches.  Where are they hiding the 20 ton reactor to power their ppc and laser that fires as fast as my mechs?  It must be uncomfortable inside of those things.  I understand the need for suspending some reality for gameplay considerations, but you should not be able to fire off a ppc at a rate comparable to my rather large and unintimidating 100 ton machine.

[=KoS= Saber15]

I've noticed since 0.3 that I can't kill BAs with flamers now...(?)

lrn2aim

Flamers are no longer the hyper-death beams they used to be; I had trouble killing a BA in the Hollander with 4 flamers. I think their splash damage was reduced.

[(TLL)KitLightning]

Note from a BA's diary: "BA suits are darn hot to run in. To f***ing hot! WE NEED MORE COOLING!!! It cannot be serious that we discard suit after suit once retuning from the field for *censored* reason."

I can agree upon the firing ratio of the mPPC and the mHLaser are to fast and deal more damage compare to what larger assets can deal given their puny size. The only BA weapons that should be able to fire fast would be anti-BA weapons themselves.

In one sense that isn't mentioned I would say the BA is overpowered and that is their ability to regenerate the Armor. This is a serious issue since the BA can just hide until he is at full health again and continue to taunt the Mech pilot.

A solution to limiting BA's fund their comrades would be to force the Player to actually purchase either a BA suit or any other asset upon spawn, e.g. the Player is met by the Buy Menu upon Spawning and cannot exit this menu before the Player has purchased at least one asset, not including weapons. That would also limit C-Bill exploiting which is still an issue. But again I think exactly this function is not a possibility that it is hard coded in the engine. So the other solution would be to have the Spawned Player with a limited health value which will increase if he purchases a BA suit. This also means that any Players ejecting their asset in the field will be one shot targets. Well if the collision with an asset doesn't do it off with them.

[-AAA-]

I agree with Heretic, the BA are no OP but are definitely the best way to make score while giving the enemy team almost nothing.

I was in a game today, 1 vs 1, an Owens B vs a single BA, the result was the Owens always killing the BA, the score was like 8 to 0 but the BA team had double score and would have won at the end, then more players joined.

The money pumping side is also important, a BA can have everything, including a personal APC, with the default money, everything else can be donated, a huge advantage. If a BA is supposed to be equivalent to a Mech (5 CBT BAs) then costs and rewards should be comparable to mechs. BAs more advanced weapons should not be purchasable with the base money.

Agreed.  I suggested it in some other thread, but I don't even remember where.  There should be a progression for BA, just like their is for 'mech, aero, and tank pilots.  The fact that they start out at 100% effectiveness (compared to the later game) is why so many people just start the match with a BA swarm.  I suggest making the BA MHL 50k-60k, so anybody with a rank higher than a CDT can pick it up.  As it is, BAs are just money machines that the other team gets jack shit for killing.

I am also irritated by the quick fire rate of these little roaches.  Where are they hiding the 20 ton reactor to power their ppc and laser that fires as fast as my mechs?  It must be uncomfortable inside of those things.  I understand the need for suspending some reality for gameplay considerations, but you should not be able to fire off a ppc at a rate comparable to my rather large and unintimidating 100 ton machine.

Also, agreed.  Going by the Wiki, the mpPPC does slightly more damage than the IS 'mech PPC and fires slightly faster.  Granted, the range is a good deal smaller, but it still strikes me as kind of silly that the small, man-portable weapon is on par with its 'mech equivalent. 

Basically, everything Kit said.