Posted 25 June 2012 - 09:00 AM

Q: Is PGI aware that the canon laser firing mode is a burst of light over a fraction of a second as opposed to what we see in your many vids, a beam lasting up to two seconds long? [KageRyuu]

A: Yes, we are aware of this. It is done as a balancing mechanic. This was done to differentiate Laser and Ballistic weapons, as Lasers need to be held on target, yet Autocannons simply 'hit' an area. [GARTH]



Q: will LRM's fire duds at short range or otherwise be hard to use without lock-on? [SgtPaladin]

A: Yes, they already do in fact! If fired at (very) short range missiles will simply 'bounce off' whatever they hit, neither exploding nor doing damage. It looks really cool when it hits the cockpit. [GARTH]



Q: What is being done to combat issues where mechs become obsolete - for example in World of Tanks where you have rank 1 to 10 of tanks but really only ranks 8-10 are played and lower tanks are just seen as fodder. Is that a concern? [Trystane]

A: A very big concern for us was that Lighter 'Mechs would perform poorly against larger ones, and what we've done is make it so that each tier is equal to every other tier of 'Mechs - in this case, Light 'Mechs such as the Jenner pose a large risk to Atlas', and Hunchbacks are just as deadly as Catapults. You'll never run into a situation where you 'cannot damage' an opponent (other than losing all your weapons of course.) [GARTH]



Q: If a location is damaged to the point of wrecked, will heat sinks located there be destroyed as well as weapons? [Helvetica]

A: Absolutely - anything in a location (including the sides of an XL engine) can be destroyed. This is exactly why people put headsinks in their legs, for example. Where you put your ammunition, items and weapons is often as important as the weapons and items themselves. [GARTH]



Q: Will there be a ghost view or ability to watch the game through other players cockpits if you die in a match, or will you be stuck watching a blank screen until the game is over? [Rashhaverak]

A: Currently when dead you can watch through your teammates eyes, but you are limited to that. You can't, say, use a freecam. We find this is the best balance of still being involved in the match, but not allowing cheating to occur. [GARTH]



Q: Because of the Reboot, will NEW 'Mech designs be produced for MWO as it moves forward? [TimberJon]

A: I think every 'Mech fan ever has created their own 'Mech, and we'd all love to. That said, we have a lot of existing 'Mechs we can use first! [GARTH]



Q: What is the average landspeed velocity of an unladen Atlas? [Black Sunder]

A: Combine or Lyran? [GARTH]



Q: should we even bother asking questions if you guys are only gonna answer 2 of them out of hundreds each time? [Vashts1985]

A: Sure, the less people in the lottery the more likely people in it are to win ;D [GARTH]



Thanks for all your questions everyone, and I hope you got yours answered. If not, a new Ask The Devs will be up soon.

Cheers!

-The MechWarrior Online Team

