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(designs very similar or identical to this design have become a plague on the competitive/organized MWO scene: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a2a0ef2176da7db )
And before someone jumps in about how their 2 ER Large Laser Spider is amazing and racks up 1000 damage and 6 kills every drop, I am discussing this in regard to competitive and organized play, generally with respect to Run Hot or Die league and other organized 8-man drops -- not 4 man pick up groups or random solo drops -- where things are free to be a little different.
The design principles of good light mechs remains the same as ever: max or near max speed, max or near max armour, respectable heat management, efficient use of hardpoints, and optimization (Endo Steel, usually Ferro Fibrous, DBHS, etc).
But the thing about light mechs was that there used to be a pretty high skill ceiling -- it was generally where many teams put their most skilled pilots. A star light mech pilot could make all the difference between victory and defeat, and -- especially when collisions were still present in the game -- you could very quickly distinguish between a great light pilot and a weak one.
Now the netcode improvement has reduced the number of faux light aces running about with a lag shield, but the remaining light game remains more or less the same as when the lag shield was still present. 3L Ravens tediously attempting to get Streak locks to put down rival 3L Ravens.
And this is the problem: these light mech battles are tedious, do not require much skill (especially compared to the old 6 SLas Jenner days), and the moment that one side can achieve Streak lock or ECM superiority - then that side has won the light mech battle. An average pilot offers almost the exact same performance as a skilled pilot in these situations, and the ability to really excel is often limited.
The issues, as I see them:
- Streak Missile Dominance -- streaks are basically the sure fire way to land damage on light mechs, especially because of the netcode, but even with perfect netcoding they would remain an ideal weapon. They are easy to use, benefit from half lock on time with Artemis IV (at no tonnage cost), and almost guarantee damage done. First team to get an opportunity to spam SSRM2s wins the light fight.
- ECM requirement -- because of the success of Streak missiles, ECM becomes totally mandatory on light mechs. The null signature and disruption are nice kickers, but ECM is prevalent because it shuts down Streak missiles. Thus, every light battle is basically Ravens circle strafing one another until one goes down, and then SSRM2 the hell out of the remaining Raven. Sometimes a Cicada shows up.
- Non-ECM lights will lose to ECM lights, smaller lights will lose to larger lights, and slower lights will lose to faster lights (generally in that order with regard to importance) -- making the 3L Raven the only real option (the 2D Commando comes close but is too easily blown apart). As such, we pretty much never see anything but 3L Ravens with ~3 Medium lasers, 2 SSRM2s, and a ~295XL engine.
- Raven Hitbox Issues. The biggest complaint I have been hearing from our old Jenner pilots with regard to the Raven are the strange and messed up hitboxes. Hitting the Raven's "knee" area often puts damage onto a torso section, and even the improved netcode has not been reliable for leg hits registering properly.
- Because of the Streak missile abuse and the Raven hitbox issues, precise aiming is not required or even expected from a light pilot in the current meta. The 6 SLas Jenner was never a brilliant or clever build, but it did require consistent aim and skillful piloting -- the 3L Raven requires none of these things.
- Lack of Collisions. I realize this is being worked on and will be implemented at some point again, but with no collisions there is not much to separate great pilots from poor pilots, and little for light mechs to do in battle other than tediously circle strafe and hope for a Streak-lock.
- Irrelevance of Jump Jets. Jump jets used to be a defining feature of good Jenner pilots, but they are much less effective now, to the point where many light pilots do not bother. Jumping offers little escape and limited tactical advantage, especially from Streak SRMs, so being able to jump means little when the ECM/Streak combination is dominate.
"The 3L Raven - It's the right mech for the light position for all the wrong reasons." - Maverix
Basically, the light position was previously one of the highest skill and most fun parts of the game. Now it has become the most tedious, flattest skill, and least fun - to the point where hardly anyone wants to play light mechs anymore.
In competitive games, mediums, heavies, and even to some extent assault mechs have diversified, and we are seeing a much wider variety of builds than even before. But the light mech position has never been worse. It isn't fun to play, there is no depth or variety, and one of the most challenging and interesting roles in the game has become one of the least engaging and most repetitive.
So what can be done to fix this? First, Streak SRMs need to change in some manner. They are well balanced against larger mechs, but too successful against lights and mediums. A slower fire rate, longer lock on time, or chance to avoid/escape (at the right angle or speed) would go a long way to easing the strain of SSRM2s. Without such threatening Streak missiles, the ECM issue becomes largely irrelevant, and skill can be expected again at the light position. The biggest problem with weakening streaks is that it simply restores the Jenner to power, rather than truly bringing diversity to light mechs. Slower and smaller designs still have little reason to be used until other changes are added, but it might at least make light mechs more fun to play again.
