144 replies to this topic

[Weztside]

I sift through the forums and half of the threads are full of LRM hate. I'm starting to think they are all the type of player that loads up with short range weapons and charges into battle without thinking about what they're doing or what weapons the enemy team may be using. It's farely easy to dodge LRM fire and break locks if you play a certain way. If you have ECM or have a teammate with ECM you have a large amount of immunity from LRM bombardments as well. Is it really that impossible to adapt your preferred mechs to meet multiple situations or are you simply too stubborn in your ways? I for one love the feeling of melting a mech with LRM's and focusing fire with teammates. Does that make me noob or am I simply exploiting a weakness in most player's mech builds?

[Ranek Blackstone]

Most of the hate is that LRM fire requires very very little skill to be effective in combat. Get a target, lock on and bombard. GGs all round folks.

[The Cheese]

Ranek Blackstone, on 17 March 2013 - 04:00 PM, said:

Most of the hate is that LRM fire requires very very little skill to be effective in combat. Get a target, lock on and bombard. GGs all round folks.

I'd argue that it takes just as much skill to not get hit by them.

I think that the problem with LRMs isn't how easy they are to use, it's the way they're implemented in the game. Stupid high damage balanced by stupid low accuracy was never going to fly.

Edited by The Cheese, 17 March 2013 - 04:03 PM.

[tuokaerf]

No, they're perfectly viable. There are some issues with splash damage that can cause more damage than intended from LRMs (and other missiles) right now that's causing some rage.

Stick to cover and you're usually fine.

[JSparrowist]

LRM's are stupid in their current configuration. I stick to cover and rarely die to them but G D are they annoying as hell! They literally take no skill to use once a brawl starts for the kind of damage they do.

No QQ just griping about how I personally believe they should be toned down just a smidge for balance sake.

[wolf74]

Tell me one other weapon that makes you hold a lock for 13sec to get a max range hit with it?

[M4rtyr]

I don't hate them, just think they need to be changed to be more inline with other weapons. i didn't play before ECM, but I expect there was ALOT more 'hate' on LRMs back then.

But yeah, the implementation is just wrong on them.

[Davers]

People like to pretend there is great skill involved in using non-LRM weapons. You can't go to the forums and read the QQ threads looking for honest discussion. Everyone is arguing for their style of play by attacking other styles.

The truth is that LRM boats sacrifice a lot to get that damage potential, usually speed and up close defense. They are very vulnerable to flanking maneuvers, but people who pilot slow assaults would rather complain than pilot more nimble mechs.

[Tickdoff Tank]

I don't hate LRMs. Occasionally I hate myself for getting caught out in the open and killed by LRMs, but that is my fault for not paying attention. It is also possible for a skilled LRM player to engage me while I am in a vulnerable position, and I can't be mad at my enemy for that either.

[M4rtyr]

Davers, on 17 March 2013 - 04:06 PM, said:

People like to pretend there is great skill involved in using non-LRM weapons. You can't go to the forums and read the QQ threads looking for honest discussion. Everyone is arguing for their style of play by attacking other styles.

The truth is that LRM boats sacrifice a lot to get that damage potential, usually speed and up close defense. They are very vulnerable to flanking maneuvers, but people who pilot slow assaults would rather complain than pilot more nimble mechs.

I do so love this arguement. Stop complaining about LRM's doing sick damage, just don't use half the mechs in the game and use a fast one so LRM's do abosolutely nothing.

Talk about an all or nothing approach. That's not balance, not even close.

[Ryvucz]

I can think of a different weapon that requires even less skill and has a much higher hit ratio.

[Naja]

Ranek Blackstone, on 17 March 2013 - 04:00 PM, said:

Most of the hate is that LRM fire requires very very little skill to be effective in combat. Get a target, lock on and bombard. GGs all round folks.

I think you're over simplifying it drastically. Granted LRM's require very little 'skill' to fire, but proper firing positions and reaction to incoming missiles/mechs becomes more important than with a direct fire mech. You have to maintain that lock for about 5 or 6 seconds on average, which means getting set up in a location where you can do so without getting a face full of fire. Proper team coordination is also vital to effectively use LRMS so saying that they require little skill to be effective in combat is just not true.

I will concede that if people want to wander out in the open then an LRM user will chew them up, but that's just because the enemy failed to utilise cover so close the gap.

Taking LRMS is also a sacrifice as once that gap is closed, they essentially have dead weight and must rely on their backup weapon systems alone.

Just because they use a lock on system does not make them easy mode, unless the people they're engaging are silly enough to stand out in the open and not use cover. Which really isn't that hard, from what I can remember I have not died a single time to LRM fire since closed beta.

[Inyc]

wolf74, on 17 March 2013 - 04:04 PM, said:

Tell me one other weapon that makes you hold a lock for 13sec to get a max range hit with it?

If you're shooting out an LRM 10, thats 18 damage. Thats the equivalent of 2 shots of ER Large Laser which means you'd be firing, waiting, firing, waiting for 3.25 seconds, firing again (takes 1 second) so 4,25 seconds to do that damage with ER Large Laser.

1/3rd as long... except you are exposed to return fire when using the ER Large Laser. More risk = more reward.

LRMs have very low risk and so have very low reward in most situations. The main issue is not so much how powerful they are but more that they force everyone to play a certain way as soon as there is a single LRM boater on the field. Of course its never a bad idea to be hugging cover at all times vs any sort of enemy fire... but the LRM boat completely prevents brawls period. As soon as you engage an enemy, you run the very real risk of getting LRM pounded in a situation where you can't head for cover.

I would say the best way to "fix" LRMs is to greatly cut down on their trajectory jinking on the last part of their descent when fired blind.

[Scryed]

Well I for one love LRM's, anyone stupid enough to cross open flat terrain should be focused upon and fire upon until they die. But my Atlas has back up weapons and ac 20 and 2 med laser to go with my 3 lrm 15's, So I can function at most ranges.

[Roadkill]

LRMs are OP vs stupid people, and nearly useless against good pilots.

It is for that reason, however, that they need to be tweaked. Anything that accentuates the gulf between the good pilots and the bad pilots is bad for the game. We need lots of bad pilots to play and buy bobbleheads and paint for their Mechs. If we constantly destroy them with LRMs they'll stop playing and PGI won't be able to continue development.

[Idolo]

The problem comes when both teams have an overabundance of missile boats, at that point it becomes a game of who dares to peek out of cover first and get murdered, makes for a very "static" match.

Since the change in missile flight path missile boating seems to be the flavour of the month, it will pass. I'm already seeing more balanced teams in my matches.

[Lucky Noob]

I think Lrm`s in general are fine, an great Weapon with various Roles it can fill ( Supress, Damage, Stop Advances)

An Single LRM Boat as well is not an real Problem if you just get close.

An LRM Boat, needs Tag, Artemis, Advanced Sensor Range Module, Target Decay Module to fully functions.

If an Enemie who is able to do serious Damge comes close, he is lost as he lacks enough Firepower to counter.

An Proble are several LRM Boats whith an forward Observer playing as an 4 Man Team, Able to spot an "good" Tagret and able to focus missle Fire blasts any Mech in Pieces.

So as usual its not the 1 Boat, its the Premade Group who meets an Horde of uncoordinated Pugs.

[Grand Ayatollah Kerensky]

LRMs are bad enough for serious players not to consider using, but good enough to be really annoying.

[p00k]

i hate lrms

on my teammates. i love em on enemy mechs

[Azzura]

Speaking as an Atlas player. The only thing I notice is they seem to cut my CT to shreds ---like it is nothing (if I happen to get caught in the open). I always prefer to stay in cover...but sooner or later you have to move from cover.