Posted 29 July 2014 - 09:58 AM

Mixed feelings here. On the one hand, yay armlock is fixed, inner sphere mech quirks are ACE (I hope we see more of these in the future!), fall damage tweaks are good, and I really won't miss the desync-o-doom. On the other hand, while the *idea* of this module system revamp is good, I really don't like how it's implemented.



The basic idea makes sense. Modules do naturally fall into these three categories, and if they want to make all three types useful it would be nice if they didn't compete with each other, especially weapon modules. It also offers the chance for them to customize and tweak individual mechs in a more finely detailed way. However, they really missed the chance to do this properly.



For starters, there should have been a lot more use of this to balance weaker classes. *ALL* lights and mediums (with the possible exception of the nova and stormcrow) should have gotten the +1 mech module, and then some specific ones should have gotten additional module boosts on top of that. These two classes still lag behind their heavier compatriots in a big way, and this system is the absolutely *perfect* way to start addressing that. if all lights and mediums could bring 2/2/3 after mastery and then some of them could bring a 4th mech module or a 3rd consumable/weapon, it would be a chance to actually partially represent in-game the utility/versatility benefits that medium and light mechs are supposed to have in lore in addition to providing a much needed boost in power.



Similarly, the relative balance between weapon, consumable, and mech modules would have given a chance to differentiate the classes. For example, imagine that assault mechs got only 1 consumable but 3 weapons. Once weapon modules actually get fully fleshed out to be *useful*, this would be a neat way to emphasize assault mechs as the kings of all dakka. Lights might do the reverse and sacrifice a weapon module for a consumable. Mediums could have 2/2/2 stock to emphasize their roles as jack-of-all-trades. None of those *particular* suggestions are set in stone, but they could do things along those general lines to try and differentiate classes.



Instead, most stuff is all the same as everything else, with a few weaker mechs getting a bonus out of pity. And, of course, while the total number of slots goes up, the limiting of the number of slots in any category further highlights the balance problems that individual modules have. This isn't a problem that the module *system* causes, mind you, but this system is just going to make it even more obvious that strikes, seismic, and radar dep rule the module world. The vast differences in power between various modules in the same category isn't something that a revamp of the module system is going to be able to fix, of course, but it *is* something they're going to have to address at some point.

