79 replies to this topic

[Dreamslave]

With the introduction of this weekends c-bill bonus, I decided to revisit my YLW. Having done this, I remember now why I shelved it in the first place.

This mech sincerely needs a hardpoint overhaul. 2 ballistic slots on a 50 ton mech is a huge waste, considering a third or more of the mechs weight would be taken up with ballistic weapon(s) alone. One can either keep the ac/20 and continue moving at a snails pace with a standard engine (due to it being a 50 ton mech and not having enough weight to throw around) and since being so slow (>100kph) makes its right arm a complete joke to shoot off, especially against skilled players, or the pilot can put in an XL, allowing the YLW to achieve speeds of <100kph, but making it so much easier to kill (due to losing its "zombie" capability).

There is no middle ground on this mech and after its easily neutered right arm is destroyed, two medium lasers (or two medium pulse, depending on your build) are just not enough of a threat. Four hardpoints (2 of which are in an arm with only 32 points of armor) is laughable at best. I know nothing of battletech lore, but these hardpoints have got to go, or at least be rearranged / add more. It pains me to see such a beautiful mech and one that is apparently well known to many battletech junkies be so insignificant and weak among its peers.

Note: I am speaking from an 8 man perspective on a higher tier of play. I have a slight idea of how this mech handles in random pug matches and it doesn't appear to perform much better there either.

[Hobo Dan]

It's not the amount of hard points, it's how you use them.

But seriously, I've had success with my YLW with AC/20 and two Medium Lasers, you just have to pick your shots and twist to protect the arm. Not saying it's the greatest mech ever, but it's not the worst either.

I can't speak for 8 mans because I've played around 5 of them, but I have fun in YLW, which is why I play the game in the first place. I will be breaking it out this weekend for sure!

[Nauht]

Working as intended, you know p2w and all that.

Besides I see at least one Wang in every match so there's some that are playing them right.

[Stoicblitzer]

YLW would be laughed off the field in an 8-man. However, protect the arm because that's the first thing many people aim for.

[Nicholas Carlyle]

I'm planning to brush off my YLW this weekend to farm up enough to buy an XL275 engine for my centurions to try out. I'm hoping it's a bit better now that I'm better at the game.

[Dreamslave]

Stoicblitzer, on 22 February 2013 - 01:07 PM, said:

YLW would be laughed off the field in an 8-man. However, protect the arm because that's the first thing many people aim for.

That's exactly the problem. It IS laughed off the field in competitive 8 man. Which upsets me because it's beautiful and I love good looking mechs. What I'm saying is it shouldn't be this way. It needs to be changed so the variant CAN be used competitively. My team would never use one in its current state. Especially on our tier of skill, it would only be a hindrance, the very weakest of links in a chain made up of very strong and capable people.

I just want it to be good =(

M A L I C E, on 22 February 2013 - 01:09 PM, said:

2 ballistic HPs a waste?

Allow me to introduce you to me 2xUAC5+2xMPL asskicker.

It isn't a kicker of behinds, even with this build, because in order to get those two uac/5's in there, you sacrifice even more speed, making it even more easily neutered. Sorry =(

Edited by Dreamslave, 22 February 2013 - 01:11 PM.

[Kraven Kor]

Eh, it is still a decent fast moving heavy hitter.

I agree and think it is terrible as well, but I do know some folk swear by it, and "to each their own."

Unless metrics show that the YLW is consistently fairing worse than other mediums in the hands of a given pilot (and having ELO now to hopefully help them collect such information) I think it really is a matter of opinion as to which mech is "good" or "bad."

For instance, I do terrible in AC/20 Cats, unless my team does everything just right, or the opposing team are all forced to wear helmets. Others do amazing things in them. I suck in the typical Atlas DDC build, for the most part, and even in 8v8's I fair better with a 4x LL Cataphract than with any of the "cheese" builds.

[CDLord HHGD]

My YLW goes almost 90kph and keeps the 2x MLs and AC/20. Plus almost max armor and all the upgrades. I don;t have a problem with it, next to my 4G, it's my favorite mech.

[Dreamslave]

It's upsetting to see, but the only time I ever witness a YLW performing at a mediocre level is when it is forgotten about, which absolutely would never happen on the upper echelon of 8 man competitive play, due to the fact that every member of every team would know how easily it is neutered and taken out of the match. Having a sort-of-fast moving ac/20 is great to have in pugs I bet, where it is much easier to be "Forgotten" about, but a mech that takes little to no effort to lose it's main firepower shouldn't be taking up one of eight slots =(((

[Nicholas Carlyle]

I think whether you enjoy the YLW comes down to two things.

1. Can you hit things with the AC/20? I've found I have a hard time with that on my computer.

2. Can you protect the arm? Some people have a hard time with the concept of torso twisting to protect components.

So those two things will cause a large variation in enjoyment with the mech, which is not common among most mechs. The reason being it's one of the few mechs of that size that has a reliance on one single weapon.

[Dreamslave]

cdlord, on 22 February 2013 - 01:21 PM, said:

My YLW goes almost 90kph and keeps the 2x MLs and AC/20. Plus almost max armor and all the upgrades. I don;t have a problem with it, next to my 4G, it's my favorite mech.

That's the thing though, 90 kph is much too slow for a medium mech, in the vast majority of highly skilled "competitive" play. at 90kph against the caliber of players that are out there, 32 armor on an arm is quickly and efficiently taken care of, especially at that slow of a speed.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Back in the closed beta I spent a while in an XL centurion with an AC/20 in the arm.. I made a promise to myself to only take backshots at the enemy, no frontal shots unless it's on an unarmored component, and that promise yielded great results. Forced me to learn how to maneuver, and I shredded bad guys with the hit-and-run.

[Dreamslave]

Nicholas Carlyle, on 22 February 2013 - 01:24 PM, said:

it's one of the few mechs of that size that has a reliance on one single weapon.

And that is, in it's most basic form, the glaring fault in the YLW. Not only is it relying almost entirely on one weapon (or two if you went the ac/5, uac/5 route), but the arm takes little to no effort to be taken off, hence why the great majority of CN9's that are seen in higher ELO matches have almost all of their firepower in their torso's, both arms as shields. Even 1 single torso mounted missile or laser hardpoint would help to ease the agony of seeing such a glorious looking mech be glued to the mech bay floor due to it's inability to perform on a higher level.

Edited by Dreamslave, 22 February 2013 - 01:29 PM.

[Nicholas Carlyle]

Dreamslave, on 22 February 2013 - 01:24 PM, said:

That's the thing though, 90 kph is much too slow for a medium mech, in the vast majority of highly skilled "competitive" play. at 90kph against the caliber of players that are out there, 32 armor on an arm is quickly and efficiently taken care of, especially at that slow of a speed.

If 90kph is slow for a medium mech, we might as delete them from the game. Because that's gonna be the normal top speed for most of them. Even with a max engine my Centurion's with speed tweak don't go much faster than that.

Dreamslave, on 22 February 2013 - 01:28 PM, said:

And that is, in it's most basic form, the glaring fault in the YLW. Not only is it relying almost entirely on one weapon (or two if you went the ac/5, uac/5 route), but the arm takes little to no effort to be taken off, hence why the great majority of CN9's that are seen in higher ELO matches have almost all of their firepower in their torso's, both arms as shields. Even 1 single torso mounted missile or laser hardpoint would help to ease the agony of seeing such a glorious looking mech be glued to the mech bay floor due to it's inability to perform on a higher level.

I don't really disagree. I do think one missile hard point would be great for the viability of the mech.

[Dreamslave]

Prosperity Park, on 22 February 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:

Back in the closed beta I spent a while in an XL centurion with an AC/20 in the arm.. I made a promise to myself to only take backshots at the enemy, no frontal shots unless it's on an unarmored component, and that promise yielded great results. Forced me to learn how to maneuver, and I shredded bad guys with the hit-and-run.

I agree entirely. When not being targeted, any mech with this sort of firepower can wreak absolute havoc. But as you most likely know, a mech this easily neutered is not seen in the higher tier of play, for the most obvious of reasons. I want nothing more than for the YLW to be at least respectable on the field of battle, even if it's not on the same level of fear as a triple uac/5 ILYA or a well piloted ppc boating Stalker, to name a few.

[Valleye]

Prosperity Park, on 22 February 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:

Back in the closed beta I spent a while in an XL centurion with an AC/20 in the arm.. I made a promise to myself to only take backshots at the enemy, no frontal shots unless it's on an unarmored component, and that promise yielded great results. Forced me to learn how to maneuver, and I shredded bad guys with the hit-and-run.

PP is right if you play this right, you slide in behind and ram that AC/20 shell up the backside for fast surprising kills. Find cover and repeat. I have been doing 400 dmg and get 1-2 kills plus 4-5 assists per game. I swapped out the med for on ER Laser.

[Velba]

Glad I can use my Wang better than you can use yours.












Ladies like that about me.

[Dreamslave]

Nicholas Carlyle, on 22 February 2013 - 01:29 PM, said:

If 90kph is slow for a medium mech, we might as delete them from the game. Because that's gonna be the normal top speed for most of them. Even with a max engine my Centurion's with speed tweak don't go much faster than that.

I will never claim to know the level of skill you and your team have, or if you even have a team or not. I would never want to offend someone who has taken the time to join this discussion. Having said that, in the tier of difficulty my team and I play at, nearly all medium mechs that are seen are either significantly fast or are torn apart by focus fire(my team uses 3 CN9-D's with a minimum speed requirement of 130kph).

I'd rather not go much into the strategies and plays we use, but with a 80-90% win rate on an average of 20 matches per night, I would hate to tarnish our records with trying to force in a mech that moves so slowly and has a main weapon that is so easily whisked away.

I have my doubts that the YLW would be looked at in any seriousness by PGI, but my hope of it being buffed and altered will remain.

Velba, on 22 February 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

Glad I can use my Wang better than you can use yours.












Ladies like that about me.

I giggled. And am now ashamed and embarrassed.

Edited by Dreamslave, 22 February 2013 - 01:37 PM.

[Joseph Mallan]

Dreamslave, on 22 February 2013 - 12:59 PM, said:

With the introduction of this weekends c-bill bonus, I decided to revisit my YLW. Having done this, I remember now why I shelved it in the first place.

This mech sincerely needs a hardpoint overhaul. 2 ballistic slots on a 50 ton mech is a huge waste, considering a third or more of the mechs weight would be taken up with ballistic weapon(s) alone. One can either keep the ac/20 and continue moving at a snails pace with a standard engine (due to it being a 50 ton mech and not having enough weight to throw around) and since being so slow (>100kph) makes its right arm a complete joke to shoot off, especially against skilled players, or the pilot can put in an XL, allowing the YLW to achieve speeds of <100kph, but making it so much easier to kill (due to losing its "zombie" capability).

There is no middle ground on this mech and after its easily neutered right arm is destroyed, two medium lasers (or two medium pulse, depending on your build) are just not enough of a threat. Four hardpoints (2 of which are in an arm with only 32 points of armor) is laughable at best. I know nothing of battletech lore, but these hardpoints have got to go, or at least be rearranged / add more. It pains me to see such a beautiful mech and one that is apparently well known to many battletech junkies be so insignificant and weak among its peers.

Note: I am speaking from an 8 man perspective on a higher tier of play. I have a slight idea of how this mech handles in random pug matches and it doesn't appear to perform much better there either.

Then you are speaking wrongly. The Yen Lo Wang is an Iconic build. As such The Hard points should be static. No mods what so ever. Any change to the config that isn't canon makes the build no longer YLW.

[Abe07]

Don't touch my Wang!

I love my Wang. You just need to find a way to love yours too.