Posted 12 September 2015 - 08:37 PM

With the current gameplay of MWO, information warfare has no purpose. Everything that can be gained from information warfare is either redundant or available through other means. I have several suggestions to correct this.As long as sensor/acquisition ranges match up with weapon ranges, people will shoot rather than scout. Occasionally I'll see someone post on the forums that it would be "proper" for heavier mechs to be able to acquire targets only out to, say, 600m compared to light mechs scouting to 800m. Or something. What they don't realize is that it will have no real impact on gameplay. 600m is five seconds from being on top of me. The moment I see something without a blue dorito, I'm probably going to be shooting at it without bothering to look at the targeting information. It doesn't really help me with a target under my crosshairs.But let's say that lights gain the ability to get locks beyond weapons range - say, 1500m. All of a sudden, info warfare is more useful, because it can inform the team while they're still waiting to shoot. A natural pause is created between the arrival of scouting info and the beginning of combat, during which the scouting info can actually be analyzed and employed. Give mediums 1200m, keep assaults and heavies at 600m unless they take specialized equipment, and then the scouting information might find usage. Tweak the numbers if you must, but you get my point.Scouting can become a "beginners' game" for MWO players, allowing new players a role with less combat and more space to figure out the mech and its controls. Jack up the C-bill earnings of scouting so it's a legitimately attractive option and creates a sense of progression.. This is already being done with structure quirks, and it's good for the game. In such an environment, players will stick to cover less and thus have scouting info gathered on them more. And with fights being longer and mechs not so prone to alphas, there will be room to analyze enemy mechs for weak points or which arm is carrying that big gauss rifle. It will matter more.The current maps, with their size and the presence of high ground, completely neutralizes any need for scouting. You can just climb a mountain and know exactly where everyone is. Or you can travel for thirty seconds in an assault and run into the enemy team. Under this map philosophy, we will never have the four pillars. But I know, PGI, that the size and funneling-to-the-action nature of the current maps is meant to cater to new, casual, and impatient players who just want to shoot. We need every player we can get, so I accept that the regular-queue maps might not be the place for info warfare.However CW - the "hardcore" mode anyway - is the perfect opportunity to implement a new map design philosophy that will allow information warfare. I wrote my suggestions here , but basically, give us flatter maps without altitude advantage, with long lines of sight occluded by rolling hills, trees, atmospheric effects, or just strategically placed cover. If 95% of the terrain is accessible, battles will occupy smaller spaces and you'll be able to shake up gameplay without needing to make maps actually bigger (maybe even a bit smaller). Everyone wins.Part of redesigning maps is also redesigning the modes so that they forcibly break up deathballing and thus make room for scouting. Several suggestions exist on this. The best and simplest idea is probably here. Another problem is that the information offered by targeting acquisition (the stuff in the paperdoll) just isn't all that useful or interesting, especially if it can be passed on by VOIP. But there is another aspect that's overlooked - missile locks. If you're not going to rework LRMs, then buff them into a viable weapon. This makes scouting more valuable, because the locks they hold will actually be fruitful, and because no amount of VOIP or TS can reproduce this aspect of gameplay. Start with a 10kph travel buff on LRMs. You could also consider making arty/air strikes more rewarding for lights, and even implementing the Long Tom or Arrow IV, possibly using direct-to-target mechanics as you see in MWLL.Finally, instead of just benefits,as well. Sensor ghosts, jamming, scrambling opposing team's huds, cutting off their comms (cancel out VOIP for such teams?), hack opponents' missiles...there are many possibilities for a scout's toolbox.The information warfare game should be a role, not a requirement. Right now it's a requirement, as it's been made a component of overall balance. Make it distinct, don't force fighting mechs into it, and make it varied and incentivized so it's fun and rewarding.