15 replies to this topic

[raptorak]

For many months, despite horrible lag and terrible performance, mechwarrior online has been something of a passion for me. Yet, for the longest time, I just wasn't any good. PPCs just flew straight through targets, ballistics fired 2 seconds after clicking. Lasers wafted about uselessly.

Then a great patch came and introduced state-rewind, and I bought the Cicada 2A.

The whole Cicada line, in fact, (excluding the 3C!!!) has been something of a revelation; decent armour, ridiculous speed up there with a light (150+ with a 340 XL), and good weaponry.

I run 2xLL 2xML 300XL in my X5, it goes 133.6 KPH and has a heat efficiency of 1.31, but the same (and better) can be done in the 3M, with slightly less heat efficiency but added ECM. I cannot tell you how amazing these mechs are, but you can check my stats below:



Granted I was pretty terrible in the 2B, but no-one does well in a mech they don't like. Still, the 2B is a fine mech and I can't really explain why I was so bad.

My tips for all you guys struggling with high pings (I am 270-350 depending on time of day):

1. Always go full laser. Never go ballistic in a cicada. Try to get an alpha of at least 24, ravens have 28 armour in the legs.
2. Respect small lasers, they go especially well with medium pulse lasers. They recycle very fast, burn like a pulse laser, and should always be doubled/tripled/quadded up
3. You should master your cicada, it makes a huge difference. Buy a 2A, a 2B, and a 3M if you want to master, keep the 2A/3M and sell the 2B (unless you really like arm lasers).
4. The X5 is currently somewhat weak given the missile nerf, so I wouldn't recommend it over much unless you really want a hero cicada. Decent mech though and comes with a 330XL.
5. Buy a 300XL, very useful engine on many mechs.
6. You are not a brawler, and remember that Jager mechs usually have XL engines. I recommend dual large laser set-ups, but on my 2A (the best mech in the game IMO) I have 3MPL, 3 SML and that works great.
7. ALWAYS SHOOT FOR THE LEGS OF A LIGHT MECH.
8. Use torso-lock for 2A and 3M.

Edited by raptorak, 30 March 2013 - 09:38 PM.

[Moromillas]

He's right you know, ballistics go in the bin by comparison. I really like the LB as a specialised weapon, but when it hits and does nothing, or worse, goes right through the Mech it is rather frustrating.

I don't like being restricted to the one type of weapon, but them's the brakes at the moment. I just hope they fix LaserWarrior Online sooner rather than later.

[Kaspirikay]

I use a 3L.

[raptorak]

Kaspirikay, on 30 March 2013 - 09:49 PM, said:

I use a 3L.

Just because a 3L can noob-tube with SSRMs whilst continuously screen-shaking the opposition doesn't mean you will be able to do that forever, if PGI has any idea of game balance and common sense.

3Ls are for bad pilots and you will find that out soon enough. No offense, but I am sure you could do better.

Edited by raptorak, 30 March 2013 - 09:58 PM.

[Kaspirikay]

raptorak, on 30 March 2013 - 09:56 PM, said:

Just because a 3L can noob-tube with SSRMs whilst continuously screen-shaking the opposition doesn't mean you will be able to do that forever, if PGI has any idea of game balance and common sense.

3Ls are for bad pilots and you will find that out soon enough. No offense, but I am sure you could do better.

Most bad 3Ls jumped ship awhile ago.

[raptorak]

Kaspirikay, on 30 March 2013 - 09:59 PM, said:

Most bad 3Ls jumped ship awhile ago.

If you are using SRMs instead of streaks then I salute you and respect your choice of mech.

[Hayashi]

I master mechs and move on to the next, etc etc. So far I've started with the lousiest mechs to get them out of the way so I can have more fun later. I mean, instead of getting the ELO I actually deserve and then moving on to crap mechs to die nonstop.

raptorak, on 30 March 2013 - 09:15 PM, said:

Granted I was pretty terrible in the 2B, but no-one does well in a mech they don't like.

I did pretty well in the 3L, and I hate it for being a cheapskate cheesecake. My KDR would actually have been higher, but when you're the last mech in assault fighting 6 enemies, you'd hardly not die.

Edited by Hayashi, 30 March 2013 - 11:34 PM.

[Stone Profit]

I love hunting lights n my 4 med laser Cicada 2A

Moromillas, on 30 March 2013 - 09:29 PM, said:

He's right you know, ballistics go in the bin by comparison. I really like the LB as a specialised weapon, but when it hits and does nothing, or worse, goes right through the Mech it is rather frustrating.

I don't like being restricted to the one type of weapon, but them's the brakes at the moment. I just hope they fix LaserWarrior Online sooner rather than later.

perhaps you should learn to shoot, I have no problem hitting 3ls or any light with AC20s, so it seems you are doing it wrong and crying about lagshield, when the problem is YOU.

[Moromillas]

Stone Profit, on 30 March 2013 - 11:36 PM, said:

perhaps you should learn to shoot, I have no problem hitting 3ls or any light with AC20s, so it seems you are doing it wrong and crying about lagshield, when the problem is YOU.

Perhaps you should learn to read. I have no problem with forming and understanding sentences, it seems you're doing it wrong and inferring that the shots were misses. The problem is your "pa" didn't teach you to read and write very well.

[spoony4]

I agree to a point, I have a ping between 250-310 and use lasers mainly but ballistics as a close up weapon and to cope with heat, work well. Just dont think your going to hit anything across the map. Alternatively use 2 ll and a large ballistic and as long as target is to the front use the lasers to aim and then let rip.

[MonkeyCheese]

Being in Australia with my 250ish ping I love my 3m cicada, it seems to be the mech I drop with the most as of late, 2 large lasers and 2 Small lasers with a machine gun for criting and a 295xl works great for a light much or a assault support. I use to bring 2 large pulse lasers but the range is too depressing with the newer larger maps.

[Kotsuno]

I have to agree with the OP with the superiority of lasers over ballistics especially since state rewind phase 1 was implemented. Since CB, I've been an almost dedicated ballistics user, outfitting my mechs to supplement ballistic weaponry as the primary damage dealer. It wasn't bad:




But lasers have become a no brainer:

[Kiiyor]

Lasers are indeed amazing now. I have 4LL on my awesome and kick *** with it. But ... Dakka. I just love me some dakka. I CAN'T HIT CRAP WITH AUTOCANNONS BUT I JUST BLOODY LOVE DAKKA.

4UAC5 on my Yager. Barely useful, but I laugh when I fire it like a pre pubescent teen who has concocted a foolproof plan to see some real boobs.

[raptorak]

Kotsuno, on 31 March 2013 - 12:06 AM, said:

I have to agree with the OP with the superiority of lasers over ballistics especially since state rewind phase 1 was implemented. Since CB, I've been an almost dedicated ballistics user, outfitting my mechs to supplement ballistic weaponry as the primary damage dealer. It wasn't bad: But lasers have become a no brainer:

Pretty impressive, now I know who to look out for!

[ShadowFighter88]

Hopefully they'll work out how to apply the rewind to ballistics soon - if only for those of us who got a Hunchback as their Founder's 'mech. Lasers are great and all, but sometimes you just want something with the beefy feel of an AC/20.

Edited by ShadowFighter88, 31 March 2013 - 05:29 PM.