MWO is certainly more fun when you play with friends - although this probably goes for most games, at least in my opinion. I'm a sucker for co-op, regardless of whether it's against the computer or other players.
Which of the factions do you like most? Many of the Houses have units with their own TS-channels that offer visitors to drop with their members - especially now that 12 players are required for full group-vs-group battles, so those slots need to be filled.
I'm a Kuritan, and the DCMS has both a public TeamSpeak for any Kurita pilots for ad-hoc gaming, as well as several units who accept visitors in the manner I described above. For example, I have dropped with the 7th Ghost in the past; a competitive but fun outfit.
You should be able to check for such public or unit-based TS servers in the faction subforums on the MWO homepage.
The community in MWO is generally rather great. Of course you'll see someone cursing every once in a while, but generally all I see in the chat are glhf's and similar forms of saying hi, sometimes questions and answers about the controls, and the occasional joke. A friend who usually plays World of Tanks (and who was a member of my lance on the weekend) said that it's a whole lot better in MWO than there, praising the refreshingly different tone.
Sometimes I wish the chat would be more active and also incorporate the use of tactics as well, tho ...
Also, +1 for that rekindled love. Funnily enough, MWO is what really got me into Battletech in the first place - now I've got some rule- and sourcebooks, several novels, and am contemplating getting the new starter box ...
Anyways, my pilot name is Kyone Akashi, anyone is free to add me, and hook me up for a game whenever I'm online. I usually dart around in my JR7-K "Azumi" or a CN9-AL "Akira" ... though come October I will try my hands at a Battlemaster. <3
Living with the MWO community for the last (almost a year gah!) several months as shown that there are indeed many great people playing the game. I have also noticed that even though the community is generally good and chearful, the lack of progress towards clan warfare in particular has dragged many, or at least the people in my merc group, into a bit of a pessimistic zone when it comes to the game. I, try and stay positive.
Just remember that the chat is not for slander, and everyone has a good game.
just got this (dont know which rock ive been under for howeverlong!) and am enjoying it much to the annoyment of my GF haha i have been playing for a grand total of about 5 hours haha and the store and faction (i think thats what it said) tabs are grayed out is this normal? also how would i join a clan/ set up a clan?
kezwick wrote:the store and faction (i think thats what it said) tabs are grayed out is this normal?
Yup!
Store content is currently accessed directly in MechLab ('mechs and 'mech customisation) or the Gametime (where you can buy Premium days for MC) and GXP tabs (where you can convert mech-bound XP to universal GXP by paying an MC fee).
Community Warfare, on the other hand, is supposed to be introduced over the next couple months. According to recent statements, this feature will be released in three waves, with the first being faction and unit affiliation, the second unlocking the rewards for loyal service, and the final update featuring the territory control metagame, where the various Houses and mercenary companies will fight over border worlds.
An "UI 2.0" update is slated for the near future where the interface will be overhauled. We'll see if any of these two things will be affected somehow, either by unlocking the relevant tabs or by hiding them for the time being.
kezwick wrote:also how would i join a clan/ set up a clan?
Since Community Warfare is not yet live, any units exist only outside of the game's internal structure so far. I would recommend checking out the official forums and take a stroll through the sub-boards all depending on whether you'd like to join one of the noble Houses or a merc company. Some of the Houses also have fan-administered public community hubs, such as housekurita.org, where lists and contact details for the various units are kept available and up-to-date.
Also, clans/guilds are "units" or "regiments" in MWO - the term "Clans" is affiliated with alien invaders from outer space (who should be arriving soon, come to think of it, given the game's timeline). Just to avoid confusion whenever you interact with the community.
Ahhh many thanks for that it seems a good game less point and click death which i like! I have to be tacticle currently running a spider light mech (the one with JJ and ECM) with 3xML and thats doing pretty well capping points and annoying grunts! i like the david and goliath aspect. And on the flip side i like unloading a barrage onto some unsuspecting victim!! its a good game and one that i will be planning to play for a while!!
TLR if it hasent already been said
we should get a DAKKA clan full of killa cans and deff dreads
Hah, I know the feeling! My Jenner is an "ankle-biter" as well, and though I have often overstretched the succour of fate, I am generally successful with my hit-and-run tactics. Although more heavily armed than a Spider (carrying 4 Argra 3L Medium Lasers and a single Thunderstroke SRM-4 launcher), it also has a somewhat larger profile and feels a bit less manoeuverable in terms of turning radius and jumpjet capability. It can happen that I am so focused on destroying the enemies of House Kurita that I stay on target even at times where I should rather withdraw to attack again later, such as when I find myself surrounded by a full lance of heavier 'mechs.
i may save up and try that as i seem with 3 ML that im more of an annoyance than a threat or even a distraction but yea its a very in depth game the victor isnt always who has the better mech i like it will keep me hooked for a long time haha
Don't know if anyone has tried it yet, but the new trial Catapult variant is pretty damn amazing. Had a match before work today that had me waste a Jager with my LRMs, an Atlas with the Streaks, and another Catapult with streaks. Never had that much fun until that match.
Although, my CN9-AL is pretty decent. Can't decide on a single PPC with more heatsinks, or two Large Lasers with two less heatsinks. Still a beast of a mech though.
had a good game session yesterday took your advise lynata got myself a jenna (not sure on model number but the one with 5/5 JJ, 4 energy slots adn 2 missiles) got it with 4xML and 2Streak SRM2s just need to upgrade my engine to a XL then can get more armour!!! wooo but lovin the game
I just can't do Assaults - I tried the Atlas once, but it was soo cumbersome...
That being said, I am committed to trying my hands at the Battlemaster come October. I really love its looks and background. <3
kezwick wrote:got myself a jenna (not sure on model number but the one with 5/5 JJ, 4 energy slots adn 2 missiles) got it with 4xML and 2Streak SRM2s just need to upgrade my engine to a XL then can get more armour!!! wooo but lovin the game
Cheers! That's the 3050s standard JR7-D; a very reliable and modular type. Unlike most Light 'Mechs, the Jenner was developed specifically for a skirmish role (the prototypes actually mounted a heavy turret from scrapped Union-class dropships, although this proved to be an unreliable combination), and a favoured DCMS tactic is to use a lance of Jenners to overwhelm much heavier BattleMechs by a series of hit-and-run attacks.
I've long been using SSRMs myself, but switched to "dumb" SRMs when ECM was introduced. It's not as horrible right now as it was back then, but I still recommend giving this alternate loadout a try. You'd free up a bit more tonnage, and even though you will likely waste a lot of ammunition via near-misses, the ability to deliver the missiles' considerable punch even against an ECM-shielded foe can make all the difference for your team. Given the importance of targeting solutions for LRM support, as well as general tactical information for the entire company and its CO, enemy ECM carriers should be treated as a priority target - and thanks to the Jenner's speed and relatively high damage, you will often be in the position to make a difference in that regard.
It also just feels really good to push through the enemy lines in order to take down that Raven or Cicada that is jamming your team. From one moment to the next, the skies are filled with LRMs raining down on your enemies, and the tide can be turned - all thanks to the audacious charge of a lone Light.
I'm a bit sceptical regarding XL engines in anything larger than a Light...
I know most MechWarriors go for the CT right away for this very reason, but on the other hand the side torsos are notably less armoured, are often hit by accident anyways, and become more attractive as targets the more damaged they show up on people's sensors. When I have the choice between a yellow CT and an orange-red RT/LT (in terms of armour condition), I go for the latter, just to take out his guns on that side.
I might try it out anyways. Probably first use a Standard Engine and try to keep track on how many times I lose my side torsos and if the subsequent runtime pays off.
For the moment, I'm gravitating towards this build.
I know, I know, Command Console doesn't do anything yet, but the only thing I could add if I throw it out would be another ton of SRM ammunition and a bit of armour for the legs, so phht.
XL engines have their place. I can't imagine having a Viktor without my XL375. It's currently running at 75km/h without speed tweak. That amount of speed makes up for any survivability lost on an Assault mech IMO.
Mechs with very small side torsos reap a huge benifit from xl engines. The Kintaro, which has gotten many angry over its ct size, is a perfect example of a xl user, since everything hitting the ct anyway. The dragon also manages to pull this off and the catapult doesn't do such a bad job ether. Other mechs that don't have speed normally don't have a good excuse to use one, since they're so dam heavy they could take any engine anyway or they're light enough, a smaller engine wont really decrease their speed to profoundly.
Ledabot wrote:The Kintaro, which has gotten many angry over its ct size, is a perfect example of a xl user, since everything hitting the ct anyway.
Hum. That's one way to turn a weakness into a strength.
Ledabot wrote:Other mechs that don't have speed normally don't have a good excuse to use one, since they're so dam heavy they could take any engine anyway [...]
So, hopped in earlier today for, well, the 2nd time ever. Actually managed to get a kill my first match with the Catapult Loaner (the one with all the missiles) and lone capped the enemy base in the loaner Cicada in another (everyone else was too busy fighting- I was the last one alive, just sittin' at their base...)
More fun than last time I tried it out, though still not quite the mech game I prefer (which is more Chromehounds or M.A.V.). Weirdest thing is that the current loaner mechs have a heavier, slower Light than the Medium. That's just odd, to me.
Question, though- is there 3D support for this game yet? There's an option in the options menu, but it's greyed out for me, though I have 3D capable computer.
the trials are generally horribly put together. You have to wait till you have enough money before you can really get a decent mech. The light is a raven 2x, which suffer badly from a low engine cap so they generally don't get very fast while the medium is a cicada, which might as well be a light since it has so few weapons and so little armor. Just think of this month as having 2 light, a heavy and a assault mech up for trial.
The Trial 'Mechs have improved a lot compared to the first year, though. Now you actually have variants that include upgrades or more varied loadouts instead of the "factory models". I remember the website held contests for players where they should design new Trial variants to be offered.
I honestly haven't looked at this round's Trials much, but the Catapult at the very least seems to be a very viable, if ammo-dependent model, what with its mix of LRMs and Streaks. I would assume/hope that the other Trials are just as viable for the specialisation they are possibly supposed to represent.
Narc got notably better with the last couple changes to it, but I'm still not sure it's worth the tons/slots.
If you are a spotter rather than a skirmisher, it could pay off, though. Especially with the newest map ... enemies like to take cover as a group, and you can forget about TAGging unless you manage to get behind them without anyone spotting you. In those situations, Narcing someone will surely bring you lots of gratitude from the LRM-boats.
You just have to be quick about it ... get in, mark 'em, get out - preferably before the guns of up to 12 BattleMechs turn you to scrap.
That's just theory, mind you - whilst I have some experience with TAG and missiles, I have never used Narc so far!
Oh god, the ECMs. That Catapult trial... My second match with it- Assault. Everyone, of course, goes haring off after the enemy blob. So the enemy sends two scouts in to take the base. I happened to have lagged behind, and so went to try and deal with them.
They both had ECM- and me with my Streaks and LRMs was absolutely useless against them.
This game is intriguing me. I always did love the Mechwarrior games on the pc a long time ago. Might have to take a look. I think I actually grabbed a forum name back before the game was out and never posted that much.
Lynata, I took your advice and got the Endo-Steel structure...which allowed me to upgrade my Standard Engine 200 to a 265. Oh man the difference is astounding. I had to drop a large laser (I replaced the other with the ER variant), so my damage dropped a little (but then again, so did my heat). Enhanced my play experience by a silly amount.
It's like I'm piloting an entirely different mech. Centurion with 48-ish damage, 88kph, little to no heat, max armor. Loving my CN9-AL more than ever.
Frankenberry wrote:Lynata, I took your advice and got the Endo-Steel structure...which allowed me to upgrade my Standard Engine 200 to a 265. Oh man the difference is astounding. I had to drop a large laser (I replaced the other with the ER variant), so my damage dropped a little (but then again, so did my heat). Enhanced my play experience by a silly amount.
It's like I'm piloting an entirely different mech. Centurion with 48-ish damage, 88kph, little to no heat, max armor. Loving my CN9-AL more than ever.
Nice!
If you add Ferro-Fibrous Armor and slightly reduce the missile capacity, you might be able to fit a second ERLL - but I have a feeling that would get tremendously hot, so it may be better to just stick with the one and instead improve something else. Also note that the Centurion has a somewhat useless arm, which is often used to dump armour points. I wouldn't drop it to 0 as you can still use it as a shield, however.
Are you using LRMs or SRMs? If the latter, perhaps this could be an interesting loadout. For LRMs, you could always just switch out the launchers for an LRM15 with 1 ton of ammo.
Just an idea, though. I like toying around with loadouts, but ultimately every pilot has their own playstyle and should tool their configuration to their own expectations and tactics!
Anyways, it was a fun couple matches. Let's do that again sometime.
Devizz wrote:I also used to be a huge MechWarrior fan, is this game any good?
It looks pretty reliable. I would consider moving some more armour from the rear to the front though. I try and get a 80 20 split, or a 70 30 split if i expect to get surrounded often, but you might be fine since it is quite the brawler loadout and you can get away quite quick.
Alright. Finally bought my first Mech- Cataphract. the one with 2 AC/5s, the LL and LRM/5. Enjoying it so far, but dang, customization is, well, daunting. I'm kinda hoping to eventually get the variant of the Jaegermech with the 6 Ballistic hardpoints, and make a bastardized Rifleman out of it.
Customization is fun! I've just tried a so-called Dakkaphract - a Cataphract 4X with four AC/2s ... but it feels a little underwhelming in actual firepower. But dang, if it isn't fun to press that button and go all quad on an enemy 'mech. Literally took apart an Atlas piece by piece last night.
Lynata wrote: Customization is fun! I've just tried a so-called Dakkaphract - a Cataphract 4X with four AC/2s ... but it feels a little underwhelming in actual firepower. But dang, if it isn't fun to press that button and go all quad on an enemy 'mech. Literally took apart an Atlas piece by piece last night.
Lower engine, slap on 4 AC5's and start laughing.
Or, do what I did, buy an Ilya Muromets and slap on 3x UAC5 and 3x Medium laser. Avarage match score is around 4 kills and 700 dmg with that.
If I'm lucky with my jams I can actually straight up kill an atlas in a matter of seconds.
How does one do the 'rolling fire' settup? I remember reading about a way you could potentially get a continuous fire small laser with a setup- I guessed it meant it fired as long as you held down the trigger?
@Soladrin - I can't stand the trial Victor they've got out now, not surprising. What sold you on this chassis?
@Anvildude - Chain fire. Lasers are good using this fire mode, as are mass LRM5s and 10s. It's hilarious to watch a Stalker NOT stop shooting missiles.
I've run into my fair share of Dakkaphracts, -.-, hate those things. You don't really have recoil in the game but mass AC fire really messes up your targeting.
Frankenberry wrote: @Soladrin - I can't stand the trial Victor they've got out now, not surprising. What sold you on this chassis?
@Anvildude - Chain fire. Lasers are good using this fire mode, as are mass LRM5s and 10s. It's hilarious to watch a Stalker NOT stop shooting missiles.
I've run into my fair share of Dakkaphracts, -.-, hate those things. You don't really have recoil in the game but mass AC fire really messes up your targeting.
It's essentialy a faster Highlander... that's it. I never even bother trying out trials, already knew what I wanted to do with it. I love me some JJ's.
Also, it's patch day people! Let's see what we get today.
Well, yes. But how do you setup a chainfire? I haven't found any options for reconfiguring weapons outside of combat.
And I don't know why, but I just like ballistic and missile weaponry better than lasers. I think it has something to do with hitscan vs. projectiles- I had the same issue in Tribes Ascend, where I just couldn't get the hang of the few hitscan weapons.
Ouch. The "DD" stands for "DakkaDakka", I presume?
Avatar wrote:How effective are Splatcats nowadays?
Less, now that heat penalties also affect missile-boating. The community also seems to have finally figured out that blowing off a Splatcat's ear means halving its firepower.
If you manage to park it somewhere where you don't get spotted until you are in range, they can still hurt a lot, of course.
Soladrin wrote:Lower engine, slap on 4 AC5's and start laughing.
I was just trying a setup with 2 AC10's, but I think I will have to give this a try...
Anvildude wrote:How does one do the 'rolling fire' settup? I remember reading about a way you could potentially get a continuous fire small laser with a setup- I guessed it meant it fired as long as you held down the trigger?
Chainfire = Backspace
This switches the currently selected weapon group into chainfire mode (you'll see a blinking underlay repeatedly moving through the slots from top to bottom), so that a press of the firing button will fire only the first weapon, then you'll have a 0.5 second delay until the second weapon fires, and so on. If you have enough lasers you can indeed create a persistent beam, if they are all slotted in a way that they fire from the same lens.
I only use chainfire for my autocannons and LRMs, though. Katyusha-style.
3rd person is in (hmm...), Kintaro variants for c-bills, collision fixes and more lava damage in Terra Therma (YES!), some balancing changes and new customisation.
My Centurion got a nice little boost, too.
Granted, I'm gonna buy a Rifleman as soon as they come out with it- had a toy one as a kid, loved that thing. Lost it, though. Can't wait to have the chance to 'have' one again.
I'm looking at putting 4 AC5s on my Phract, but I can't seem to find the tonnage. You sacrificing armour for that? I did manage a third, by putting a min engine in, and I can almost fit a fourth just by tossing extraneous heat sinks and the large laser, but I'm down by a ton or two- Endo steel and Ferro Fibrous?
Soladrin wrote:http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=44&l=9a045d2f1a2a21a3e5671952429f121bec13580f
Since those guns have 600+ range having an XL isn't that big an issue.
Tried the DHS. Because they take 3 slots per, got me about 2% less efficiency, leaving a lot of slots open.
Heh, slow? I finally got that final AC5 in- sacked the laser entirely and swapped the LRM for SRM2 and an AMS- but I'm using a tiny engine- 140. I'm lucky if I break 30 kph, and get stuck on the banks of rivers.
I'll have to see about swapping it for the 200 though.
Lynata wrote: Customization is fun! I've just tried a so-called Dakkaphract - a Cataphract 4X with four AC/2s ... but it feels a little underwhelming in actual firepower. But dang, if it isn't fun to press that button and go all quad on an enemy 'mech. Literally took apart an Atlas piece by piece last night.
It reminds me of one of my favorite troll builds in Mechwariror 4. I just took an annihilator (100 ton mech), maxed out the armor on every location, then filled the rest of the mech with machine guns. An entire battalion's worth of infantry firepower walking around in one unit lol.
Anvildude wrote:Tried the DHS. Because they take 3 slots per, got me about 2% less efficiency, leaving a lot of slots open.
Well, I see a 10% increase in cooling efficiency using my loadout, for a total of 47%.
AND I slotted a faster engine.
I admit, I also threw out the AMS you had no ammo for, though.
But if you use Single Heat Sinks at all, at least stuff them in the legs. You actually get a cooling bonus for heat sinks whose location is submerged in water. Which, naturally, means mostly just the legs (except if you're playing a Commando or Spider).
See, always so much better to do collaborative meching. You know, I thought that website was actually an official part of the MWO website- seems silly that it isn't.
Soladrin wrote:http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=44&l=9a045d2f1a2a21a3e5671952429f121bec13580f
Since those guns have 600+ range having an XL isn't that big an issue.
I always avoid going below 50km/h. At that point your twist and move speed is too slow to even retaliate against lights in any meaningful way. I prefer an XL engine over getting gutted by a single spider. As for DHS, I try to avoid them when possible due to the crit space it requires, but if I have the room I'll obviously take them.
Yeah, but large laser turrets. That being said, the weapon type hardpoints are pretty much just an invention from MWO anyways, to curtail customization in order to make variants viable and prevent people from gravitating to a small amount of "best in class" chassis...
Few Lights actually have Ballistics hardpoints as their factory models are so energy-heavy. And then the AC20 takes up a lot of crits as well, so much so that it often may not fit into a component even if you had the tonnage.
Bought a spider for quad MGs yesterday - loving itttttt. I would love it just for the awesome sound of the weapons, but they are actually decent now (haven't tried them for a few months).
Just bought myself a dragon 1c I think? whatever is listed first on the mech purchase list, heh. Ran it on Terra Therma...flanked with a Cataphract when we got bogged down in the volcano. Ended up running into multiple heavies, took one down and died. That's when the rest of my team showed up and punched the enemy in the nuts.
Heh. My Dakkaphract (4 AC/5s) is really growing on me. I've pretty much put all my armour on my front (as I generally act like I'm in an Assault rather than a Heavy- stand and shoot) and I have the 4 ACs on chainfire- continuous, unpausing DakkaDakkaDakkaDakka!
So what does everyone think about the Pheonix project stuff? I am not a fan of any of the new mechs except the Thunderbolt. I know they arent allowed to have the original look but they lost that feel to me. For me it would be worth having if they would allow me to pick one rather than being forced to pay from the bottom to work my way up. I do like the two newer expansion mechs, the Wolverine and Griffin were always two of my favorites and the new imaging of them looks pretty cool unlike the first four. But once again we have to buy something from the original Pheonix Project to get them. No thanks.
So how do you guys think they will run the Clans? Are they going to have say two seperate hanger bays for each player or a seperate character entirely to play clans. They are trying to make things fit into the BT universe as closely as they can while being realistic. I think an additional player slot is the best bet since Clans pilots do not use money. Perhaps an honor system instead of payment. Destroy a lighter mech, get a paltry payment, destroy an equal mech get a baseline payment, destroy a heavier mech and get a larger payment in honor. Use honor to requisition new mechs. Do not destroy anything, dont gain anything, not even a free t-shirt.
I cant see them allowing clan pilots being on the same team as IS pilots. In the newer games 12(IS) vs 8 (clan) should be about the standard match size and should balance the ability of higher end clan equipment.
I'll wait to use my in-game money for it. I am so, so excited about the potential of this game once they get community warfare going, but I don't feel the need to encourage them to go for Phoenix mechs when they haven't done so many iconic house rides. Hatamotos, Vindicators, Orions all to me have a higher priority than the ubiquitous mechs that every merc has sitting around in their garage.
I really want to start acquiring house rank, and unlocking special skins that are based on more than my skill at plugging in my credit card digits.
Clans should have Honor to unlock custom rides. Dishonorable Clanners should be stuck with stock Omnis. Increase honor for kills above weight class, issuing a challenge (which should be a keystroke command which marks your target).
Col. Dash wrote:So how do you guys think they will run the Clans? Are they going to have say two seperate hanger bays for each player or a seperate character entirely to play clans. They are trying to make things fit into the BT universe as closely as they can while being realistic. I think an additional player slot is the best bet since Clans pilots do not use money.
To be fair, no-one uses money except mercenaries. I think it's safe to say that the c-bill currency is just an abstracted way of recording a MechWarrior's progress. It wouldn't take much to simply pretend it to represent something more fitting like "requisition" or "standing" within the Clan. Same for House regiments.
The way I see it, there's no need for an extra account or extra Mech Bays, but a segregation still needs to happen. To keep things simple due to budgetary reasons, we should probably assume the most efficient approach. Everyone starts as a Lone Wolf, but you have a menu where you can switch to Mercenary, Houses, or Clans, thereby "unlocking" the affiliated systems.
The devs mentioned how the Houses will use an extra currency called Loyalty Points (to be used on things such as promotions, transfers to more prestigious regiments, and special paintjobs and insignia), and how the military leadership of a House will rest in developer hands at first, but that it may later be transferred to officers elected from amongst the playerbase. I would imagine that the Clans could simply copy this system.
Of course, a unique and special feature might be more fun. For example, it has been mentioned that mercenary companies will bid on contracts offered by the Houses in order to claim assignments to fight for specific worlds. Obviously, the unit demanding the smallest price would get the contract from the House.
It would be fun if Clan units would bid on assignments as well, but instead of bidding on the reward, they'd bid on how many 'Mechs they can bring. This would be very much in line with their background ... I'm just not sure if this system can actually be pulled off in a game, as I'd expect a lot of whining from Clan players who keep losing matches because they bid too small in order to win the contract.
Col. Dash wrote:I cant see them allowing clan pilots being on the same team as IS pilots. In the newer games 12(IS) vs 8 (clan) should be about the standard match size and should balance the ability of higher end clan equipment.
Shouldn't it be 12 vs 10? 3 Lances vs 2 Stars.
The difference in Tech should not create too much of a gap, although partially it could also be overcome by IS Warriors unlocking access to some Clan tech - not entire 'Mechs, but weapons and various upgrades. Balancing would still be an issue, obviously, but with any luck matchmaking would help somewhat.
As for the new Phoenis 'Mechs, I have to say, the Griffin looks amazing.
Still, I really don't know if I will get this package as well... I only wanted the Battlemaster. <3
I hope it is a long while before IS gets access to Clan tech. It was years in the actual game before the IS was able to unravel even basic Clan Tech and retrofit it onto their mechs. Even ten years later, IS omni-technoolgy is still clunky and negligably better than a standard chassis.
I wished they would implement the class system they had originally intended to have. That was a cool system and made a good reason to have multiple characters.
According to the schedule they put out a few months ago, the game is supposed to go live(yeah I know some of us have been playing for well over a year) by the end of summer. Somehow I dont see that happening with as few maps and mechs chassis to play on.
It still has gone a long way from when I started when there were about 8 mechs and 3 small maps(all day time(might have been a night port city, I dont remember), no weather varients) and people took beta testing somewhat seriously.
Hah, try 4 'Mechs and 2 maps. And it still was insane fun...
As for Clan tech: I know the delay, but I don't think the game can wait ~10 years - especially not if it can be used as another long-term goal for progression. Maybe a single Clan weapon will cost several millions of c-bills; that should give IS pilots something to work for!
Backgroundwise, it could be represented by battlefield salvage. With how customisation works in MWO, we all have omni-mechs already anyways, so it's really just the guns and some equipment we'd really have to worry about.
A fun idea might be that IS MechWarriors actually need to salvage whatever they'd like to fit on their machines for real, meaning that they couldn't fit, say, a Clan ER-Laser until they actually managed to defeat a Clanner who has one. And even then there might be a chance that the component is rendered unsalvageable due to being too damaged or something ...
But I suppose this would get too complicated. :(
Wow, that article is extremely hyperbolic and just focussing on the small core of players who are against all of this. I never see people using cool shot, pop tarting still hardly happens, 3rd person has so many negatives that it didn't change anything to the core gameplay and 12v12 has only received praise from the people I run into every match.
I do have to say I'm tempted to see if I could get a Light with a bunch of slots to load up with various Artillery and Air strikes.
Buuuttt... recently just bought myself a Stalker- the basic model- gonna load it out as a brawler with 4 SRM6s (with or without artemis? how does that help exactly?) and 6 Medium Lasers- but I'm finding myself dying rather more than in my Dakkaphract. I think one time my SRM ammo exploded in my arm or side torso, blowing my engine- can one get CASE on any Mech, or only certain variants?
Of course, that may have something to do with how Punch (my Dakkaphract) has both longer-range weapons and I put almost all it's armour on the front...
I always put ammo in my feet, since no one shoots at feet and they almost always last the game. Putting ammo in the side torsos seems almost worse than putting it in the arms.
Ouze wrote: I always put ammo in my feet, since no one shoots at feet and they almost always last the game. Putting ammo in the side torsos seems almost worse than putting it in the arms.
The best spots in order are: Cockpit, core, side torsos, legs, arms, in that order. Mainly because that's the order in which ammo is drawn from a location on your mech. So ammo in head get's depleted first then center etc.
Ouze is quite correct in that few people target the legs, at least on larger 'Mechs. Of course on a Light those are very popular components to hit, but you could argue that you're toast anyways when you're legged as a Light
I'm also not entirely averse against putting ammo into the arm, if this is where the gun is located and you feel too cheap for CASE. Few things are worse than a ton of ammo in your torso just waiting to explode and being dead weight because you've already lost the weapon that uses it - this is what you call "an accident waiting to happen". Ammunition explosions travel all the way through your 'Mech until their damage is "used up", so generally it's safer to put the ammo as far away from your engine as possible. The only exception to this is when you use CASE, in which case you should of course store it in your left and right torsos, as CASE will prevent an ammo explosion from travelling outwards.
Soladrin wrote:The best spots in order are: Cockpit, core, side torsos, legs, arms, in that order. Mainly because that's the order in which ammo is drawn from a location on your mech. So ammo in head get's depleted first then center etc.
How does the ammunition load sequence affect where you should store it? When you have X tons of ammo to put somewhere, isn't it somewhat irrelevant that the weapon would draw from the cockpit first? If you don't put that ammo into the cockpit the weapon will simply draw it from elsewhere.
The only reason for storing ammunition in the cockpit that I could think of is that this location is really, really hard to hit.
Avatar 720 wrote:You're also fethed anyway if you lose either of the first two, so it's not as if you're losing anything by shoving ammo in there.
I wouldn't be too sure about that. Crit damage is selected randomly from the things you place in a component - this includes items already pre-installed, which for the head component would mean: 2 slots of cockpit, 2 slots of life support, 1 slot of sensors. If you're hit in the head and those things take damage, you may still survive, because life support and sensors being destroyed has (as of this moment) no effect in MWO. If you have an ammo explosion, however, you can bet that the resulting explosion will take out everything at once, including the 2-slot cockpit and thus your pilot.
Of course, it could be argued that the head component is so vulnerable that if you are hit there at all it's likely to cause sufficient damage to kill all your crits anyways.
Soladrin wrote:Wow, that article is extremely hyperbolic and just focussing on the small core of players who are against all of this. I never see people using cool shot, pop tarting still hardly happens, 3rd person has so many negatives that it didn't change anything to the core gameplay and 12v12 has only received praise from the people I run into every match.
TLDR: Haters gonna hate.
Ya, plenty of outright lies in that article. For example, the only change in armour values was doubling them compared to TT values way back around the start of Closed Beta. "Ghost Heat" details also did not have to be "wrangled" from the devs but were announced in a Command Chair post before the feature even went live. And that it curbs high damage alphas is not an issue, it's an intended feature and the whole point this was even introduced.
The only somewhat valid criticisms I see there are the consumables and 3PV, but the former is indeed rarely used (in fact I've only ever seen it once in spectator) and the latter is merely an annoyance but certainly not a gamebreaker. What the article is correct about is the studio kind of misleading people by breaking certain promises - they've since apologised for making them at all, and although I still do not agree with the choices they made, I have to agree that promises are just never a good idea in this industry.
Soladrin wrote:AFAIK artemis improves the spread on SRM's.
Why do you care in what order ammo is pulled from? It seems that you're unnecessarily increasing your chances of an ammunition explosion right next to your engine unless you have CASE.
That was a horrible article and very untrue. It caters to a tiny few disguntled players and judging by the 12 vs 12 part, the power gamers who were used to being the so called elite players. This game is live and well and improving with almost every patch. Just remember the game is still in Beta and devs are perfectly allowed to make changes to see how they work. Succh is the life of a beta tester which in effect we are until the game is officially live.
Ouze wrote: Why do you care in what order ammo is pulled from? It seems that you're unnecessarily increasing your chances of an ammunition explosion right next to your engine unless you have CASE.
edit: ninja'd!
This is aimed at Lynata too.
First off, by the point that I can get an ammo explosion there I'm already dead regardless, you know, it being my cockpit or core. Secondly, because I use up ammo rapidly it's already dried up most of the time anyway. Thirdly, I have never had an ammo explosion anyway in the last 3 months, they have become a rare thing the current version, hell, has anyone actually noticed it even still happening?
I perferr to stick 1 ton in the head, except for with catapults which suffer from a large cockpit. I then tend to spread it between the legs (unless its a light mech) and the locations the weapons are located. This is since weapons draw ammo from their own location before moving onwards to other locations. I wish it cleaned out the head last though. Dam waste not keeping it their till the end but it would make sense irl since you really wouldn't want to have much more than an ejector seat pushing you out of a cockpit.
Soladrin wrote:First off, by the point that I can get an ammo explosion there I'm already dead regardless, you know, it being my cockpit or core. Secondly, because I use up ammo rapidly it's already dried up most of the time anyway. Thirdly, I have never had an ammo explosion anyway in the last 3 months, they have become a rare thing the current version, hell, has anyone actually noticed it even still happening?
Don't get me wrong, I'm storing ammo in the head component as well - but it doesn't have anything to do with the loading sequence, just that this area is very rarely hit.
No idea about whether or not ammo explosions have been nerfed, though - this is one of those details that are really hard to spot, I think. The only time I truly noticed it was in a slo-mo gif showing how it looks like...
Ledabot wrote:Dam waste not keeping it their till the end but it would make sense irl since you really wouldn't want to have much more than an ejector seat pushing you out of a cockpit.
That, and it makes sense mechanically. If you imagine the autoloader like a sort of conveyor belt carrying shells and missiles, then obviously its end will be empty first. Basically, the ammunition being loaded is actually from the location nearest to the weapon - but that place simultaneously "restocks" itself from the next component, and all the way to the head.
Soladrin wrote:First off, by the point that I can get an ammo explosion there I'm already dead regardless, you know, it being my cockpit or core. Secondly, because I use up ammo rapidly it's already dried up most of the time anyway. Thirdly, I have never had an ammo explosion anyway in the last 3 months, they have become a rare thing the current version, hell, has anyone actually noticed it even still happening?
Don't get me wrong, I'm storing ammo in the head component as well - but it doesn't have anything to do with the loading sequence, just that this area is very rarely hit.
No idea about whether or not ammo explosions have been nerfed, though - this is one of those details that are really hard to spot, I think. The only time I truly noticed it was in a slo-mo gif showing how it looks like...
Ledabot wrote:Dam waste not keeping it their till the end but it would make sense irl since you really wouldn't want to have much more than an ejector seat pushing you out of a cockpit.
That, and it makes sense mechanically. If you imagine the autoloader like a sort of conveyor belt carrying shells and missiles, then obviously its end will be empty first. Basically, the ammunition being loaded is actually from the location nearest to the weapon - but that place simultaneously "restocks" itself from the next component, and all the way to the head.
Yeah pretty much, it's probably just a chain of hoppers.
Also, all that ammo in your cockpit just makes you launch even higher with the ejector seat.
Not sure if it's been nerfed, but like I said- I definitely was killed by an Ammo Explosion my first game out with my shiny new Stalker. Get plonked a little in the sides, and BAM- dead in the first two minutes.
Ammo explosion has been severely nerfed. There is now only a chance of the ammo exploding when it takes critical dmg. Previously, if it took critical damage it went up, and took your mech with it!
There is a 10% chance that a slot goes critical when you get hit with a critical hit, and then, It might not even be the slot with ammo in it. Say you have your side torso get hit with a critical, and you have 1 ton of ammo there. That means the real chance of you going bye bye is really a 0.12% chance assuming that all the slots are taken up. You would end up losing a heat sink or something instead or in the future we could end up taking engine damage too.
Ledabot wrote:There is a 10% chance that a slot goes critical when you get hit with a critical hit, and then, It might not even be the slot with ammo in it. Say you have your side torso get hit with a critical, and you have 1 ton of ammo there. That means the real chance of you going bye bye is really a 0.12% chance assuming that all the slots are taken up.
Don't you mean 1.2%, or do basic maths fail me now?
Its quite possible that my basic maths is failing. I think I agree that if ammo does explode, you really should die. Its unlikely, and you are a small person in a metal death trap. I can't justify getting out alive, no matter where you supposedly put the ammo.
In the real game, when an ammo explosion happens, all the ammo explodes. Machine gun ammo for example causes 200 damage points to that location, if CASE isnt present it goes to the next location over. Ammo explosions are bad and usually are a game ender without CASE. If I remember right, it skips the armor too and hits straight into the internal structure. So go ahead and store that ammo in the torso.
I have no problem with ammo ending a round. I keep dying to AMS ammo explosions lately as my gauss ammo doesnt explode. I need to remember to swithc that location to the arms. At least if a rifle blows up it only causes 20 points of damage.
Yeah, I agree. In my opinion it could well happen more often than just 10%. The damage is fine - catastrophic is what it should be, and imho people are supposed to spend some thought on where to put their ammo and whether or not to use CASE.
So I haven't had much time to play recently, so I'm definitely out of practice. In my past few games my kill counts have been very low. I played several matches with zero kills, or 1 kill. There was one match in which I got 2 kills. But it seems like my assist count is quite high. Even in matches where my mech gets destroyed, I'm pretty consistently getting 6 to 8 assists.
I'm glad that you get some kind of recognition for assists, but does anyone have any tips on how to increase my kill count? Is this normal? Or should I not be worrying about it and just be glad I'm helping the team somewhat?
K/D ratio is really just an ego thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm always proud when I score a kill as well or my positive ratio as a whole - that's just basic human psychology, a "virtual penis length comparison" we shouldn't actually be proud of (as it's not really indicative of your skill anyways), but still are. But ultimately, the only thing that truly matters is the team as a whole, and a Catapult LRM-boat with 400 damage on 8 Assists was more important to the match than a lone wolfing Commando with 180 damage and 2 Kills - even when the latter pulled it off alone with no help from anyone else.
Not to mention things like scouting/tagging enemy formations or capping/defending bases, which is not even reflected in the Damage score.
The real challenge is resisting the urge to score kills and do what's tactically the best thing in the respective situation, such as withdrawing to friendly lines, or breaking off to shoo away an enemy before he caps your base. All too often a match is lost because people have their teeth dug in too deep in whatever they're shooting at.
I still have no idea how the grouping system works. I'm Anvildude in-game, of course. I'll gladly put my admittedly Orky Dakkaphract Punch or my Brawler-Stalker Bellepheron to your use.
I'm EST, and can usually only really play in late evening or occasionally early mornings. (like, normal people/mailman/baker "early", not "Haven't slept all night gamer" early.)
Lynata wrote: Gladly - those were a fun couple hours!
Hope we'll get a few more dakkanauts together sometime.
Sounds like a good time! Did you guys use teamspeak or something? I'm hoping MWO will implement voice comms in the game soon. I definitely want to get in on some Dakkacorps action at some point, but it'll probably have to wait until I can get a new computer.
We've been using Mr. Deathhead's TS - or rather, the TS of the unit he usually runs with. Coincidentally, that also meant we were able to get a full lance of 4 pilots together. Nice people, great fun. We tried to get Anvildude to join, though I guess he didn't catch the forum PM in time. Would indeed be cool if some day we get a Dakka Lance. I'd think we even have enough people for a full company, but time zone differences probably mean that a lot of people play when others are working/sleeping.
MWO has the very aptly named C3 comms, but I suppose one cannot truly call it "integral" as it requires an additional download etc. I too hope that it becomes a fixed part of the client at some point, allowing for instantaneous VoIP coordination with any PUG. It'd probably require two channels: Command (company and lance commanders) and Lance (all members of a single lance), with leaders being able to mute everyone else when they talk and the company commander having a special button to talk to everyone without being talked to themselves. Else I predict chaos!
They cost a lot of c-bills and due to their size you can't put them in the legs, where you may get bonus cooling from standing in water.
But all in all ... no, they're pretty much a straight upgrade, so much so that I would consider them a must-have for anyone who has the cash. Even if you don't install any additional sinks, the ones you have in the engine will still receive a considerable boost. In fact, a larger boost than any you'd slot on the outside
The only way that doubles are bad is when you are running a very light mech. When you have a super small engine, you need to make the total 10 heat sinks but if you have to add 4 more doubles, crit slots are lost. You wouldnt be able to get ferro/endo, which you need way more with a 20ton mech.
Who in the name of Kerensky runs a Light 'Mech with a slow engine? May as well punch out right away and save the poor thing for scrappage instead of its precious metal being blown across the map by the first AC20 round it catches.
That very same engine will only get you to 120 on a 25-ton Commando. And 87 on a 35-ton Jenner. With Speed Tweak. Engine efficiency is regulated by a Mech's actual weight, not just the size class. As it should be (realism).
I didn't know that the as-of-yet unreleased 20-ton Locust is projected to get that fast with such a small engine, though... Neat! I suppose that alleviates its low-tonnage issue somewhat.
PS: Also note that you basically need to add 4 tons in additional heatsinks for that tiny 170 engine as it only comes with 6 pre-installed, but you need to have a minimum of 10.
Still looks like a fun configuration. I think I may actually try one of those. (probably swapping some ammo for a Beagle Probe tho)
Yea. its a bit of a pain. 25 ton mechs might turn out to be more effective at what they do than 20 ton ones. it just depends on how big the locust turns out to be really.
Yup! Spiders and Commandos are already tough to hit - if a 20-ton Locust is even smaller (which I would expect), he may not hit hard, but he could be quite the nuisance. And fun to play.
It's always a gamble, of course - I have a really hard time fighting those tiny pesks in my Centurion due to their manoeuverability (and I'm saying this whilst my CN9 is rather nimble), but usually it's a whole different story in my Jenner.
I despise fighting other light mechs when I am in a light mech. Not as bad when I am in my big boys. But my preferred target when in my Spider is assault mechs. Loop around, wait until the battle is fully up and going and run up behind the enemy battleline and start doing pot shots on rear armor. Catapults are really fun to shoot at like this. Usually they will be too focused on the main fight to worry about turning their backs on a bigger more dangerous opponent. They then have to figure out how to disengage which is difficult in many manys.
@ col dash If you ever come across an atlas with the name sir deathshead I got some streaks for you. Nothing gives me more joy then turning around and vaporizing spiders and jenners with my ac20 and streaks
Huh. It only just occured to me that my target priority may be off. I probably ought to be trying to Dakka Down (with Punch, my Dakkaphract, anyways) Lights and Meds instead of attempting big damage to Assaults and other Heavies.
Yeah my primaries are a mastered Jenner and Stalker, then an elite Spider and Cata. Taking a break right now as I am waiting for new stuff to be released and none of the newer chassis interest me.
Don't know why, but I just don't feel right running anything with lasers as the primary damage dealers. I can kinda stand it on the Stalker, though I feel I should have gotten the Misery instead and stuck an autocannon in it.
Might have to go with a Dakkapult as well- dual AC/20s in a K2.
I have Misery. Two ER PPCs and a Gauss Rifle. I havent tried it since the changes to those weapons. My Gauss Cata was deadly with its twin Gauss though, even more so since the firing delay. Now I cant simply snap off shots wasting ammo. If I am not where I want to be I dont release the trigger. My accuracy with the gauss has gone up tremendously and I regularly one shot lights in the back.
Lynata
What dragon do you run?
M 5N is one of my better mechs, and I run it with x2 er ppcs and an AC 10, XL 295 engine, fast enough to stay on the edge of a fight and hammer people with that nasty 30 dmg alpha at range
I think my loadouts are really not optimised as I'm still staying somewhat close to the canon configurations, keeping my 'Mechs as "allrounders" with weapons for different engagement ranges. Correspondingly, my Dragon currently has an LB 10-X AC, LRMs and MedLas. I've been trying to swap the LB-X for an Ultra AC, but it just kept jamming at the most inappropriate moments.
The "allrounder" configuration works surprisingly well on my Centurion, but on the Dragon it just seems to fail. I may have to drop it and go for a more "focused" loadout, as much as I may dislike it. I suppose the Dragon has to be used like a charger - go in fast, punch things? Its speed is pretty much the only good thing about it, after all. If so, I should probably swap the LRMs for SRMs. I also wondered about perhaps sticking a Flamer to the left arm, but from all I've heard they still suck so it would be mainly for the looks and irritation.
I'm also still somewhat sceptical about using an XL-Engine on anything bigger than a light. That being said, I don't recall ever having had one of my Dragon's side torsos shot off yet. Everything seems to go straight into the so-huge-cannot-miss CT.
True on both accounts. On a Light, every single ton counts.
[edit] Okay, I've put my Jenner's XL Two-Eighty in the Dragon and am currently running a setup with two AC5s, 2xSRM4 and a Medium Pulse Laser as backup. Significantly more successful now, though it still feels as if I'm driving a schoolbus as far as battlefield resilience and manoeuverability are concerned.
I think my loadouts are really not optimised as I'm still staying somewhat close to the canon configurations, keeping my 'Mechs as "allrounders" with weapons for different engagement ranges. Correspondingly, my Dragon currently has an LB 10-X AC, LRMs and MedLas. I've been trying to swap the LB-X for an Ultra AC, but it just kept jamming at the most inappropriate moments.
The "allrounder" configuration works surprisingly well on my Centurion, but on the Dragon it just seems to fail. I may have to drop it and go for a more "focused" loadout, as much as I may dislike it. I suppose the Dragon has to be used like a charger - go in fast, punch things? Its speed is pretty much the only good thing about it, after all. If so, I should probably swap the LRMs for SRMs. I also wondered about perhaps sticking a Flamer to the left arm, but from all I've heard they still suck so it would be mainly for the looks and irritation.
I'm also still somewhat sceptical about using an XL-Engine on anything bigger than a light. That being said, I don't recall ever having had one of my Dragon's side torsos shot off yet. Everything seems to go straight into the so-huge-cannot-miss CT.
Yep! The XL engine is really no trouble in a dragon, its a mech made with it in mind. The side torsi are tiny compared to the CT With Double Heat sinks, it can run warm, I usually relegate myself as a force multipier and add firepower to whatever mech is being focused from range. After a shot or two, i will go to another piece of cover, cooling as I do so, or just go autocannon only for a short while. On hotter maps, I will set my PPC's to chain fire one after another, helps some
Well i started the Kintaro line yesterday. I liked the k-20 and lvl'd that fast, then I bought an k-18 and dont like it nearly as much :(
I loaded it with a 2 med 5 streak build and it just doesn't cut it. I also tried the 5 lrm 5 and a ppc and a tag build and that wasn't very effective either with all the ams. Starting to think I should have just saved my loot for an Orion.
Even in my Spider I ran into a Streak heavy Kintaro a week or so ago, cannot say I was impressed. I got knocked around a ton(he was chain firing continuously) and couldnt get out of the line of fire while trying to capture and objective even hiding behind big mechs, but when my partner Awesome finished him off I still only had a couple armor spots in the orange and the rest yellow. Streak-2s just dont put out enough fire.
I am looking forward to clans and their Streak 6s, ERPPCs from hell, and ER Medium lasers. Ready to run a Dasher.
Back playing again, finally. For a while there I was unable to due to massive neck/arm trauma. (well, not massive- just a pinched spinal cord from a swollen disc in my neck)
Playing again with Punch and Bellepheron, and I think I may have finally figured out how they ought to be used. I had two games, back to back, with each, where I both didn't die, and got over 1000 experience! (lots of assists, a few kills, and some component destruction- and over 400 damage done each time!)
I'm debating taking off my AMS from my Dakkaphract to put on another ton of AC/5 ammo and maybe a flamer or light laser or something, just to help mitigate my utter dependance on my autocannon ammo.
That was my issue with my Gauss-phract. Devastating strikes, runs out of ammo too fast with a pair. Havent had an issue wince I switched to the LBX10.
I dont have a way to look right now, do clans get LBX-20s or is the LBX one of the few strictly IS weapons? I know they get UltraAC 20s, 10s, and 2s also.
Col. Dash wrote: That was my issue with my Gauss-phract. Devastating strikes, runs out of ammo too fast with a pair. Havent had an issue wince I switched to the LBX10.
I dont have a way to look right now, do clans get LBX-20s or is the LBX one of the few strictly IS weapons? I know they get UltraAC 20s, 10s, and 2s also.
Everything the IS gets, but lighter, longer ranged, cooler and more deadly- well, except for basic lasers. The Clans don't use such unspecialized weaponry.
The Hunchbackk IIC will be pure, unmitigated horror when it is released. 2 Ultra AC 20s! Oh, and what are basically 2 IS large lasers as backup. You know, just in case.
Check sarna.net for any questions about anything battletech related.
Ya, unlike the Inner Sphere the Clans never lost access to those weapons, so their forces would (should) have access to them when they become playable.
I would expect Inner Sphere pilots to be able to get their hands on these toys as well, though, out of balancing concerns as well as to represent battlefield salvage of Clantech - either for loads of c-bills or perhaps requiring loyalty points with your faction.
I would hope that Clan 'Mechs, on the other hand, remain exclusive to the Clans. The advantage might be counterbalanced by adapting team sizes, as the Clans also use larger lances, but tend to deploy them in smaller units.
Inner Sphere:
4 BattleMechs = 1 Lance, commanded by a Lieutenant
3 Lances = 1 Company, commanded by a Captain (12 'Mechs)
Clans:
5 BattleMechs = 1 Star, commanded by a Star Commander
2 Stars = 1 Binary, commanded by a Star Captain (10 'Mechs)
3 Stars = 1 Trinary, commanded by a Star Captain (15 'Mechs)
In short, have IS vs Clan matches be 1 IS Company vs 1 Clan Binary - and hope that this is enough to outweigh the advantage in any ClanTech that may remain exclusive to that faction.
The devs didn't say anything about how they plan to pull this off so far, though, so anything might happen.
Anvildude: We saw you in game last night, but you didn't react to Deathshead's message? Keep an eye out for the flashing Social button on the lower right.
At work, oddly enough I can hit Dakkadakka but not sarna.net. I doubt we will see any of the IICs any time in the near future after the release of clans. They did not make an appearance until TR 3055. That said, omni's should be really nasty compared to the standard IS mechs we have now. I regularly(not every game but often, especially with a light team mate) take down heavies and assaults with my spider and Jenner. Imagine with a Dasher or the other humanoid frontline light mech clans use at this time. As for IICs, I'll take a Warhammer or Marauder IIC any day of the week.
Hoping the factional warfare will include clan vs clan as well although I definately think the IS invasion thing should be the obvious primary purpose. Some trials of possession for a strategic world to hit the IS from would be in character though.
Did I hear right that tomorrow is supposed to be the actual release date? Any bets on what we will see in game?
My hopes- All the unreleased mechs from the last couple years that havent made it into the game yet.
-Factional warfare(they have been strangely quiet on this point lately)
-Clans, we were supposed to see them the end of this summer. Wont be surprised if we do not however.
-Restarting the timeline back to September 3049 and beginning the work up to the actual Invasion.
Still waiting on an Annihilator with 4 LBX-10s grumble grumble.
Humh, I only know we can expect the Orion for C-Bills tomorrow. Other than that ...
I wish they'd reset the timeline, just to make sure it remains compatible with the canon. I don't expect Community Warfare or the Clans to be ready that soon - they've kept too quiet about it.
Lame release. They could have at least released new maps and all the mechs they have been holding back. The game should be complete at this point with additional addons down the road. 6 maps isnt enough for a game. Factional warfare should be a basic feature nnot something to be added later. Difference from Beta? Nothing.
I agree, the release was pretty lame. I was hoping they'd surprise us with something, but I guess not. I'm not really sure what the point of this was, really. It would have made more sense to go "live" when they released the Phoenix packs at least.
Supposedly the game credits listing the Legendary Founders are posted on the website now, but I can't find the link. Does anyone know where they are posted?
Edit: Nevermind, I found them. They're posted here.
Wow, quite a lot of Founders. I don't feel special anymore.
And yeah, launch didn't feel very special. Fortunately I did not have any big expectations either, so...
Plus, at least the current event will net me a new cockpit item for free. Gotta count the little blessings.
Currently planning to join the Kurita launch event on Saturday. Should be a couple nice games.
I will say the sudden influx of new players is mildly entertaining one on one although pick up teams are suffering. I was with another lone wolf Spider last night in my Jenner(F), obviously another experienced guy and we tied up a Protector, Firebrand, and Quickdraw for near 7 minutes keeping them off the objective. The new guys couldnt hit us and for some reason wouldnt enter the OBJ area we had captured. We didnt kill the three but I ended up with 400+ points just harrassing them. Unfortunately the rest of our team failed us.
Lol when I played with some random pre-made lance of atlas d-dc's..... in red white and blue, yelling random 'murrica ancedotes....steamrolled some players.
Its amusing when the new players overheat right next to you and get mad when you shoot them in the head
Yeah, absolutely nothing new changed when "launch" happened. The only thing new I have bought is a capture module for my spider and Jenner(F)(I dont see the difference but it doesnt hurt). I am enjoying all the heavy and assault mechs out there piloted by apparent new players, Unless I run into the rare experienced player early on they are providing me with an easy 200-400 points a game. I am finding it humorous to have non-flagged players yelling at me to base cap in a non capping game. I hate frikkin base cappers in a straight forward combat mission.
On the plus side, they finally fixed the annoying bug with backspace not clearing the chat when you hold it instead of pressing once.
FINALLY.
Meanwhile, at least I'm enjoying my Dragon. I know it's possibly the worst Heavy one could take, but it's a Kurita design dammit!
And the LBX-10, ERLL, 2xSRM4 and Flamer tend to work really well when I'm not too careless.
Current goal: max out Elite Pilot Level on the Dragon until the Phoenix 'Mechs arrive. Then I'll switch to the Battlemaster and grind that one's proficiencies.
My favorite selection ->
- JR7-K Jenner "Azumi" (Master)
- CN9-AL Centurion "Akira" (Elite)
- DRG-1N Dragon "Ryoko" (2/3 Basic, currently grinding the DRG-5N to unlock Elite)
- BTL-1G Battlemaster ???
I have just finnished grinding a whole bunch of mechs to master, and am a bit stumped on what to do. I only have a jenner left to master so thats what i'll be doing I guess.
Lynata wrote: On the plus side, they finally fixed the annoying bug with backspace not clearing the chat when you hold it instead of pressing once.
FINALLY.
Meanwhile, at least I'm enjoying my Dragon. I know it's possibly the worst Heavy one could take, but it's a Kurita design dammit!
And the LBX-10, ERLL, 2xSRM4 and Flamer tend to work really well when I'm not too careless.
Current goal: max out Elite Pilot Level on the Dragon until the Phoenix 'Mechs arrive. Then I'll switch to the Battlemaster and grind that one's proficiencies.
My favorite selection ->
- JR7-K Jenner "Azumi" (Master)
- CN9-AL Centurion "Akira" (Elite)
- DRG-1N Dragon "Ryoko" (2/3 Basic, currently grinding the DRG-5N to unlock Elite)
- BTL-1G Battlemaster ???
The Dragon is only sub-par in pug matches. In organized play, I'd argue the Dragon is exceptionally powerful with its combination of speed and fire power. If anything, the worst mechs in the game right now are the mediums. To lightly armed and armored to hold against heavies and too damn slow to catch lights.
The Dragon ... speed, yes, but firepower? What are people actually putting on it?
As for Mediums - my Centurion begs to differ! CN9s are ridiculously hard to put down. And it feels sooo rewarding to kill enemy 'Mechs when the only working components left on yours are the head, the CT and a single leg.
Lynata wrote: The Dragon ... speed, yes, but firepower? What are people actually putting on it?
Long ranged arms fit the dragon pretty well. A mix of AC5, LRM, and large laser might seem weak but especially with the new heat rules the Dragon can hurt at range and it's fast enough to use cover easily. I've also experimented with a flanking build but haven't played much since twelve v twelve came out. I suspect that running around with dual LBX-10's would be beyond suicidal now XD
As for Mediums - my Centurion begs to differ! CN9s are ridiculously hard to put down. And it feels sooo rewarding to kill enemy 'Mechs when the only working components left on yours are the head, the CT and a single leg.
That's just because of the glitch with damage transfer from destroyed sections (and yes I love abusing the Centurion for this very reason!). Unless they fixed that in my time away, but the devs hadn't really inspired me with their ability to fix bugs XD
Hmm, but a focus on long range only feels like a waste of the Dragon's single one advantage - its speed...
I've had good success using an ERLL to snipe away from afar, wait until the enemy is distracted, then charging with LBX-10 and SRMs. The only tricky thing is finding the right moment as getting in close is really dangerous with this ridiculously large CT!
The DRG-1N is best for this tactic, imo. It has two missile slots on the CT so you can equip 2 SRM4 instead of a single SRM6, and it retains an energy hardpoint on the left torso right next to the cockpit - perfect for laser-sniping from cover.
I'm currently running the DRG-5N which only has hardpoints in the arms, and it irritates me to no end how often my shots just go into some nearby hill because the arms are so low.
Lynata wrote: Hmm, but a focus on long range only feels like a waste of the Dragon's single one advantage - its speed...
I consider it complimentary. The Dragon can run from most fights, and flank easily, and if something peels off the enemy group to come chasing after you, even better. The Dragon is a skirmisher, but attacking your target head on isn't the only way to fight them. Only on a few maps can the dragon not find terrain to obstruct enemy fire, but most mechs in the game perform differently on the maps so I don't consider that a weakness outside of the randomness to it.
This is why I say the Dragon gets a bad rap from pug matches. Most matches become all out brawls (unless there's a lot of lights/Cicadas) and Dragon is a bad brawler. You can still flank but since everyone else on the team is just rushing in, they might all be dead before you've gotten into position, and then you're stuck with that huge center torso and the only target left. Even if they last awhile, a flanker can't stick around cause they'll get killed by anyone who wants a kill or by the back line. You have to hit and run, but then your allies might be dead by the time you come back. In my experience, flanking mechs underperform because of the habit of your team to rush to their deaths absent team work (I include the Hunchback in this).
I like the 5N Dragon especially the Champ version. I maxed it out so fast it wasnt funny. Gauss and two ER Large Lasers was a great combo and made an excellent sniper mech for shoot and scooting.
Not going to lie, seeing this thread just reminded me that a couple days ago (or maybe yesterday....been busy lately) I got an email from the MWO people about a release event with a livestream that was happening at 2 PM that same day. The email got to me at 5 PM...
Not sure what happened with that one, but someone sure dropped the ball somewhere.
Oh. It's a 25m presentation from the Launch Event Party detailing certain aspects of Community Warfare, though in the end they also showcase UI 2.0 a bit.
The Community Warfare infos are largely stuff one may have read before, albeit piecemeal in various statements or Dev Q&A answers. It's certainly cool to see how it's supposed to tie together.
Basically:
Mercenaries - no affiliation, lone wolves
- gain Prestige via Contracts (faction-specific)
- Prestige unlocks new/better Contracts
Mercenary Units - created and organised by players
- members can be given special tasks such as the Logistics Officer
- unit commanders set "taxes" for members
- units build and possess Assets (garrisons, JumpShips, DropShips, ...)
- units need to travel to their destination (may take days to arrive)
- relocation of garrison units makes "owned" planets vulnerable to enemy forces
- gain Prestige via Contracts (faction-specific)
- Prestige unlocks new/better Contracts
sidenote: Contracts include player-created "content" such as setting bounties for specific MechWarriors, or House leaders hiring mercs to take a planet for their faction
Loyalists - join a specific faction/House
- collect Loyalty Points
- can unlock ranks and transfers to more prestigious regiments
-- Ranks confer Influence
-- Regiments confer public affiliation, paintjobs and heraldry
Faction Units - created and organised by developer
- canon names
- have their own faction and unit chat
- whenever possible, the game will have players of the same unit drop together
- player-organised Faction Units are currently in planning, but few details so far
- although neutral, Wolf's Dragoons were given as an example for a unit that players may earn the right to join (prerequisite: max prestige in all factions)
Faction Warfare - every match takes place over a specific planet on the borders
- each victory adds +1% Control and deducts -1% Control from the enemy
- if all planets in a given border corridor "flip", the frontline shifts to threaten new worlds
- conquered border corridors confer special bonuses such as making 'Mech and weapon variants available
- lost factories mean the 'Mechs and equipment produced there can only be acquired on the Black Market
Implementation - Phase I: Affiliation (joining factions, creating merc units)
- Phase II: Front Warfare (implementation of territory control meta)
- Phase III: Planetary Assault (JumpShip travel, garrisons, and other planetary assets)
- estimated time until Phase III: 6 months
Faction/Community Warfare sounds cool in theory... will reserve further judgment until it starts rolling out.
I've jumped back in after a couple of months away. I've only ever been a PUG, but I'm having a great time. I've recently taken to playing the Raven as a team assist mech. Guardian/TAG and hanging with a group of assault/heavy mechs to keep them safe from lights/TAG for them/ECM coverage. So far, my damage has been minimal but experience has been pretty good. Tried messing with NARC, but it still seems inferior to TAG.
Hit me up anytime for some group play although I need to figure out how to do voice chat. In game name is DinkDude.
Thanks for the recap Lynata, I was playing mech while this was going on so I only caught some of it.
If they can pull this off half as good as it sounds on paper, Mech is about to get very interesting. I really hope they can stick to the 6 month time frame like was stated.
One last thing in a game I was playing last night someone was talking about a new map, I didnt see anything about it?
Well they are so far off on their time schedule as it is, I wouldnt bet on the 6 month time hack. If the April schedule would have been right we would be running around in Clan mechs right now and already had factional warfare.
New map? Huh, haven't heard anything about that. I'd expect them to work on one as there seems to be a permanent team for it, but as far as announcements go ... maybe there was a sneak-peek at the Launch Event?
And yeah, I'm not sure they can hold the 6 month timetable, or even include everything they announced there. I'm cautious, and from experience, the studio really isn't that reliable in terms of delivering.
That being said, I love those plans, and if even half of it makes it into the game (this is a much more realistic expectation) then this would already be great. Most trouble will probably be Phase III for them, but tbh Phases I and II are what I'm really looking forward to. Give me the DCMS and territory control!
Lynata wrote: Hmm, but a focus on long range only feels like a waste of the Dragon's single one advantage - its speed...
I consider it complimentary. The Dragon can run from most fights, and flank easily, and if something peels off the enemy group to come chasing after you, even better. The Dragon is a skirmisher, but attacking your target head on isn't the only way to fight them. Only on a few maps can the dragon not find terrain to obstruct enemy fire, but most mechs in the game perform differently on the maps so I don't consider that a weakness outside of the randomness to it.
This is why I say the Dragon gets a bad rap from pug matches. Most matches become all out brawls (unless there's a lot of lights/Cicadas) and Dragon is a bad brawler. You can still flank but since everyone else on the team is just rushing in, they might all be dead before you've gotten into position, and then you're stuck with that huge center torso and the only target left. Even if they last awhile, a flanker can't stick around cause they'll get killed by anyone who wants a kill or by the back line. You have to hit and run, but then your allies might be dead by the time you come back. In my experience, flanking mechs underperform because of the habit of your team to rush to their deaths absent team work (I include the Hunchback in this).
My opinion on the matter anyway XD
I actually think that the Dragon, whilst a filthy Kuritan design, is really good at filling in specific role, that of a 'fast battleship' type mech, that is to say, anything it can't outfight, it can outrun, and anything that can catch it can be outfought.
Yeah, kind of like the Armoured Cruiser concept - I remember reading about the German Imperial Navy describing them with the motto "heavier than the fast ones, faster than the heavies", exemplifying the ship's purpose to either overpower or outrun any foe.
Krellnus wrote:... whilst a filthy Kuritan design ...
I actually think that the Dragon, whilst a filthy Kuritan design, is really good at filling in specific role, that of a 'fast battleship' type mech, that is to say, anything it can't outfight, it can outrun, and anything that can catch it can be outfought.
I'd agree with one exception; the massive center torso. If MWO were a dueling game, the Dragon may well be one of the strongest mechs in the game given its traits. However its a team game. In that sense, wilfully engaging in a fight isn't always a good idea, even if you know you can win. You can run from what you can't outright, but if you fight what you can, you're still probably gonna see most of that center torso melt off your mech. You'll win with proper play but you'll probably die soon after unless the other guy was really bad.
For me the Dragon excels in ambush. Hit them when they're otherwise preoccupied. Hit them hard and disappear before they retaliate so you can hit them again. It the heaviest first and remove them from play. If you do it right and your team isn't dumb, your dragon may well end up the heaviest mech still on the field with most of the mechs able to outfight it removed
I actually think that the Dragon, whilst a filthy Kuritan design, is really good at filling in specific role, that of a 'fast battleship' type mech, that is to say, anything it can't outfight, it can outrun, and anything that can catch it can be outfought.
I'd agree with one exception; the massive center torso. If MWO were a dueling game, the Dragon may well be one of the strongest mechs in the game given its traits. However its a team game. In that sense, wilfully engaging in a fight isn't always a good idea, even if you know you can win. You can run from what you can't outright, but if you fight what you can, you're still probably gonna see most of that center torso melt off your mech. You'll win with proper play but you'll probably die soon after unless the other guy was really bad.
That's the beauty of it, since most people just aim for the torso, that makes a large CT work for you since you are running an XL engine, the size of the Dragon's CT means its STs are virtually invulnerable until it loses an arm or two, at which point you are basically dead anyway since most of a dragon's damage comes from its arms.
Yeah, but once the center torso is dead you're dead and anyone who can aim can hit that center torso cause its a huge target. Getting yourself de facto killed in a 1 for 1 trade doesn't help your team that much. Even a hunchback can deal massive damage to a dragon. It'll probably die first but the dragon will not be long for the word.
It's small sides make an XL engine an easy choice, which gives speed and saves weight, which greatly improves the Dragon's map presence. It's less of an advantage in a head to head fight. IMO, once you've engaged in a head to head fight in a Dragon, you've virtually eliminated the reasons to play a Dragon.
It has been mentioned that part 2 will deal with Faction Loyalists, and part 3 with Lone Wolves.
The developer is also reviewing the possibility of player-fun Faction units, though as of yet there are no further details.
Anyone got any suggestions for improvement for my Spider?
I currently run:
SDR-5D
Engine: XL-255
Cooling: Dbl Heat Sinks (11)
Guardian ECM: Yes
Jump Jets: 8/8
Weaponry: 3 Medium Lasers
Free Slots: 11
Structure: Endo - Steel
Armour: Standard
I honestly think that is about as optimised as I can get it, but any suggestions would be welcome.
October 1st Patch - New Map: Crimson Strait (huuuge island metropolis)
- Pre-Round Screen: Company and Lance Coordination, Ready Buttons
- New Hero 'Mech: Atlas AS7-BH Boar's Head
- New Champion 'Mech: SDR-5K Spider
- New round of Trial 'Mechs (SDR-5K, CN9-A, DRG-5N, AS7-RS)
- JumpJet tweaks
- Additional visual loadout customisation for Atlas 'Mechs
- General improvements & bug bixes
In Development (ETA: Nov) - Seismic Sensors nerf
- CounterECM and UAV use reflected in XP and C-bill gain
- Falling 'Mechs may cause screen shake
Spoiler:
Now this is what I call urban combat.
Feth me that map is huge, I cant wait to see it We already have the 5K-i should know as I have one. I don't think that the 5K will be the next champion Mech. Also the Boars Head. That AC20-is it confirmed that their swapping the torso side or not? It just dosnt look right to me.
And what tweaks are they making to the JJs? And how are they nerfing the seismics(common, there not THAT OP surely?)
Krellnus wrote:Anyone got any suggestions for improvement for my Spider?
I currently run:
SDR-5D
Engine: XL-255
Cooling: Dbl Heat Sinks (11)
Guardian ECM: Yes
Jump Jets: 8/8
Weaponry: 3 Medium Lasers
Free Slots: 11
Structure: Endo - Steel
Armour: Standard
I honestly think that is about as optimised as I can get it, but any suggestions would be welcome.
I would suggest trading the Mlasers in for MPlasers as the shorter beam duration time and higher damage means that more damage is transfered to your target. Apart from that it looks good.
I run a Spider myself actually, a 5K with:
4X MG
2 tons of ammo
6/6 JJ
MPLaser
and the rest on armour, which is maxed everywhere except the head.
Krellnus wrote:Anyone got any suggestions for improvement for my Spider?
I currently run:
SDR-5D
Engine: XL-255
Cooling: Dbl Heat Sinks (11)
Guardian ECM: Yes
Jump Jets: 8/8
Weaponry: 3 Medium Lasers
Free Slots: 11
Structure: Endo - Steel
Armour: Standard
I honestly think that is about as optimised as I can get it, but any suggestions would be welcome.
I would suggest trading the Mlasers in for MPlasers as the shorter beam duration time and higher damage means that more damage is transfered to your target. Apart from that it looks good.
I run a Spider myself actually, a 5K with:
4X MG
2 tons of ammo
6/6 JJ
MPLaser
and the rest on armour, which is maxed everywhere except the head.
I've generally found that in my experience the small trade in firepower to double my armour has heen the better deal, especially combined with my ecm suite and piloting ability.
master of ordinance wrote:And what tweaks are they making to the JJs? And how are they nerfing the seismics(common, there not THAT OP surely?)
Looks like they added a forward momentum to the JJs making it a bit easier to actually jump rather than float. It's not that noticeable, sadly. May have been intended as another small prod against poptarts maybe.
As for Seismic Sensors, it's explained in the linked thread - you'll no longer pick up contacts when you are moving yourself, and some weapon impacts will now cause "fake" seismic activity. Both makes sense from a realism PoV; you can't well track seismic activity when you are moving yourself (and thus have reduced ground contact + cause seismic activity yourself), and something an AC/20 round exploding in the dirt is bound to cause a shockwave.
The module was just a tad too good in what it does, essentially making 360 Target Retention useless since Seismic does not require a lock and is able to track multiple targets. Given its planned changes, however, I would almost say it could be made a bit cheaper in terms of GXP, perhaps refunding a portion of the difference to players who already own the module.
Krellnus wrote:How does the new map compare in size to alpine peaks?
Feels larger, but at the same time more crowded. Or rather, the scenery changes from open space to buildings and back again all the time so that you have a lot of variety in the fights, but it still looks like a natural progression (the map designers used a lot of tricks for that like parking spaces, monorail tracks, fuel depots and generator stations, etc).
Contact between the two enemy forces can happen relatively fast as the map is still somewhat linear in terms of leading the players towards one another, although you have ample opportunity to flank.
I only had a single drop so far as I got home late, but there's a lot of stuff to see. I was almost sad the team got into a fight that quickly as I was trying to tour the landscape a bit for some sightseeing. Anyone who likes the urban combat from River City will fall in love with this map. Light 'Mechs with JumpJets in particular will enjoy the high-running monorail tracks that occasionally traverse the cityscape, as they provide excellent points for engaging enemy forces already busy on the street level, or retreating from them. The Brawlers on the other hand will have ample cover due to the large number of buildings of varying heights, though many of them are still too small to protect against LRMs (depending on your 'Mech size), perhaps unless you hug the wall.
All in all, there's a lot of potential for tactical manoeuvering on this map. Luv it. <3
Also, +1 for the Ready Button, even though some very impatient pilots seem to hate it with passion
Just got back into MWO since the beta, liking the changes so far. The mechs don't seem TOO expensive, considering you make about 500k cbills per match; evidently they removed repair/rearm? Is the only thing you ever have to pay for now is the Mech initial cost?
Got a few friends playing, game is great with voicechat and a solid team.
I kind of want to be a mid-range skirmisher/brawler. What mech should I invest in? I loved the cauldron-born with twin LBX AC 20s back in MW4 Mercs online.
Welcome back to the Inner Sphere, MechWarrior. The more the merrier!
daedalus-templarius wrote:Is the only thing you ever have to pay for now is the Mech initial cost?
Yup! Plus any upgrades and loadout changes you want to apply, of course - and consumables such as UAVs or Artillery markers etc.
I actually kind of miss repair/rearm, if only for the sim feeling of it all ...
daedalus-templarius wrote:I kind of want to be a mid-range skirmisher/brawler. What mech should I invest in? I loved the cauldron-born with twin LBX AC 20s back in MW4 Mercs online.
Sounds like you might enjoy the Jagermech or the Cataphract! They're both Heavies, so pack a punch and are adequately armoured, yet still fast enough to get to where the action is.
Thanks Lynata,
I had actually already zeroed in on the Cataphract from looking at the official forums a bit. Looks like it can carry a loadout I'd like, not to mention the most important thing, jump jets!
Working on saving up for that initial cost for the 3d, which is like 9.8m, lol.
daedalus-templarius wrote:Is the only thing you ever have to pay for now is the Mech initial cost?
Yup! Plus any upgrades and loadout changes you want to apply, of course - and consumables such as UAVs or Artillery markers etc.
I actually kind of miss repair/rearm, if only for the sim feeling of it all ...
Interesting, can't say that I really like this decision. One of the biggest things that motivates me in games is an actual sense of failure. The decision of "how good of a mech can I afford to bring to this match" sounds like a really good idea to me (of course nobody likes getting to a point where they can't actually afford to use good stuff anymore).
No word on clans. I dont anticipate them appearing until after full factional warfare is implemented.
Ug just had my first encounter with a dedicated team killer, as opposed to the morons who shoot when the round starts in the deployment zone. Dude shot me in the back with an AC20, no idea who it was when I turned around until he took out the leg on someone else. Three of us sat there and shot it out with him while the game went on. Needless to say we lost badly.
Phoenix Program Injected October 15th - What to expect.If you pre-ordered a Phoenix package (excluding Saber package) before October 15th you can expect everything to be delivered into your account during downtime on the 15th. Players who have purchased Overlord or Guardian packages will be able to select and redeem between 2 and 4 cockpit hanging items from the 6 available factions. You will be able to select any combination of hanging items.
A note on Loyalty Points
While the functionality for rewarding LP is currently in the game, players are not able to use or control which faction they will earn LP for. We are actively building the features associated with earning and using LP. Loyalty Points will make their debut as part of Phase 1 of our CW delivery. See below for more information.
* Available only if you have ordered a Phoenix Package.
October 15th Patch Preview
Gameplay
Update the EoR Screen so it will make more sense to the user.
Premium and 'Mech Boosters will affect how much XP you will get for First Victory of the Day.
Performance
A lot of 'Mechs have had a new LOD pass done on them, this will hopefully increase certain users performance.
Bug Fixes
Altas Founder head has it's collision back.
Streak SRMs no longer auto-aim on the Blackjack's center torso.
Fixed were users could see out of the world when using 3rd person near a vertical piece of terrain.
Moving a the reticle away from a targeted 'Mech will decay the lock-on once again.
A slew of map stuck bugs and visual issues.
The following features are part of the Community Warfare master feature. Each of these has been identified as an isolated feature that can be developed and released independently or as a group with other blocks. Each block is not created equal, some are incredibly large, some are very small. I’m trying to find an easy way to visualize these blocks via the website, for now text will have to do.
Ready For Internal Test
Skirmish Mode (Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch
In Development
UI 2.0 MechLab
UI 2.0 Pilot Lab
UI 2.0 Misc.
Attack/Defend Mode
Loyalty Points
Achievements
Mercenary Unit Life
Ready For Development
Matchmaking
Private Matches
Player Level
In Design 3
Mercenary Life
In Design 2
Ready Screen
Loyalist Life
Inner Sphere
CW Economics
Mercenary Unit Assets
Mercenary Unit Logistics
Contracts
Planetary Warfare
Front Warfare
In Design 1
Loyalist Unit Life
A note on development phases.
In design 1 – A twinkle in our eyes, we are still brain storming.
In design 2 – Feature brief has been presented to stake holders for vetting.
In design 3 – Design has been approved and is being broken down into user stories.
Ready for development – Design complete, waiting for resources to be assigned.
In development – Resources assigned and actively working on feature.
Ready for internal test – Feature is complete and ready to be tested by QA.
Ready for public test – Feature has past basic internal testing parameters and is ready for public testing.
Yay! Double XP weekend, time to get massive amounts of XP mechwarriors.
What's better than the regular amount of XP? DOUBLE XP!
They say that two heads are better than one, it takes two to tango, and pizza's better when it's two-for-one. Now is the time to DOUBLE the trouble! Starting Friday October 11th at 10am PDT you'll receive XP at twice the speed!
Don't miss out because this is redonkulous and ends on October 15 at 10am PDT.
Its a bonus pack containing four of the most popular Battletech mechs that were previously the Unseen; The Shadowhawk, Battlemaster, Thunderbolt, and Locust. They're sold as a bundle (Idk if you can still get it) that includes 3 variations of each mech at varying payment levels along with a host of bonuses.
They go to the people who bought that pack on the 15th and go public to everyone in January.
Money wise I got the Overlord. Someone on the forums did the math, and essentially removing the value of the premium time and the medals from what you pay you're getting 12 mechs at $1.03 per mech, which is an awesome deal. I get premium time anyway so for me it was a no brainer.
Also, this is pure speculation, but the Shadowhawk could arguably completely supplant the Centurion. This is completely dependent on how large its side torso sections are but since you can pack its weapons into its torso section and use the arms solely as shields it might make a better zombie than the Cent while carrying 3 SSRM2's and an AC20 and move faster than a cent with the same armament. Again speculation. if the Hawk has a massive center torso this will not work at all.
I'd get the overlord, but if I do I'm not sure I'll have enough money for the limited ed. version of the farsight enclave hard copy, damn I'm torn between two worlds here.
The best part about the deals though is the mech bays for the mechs, so if the not phoenix mechs are crappy, or you have already mastered the chassis, then you can sell them and have heaps of space.
It says in the info you get a (P) variant and 2 standard. What I want to know is are the Standard variants random or set? Cause I honestly have no use for two SHD-2H's. I could just sell the non (P) one of course and use the mechbay for something else but it would be nice to get 3 different variants to master the mechs with.
Every 'Mech in MWO has at least three variants. Phoenix buyers would get one P-Mech (the variant advertised on the website), and a standard version of the two remaining variants.
Don't forget you also get garage slots for all the 'Mechs you're buying! The package indeed has a good value if you count everything together - though ofc it's still expensive if looking only at the money. I guess it depends on how nuts one is about MWO or Battletech in general.
Oh yeah, I got the Overlord package. Next week you'll see me in a glorious Battlemaster Assault 'Mech, as famously piloted by Theodore Kurita and Katana Tormark!
Aaaand you damn Kuritans take away my love for the BattleMaster in one fell swoop
I'll probably end up springing for the Overlord later today (if the farsight book doesn't go up for pre-order before then) otherwise I'll get the teir with the shadowhawk in it.
What about the Sabre package, anyone getting that?
Nah. Griffon and Wolverine don't interest me much. I just want the Battlemaster and the Shadowhawk, everything else being an awesome bonus. The Locust actually kind of sucks when you look at it. It's a Spider K with no JJ (that variant at least).
Automatically Appended Next Post: Hoping there's a battlemaster that can pack an AC20 in one arm, though dual AC5's are always fun.
Yeah. The Griffon and Wolverine do look sweet, but I'm satisfied with that I get. The Battlemaster is pretty much my main interest in the whole deal.
LordofHats wrote:Hoping there's a battlemaster that can pack an AC20 in one arm
I think the lower arm actuators would prohibit this on the basis of not allowing the necessary amount of crits?
It'd have to be a variant where the arm is converted to a weapons hardpoint like with the Catapult K2.
Yeah. I know the (P) variant doesn't have the room in its arm (it's short exactly one slot) to mount the AC20, but I'm hoping it'll be like the Victor and have one variant that has enough space.
Automatically Appended Next Post: But like I said. Dual AC5's have served my Atlas DDC very well. Throw in 6 medium lasters in the side torsos and there's some punch in that Battlemaster that suits me fine.
I guess I'm an all rounder. My favorite mechs are my Atlas and my Centurion. I like brawling, but I have a host of fire support mechs too (Dual AC10 Jeager, my Founders Catapult, a flanking dual LBX Ilyia Muromets). I definitely like brawling tho, and when not brawling I like flanking. Looking right now to add a Victor S to my ranks.
That's cool, what appeals to you most about the play style?
I've always preferred the light scout, interceptor role offered by 'Mechs such as the spider, star slayer and similar.
I tend to max out armour and take short range weapons, although on mediums and the off chance I take a heavy I'll add one or two larger weapons for long range striking power, I dislike ballistic weapons.
Krellnus wrote: That's cool, what appeals to you most about the play style?
It's not appeal so much as my mentality. I don't have the finesse for other play styles. For me every enemy mech is a rock and a rock is best crushed with a hammer I can be flexible in how I do the crushing but face to face conflict is just how I think XD Brute force is just the way I think in games. It's why I play tanks in RPGs, it's why I play bruisers in LoL, and why I use assault rifles in FPS games.
That said most of my mechs have longer range weapons (save my lights and cents). The nature of PUG matches means a close combat mech gets screwed if he can't engage beyond 500 meters. My Atlas has 2 SRm6, but 2 ERLL and two AC5's. I ran him with medium lasers and a AC20 for a long time but was out ranged too much in a lot of maps so switched to AC5s.
I've always preferred the light scout, interceptor role offered by 'Mechs such as the spider, star slayer and similar.
Yeah. Love my Spider. Little bastard can really mess up a team even if it never does much damage just because assaults and heavies will try to chase me. better yet, run into a brawl and start moving between them and watch the enemy team shoot each other up trying to hit you XD My 3L did it before but I haven't used the little bird in awhile.
I can't really give up ballistic weapons. I try running things like the Trial Centurion, with the pulse lasers, or something like my 6ML brawler Stalker, but it just doesn't work for me. That's why I like my Cataphracts- Basic'd my 4x, and now I'm working on a 2x. I don't really mind the Large Lasers, but there's just not enough impact there for me.
Also, not having lower arm actuators really screws with my head. I like having that extra traverse with my main weapons.
Krellnus wrote:Aaaaand since it appears the Farsight book has no pre-order this week (you think it would for a 19th oct release but w/e), I'm an Overlord now.
Welcome to the club!
LordofHats wrote:Yeah. I know the (P) variant doesn't have the room in its arm (it's short exactly one slot) to mount the AC20, but I'm hoping it'll be like the Victor and have one variant that has enough space.
Oh, the Victor has one variant with no lower arm?
Interesting ... I did not know this!
Krellnus wrote:What style of combat are you guys preferring, any type of weapons specifically?
Skirmisher, mostly. I'm at my best behind the controls of my JR7-K Jenner, where I pull escort duty for my team's Assault 'Mechs or, if the opportunity presents itself, commit to hit & run attacks against opponents who are (preferably) already engaged with the rest of my team. Of course I also hunt down enemy Skirmishers; in fact those are pretty much priority targets given the havoc they can cause if left unmolested.
I'm also applying the Skirmisher attitude to my Centurion and the Dragon, as - in spite of their heavier weights - they do not really qualify as Brawlers as much as some other 'Mechs do. The Centurion makes for a neat "zombie" but has few weapons left if someone shoots off their arms/torsos, whilst the Dragon has more weapons but suffers from a hideously oversized center torso. So I tend to begin the match sniping with both (my Centurion has an Extended Range PPC, and the Dragon has an ER Large Laser), but advance when the rest of my team does and engage the enemy at close range. With my Centurion, this includes shooting salvos of LRMs whilst closing in to MPL range, whereas the Dragon just attempts to get in as fast and as close as possible in order to punch its opponent in the face with 8 SRMs and the Flamethrower. It also carries an LB-X autocannon which has proven to be very successful at ripping apart internals once the armour is gone.
I've recently started to try out a more support-focused role with Catapults as LRM artillery, which began as just a bit of credit-farming with my Founders' Pult before I noticed that this can actually be quite a bit of fun for when I don't want the adrenaline rush that comes with playing the other 'Mechs, for example late in the night when I only want to drop for a few more rounds before bedtime. Right now I've arrived at the K2 and have made it a sort of "tank destroyer" by giving it 2 ER PPCs (left and right mouse button), as well as 2 MPLs and 2 Machine Guns (linked to the 3rd mouse button) as backup weapons, and filling up the rest with lots of double heat sinks and a 315-graded engine for a top speed close to 80 mph. It's quite fun!
Weaponswise I find that almost anything has its use depending on where you use it, but I've come to like the PPC a lot for its "ka-POW" sound plus its effect on ECM-carriers, and the LB-X autocannon for the shotgun feeling and its efficiency at critting.
I tried the Ultra-AC but found it much too disruptive with its high chance for jamming, which (to me) always seemed to happen at the most inconvenient moments imaginable. AC2s are fun if you run them as triplets or even quads but they take up huge amounts of tonnage. For anyone who likes ballistic weapons, I can recommend the AC10, though. Scored lots of damage with one of these on two of my Centurions!
I wonder how the Battlemaster will feel. I actually started to play the Dragon chiefly because I wanted to get a feeling for heavier 'Mechs and slowly work my way up to the Assault class, after having played almost exclusively with Jenners and Centurions.
Lynata wrote: Looks viable - certainly more efficient than my Dragon, with all those Streaks...
The armour points are just a placeholder though, right? As it is considered standard to put more armour to the front locations than the rear.
btw
Yeah the armour is just placeholder, will probably end up being 75/25 front/back in the end.
Trying to make it a brawler as I tend to do with mediums and up, but I want that ERLLaser in there for long range punch, especially since it only has 1 ballistic hardpoint.
Man, for once I'm seeing Ledabot in the game, and on the enemy team even, and before my Jenner can get to him I'm getting focused by a dedicated Light-hunter Lance of another Jenner, a Commando, a Spider and a Streak-boating Quickdraw with a hi-speed engine and jumpjets.
I've been playing with Deathshead a couple times - we should form a Dakka lance some day! Perhaps a specific day and a rough timeframe would help to coordinate this? No firm meeting, just a casual commitment to keep in mind that this is when other dakkanauts might play.
Lynata wrote: Man, for once I'm seeing Ledabot in the game, and on the enemy team even, and before my Jenner can get to him I'm getting focused by a dedicated Light-hunter Lance of another Jenner, a Commando, a Spider and a Streak-boating Quickdraw with a hi-speed engine and jumpjets.
Balls.
ah what? I didn't see you....
Was this today? we were running lights at one point and heavies at another.
January release? Where did you get that? I read a week or two ago they were releasing the standard versions of pheonix a few days after Pheonix release. My issue with Pheonix is you cant pick your mechs. I think all of them are absolutely ugly and they should have named them something else. The two exceptions are the Saber package, the Wolverine and Griffin are pretty cool looking even if not looking like the originals. Unfortunately I cant get either of those without paying for some of the crappy looking mechs I dont like. At least Founders let you pick.
As for strategies I tend to favor long range sniper roles, primarily with ER Large Lasers and Gauss Rifles.
The phoenix mechs are being rolled out over the next few months is what I understand. You can get them now, or you can wait. The locust comes out along with the pack, but the shadow hawk is next month, the thunderbolt in December and the battlemaster arrives in January. The other two come after that I think but I don't know what order. This is to give the mech making team some time to get some clan mechs built and ready for the game for when they are released in 2014/soon.
edit: about the appeal, I really can't help you there, but the point of them is they are all really, really early mech designs that are all considered 'reseen'. That is, they are mechs that were 'borrowed' from other media, especially 70s and 80s anime. They are so popular because they really are childhood favorites of many of the older fans. I was a little hurt that you couldn't pick and choose your mechs, but it was very deliberate. If you wanted a battlemaster, which everyone did when 6ppcs was a good thing, you had to ether buy the overlord pack or wait till jan. This way they got a lot more money than if heaps just got one mech.
Thats news to me. Last I heard all the Pheonix mechs were being released either on the 15th or the 17th of this coming week followed 2 days later by the standard non Pheonix versions for standard C-Bills or MC.
Posted my plans for the Shadowhawk earlier, but this is my current expectation for my Battlemaster. A nice brawler with something useful in a ranged fight. I also point out the interesting note that most mechs pack their heaviest weapons in the right arms (when they're not symmetrical) but the Battlemaster curiously uses puts them in the left. Interesting uses for lance coordination when corner peaking. Hopefully there's a variant that can mount that AC20 but dual AC5's have never failed me XD
Not quite sure what to do with the Thunderbolt. It has that huge hunch like the hunchback so an XL engine is a risky proposition. I'll probably use mine as a fire support mech; Thunderbolt.
The (P) Locust is just a Spider K with no JJ but it has a bonus on it so I'll probably keep it. Hopefully one of the Locust variants will be more interesting.
I like that Battlemaster loadout a lot, it looks like it will play like the 6 MLaser Stalker but trading some protection for some long ranged, rapid fire punch, but aren't UAC/5s lighter?
If so, might change and use the weight to up protection.
Krellnus wrote: I like that Battlemaster loadout a lot, it looks like it will play like the 6 MLaser Stalker but trading some protection for some long ranged, rapid fire punch, but aren't UAC/5s lighter?
idk about lighter but I know they use more slots and I can't fit two of them into the arm.
Well, I'll certainly take a ride in my BATTLEMASTAH this very evening. The standard configuration looks fun enough. I'll prolly just tinker a bit with upgrades, armour and heat sinks.
I just hope my training with Heavies over the past weeks has suitably prepared me for an Assault. I'm much more of a Light/Med pilot, usually.
Col. Dash wrote:Thats news to me. Last I heard all the Pheonix mechs were being released either on the 15th or the 17th of this coming week followed 2 days later by the standard non Pheonix versions for standard C-Bills or MC.
For those who do not Buy a Project Phoenix Package - The Standard Variants release schedule is currently set as:
Oct 15, 2013: Locust
Nov 20, 2013: Shadowhawk
Dec 18, 2013: Thunderbolt
Jan 22, 2014: Battlemaster - http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/124078-project-phoenix-faqs/
I imagine the Sabre Reinforcement 'Mechs will become available in February and March, respectively.
Patch notes, check out what they did for the spider.
Servers will be coming down at 10AM PDT as per usual, we'll let you know when they return.
PATCHNOTES:
Greetings MechWarriors!
It’s an exciting day! Today we’re releasing pre-ordered content to all players who purchased Project Phoenix. You’re among the first to pilot these mean machines! Project Phoenix is still on sale for a limited time with an end-date to be announced soon. Moving forward, Project Phoenix packages will be delivered during the regular maintenance period following your order (typically Tuesdays and Fridays around 10am PDT). We’re already drooling over Sabre Reinforcements...
Phoenix Loyalty Rewards hit the third and final phase, which means you're getting extra goodies as a small token of our gratitude. Please note the "Flame" pattern has been renamed Hotrod. Project Phoenix Faction Medallions can be claimed by visiting your profile on the website and selecting your preferred medallions.
More about today’s patch:
Halloween items have arrived! Deck out your cockpit with some spooky business. I'm excited to pilot my BattleMaster with our raging Hotrod skin and a smiling pumpkin to keep me company.
We've been reading your feedback and have tweaked the end-of-round screen. We hope you'll find that it’s easier to read the breakdown with this revision. Bug fixes include a slew of map stuck bugs and visual issues, so be sure to check out those in the verbose notes below.
Our special thanks to everyone who continues to submit feedback and bug reports. We've seen posts from many players giving us their suggestions from all over our forums, tickets and social media and we can’t reiterate enough how much we appreciate your contributions.
And of course, a huge thanks to our Talon, Storm, Guardian, and Overlord owners for your overwhelming support.
Tonight we’ll be raising a glass to you… and then we’ll be blasting out your cockpit.
Content
New Mechs
Locust LCT-1V
Tonnage: 20
Engine: 160 Standard
Top Speed: 129.6 kph
Max Engine Rating: 190
Torso Movement:
130 degrees to each side.
20 degrees up and down.
Arm Movement:
0 degrees to each side.
60 degrees up and down.
Armor: 128 (Standard)
Internal Structure: Standard
Weapons & Equipment:
Left Arm: Machine Gun
Center Torso: Medium Laser
Right Arm: Machine Gun
Hardpoints:
Left Arm: 2 Ballistic
Center Torso: 1 Energy
Right Torso: 1 AMS
Right Arm: 2 Ballistic
Heat Sinks: 10 Single
Jump Jets: 0 (0 Max)
ECM Capable?: No
Module Slots: 2
Movement Archetype: Tiny
Locust LCT-3M
Tonnage: 20
Engine: 160 Standard
Top Speed: 129.6 kph
Max Engine Rating: 190
Torso Movement:
130 degrees to each side.
20 degrees up and down.
Arm Movement:
0 degrees to each side.
60 degrees up and down.
Armor: 106 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Structure: Endo Steel
Weapons & Equipment:
Left Arm: Small Laser x2, AMS
Left Torso: CASE
Center Torso: Medium Laser
Right Arm: Small Laser x2
Hardpoints:
Left Arm: 2 Energy, 1 AMS
Center Torso: 1 Energy
Right Torso: 1 AMS
Right Arm: 2 Energy
Heat Sinks: 10 Single
Jump Jets: 0 (0 Max)
ECM Capable?: No
Module Slots: 2
Movement Archetype: Tiny
Locust LCT-3S
Tonnage: 20
Engine: 160 Standard
Top Speed: 129.6 kph
Max Engine Rating: 190
Torso Movement:
130 degrees to each side.
20 degrees up and down.
Arm Movement:
0 degrees to each side.
60 degrees up and down.
Armor: 88 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Structure: Endo Steel
Weapons & Equipment:
Left Arm: Streak SRM 2
Left Torso: CASE
Center Torso: Medium Laser
Right Arm: Streak SRM 2
Hardpoints:
Left Arm: 2 Missile
Center Torso: 1 Energy
Right Torso: 1 AMS
Right Arm: 2 Missile
Heat Sinks: 10 Single
Jump Jets: 0 (0 Max)
ECM Capable?: No
Module Slots: 2
Movement Archetype: Tiny
'Mech Customization:
Halloween Cockpit items.
New Hot Rod skin.
Gameplay
Light Mech Tuning
Commando COM-1B, -1D, -3A:
Increased maximum engine size to 240
Increased turning rate by 10%
Increased maximum reverse speed to 75% of forward speed
Commando COM-TDK:
Increased maximum engine size to 240
Raven RVN-2X, -4X:
Increased maximum engine size to 285
Increased maximum reverse speed to 75% of forward speed
Weapons
Impact shake when being hit by the following weapons has been reduced:
AC/5, SRM/4,SSRM/2, LB10-X
Impact shake when being hit by the following weapons has been increased:
AC/20, AC/10
Airstrike damage per shell has been increased from 10 up to 40.
Artillery damage per shell has been increased from 10 up to 40.
Performance
Remade LODs for several 'Mechs
Bug Fixes
Atlas Founder head hitbox returned to normal size (left eye) for all weapon types.
Streak SRMs no longer target the Blackjack's center torso exclusively.
Fixed an issue where users could see out of world when using 3rd person near a vertical piece of terrain.
Moving the reticle away from a targeted 'Mech will decay the lock-on once again.
Fixed a slew of map stuck bugs and visual issues.
Fixed an issue where certain 'Mech components would return a wrong index when they were hit with a ballistic or missiles, this would result in dealing damage to the wrong component.
Fixed a few collision issues on the Trebuchet and Hunchback.
General
Updated the Match Summary screen for improved clarity & readability.
The First Victory of the Day XP reward is now calculated after Premium Time and `Mech bonuses are applied.
This is a joke, though, right?
Dammit, those little buggers are hard enough to hitdamage already!
How do you guys take on Spiders? With my lasers, I never know whether I'm supposed to aim straight onto what I want to hit, or lead them a bit. I am still very used to pre-HSR combat.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Sweet Baby Jesus in the Golden Dippers can the Battlemaster have a bigger center torso @_@ Bust out the XLs no reason not to take them.
In better news I looks like I was right. Dump the Centurions gents the Shadowhawk is here.
What should my first bought mech be, I'm thinking catapult bit any ideas on weapons, only been playing for a few days and am yet to get a kill, but I could a few million C-bills so alls well and good.
The Dark Apostle wrote: What should my first bought mech be, I'm thinking catapult bit any ideas on weapons, only been playing for a few days and am yet to get a kill, but I could a few million C-bills so alls well and good.
Your first 50 matches I believe reward a huge C-Bill bonus! My advice to you sir is to play all fifty on the trial mechs first build up your cash. By the end you should hopefully have enough to buy any mech you want.
LRM's in my personal opinion are gimped at the moment but the Catapult K2 is a well rounded machine, able to use a ballistics or an energy builds and its small side torsos make an XL a no brainer giving you a lot of flexibility with weight. I like my dual AC10 Catapult but it is tight on space. I've also seen Dual LBX10 flanker Catapults. With a large XL engine a heavily armed Catapult can move as fast as most of the mediums.
You could also make the Splat-Cat. A Catapult that forgoes LRM's to use a hoard of SRM's. It's a suicide mech really cause once you engage you're unlikely to last too long under fire but the ability to smash some poor Atlas, Jeager, or Cataphract with 20+ SRM's is a devestating strike.
The classic LRM builds are of course still open, but I find them hit or miss. Its really dependent on your team how well they work out and how much ECM the enemy team has.
Well, if you've been playing for a few days, you gave all the four different weight classes a try by swapping through the Trial 'Mechs, yes?
Previous experience with one of those should be your primary indicator as to what type of 'Mech you're leaning towards.
Unfortunately, the Catapult wasn't in the Trial selection this month, which is a bit bad as missile support plays more differently from brawling than the difference between medium and heavy, but ... still, judging from your previous games, do you like to get "stuck in", or would you prefer staying in the back and just lobbing munitions at the enemy?
The Catapult is an excellent long range supporter as it is pretty much built specifically for this role. The K2 variant also makes for a bit of variety by switching the missile pods for a pair of enormous energy hardpoints - I've had a lot of fun playing it as a sort of tank destroyer with 2 Extended Range PPCs, backed up by twinlinked Machine Guns and Medium Pulse Lasers for some emergency brawling (rule #2 of artillery support: someone always breaks through the front lines).
I didn't know myself about the First 50 bonus- make sure to make good use of that, and go through all 50 before buying.
I skipped straight into Heavys as well, though I went Cataphract 4X and slapped 4 AC/5s on its arms- It essentially runs as a Rifleman. But there's a BIG difference in handling between all the four classes- definitely pay attention to that, and choose a Class before choosing a specific Mech, because there's guys that can handle most roles in all the different weight categories.
For instance, if you want Missile Boats, you can go with Trebuches in Medium, or Catapults, or Jaegers, or certain variants of Stalkers and even Atlases. I suppose you could even Missile Boat with a Commando or Jenner if you really wanted to. For sniping, you can mount an ERPPC or ERLL on pretty much anything. Everything has some sort of Energy hardpoint on it. All classes have Mechs with Ballistic hardpoints, and you can fit an AC/20 on a Raven (though I wouldn't suggest it).
Honestly, I don't believe any mech has had more playability for me than my first purchase- the venerable C1 catapult. It jumps, it has good speed, and a pretty respectable punch once the rockets are gone.
Unless it involves ballistics, the Catapult can do it and do it well. Triple LL is mighty satisfying, and even LRM5s from a Cat will make them run for cover.
This is a joke, though, right?
Dammit, those little buggers are hard enough to hitdamage already!
How do you guys take on Spiders? With my lasers, I never know whether I'm supposed to aim straight onto what I want to hit, or lead them a bit. I am still very used to pre-HSR combat.
Nope! No joke, I think I will repaint my spider red and yellow because I'm loving it!
Generally taking on spiders, any light or medium that can move arms independently of the torso can just track the target most of the time, some heavies can too, like the dragon, everyone else (and ballistic weapons) have to lead.
What do the arms have to do with hit detection, though?
Anvildude wrote:AC/20 on a Raven
Dear gods.
Spoiler:
[edit] I think I'm in love.
1st game. Did "only" ~450 damage (usually I'd be proud of that, but I guess Assaults need to pull more?), but scored 3 kills and had a bucket of fun.
Didn't change much on the loadout - just upped the engine to a 350 and added a couple DHS and an Anti-Missile System, plus tweaking the armour a bit.
We had 4 of those beasts on our team. Such a light show ...
Wow the Locust is weak. I was going to try fast sniper with one but damage output just wasnt there. So easy to kill one with a big gun it isnt funny. The main use for them I see is a super fast objective capper avoiding contacts much as possible or as a super light skirmisher in a mass dogfight slipping in shots from time to time hoping to be ignored.
Yeah, more than a little disappointed. The Locust is a walking Center Torso. Its small and fast but out of conquest I see little use for it.
The biggest disappointment though is the Shadowhawk. I don't know what it is with this mech, but it takes everything to the center torso. Even when I turn to the side I take hits to the center and there's a nice spot in the back to hit the center too. XL is for sure on it, but I was hoping for something different, especially since its taller than a Thunderbolt.
The LoLcust is bad. 20 tons isn't much to work with and as if to compound on this problem the mech is quite literally 50% legs and 50% center torso. I hope they raise the speed cap soon cause there's no justifiable reason to take the LoLcust over the Spider or the COmmando who can both use similar weapon load outs but get ECM, Jump Jets, and move just as fast with more armor and are only slightly larger. The whole mech is literally legs and torso I have no idea what they were thinking. The cockpit is also laughably hard to see out of.
Shadowhawk. Excellent mobile fire support mech. ANy build using a combo of Auto-Cannons will probably do great and one variant can boat SRM's. Unfortunately the Shadowhawk continues the 'Medium Walking Target Syndrome' of MWO by being as tall as a Highlander with 200 less armor and as if to compound that problem it has a massive center torso hitbox.
Thunderbolt I got a few games in with and imo this thing is a freaking gem! It's ugly as feth but its got a great armor lay out comparable to the Victor. You can slap an XL in this thing and with some good torso twist spread the damage through the entire mech. The (P) variant is excellent with a great weapon distribution. My biggest complain is that the other two variants are kind of meh. One is just an energy boater and the other is an energy boater with jump jets. This mech though is an amazing brawler base and one the mech tree gets x2 I imagine it'll be better.
Battlemaster I didn't get much play time with but from what I can tell is a walking center torso on par with the LoLcust and the Shadowhawk. It can't even torso twist well because it can't turn its torso 90 degrees. However it has a monsterous weapon loadout and a lot of speed and actually fairly heavier armor on its large center for an 85 tonner. Unfortunately I feel the Victor remains a blantantly better mech in most respects but I could see the Battlemaster finding its niche.
Anyone else having a more positive experince XD I'm a little disappointed that we have another gimped medium and the Battlemasterand LoLcust I find, a little baffling.
Didn't get to play yesterday, anyone tried the thunderbolt yet? I'm far more interested in that one.
If you like to brawl you're gonna be a very happy camper. Got tired of being constantly centered on the Hawk and loaded up the (P) Bolt with an AC10, 2 SRM6, 3 ML and an AMS and fell in love. Amazing mech. The Orion was a laughable disappointment as a brawler but the Thunderbolt finally delivers a solid pure fist fighter to the heavy teir of mechs. I'll also point out it has a low profile while stocky. I think its the shortest Heavy currently in game.
Soladrin wrote: Awesome, exactly what I wanted. AC10 biggest you can fit I assume?
To my disappointment none of the Battlemaster or TBolts can carry an AC20. They're short 2 slots. They can however carry the other ballistic hitters and there's room in the arm for dual AC5s. My current TBolt's biggest issue is heat cause she runs a weeeee bit hot for my tastes but I can work around it.
From the 10 or so games i played yesterday I have found that
1-Battlemasters die very easy to my Atlas
2-Tbolts die even easier to my Atlas
3-S'hawks live a little longer, but cannot repel my fully armed and operational battlestation .....er my Atlas 4-LoLcusts is JarJar and I dont even shoot at them let the other 5 LOLs on my team kill them since its the only thing they can hope to kill.
on a positive note I bet we might see more ecm commandos...
Well lets be honest. What doesn't die easily to an Atlas
But yeah, the LoLcust is a joke and I feel bad for anyone who bought them (including me). Half of its weight goes into its engine *(cause even with the largest XL you need 3 external Heat sinks). If its body wasn't (no joke hyperbole or exaggeration) all center torso, and it actually had decent hit boxes it could work but right now it's just one massive joke. If they boost the speed cap to allow it to exceed the current cap of 151 it might find a niche for super speed but I can't see any reason to take it over a Spider. Thing is so damn easy to kill. At best the enemy team stupidly tries to chase you to get an easy kill. Though someone might get a lucky shot off and core you in your first pass.
Maybe if we're lucky there will be enough outrage over the lacklusterness of the Phoenix mechs to get PGI to finally start fixing some of the games core mechanics but I doubt that'll happen. But I can dream
On the bright side even PGI can't screw up worse than ANet did in yesterdays Guardian Warriors 2 patch.
I'm loving the Shadow Hawk at the moment, it can carry a large and rounded weapons loadout, it has decent speed although it does tend to run a wee bit hot for my liking (using my loadout anyway).
Can someone check to see if the Non-Phoenix variants came with the hotrod camo spec and colours, because mine did, but I don't remember it being in the phoenix pacakage.
Krellnus wrote: I'm loving the Shadow Hawk at the moment, it can carry a large and rounded weapons loadout, it has decent speed although it does tend to run a wee bit hot for my liking (using my loadout anyway).
Can someone check to see if the Non-Phoenix variants came with the hotrod camo spec and colours, because mine did, but I don't remember it being in the phoenix pacakage.
It was an add on (like a Kick Starter stretch goal) and yeah. My guess is that they are available as usually the camo specs are across a mech line not tied to just one of its variants.
Krellnus wrote: I'm loving the Shadow Hawk at the moment, it can carry a large and rounded weapons loadout, it has decent speed although it does tend to run a wee bit hot for my liking (using my loadout anyway).
Can someone check to see if the Non-Phoenix variants came with the hotrod camo spec and colours, because mine did, but I don't remember it being in the phoenix pacakage.
It was an add on (like a Kick Starter stretch goal) and yeah. My guess is that they are available as usually the camo specs are across a mech line not tied to just one of its variants.
Oh silly me, although weirdly you cannot use it on your actual phoenix variant.
I'm loving the LB 10X AC, not having used ballistic weapons in forever I must have forgotten my Fedcom roots
To be honest, the new mechs are not supposed to be better than anything else. I am sure they will have their niches just like every other mech does. All they are, are more mechs to diversify things. They shouldnt outclass anything else already in game nor should anything really outclass them.
I am starting to figure out the Locust. I have 4 small lasers and a medium pulse on mine. I use it as either a capper or a fast skirmisher in battle missions. Essentially wait for a big fight and then run in and start popping shots into rear armor or legs. Often when lasers are flying people dont even notice a gradual change in armor color when they are doing somethign else. Its not great but I am starting to average 100+ damage a round (compared to 250+ in my Jenner) but heat management is a pain. Just scoot in fire off shots and find someplace to cool down(I am not spending the money to upgrade to double heat sinks on a mech I am selling as soon as I have all the basic exp slots finished)
I want to add 2 or so gauss rifles on to my catapult for my first custom mech, other than this no ideas as I really haven't seen much of the game. I want some weapons to take on the fast buggers, not effectiveness just some offence, maybe a LRM.
Ya, Streaks and Pulse Lasers. MGs are doing okay these days, too, I think - their total DPS is on par with Small Lasers, but you can fire continuously, they produce next to no heat, and their spread means you've got a good chance of at least doing some damage.
Its rarely used, I did use it in that match though but that was a great match very balanced teams....well kind of
That looks interesting. I might keep the build a go and see how it goes for me.
@-ledabot I try to stay at super long range with it for as long as i can using the zoom module to my advantage. I chain fire the ER's but leave the Ac2's twin linked.
I think one of the things that makes the 2's better then the 5's for me is I'm able to lead my targets better due to the higher recycle rate of the ac2.
Then if you get pestered from Lights you got the 3 streak's, not to mention the ac2's and ER's work well at any range.
Gotta say, the Hawk is growing on me. Bugger is fast as hell and when loaded with ballistic weapons a real armor shredder. The Triple AC2 and AC20 builds can really tear it up while having more than enough speed and mobility to avoid taking too many hits.
Recently started catching up on the Command Chair posts and noticed the talk of MASC. Suddenly the Locust's hit boxes actually make sense. if it can hit 200kph using MASC once it releases, it'll be faster than hell and without that huge hit box killing it will be beyond challenging.
R if it hasent already been said
