MechWarrior Online Q&A and Interview #5
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What, if any, mechanic will be in place to prevent a large group of single-type weapons from devastating a single location, a problem that has plagued just about every incarnation of MW to date? Thomas Hogarth
[DAVID] We've got a few systems in place to handle that problem. One is having weapons such as lasers do damage over time so that, in order to deliver full damage to a single location, you have to hold your fire on the location, which can be difficult when you and/or your target are moving. Another consideration is the separate arm and torso aim reticles. They will naturally line up with each other but, whenever you aim, you'll lead with your arms while the torso catches up. This means that, if you want weapons in both locations to hit the same spot, you'll have to hold your shot until they all aim at the same point.
An additional aspect of our aiming system is weapon convergence. I touched on this in a post I made in reply to Dev Blog 5, but some of you may have missed it so I'll copy it over here:
Basically, your targeting systems are always trying to adjust the angle of your weapons so that they converge or focus at a distance of whatever your aiming reticles are pointing at. So, if you fire at a target very far away, your lasers (or whatever else) may fire nearly parallel to each other; firing at a target up close will angle the shots inwards. However, the adjustment of these angles is not instant.
For instance, if you were facing a building, while taking cover right up against it, your convergence would adjust to hit just a short distance in front of you (the distance to the building). When you step out from around that building and fire on an enemy in the distance, your convergence point would automatically begin to adjust, but not instantly. If you shoot too soon, your first shots may converge and cross a short distance in front of you and completely miss the enemy as they pass on either side of him. Or perhaps you were aiming for the centre torso and hit his arms instead, as your aim adjusts towards his centre.
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MWO: What is the most difficult thing about making sure the '˜Mechs look and work correctly?
[THOMAS] It's hard to please everyone. Every player is unique in their perception of what is happening. That is the biggest challenge is building something that will satisfy everyone.
[EVAN] It's quite a challenge to compact every little detail of the '˜mech into one single texture map considering how many parts and components each '˜mech has. So texturing can be quite a challenge. The UVs in each mechs are immensely complex and an art in itself.
[ENRIQUE] Animating the Mechs proves to be a balancing act, since you don't want them to move like an armor suit would. But they still are humanoid in shape, their locomotion has to reflect the fact that they're tanks on two legs.
