95 replies to this topic

[Star Wolves Admin Account]

Any thoughts?

I know lights are in the minority now but that tends to be because they aren't as good of money earners (why earn 100k in a kitfox when I can earn 200 in a direwolf). That really doesn't mean one is harder to play than the other though.

I personally think assaults are harder and here is why. The razzle dazzle play of a light can be learned by tearing around the map enough. Some may be better than others true but do it enough and you will be semi-competent.

Assaults on the other hands require an understanding of every weapon system out there since you are so slow and will have to learn how to avoid all of the with positioning rather than speed. Playing an assault forces me to learn my exact profile, how I fit on map contours, and what are my exact limits on firepower.

Anyone agree or disagree or just have a completely different take?

[Carrie Harder]

I hold the opposite view. With a larger mech, I can usually survive more alpha strikes and arty spam to my face than I can with smaller mechs. Getting hit by a huge alpha with say, a Kit Fox, will make me have to cower for the rest of the match, while I can tank several similar alphas with a Shadow Hawk or w/e. Also, due to moving so fast, I find it harder to make the right split-second life-or-death decision than with mechs in the 70-100 kph range...you get less time to react/think.

Edited by Carrie Harder, 06 September 2014 - 05:47 PM.

[dario03]

I find assaults easier. Big firepower and armor.

[Monkey Lover]

Lights are easier when hitreg sucks like it has been for the last few months. Assaults are easier when hitreg is working

[Sephlock]

It really depends on the individual mech.

I don't have experience with the mech post-buffs, but for quite a long while piloting an Awesome was... a less than awesome experience. It wasn't TERRIBLE (well, some variants weren't- I'm looking at you, Pretty Baby), but... meh.

OTOH you have the Firestarter, which is the way, the truth, and the life.

[Johnny Reb]

Blueduck, on 06 September 2014 - 05:44 PM, said:

Any thoughts?

I know lights are in the minority now but that tends to be because they aren't as good of money earners (why earn 100k in a kitfox when I can earn 200 in a direwolf). That really doesn't mean one is harder to play than the other though.

I personally think assaults are harder and here is why. The razzle dazzle play of a light can be learned by tearing around the map enough. Some may be better than others true but do it enough and you will be semi-competent.

Assaults on the other hands require an understanding of every weapon system out there since you are so slow and will have to learn how to avoid all of the with positioning rather than speed. Playing an assault forces me to learn my exact profile, how I fit on map contours, and what are my exact limits on firepower.

Anyone agree or disagree or just have a completely different take?

IS lights hand down! best pilots in this game play IS lights.

[Darian DelFord]

Johnny Reb, on 06 September 2014 - 07:01 PM, said:

IS lights hand down! best pilots in this game play IS lights.

Yup

[Fire and Salt]

Well, in some matches it is impossible to do well in an assault mech, because you get the spawn at the "tail" of your team and everyone runs counterclockwise so you get stuck fighting 5 mechs at once because your lance of 3 medium mechs ran away from you.

Worst part is, your lance probably did the right thing abandoning you.

Separate spawn points are bad. I blame them for the stupid counter-clockwise metagame.




However, if the game doesn't crap on you with an isolated spawn you can certainly rack up some damage with an assault 'mech.



Not to sound like one of them damn hippies, but they are both hard to play, in different ways.

Assault mechs require really good situational awareness.
Light mechs require crazy piloting skills.

[InspectorG]

Im better with lights so i am biased.

I just got a Victor, and it feels like im waking through an ocean of molasses.

[nehebkau]

Lights are harder to play without a doubt. You can't make a mistake in a light and expect to survive these days. You can't lag-out or desync and expect to survive. In an assault, there is only 1 fatal mistake you can make, going off alone; in a light any mistake is fatal.

That having been said, when they (lights) are good, they are very good.

[Phex]

Normally I drive lights. (Spider and Raven) They are a real challange. But I like them. You need a good overview of the battlefield, fast reactions and a wrong decision is usually fatal.
Furthermore, you don`t get usually get rewarded, neither by the team (a simple thank you) nor from the game. (C-bills / Xp = spotting, reconnaissance, ECM, AMS, etc.)
If I want to play something quiet I take my banshee.
If you don`t go running alone and always stay in a group is really relaxed in contrast to the light`s.
So yes, lights are more difficult! But more fun!

(This is a personal opinion)

Greetings Phex

[Garandos]

Assaults are punishing you more for mistakes made by your team.

Lights are more forgiving on that end, as you can keep up with everybody NP, Assaults can easily get left in the cold, in which case you maybe die last, but your team lost anyway.

on the other hand, lights are punishing you for bad decisions way more, poking over the wrong ridge in an Atlas, well you most likely can get back behind it,
in a jenner? you most likely end up death or heavily damaged.

Damage wise, there is not really a difference, i dare to say, Assaults have more weapons, but you often get to use them less frequently then lights, while a good, aggressive, light pilot can fire non stop, so the Assaults window of opportunity to deal his high damage, is smaller, then the lights chance to deal small but frequent damage.

But all in all, given you have a premade Group aviable, i think, there is not much difference in difficulty, as you have the communication you need.

In PUGs, well, lights are the way to go, as you are never in a situation, where the faster guys zip away to chase a squirell, leaving you on your own, to get swarmed by the enemy team, so Assaults are somewhat luck dependant in PUGs.

[Torgun]

InspectorG, on 06 September 2014 - 07:55 PM, said:

Im better with lights so i am biased.

I just got a Victor, and it feels like im waking through an ocean of molasses.

That's because you are doing it, 80t assault with the turn and twist rate of an 100t, PGI logic.

OP: Lights are generally harder to play, especially now with the overly done fall damage that can break your legs so fast since your higher speed automatically make you end up in situations where you're falling down.

Edited by Torgun, 07 September 2014 - 04:27 AM.

[El Bandito]

Double Gauss can really ruin a Light's day.

[Jabilo]

Very different skill sets.

I have worked very hard to become a bad ass light pilot (Spiders, Commandos, Firestarters being my favourites).

However I suck balls in my Atlas DDC, I just can not get the hang of moving that slowly.

Under 100 tons I am fine (such as a Highlander) but piloting a 100 tonner well is a skill I genuinely admire.

[Joseph Mallan]

For me its Lights. I am a stand and deliver death dealing Meat Shield. Though I understand the tactics needed to be a Light Pilot, I do not have the... personality type. I'm the Hulk not Drzzt Du'Urden.

[Kvaneal]

Considering my performance in trial assaults I believed they were awful option for me. After a year of nothing but lights and mediums I bought and mastered Stalkers, thanks to their wonderful sale price. Have been loving the damage output of the assault and was thinking I had a new love, so decided to check stats. My wonderful Firestarter, with avg damage per match of 336, enjoys a win/loss rate of 1.63. The poor old Stalker with the mean 404 dmg/match, has a lowly .83 win/loss. I think for me, lights are best.

[Blacksoul1987]

Difficulty is the same across all the chassis IMO. Assaults would seem to be easier to play because more armor and firepower but your are required to operate at tip top performance regardless of what you take. I do a lot more damage in assaults than I do in lights however it must also be said that if I don't do that damage my team will likely not win.

[stjobe]

Assaults and Lights require two different skill sets; neither is harder or easier than the other, just different.

I'm a reasonably proficient Light pilot, an okay Medium pilot, not very good as a Heavy pilot, and atrocious as an Assault pilot. So for me, the heavier it gets (or perhaps the slower it gets), the harder it is to play.

For others - like Joe Mallan above - it's the other way around.

There's no hard and fast answer to your question, OP. It depends on the pilot.

[Star Wolves Admin Account]

Hey All,

Good discussion in here. Thanks much for the input and feedback.