Hey, so here's the deal with that remark from the dev Q&A - and thank you for the constructive feedback, by the way.
thx
Weapons - We realize that giving every mech all the weapons is, at most, a silly idea. It ruins the special loadouts that most of the mechs have, and not every mech's weapon is really suited to every mech. So that's scrapped, at this point.
nice to hear
Primaries - We're likely going to lean towards an alternate/prestige loadout system again. In terms of balance, we would keep the PC prestige and alternate weapon choices. This would allow the PC build to 'just work' right out of the box when the codebases are unified. We're not committed on a way to obtain the weapons yet, hopefully we can share more when we get closer to finishing the UI changes needed to do that system.
3 weapons it is good, but some mech have a problem and literally just unplayable if you want to play seriously:
1)Bruiser with SMC and AR - silly mech. SMC sux by DPS, if compare itwith vulcan, and probably not cost to use. And you can't use it like SMC-Assault due the HF is Not TOW.
Bruiser with AR is less sux probably, but you should have "insane" accuracy to use it.
General Bruiser problem - He sux! He sux because HF is weak weapon. The real problem that you should find solution between Bruiser and Rocketeer.
2) Rocketeer with Seeker - Thing which killing Bruiser and pulls him to the bottom. Many ppl think, that rocketeer have smaller dps, it is actually not true, it have probably higher DPS than SA Brawler if he laying his seeker in target (which is not hard). The real fun in this mech, that you not really need HF to play. If enemy not focus you, you can just kill him with seeker, and he die very fast.
Previously devs always trying to Nerf (highly nerf) HellGire missiles. The reason of Nerf - several rocketers killing everything on Lost Eco and Bunker, and many people (+/- average players) was annoying with this. but nerf HF is actually mistake, the real aimbot weapon which killing people - it is seeker. due to aim+high damage per bullet and firerate.
next. EOK-Rocketeer and Heat-Rocketeer. Sux with the same reason. Slow weapons, low dps, no TOW to adequate use it like scout or even grenadier. hidden parameter - it is hard to play due you need press to many buttons. Most of problems is a air mechs like Bers, Assault and other imba-mech with overbuffed DPS, which just shred this in pieces.
EOK and Heat-rocketeer is actually interest to play, and feel like really how rocketeer should be, but it is totally nerfed and unplayable right now.
In General = bruiser sux, because HF. rocketeer is normal, because seeker is good, but HF sux. Rocketer with EOK/Heat sux.
Solution -> Buf HF weapon, Nerf seeker. Bruiser stronger, cuz HF buff. Rocketeer with EOK and Heat stronger. Rocketeer with seeker the same, because nerf seeker, but buff HF.
3) Vulcan-Brawler. It is not weak (but he actually have problems with overheat and slow speed), but it is useless mech. Why? Actually Vulcan-Grenadier and Vulcan-Vanguard just better with this, as a result Vulcan-Brawler literally don't have any sense in game. This weapon not for him. I suggest replace Vulcan-D weapon on T-32 bolt. It have sense as a "Alternative" shotgun. T32 and Flak is almost equal by DMG, they have only difference in playstyle. So you can give players a choice which shotgun he can use, which he like. I think it will be positive changes for brawler.
4) PN223-Techinician. Another mech not worth to play it. The reason why PN223 is useless, because it is a little worse than Hawkins-RPR. so, why u need use anther sustain weapon if RPR just better? The problem is PN223 is a not burst weapon (dispite it look like something mixed between burst and sustain... it is sustain weapon.)
You can easily change PN223 and create a more difference between RPR and PN223, if you increase PN223 damage, and decrease rate of fire, and leave the same DPS like RPR in general. i.e. make a 223 real "burst weapon". So, if technician player want burst, he use 223, if want sustain, he use RPR. it is very easy solution. PN223 is cool weapon, but right now it don't have any sense.
5) PPA-Incinerator. It is a problem. This mech is called "support" but in reality, he have so much parameters with higher stats. He have high speed (as vanguard) which allow him use "bunny-hop" and move faster, he have very good HP value, not like real support, more like tank. he have Buffs for team, and debuff for enemies, and at the same time incinerator have second place by DPS after mini-flak vanguard.
But the real problem, that this mech can shooting without overheat (which can increase his damage per minute to insane values, much more higher than all other mech have, because all other mech should stop shooting, and wait 3 sec. or overheat and wait 4-5.5 sec without damage. The incinerator - not.)
Added to this situation technician = ability to shoot without overheat, insane DPS, infinity Healing (due the tech not overheat under incinerator cooling ability). It is literally - imba. Just because it have very many Pros, and small Cons.
The next inci thing - 0.75 sec cooldawn of SAARE "Big faerbals". Even a-class with 1 sec dodge can't evade inci faerballs if stay on ground. He can use dodge and evade one bullet, but the next bullet will be 100% hit, because incinerator just shoot faster than you dodge, and have Insane blast-radius which is higher than GL. Only one way how you can beat him, it is use Air-compressor. If you not use Air-compressor - you sux. It is not how it should be.
ADH devs actually stop working on hawken before they can nerf this, and the problem with inci+tech was annoying long time ago.
So, the really thing which you can do with Incinerator it is just highly Nerf it to making a "support" role mech which incinerator always should be. Not a damager, Not a tank, Not a pusher. He should be a support and nothing more.
the are several way which you can use hard changes in code, just tweaking it with numbers:
- Decrease SAARE secondary mode "explosive radius"(blast radius) the same like the small fireballs. (i.e the same blast radius, but difference damage)
or
- Decrease SAARE rate of fire to 1.1-1.2 sec to not allow incinerator spam Big fireballs. (But it is bad way, because it makes PPA incinerator almost unplayable or very hard to play)
or
- Decrease SAARE big fireballs damage to 60, but leave current blast-radius (i.e. big and small fireballs damage are equal, difference only in blast radius. i actually preffer this variant)
- Higly Decreace HP to 685. And decrease boost speed to 27m/s. (based on PC stats. it is required tweking by Console stats, but you got idea big Nerf to HP and Speed, to not allow incinerator be a greatest tank in inci+tech combo)
- Replace PAPA with SMC as a starting wepaon (than you unlock BBY as alternative, than MMA as elite). ez. no prob.
incinerator problems not in "how nubs play on incinerator", the problem "how much nubs suffer because high-skill incinerator". You should understand this moment at first, to understand why it should got high nerf, and have a his place as a support in teamplay. And you also should understand about stacking Inci, when several players use it and as a result got much more summary DPS than enemy team can even imagine.
Secondaries - The plan was to make the 'second' weapon on a mech locked in place, and almost sort of a 'class defining' secondary weapon as opposed to interchangeable secondaries.
not very understand this part, but OK. i suppose you just leave it "as is", i.e. Brawler still continue use TOW, Raider still use KLA etc.
Items - We're likely going to have to limit items to 2 items slotted per loadout for technical reasons. Other than that, the current choices will very well stay the same.
2 items per mech it is good, (it is good because i have only 2 fingers which press Q and E for items, and never understand why we really need 3 items in inventory xD. But OK.)
As for the composite internal, I am not convinced it's a major issue as you guys 'soft ban' those kind of internals from your tournaments and they're perfectly fine for casual play. Perhaps it would be a neat idea to look into restricting specific items, internals, weapons, and mechs as a server option in the future for PC players that rent servers so if you don't like a gameplay element, it's not forced on you.
First of all, not all player want to use play on rental server. Maybe i don't have 11 friends to play with? or maybe just want to play in "solo-random" (how i always play in hawken, and i think, not only i use this method to play. just press "play" and kill someone). It is not an answer and not a solution.
It is not a major issue, but it is thing which make people "rage" and this internal can be very annoying. it is bad because allow players use "suicidal behaviour" and creating a stupid gameplay in hawken. And you mistake, than you think it is "casual" play.
I'm not use this principially, because this is "no respect for youself", But just for example, i can easily create a raider with Composite+Deflectors+Failsafe, and use next tactic.
Go close to my enemy which i special want to kill. Use ability and sticky to enmey, and start shooting under my feet with Corsair KLA mode (grenade), and kill enemy easy, due i have super speed, while ability raider use bosst, so, deflectors always give me armor, and composite give me even more HP in general, and failsafe just safe me from my own KLA damage. With all of this armor raider can be a really tanky.
And i just special kill my target without any probs, and then being killing by his team. i.e. I'm speciall kill this player, and die. Than i ressurect myself, and start kill him again, because i'm still have super high defence and ability.
The same situations with berserker, which people use just like "go close to enemy with high armor, use imba-ability, kill both of us, repeat."
And the same situation with Scanner. I put screenshot above where one player called another Cheater and Wallhacker just because he didn't realise that our team use scanner and see whole map. And i can give you another 10 screenshots with the same chat.
The problem, that you (i mean Devs team) don't want to hear US. I play in this game 4 years since beginning, and see these situations every time in many matches since hawken exist. The real problem not how "Casual" players use Scanner or Composite. The real problem how "High tier" players CAN use it AGAINST casual player. Nub-team with incinerator+tech not cause problem. But two High skill players in inci+tech combo is literally "Immortal" for average players. And can just ruine whole match (or siege where effect is doubled). The problem in this thing, how it working if you use it correct, and know HOW it working in reality! not on paper.
This is what about i'm talking before. You not play in you own game. You not see HOW OFTEN players called each other cheaters, just because they can't realise that all of this because scanner, which is actually legal wallhack.
And now just please put yourself on these players place. You yourself would Like to play in a game, that you think "is infested with cheaters?" or "full of of cheater?". Despite in reality these players never be a cheater, but it doesn't matter, because 95% players think they play with cheaters.
Did you really think it is "how it should be"? I think no. And i see problem in this.
Community not asking so much.
- fix scanner (i know you don't want delete item, but you just can restricted to scanner see walking mechs, i.e. working as small regular mech radar. very easy solution)
- fix inci+tech combo which cause alot of problems due the infinity healing and tonnes of dps with insane firerate from SAARE second mode
- nerf assault a little (u actually already did this, cuz in console version TV = Old Assault, and he just have less HP. i think it is normal)
- delete/rework composite which in combinations with other internal and putting on mech with imba abilities (like raider/ bers/ gren) cause suicidal gameplay. or put it on brawler, and you got insane HP/Def amount and advantage. or atleast added a negative for this internal, like if you use composite, you got higher armor, but suffer from speed debuff, or increase dodge time. it is also stupid, that this internal working only 1 time, i.e. it is disposable, and you need die to use it)
- close holes in walls on uptown, frontline, wreckage, facility (which is mostly problem only in siege mode, but uptown ceiling is can be really anoying cuz you can see whole map)
added some bonus HC earn to Deatmatch and MA mode
You did some good work with ping, with servers (i think many people like it. maybe not all, but i got more comfortable gameplay, for example). Just make some things about community asking for Years. You no need think "this will be better, or worse?", Just bielive US.
We know that these things are "Bad", we have many reasons to called this things "Bad", and we want FIX it.
Just Believe in OUR hawken gaming experience, the number of hours that WE spent in the game, and OUR hawken skill.