10 replies to this topic

[x_Forged_x]

Hey all, I only had the game a week or so, and loving it. I recently tried some runs in faction play, and some things I experienced have led me to some questions. I'm running 1 locust, 2 banshee, 1 battlemaster. (laser vomit/meta builds from metamechs.com)

1. KODIAKS - Are these clan mech considered OP/Better? Several of the games, these mech's made up the vast majority of every enemy drop over several different games. The ballistics they bring are annoying, not some much the cockpit shake, but they don't seem to have heat issues like myself. After 4/5 volleys, less if I alpha, I need a heat break, they just keep pushing, spamming away, and I hate feeling defenseless or unable to help allies as I watch them get overran.

2. IS TANKING ACTUALLY AN OPTION: In one group, several guys had mic's were calling plans/targets, so we had bit of coordination going for us. I was in my Battlemaster, full front loaded armor, so naturally I felt I should lead the charge. I was erased before my first volley fully cycled. I understand focus fire, but not being able to really acutally tank has made me feel as though I should run lighter mechs, as it seems speed/poking/peeking is king.

3. QUE TIMES: 10+ mins at times, even when the battle has say 34/28 bodies in it. I believe I read groups get preference, and if I want to CW I should find a unit/group to run with, which I do want to do, but I felt I need to get a passable stable of mechs before hand. Also seems kinda dead on NA around midnight my time, central. Normal or can I improve the "solo" que time.

Thanks in advance for any thought s offered

[S 0 L E N Y A]

1) yes, especially the KDK-3. It is broken, but PGI does not care.

2) It can be, but obviously nothing is invulnerable, especially against several other mechs shooting at you.

3) pretty normal and a long topic of discussion in these parts.

[Xaat Xuun]

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

Hey all, I only had the game a week or so, and loving it. I recently tried some runs in faction play, and some things I experienced have led me to some questions. I'm running 1 locust, 2 banshee, 1 battlemaster. (laser vomit/meta builds from metamechs.com)

1. KODIAKS - Are these clan mech considered OP/Better?

nope/just a bit . not any pilot can use a Kodiak and look OP, but can look better. a IS Heavy can take out a Kodiak, again depends on the Pilot skills and environment

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

2. IS TANKING ACTUALLY AN OPTION:

If you're pushing, and the rest of the team don't push with you, you just wasted a Mech. If you're the spear head, chances are, you are going to be first to be destroyed, it's to be expected, but it's not the option/Plan. Also if you are going to be the spearhead, don't have a XL engine in a IS mech. A IS Push and Clan Push, will not look the same.
In a tanky world, Clan might be better, but still IS can out damage
IS focus fire is better then Clan Focus fire
it's a funky Balance, and comes to more piloting skills and use of the mech (it's role)

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

3. QUE TIMES: 10+ mins at times, even when the battle has say 34/28 bodies in it. I believe I read groups get preference, and if I want to CW I should find a unit/group to run with, which I do want to do, but I felt I need to get a passable stable of mechs before hand. Also seems kinda dead on NA around midnight my time, central. Normal or can I improve the "solo" que time.

Thanks in advance for any thought s offered

some nights it can be a couple hours even in a team/group
you can see a 21/24, and nothing queuing, might be 3 seven premade player groups, just need a stop watch (if other side is in Queue) and if time is getting close one of those premades might need to split up and avoid the other side getting a Ghost drop, and you got yourself a match

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Xaat Xuun, on 19 October 2016 - 01:09 PM, said:

nope/just a bit . not any pilot can use a Kodiak and look OP, but can look better. a IS Heavy can take out a Kodiak, again depends on the Pilot skills and environment

When we discuss these things we generally presume that an externality such as pilot skill is a wash. Otherwise the answer to just about any question here will devolve into: "it depends on who the better pilot is."

So that aside, yes the KDK is OP. But it is not invincible. I would suggest searching the general forum about this, as it has already been (and still is) discussed to death.

[naterist]

bro, id recommend waiting another couple weeks in qp practicing until you get a feel for it, then go to Community Warfare. itll help a lot. also, clans are still slightly op if you look at it straight on. you gotta really research and focus on your playstyle and skills before you can make an IS mech do good. train with one of the other teams when you strt going CW. itll help you make friends and help you understand how CW is supposed to be played. I did that, my damage has doubled since I started. but don't feel bad, Kodiaks are op as heck. they have the speed of a mech 25 tons lighter and armour and weapons load that almost out does anything an IS pilot can get on their machine. until that's fixed, either with debuff quirks or something similar, clans will keep droppin and destroying. I started calling a clans first wave the Kodiak company since its almost always a 12 man Kodiak rush right off the bat in CW. just don't get discouraged, itll get better some day soon. in fact, last I heard, pgi was working on fixing it as we speak, and I believe them when they say they'll fix it.

[The Basilisk]

1. Yes that mech is the strongest mech ingame atm (still sucks when a bunch of lights open your back when driving the mean machine)
Remember the enemy team has also a 250T drop limit per player. So a maximum of 24 KDKs is possible. (2 waves)
But their remaining waves would now be Mistlynx. So its most likely 12 KDK 24heavys and 12 lights.
Actually the AC Kosiak isn't even the most dangerous kind in FW. Imagine 12 100T comming at you armed with dual Gauss and dual ERPPCs thats 12x60 dmg in split seconds.
I saw this just once (whimper)

2. No actually tanking is not an option. Tanking is a term from fantasy rpgs like WoW, RoM or similar stuff.
Its a missconception to assume someone who cant be healed would basicaly do nothing but soak dmg.
Also every mech dies instantly when focused so drawing aggro of a group to attract their fire away from your team is just taking away a mech from your team.
The correct term you are searching is armor sharing.
This can be a quite tricky art to master. Basicaly the term means you and your team present the enemy multiple interchanging targets at once making it difficult to focus and alpha on single mechs.

3. Queue time is better for organized preformed groups but 10 mins are still not too seldom.
The momentary mass of new well performing clan mechs and the fact that the previous IS alpha predetor mechs have been nerfed into oblivion by the size generalization and quirk pass in spring this year and the fact the other IS mechs released this year where mediocre at best makes queues a bit onesided.
The large bias of events on QP side does the rest. Everyone plays QP.

Edited by The Basilisk, 19 October 2016 - 03:01 PM.

[x_Forged_x]

Thanks for the input guys, pretty much seems my impressions were fairly accurate. I look forward to CW, QP isn't why I became interested in this game, and I put out good numbers there, granted still in a low tier though.

[Leone]

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

1. KODIAKS

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

After 4/5 volleys, less if I alpha, I need a heat break, they just keep pushing, spamming away, and I hate feeling defenseless or unable to help allies as I watch them get overran.

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

(laser vomit/meta builds from metamechs.com)

The answer is right there.

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

2. IS TANKING ACTUALLY AN OPTION:

Tanking like an Atlas.
Yes, tanking is totally a thing. Seriously, watch my aim that match. Atrocious. But when I pressed in my team followed. We won not due to my Gunnery/Mech skills, but because we all tromped forward together, and fought a series of unfair battles with more mechs against various smaller pockets of resistance.

Generally, however, you'll wanna swap out after you've tanked some. You'll notice I hung back a bit once I lost a torso. Spread the armour around a bit so your team lasts longer. In presses, it's the team that shares armour that emerges victorious. Against more concetrated fire you'll want something faster to draw fire, and don't forget, twisting to survive that much longer.

This is not to say that you cannot hide an poke, but if your team's moving in, go with em. The numbers will tell.

Ultra Spank, on 19 October 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

3. QUE TIMES:

Yeah, things've been kinda sparse of late. I personally went an found a group I enjoyed launching with, an joined up, because yeah, teams can queue up faster. Usually if I'mma drop solo, I'll do so on defense to get faster matches, but I don't expect wins when pugging it up like that.

~Leone

Edited by Leone, 19 October 2016 - 09:23 PM.

[Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky]

Word of advice:

Most non-assault pilots think an assault mechs job is to take all incomming fire so that the non-assault mechs can be safe from harm.

This is absolutelly not the case!

both teams have a finite armor value!

While assaults can have he most armor, these values can drop while under fire.

It is generally precieved that those with the most current armor values (regardless of weight class) should be at the front of a charge, other team mates should be willing to step up and take lead as values drop. Rotating your teams mechs about the front line needs to be dynamic and fluid in nature. This is often called sharing armor (as others previously have already stated). A heavilly damaged but functional mech is more poweful then a destroyed mech. Keeping ally mechs alive needs to be part of everyones agenda because having more mechs than the opposing side generally leads to higher chances of victory (due to weight of fire being greater).

Also, dont just haphazardly throw away your mechs if your in an assault. Charging into a gun-line of bears (without a plan) will melt your face quick. Make sure your team knows (and agrees with the plan) that you are going to attempt a push before you actually jump out of cover guns blazing. An assault mech does not have the mobility to quickly (and easily) change tactics on the fly. Once you leave cover, you are basically commited- so make sure the rest of your team is commited as well!

[Rogue Jedi]

Tanking is Totally possible, but if half the enemy team is shooting you you will not last more than 10 seconds (assuming ther are competent shots)

There are a few Mechs which when well piloted seem able to take way more damage than other comparable Mechs when we'll piloted, those, in my experiance from ether piloting or trying to kill, include the Crab (not king crab), Griffin Marauder, Stalker and Atlas but there are others, and not everyone will agree with that list.

[justcallme A S H]

I've regularly crank out between 1200-1800dmg in a KDK3 in FP. No other mech I run comes close to that, with the same level of ease, it's definitely OP.

Coming against 4-5 KDK3s backed up with other dakka/vomit, it is incredibly tough to beat as IS. I mean it's not impossible (I faced a 12KDK wave 2 nights ago in IS). It was an 8-man vs 12-man, 8man wave had 12 KDKs.

So while it is not unbeatable, it is incredibly hard work to do so. The fact we did beat it, actually surprised me... And by beat, I mean it wasn't until wave 3 when they were under-tonned due to dropping a 100t early (vs out 65-75t x 3 decks) that we clawed it back for a victory essentially due to weight/dps left over. I honestly was shocked to win that game, it's rare to beat it.

But ye, Boogie has sorted the rest.

Edited by justcallme A S H, 21 October 2016 - 01:53 PM.