I play both as and against ECM.
I haven’t played ECM for about a month though, but … you learn how to play around them. There are modules (proton wall), Implants or simply be aware where are you. If you are out in the open with no cover in the near 2000m you are just asking for it. Either ECM, Sniper or a tackler will get you. Easily.
I love when I predict ECM’s stasis so they hit me less than a second before I go around the corner. In the time I come in their aim sight I am no longer stunned, so they basically wasted their skill.
Or simply use my CovOps to mess with them.
As of playing as one - I rarely play a killed build. Support is more fun. You disable engineer’s heals just as battle starts ? Their regneration is cut.
You disable a tackler right before he uses cloak - priceless.
Disabling gunship that just goes into overdrive - arguable, as it is with lower CD now.
All in all - more fun than the current meta - load tons of missiles or doomsday, stun, spam.
When every other ship class in the game has to dedicate one or more slots to countering a specific angle from one class out of nine, and that class shuts down every aspect of your entire player character, that is not an indicator of a well balanced game. This is especially so when the counter not only works partially at best, but counters absolutely nothing else.
So I can install proton walls, change my implants, put combat reboot on my (gun)ship and then sit in stasis for 3 seconds rather than 8? The problem is not that I am not doing enough to counter it, the problem is that the thing I am trying to counter is overpowered. This is elementary game balance, and the devs are ignoring it.
If the devs are going to continue to ignore this and make me install proton walls, fine. But then let them counter something else, at least partially. Let them prevent ships from slowing me down, or siphoning energy/shields. Make it take other ships longer to lock onto me. Reduce opposing critical chance when locked. Force enemy abilities to remain in line-of-sight to work. Something.
When every other ship class in the game has to dedicate one or more slots to countering a specific angle from one class out of nine, and that class shuts down every aspect of your entire player character, that is not an indicator of a well balanced game. This is especially so when the counter not only works partially at best, but counters absolutely nothing else.
So I can install proton walls, change my implants, put combat reboot on my (gun)ship and then sit in stasis for 3 seconds rather than 8? The problem is not that I am not doing enough to counter it, the problem is that the thing I am trying to counter is overpowered. This is elementary game balance, and the devs are ignoring it.
If the devs are going to continue to ignore this and make me install proton walls, fine. But then let them counter something else, at least partially. Let them prevent ships from slowing me down, or siphoning energy/shields. Make it take other ships longer to lock onto me. Reduce opposing critical chance when locked. Force enemy abilities to remain in line-of-sight to work. Something.
Proton walls work against non-ECM effects like white noise and IR pulsar as well
Combat reboot is way, way more useful than you think. And there is no 8 second statis… what are you smoking?
As far as ion diffuser goes, you can combat reboot while disabled and the effect will be gone entirely, not temporarily removed like you seem to think
Combat reboot also stops any incoming damage and any kind of negative effect
So I have a Covt op that zaps me with White Noise…and knowing I just lost my tracking ability for a least a few secs… just plasma webbed me … I cannot track a dang gone thing so I am just shooting at him manually. My attack drones being they also require tracking to lock on target are off attacking a tackler drone which so happens to closer while the tackler is hit me with engine enhibitor
or target painter… oh nooo dang gone recon just hit me and is siphoning my shield …
Come on Man !! The ECM is no where near being OP or not counterable
There are implants and modules available to reduced the effects … as they say you have to PICK and CHOOSE your poison. :fed013:
Come on Man !! The ECM is no where near being OP or not counterable
Depend how you define “counter”. Many effects can be countered after they have been applied to you, like breaking line of sight, turning invisible, warping away, turning on some counter module… ECMs can shut you down completely or drain you down enough you can no longer use any counter modules; the only real defense is kill it before it can unleash it. Well, if you have to strike first to block an effect, it’s not a counter, it’s a pre-emptive strike.
ECM is good in 1v1. High tier games are few vs few. ECM shines. In 12v12 game it is not so OP as you want it to make.
In the end they will nerf ECM and when games become larger it will be useless.
I am a fan of ECMs as well. The can equalize ships that are OP. Take a guard. Massive Shields, phase shields, missile shields, engine inhibitors and a pulsar. without ECMs to shut down their attack it would be nearly impossible to take down a guard. Same with Co ops and all their capabilities. Every ship needs to have a counter ship that is effective at combating them. ECMs are vulnerable by fast agile ships even an engis drones are effective at putting damage on them along with the tacklers guard turrets. The coil mortar with an increase in splash damage even more so.
I am a fan of ECMs as well. The can equalize ships that are OP. Take a guard. Massive Shields, phase shields, missile shields, engine inhibitors and a pulsar. without ECMs to shut down their attack it would be nearly impossible to take down a guard. Same with Co ops and all their capabilities. Every ship needs to have a counter ship that is effective at combating them. ECMs are vulnerable by fast agile ships even an engis drones are effective at putting damage on them along with the tacklers guard turrets. The coil mortar with an increase in splash damage even more so.
Other things that counter guards:
Parasitic remodulator (this is more like a counter to Jericho ships in general, but whatever)
Command missile
Actually trying to focus the dang thing
Mixed damage types
ECM counters a lot of things. I’m not gonna say it’s wildly OP, but a bit of rebalance would be nice.
From my point of view ECMs are only dangerous with their modules. Once these are on cooldown or their target ability has been disabled, they are pretty easy targets.
From my point of view ECMs are only dangerous with their modules. Once these are on cooldown or their target ability has been disabled, they are pretty easy targets.
The problem is waki AE have more strenght => more time disabled + E13 implant means you are always perma stunned. and in case you have two ecms in the enemy team… well…
I never had a problem with ECM. Skillful pilots give me a hard time, but against ECM i just don’t target them until they hit their invulnerable… count to 5, target, fire missile, shoot guns. They almost always die unless they are really good.
ECM are a ship I don’t use much but they are useful and a good balancer. IMO it would be like playing any MMO and saying that the class for debuffs is cheating (thieves/support classes) If you don’t like being debuffed, stay out of their range, or wait to target them until you have the advantage. They can’t debuff everyone at once anyway.
Reducing controlling effects just makes your more badass against them, but it’s only necessary in dogfights. Just try to survive until they hit F, and then they are vulnerable. One person will likely get targeted by the debuffs, so if you are being targeted I suggest trying to get some distance. Then come in fast with a heavy attack. Energy drains also can work on these guys since they usually don’t have the biggest capacitors, and will be unable to use more than one module.
Only change I’d like to see on ECM is to let people cancel the invulnerable whenever they choose, as to make it less predictable when they become mobile again. It may make them more powerful, but perhaps this could be balanced with a minor nerf on the actual debuff modules (maybe effect could be shortened by .5 sec or so)
My opinion is that ECM are as strong as the pilots using them. They are hard to beat because they are small and agile, not because they debuff you. A faster and more agile ship like Covert Ops is a good counter, and any frigates with distance have a shot at taking them out before they get too close. Rotation speed improvements help a great deal too imo.
An ECM module that allowed ECMs to control the Metastable Energy Field was suggested already. The developers thought, as mentioned, it would make the ECM Special Module overpowered. However they dismissed the idea before an improvement could be stated. This is the improvement:
Allow the ECM to control the time at which the MEF turns purple. That way they can still control it but it still gives advanced warning to enemy pilots.
Other suggestions were put in place as upgrades to the new ECM module. These are:
At MkII - Increase effective range of the MEF by 500 meters
At MkIII - Increase invulnerability period by 3 seconds
At MkIV - Decrease invulnerablity period by 2 seconds and effective range by 400 meters but absorb all the energy of all enemy ships in range and distribute that to the ECM over the period of 10 seconds.
The active module has a medium length cooldown and will remain active for 5 seconds. The pilot must use the Special Module within those 5 seconds or the benefit will go away. The mechanics are similar to the LRF Tachyon Charge.
