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What do the arms have to do with hit detection, though?

Anvildude wrote:AC/20 on a Raven

Dear gods.
[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.

Didn't get to play yesterday, anyone tried the thunderbolt yet? I'm far more interested in that one.

My early thoughts after day one;

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.

Awesome, exactly what I wanted. AC10 biggest you can fit I assume?

 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.

From what I can tell, you can take out a Locust leg with a single AC/10 round. A bit tricky to get on target, but dang.

It's like the maxim from "It's a Wonder Life." Every time you connect with an AC round, a Locust loses its leg!

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.

 LordofHats wrote:

 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

So I just saw an IGP developer in a game. Poor guy was in a Locust... We all know what happened.

Dear god.

He was actually pretty good natured about it

"if you run a locust...you're gonna have a bad time"

That is all.

Made an image and everything last night...but the host link is dead this morning. Huh.

I had a great game tonight. I was telling Hells about my atlas build and he decided to give it a shot. Do you think he liked it?

Are you gona share, or just leave that their for us all to see?

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)

@ Ledabot I use advance sensor range MK2, Zoom, target decay MK2, and cool shot 9 for my modules.

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=17&l=afcfb389e76fb3d84afb04012d0de3cea0973974

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.

Then streak 2s are your friend.^^^ BTW if you add 2 gauss you wont have room for much else, including ammo.

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.

Deathshead420 wrote:cool shot 9

Booh!

Those numbers look scary, tho.

That looks interesting. I might keep the build a go and see how it goes for me.

has dakka dakka officially made a merc corps?

Deathshead420 wrote:
cool shot 9
Booh!

Those numbers look scary, tho.

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.

Thought I'd mention I play. Same username as here.

Someone mentioned putting an AC-20 on a raven, and since I had a raven and an AC-20, I tried it...

_e

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.