20 replies to this topic

[jeffsw6]

I played one match in the Heavy Metal with jump jets, and then stripped them. Waste of tons, I thought. After another 85 matches I put 1 back on so I could jump over frustrating barriers in River City Night (they are everywhere) and things like that. It's great!

5/5 jump jets, I don't see the value; but 1 is extremely useful.

[Mechteric]

For other mechs with jump jets, like the Cataphract and Trebuchet, I'll often only put on 3 jump jets as thats a bit more useful than just one.

[Grayseven]

I did something similar with the...Raven 4x I believe. I put one JJ in just to clear minor barriers and for jump turns.

[Faithsfall]

I have 4/5 JJ on mine it gives me a good quick turning circle for those pesky lights and gives me a good jump on hills/buildings to help me keep my 90 tons very mobile.

[Esplodin]

Highlander burial is going to be dead on arrival unless JJ get a major rework. Too slow takeoff, no directional thrust, 2 tons a JJ and a crit slot in a slot starved mech is a high price to pay. I've practiced trying to do DFA, and it felt like:

Spoiler

Edited by Esplodin, 08 April 2013 - 06:28 AM.

[Sacrosanct]

The irony in this thread is palpable.

[LtZerge]

I kept 4/5 JJ on mine and it's more than enough to climb most important structures. Since most of your fire-power is in your arms, and you can put lock-on weapons in your chest, the mech excels at taking the high ground where it can. More than a few times I've royally messed up enemy Atlases and ballistic K2s in places like river city by jumping on top of a building above them and blowing a load right through the top of their CT, mean while they can't hit me back with torso weapons. In the Catapults case, it's usually an easy head-shot.

[Signal27]

Esplodin, on 08 April 2013 - 06:24 AM, said:

Highlander burial is going to be dead on arrival unless JJ get a major rework. Too slow takeoff, no directional thrust, 2 tons a JJ and a crit slot in a slot starved mech is a high price to pay. I've practiced trying to do DFA, and it felt like:

Spoiler

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Death From Above won't really meant to be done very often, despite having a cute nickname like "Highlander Burial" attached to it.

[DarkDevilDancer]

I stripped 2 from mine and still have enough agility to perform well, i dont think you need all 5 for any build.

[Esplodin]

Signal27, on 08 April 2013 - 06:47 AM, said:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Death From Above won't really meant to be done very often, despite having a cute nickname like "Highlander Burial" attached to it.

Agreed, and it is just sad for a mech that was specifically redesigned for the move according to the lore. Regardless, all the things that would make DFA an (rare) situational benefit are needed anyway. "Woooo! Look at me on top of the building!" isn't what JJ were meant to do either. Pop-tarts, jump turns, and not having to turn to avoid landscape objects are nice - but 10 tons nice?

[NRP]

I'm new to JJs, but this weekend they saved my butt. I was on Alpine map in my Heavy Metal. I just killed an enemy HM, and was duking it out with a Cataphract when p00k comes around the corner in his Atlas. I thought I was toast, but I was able to JJ over a building and stay out of his line of fire until help arrived.

Bottom line: jump jets make the Highlander unique. If you don't use them, you might as well just drive an Atlas.

[jeffsw6]

The arm-mounted ballistics in the HM are way easier to aim than the torso-mounted Atlas gun -- at least for my style of play. I got the Heavy Metal to brawl and it can dish out damage for a long time with a good combination of weapons. Atlas does that, too; but it is much more difficult to keep your torso aimed at an opponent than simply your arms. Not every enemy is a face-hugging noob!

[Corvus Antaka]

since jumpjets sigificantly speed up your turning rate you should always take 1 on every mech capable of it just to use this advantage.

[Gregore]

Just another poptard

[Corvus Antaka]

Esplodin, on 08 April 2013 - 06:24 AM, said:

Highlander burial is going to be dead on arrival unless JJ get a major rework. Too slow takeoff, no directional thrust, 2 tons a JJ and a crit slot in a slot starved mech is a high price to pay. I've practiced trying to do DFA, and it felt like:

Spoiler

So true man. we need jets that have real power and launch you up high with force as per btech. btech 3025 jumpjets would be awesome here. it would stop all the jumpsniping stupidity and really convey a sense of power and force instead of the lame *** mech4 jumpjets but worse that we currently have.

[Avimimus]

Well - what we really need is a small forward impulse form the jumpjets (followed by breaking).

You'd cover the same distance at the same height, but the first part of the flight would be faster. More like, er, 'Jumping'

[King Arthur IV]

im glad to see im not the only one using 1 or 2 jj instead of max. i find it usefull for many things! one example is when you are behind a bigger mech, you can jump just high enough to shoot over them.

[Kobold]

Esplodin, on 08 April 2013 - 07:02 AM, said:

"Woooo! Look at me on top of the building!" isn't what JJ were meant to do either. Pop-tarts, jump turns, and not having to turn to avoid landscape objects are nice - but 10 tons nice?

Everything in your last sentence is exactly what jump jets are meant for (except for pop-tarting). They were intended to give you tactical mobility and avoid rough terrain. In TT, it cost you one movement point per hex of movement, and one movement point to change your facing by 1 side on a hex. JJ on slow mechs were essential for maneuvering in melee, getting behind people and shooting them in the back, etc. Grasshoppers, Axmen, Hatchetmen, etc, all use this to great effect.

No one ever actually uses DFA in TT unless their mech is already essentially out of the fight, because the odds of landing it and it being meaningful are very, very low.

Edited by Kobold, 08 April 2013 - 10:37 AM.

[Esplodin]

Kobold, on 08 April 2013 - 10:36 AM, said:

Everything in your last sentence is exactly what jump jets are meant for (except for pop-tarting). They were intended to give you tactical mobility and avoid rough terrain.

Tactical mobility != jumping over glitched terrain.
Tactical mobility != trying to get your SDR-5V up to the top of the biggest building you can find (and hitting the invisible ceiling)
Tactical mobility != predictable and easy to shoot flight arc and landing point where you stop (wtf?!??) for a split second.
Tactical mobility != going upslope, hitting your JJ and geting zero lift
Tactical mobility != no further upward thrust of any substance after initial takeoff
Tactical mobility != 25% fuel remai. . . crash.

I get what you are saying, but in the current state of JJ, the ONLY tactical uses are jump turns and pop-tarting. Maybe damage spread to legs. Other then those, JJ actually make you easier to shoot.

[Pale Jackal]

You don't need to max out jump jets - 1 to 2 JJs are definitely worth it, but I generally only go beyond that if I have spare tonnage.