I probably won't bring anything new to the conversation, but it's interesting to see the different playstyles being disputed in this thread.
Long range fire support is just as important, and viable, as close combat is in the long run. Long Range support fire is all about land control. People won't take certain routes to get to you because they know they'll be chewed up by missles and gauss/PPC fire. Unfortunately, try as they might, long range support alone can't control the battlefield. This is where close combat specialists thrive, in the gaps that long range just can't cover. The best teams I've played with (or against) have a phenomenal combination of long range support and close combat "brawlers", so that any attempt to go offensive just results in you waiting to respawn.
That, I think, is the dev team's goal for the game, and I think they're executing it flawlessly. I'm supremely impressed with the game's progress since it first opened up. I haven't spent much time in vehicles or aerospace to see how they've been rebalanced to fit in the ballet of modern combat, but my brief time spent since coming back to the game has been positive. Mechs are still weapon racks with legs, vehicles are special-purpose support and combat units, and aerospace delivers a tactical advantage to those willing and able to utilize it. My only desire is that the MWLL team seeks out and acquires more developers of equal caliber to bolster their ranks, so that we can see new content sooner
