Restrict mech/exo guns to red alert

[LforLouiseeee]

Simply as the title says. Restrict any weapons on a mech (immolator / mg / whatever) to only being useable (or maybe even printable) on red alert. Use an emag on it to disable this restriction.

Far too many antag runs have been stopped abruptly, sometimes with little RP on either side, just because big stomper moment. Besides, the only reasons crew should be using mechs is if it's a scenario that also warrants red alert - you know, like antags using mechs (among various other things). One-sided combat like this just isn't fair, or conducive to good RP.

Probably some stuff I've missed or not considered, if that's so, post a comment and I'll respond when I get the chance - I might even change my opinion if you present decent arguments.
My bad if this has been posted before - I looked, and couldn't see it.

[Jasorn]

Something like this please, another solution I was thinking of is to rebalance (fix?) mechs because as they are right now without a PEAC or EMP it feels like they are basically invincible to any weapon, especially fighting simple mobs with them lol

[MattAtlas]

Mechs are in need of a few dire code tweaks, but it is sort of hard to do because they are in that awkward conceptual spot where they should reasonably be extremely strong at certain things, like handling basic mobs. It would feel awful if your mech was easily torn up by carps, after all. At the same time, they have some code issues that can be easily fixed. Chief among them is that I don't think simple mob armour penetration is calculated at all when doing damage to them, hence why they can just shit on ling horror forms. I suspect that mech armour is generally too powerful out of it and could probably either use a reduction, or some sort of more complex work to make it ablative (and thus be damaged permanently overtime).

I would personally like to see some IC regulations on mech armaments regardless.

[greenjoe]

Perhaps still allow them to be usable off-ship? Onship they're unusable outside of red alert or emagging, offship, they can be used.

Matt's thoughts on IC regulations are good too, More IC regulations on mech stuff would be neat.

Edited August 4 by greenjoe

[LforLouiseeee]

Quote

I would personally like to see some IC regulations on mech armaments regardless.

This is also an option that can go alongside, or on its own, but my suggestion was more of a mechanical one. Like the disruptor restrictions the Commander gets access to - something to prevent you from firing a mech's weapon with like 'The mechs internal computer flashes a warning, and does not acknowledge the command to fire' as a message in chat or whatever.

[MattAtlas]

6 minutes ago, LforLouiseeee said:

This is also an option that can go alongside, or on its own, but my suggestion was more of a mechanical one. Like the disruptor restrictions the Commander gets access to - something to prevent you from firing a mech's weapon with like 'The mechs internal computer flashes a warning, and does not acknowledge the command to fire' as a message in chat or whatever.

I don't personally like those sorts of hardcoded restrictions because they can be very arbitrary on the best of days, and downright dysfunctional on the worst (what if the situation demands it but the code can't be raised to red for whatever reason, like all of command being dead?).

[Lordnesh]

It is kind of ridiculous that you hear "We're being boarded!" on general comms, and not even a minute later you see an Exo with a submachine gun and immolator stomp into security. Would be nice if there was some kind of restriction.

[UltraNumeron]

Yeah in the last few rounds there has been a bit much of a case of mechs showing up and wrecking mercs early. Which to be fair is in some part due to them having pretty janky defense mechanics, needing you to change targets and examine them midfight to actually disable and kill them.

[Arbiter_Ambrose]

Personally I like that mechs have a added limb targettng system but I agree they definitely kill a gimmick quickly when the exosuit is let out and it is shooting everyone and nobody can really break it because they don't know how and because it's armour is so strong.