4 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 - 10:01 PM.

[Warpten]

Nice post bro, how did you state rewind your account bro ?

[raptorak]

Warpten101, on 31 March 2013 - 10:26 AM, said:

Nice post bro, how did you state rewind your account bro ?

State-rewind was the lag compensation change made that works on lasers, machine guns and flamers.

[Devil Fox]

If you couldn't compensate for weapon system quirks, don't sing the praises of what many consider an inferior light. I play with a 250 average ping, even I can use PPC and ballistic fine, state-rewind just made it easier to hit targets with lasers but the reverse is true. You take a cicada to a fight against other light's you will tend to be chewed up and spat out, even the old days of fighting in the mob are gone.

I know I have 3 of every chassis, and I play them all... want real fun? Drop an ERPPC with 3ML into a 3M and hunt DDC's, or get a light ecm pack and drop with the X5 and hunt larger prey. The only light builds I use twin LL on are the Raven 2X and when I was leveling the Jenner F back in the day... even then I used the speed and jumpjets to screw their day even with lagshields.

Practice makes perfect, learn to compensate for the latency of ballistic shots, you must've learnt how to compensate for laser lagshields before state-rewind... so surely it isn't that hard to transfer those skills across.

[1453 R]

If you're 'fighting in the mob', outside of unusual circumstances, you're doing Cicada wrong.

Don't jump on a man who's found a 'Mech that works for him. The Cicada is not actually "just an inferior light". The CDA-2A does 6-laser configurations as well as, if not better than the JR7-F due to higher weight tolerances for heat sinks. The Jenner has the advantage of jump jets and greater vertical tracking on its lasers, while the Cicada has the bonus of heavier armor and significantly increased heat capacity when built properly.

The 2 large laser/2 medium laser/ECM configuration for the CDA-3M is in my eyes one of the best PUG 'Mechs in the game. It offers an excellent level of tactical flexibility - you have the speed to use your ECM aggressively, getting in the enemy's face and actively shutting out their sensors, but you also have the distance with your large lasers to hang back with your team and provide ECM coverage to them if that's the more beneficial approach, without sacrificing your own ability to do damage. It's an reasonably effective light hunter when the need for that role arises, as well, and don't forget the 'Mech's ability to bring heavier firepower than most light 'Mechs can manage to bear against cap points, as well. I've chased more than one Jenner or Commando off a base cap or Conquest point with my 3M, and even the 3Ls have to be a lot more careful than they're used to around Cicadas who know what they're doing.

Is the Cicada the best 'Mech everz? No. But it is a perfectly valid choice of machine and doesn't deserve to be derided by folks who believe that the bottom half of any given weight class' range is invalid and needs to go. Cicadas work just fine, Dragons are not garbage, and the Awesome is not an insult to one's team. Get yer heads out of yer Atlasses, folks.