That is completely untrue. I cringe whenever I see players don't use arm lock properly and spam laser damage all over the enemy because the torso weapons are trying to catch up with the arm weapons.
Arm lock (hereafter referred to as AL) has a very important use: Pinpoint damage. Especially for laserdrill builds
There are uses for AL off and on. And using both correctly makes for a better pilot. There is no correct default mode, it's a matter of preference, and a matter of what chasis you are playing at that point.
Cases for AL off
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5b933aa31ce18a6
Your arm weapons operate independently of the torso weapons. In this case, AL off is preferred. Especially since the torso mounted SRMs are not pin point weapons. having AL off doesn't affect your ability to do pinpoint damage where you want it.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5bb2646c0c71d11
Similarly arm weapons operate independently of the torso weapons. Doesn't matter whether AL is on or off by default. But you should hit arm lock on when going for an alpha to ensure pinpoint damage.
Cases for AL on
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b84f209178b149e
laserdrill build with both arm and torso mounted weapons. AL on is actually better when playing such build. all your damage goes to the same location. it is up to the player to toggle AL on and off according to preference and situation. but most of the time, AL on is more convenient.
The bottom line is, there is no right or wrong when it comes to AL on or off by default. But it matters when you choose to use either modes. There are a lot of nuances on each mech that I can't possibly cover here when it comes to whether to do AL on or off. So the player has to discover them for themselves
Edited by knightsljx, 12 April 2016 - 04:44 PM.