28 replies to this topic

[Rocdocta]

My preferred class is lights. Fast lights. jenners doing 150kph and jumping. Awesome. I take holidays driving the other classes to keep it fun. However something that drives me literally insane is when i see the following:

Light drivers:

1. capping the closest cap and staying there. The rest of our fattys can do this. please push forwards and start capping the mid caps or even push really far and go for their base cap. It puts the team at a disadvantage and you are wasting the only real advantage a light has.

2. not scouting. please push forwards and see whats up. you shouldnt engage unless you have another light buddy and you are screening their solo lights. see their mechs? turn, flee and do a fast report ie 3H E5. This tells our fat arse mechs where to go or at least what the enemies intentions are.

3. capping the enemy cap and staying there to try and pull the win STRAIGHT AWAY. if you do need the win through cap thats ok, but give the enemy fatties time to reach mid point so they engage our main force and only their lights break contact or they turn around and chase you. I am not a fan but not adverse to capping to win. its a mechanic but it needs to be done carefully.

4. Wolf pack always mentality. when we have multiple lights then split up and put pressure on as many caps as possible. If you are out of your class, retreat and cap something else or then wolf pack. Keep applying pressure on the caps.

5. staying with the main group and never leaving the security of the fire support. Please run off, see whats going on, draw their lights into our heavies, do anything. But dont think your couple of medium lasers etc will swing the fight. sure tag some enemies for the assist bonus but dont aim for the swift ninja award.

6. not falling back to stop our base cap. Your our only hope to get there and chase off their lights. You dont need to kill them, just keep them moving so they may leave the cap box and give us time.

Whenever i see lights only hugging the group or not doing the above i groan a bit inside as i know its a new player. The group really needs your speed and reaction ability.

[Ryvucz]

Glad to see a constructive feedback for players for a change.

[Dragonkindred]

Nicely said.

[GODzillaGSPB]

I am truly sorry, but the three to four lights pilots per match cannot hear you over how awesome it is to run together as a wolfpack tearing apart everying they can find.

[MadPanda]

I think everyone who runs at 151kph knows that.

[Ewigan]

I like wolfpack forming... especially when the other lights aren't complete dumbasses and focus fire the same target as i do.
SO much fun.... ^^

[Rocdocta]

Dont get me wrong wolf packing is good fun, but in reality its effect is very similar to infantry squares vs cavalry.

Vs a disciplined group be it PUG or Premade, doing wolf pack and only wolf pack means diminishing returns. If their blob holds formation and stays together, they will nail your pack if you get close. Its only good vs stragglers and inexperienced groups.

[Appogee]

I agree with most of what the OP said, with one exception...

Rocdocta, on 09 April 2013 - 11:02 PM, said:

see their mechs? Take one shot, turn, flee and do a fast report ie 3H E5.

Fixed that for you

I do strongly agree with the following though...

Rocdocta, on 09 April 2013 - 11:02 PM, said:

capping the enemy cap and staying there to try and pull the win STRAIGHT AWAY.

Agreed. Nothing more boring than someone who caps too quickly and ends the match. In fact, PGI would be wise to put a 5 minute delay on the ability to cap, from the start of matches.

[Drehl]

Rocdocta, on 09 April 2013 - 11:28 PM, said:

Dont get me wrong wolf packing is good fun, but in reality its effect is very similar to infantry squares vs cavalry.

Vs a disciplined group be it PUG or Premade, doing wolf pack and only wolf pack means diminishing returns. If their blob holds formation and stays together, they will nail your pack if you get close. Its only good vs stragglers and inexperienced groups.

Wolfpack =|= rushing into their mainforce.
E.g. alpine. If your are going to split your lights on this map. they are verly likely screwed.. because in most cases the enemy team IS running a light wolfpack for caps and this map is just to big for a fast retreat.


Don't agree with point 4. But in the other points your right.

I've got the feeling that the raven 3l is attracting a lot of terribad wannabe light pilots... guess they will leave as soon as state rewind for all weapons is done and they realize how fragile they are...

Edited by Drehl, 10 April 2013 - 12:19 AM.

[Rocdocta]

With 4. i was trying to say its better to cap 3 obj at once and simultaneously apply pressure than all just go to one point and hang there.

i really like Apogees idea for a minimum 5 minute counter. At least have a bit of a game before capping.

[Kasiagora]

I agree wholeheartedly with the original statement, and think that would be a good guide for new players –maybe even have it in the "Guides" section!– except I don't think very many people read the guides. I studied the hell out of the forums as a primer when I was starting out because I wanted whatever edge I could get to play smart and match the veteran players. I hope a lot of new players take the time to read up on things like this, but some people just have their heads too far up their egos.

The other day I was playing a match on Tourmaline and I'm in a heavy, the team rolls out, and 3 lights take off. I think they're gonna scout or something but we never hear from them. Roughly mid-field we run into the whole team and we're fighting with only 5 mechs. We get stomped, I go to spectator mode and those 3 "friendly" lights are camping their base getting the cheap win on Assault mode, trash talking us how "We suck" and they "Carried the team." yakkity-yakkity.
I'm sorry, but abandoning your team, not doing your job, trash talking, and sacrificing your buddies to earn, what is it? 26,000 C-Bills? That's not a win.

↑ If this applies to you, please read OP's guide and try to play a more sporting battle. A hard-fought win is more rewarding than the cheap win. I'm not just talking about a sense of accomplishment (although a well fought loss feels pretty good too), I mean the game will actually pay you more to kick *** than to sit around and chew bubblegum. It's good to be all out of bubblegum.

[Marcus Cvellus]

Drehl, on 10 April 2013 - 12:18 AM, said:

Wolfpack =|= rushing into their mainforce.
E.g. alpine. If your are going to split your lights on this map. they are verly likely screwed.. because in most cases the enemy team IS running a light wolfpack for caps and this map is just to big for a fast retreat.


Don't agree with point 4. But in the other points your right.

I've got the feeling that the raven 3l is attracting a lot of terribad wannabe light pilots... guess they will leave as soon as state rewind for all weapons is done and they realize how fragile they are...

State rewind is already in except for ballistics. It is the ecm that made raven so popular, plus the dodgy hitbox that was fixed a bit in some of the last patches.

OP nice to see constructive thinking, but my personal preference in piloting my lights is, believe it or not: not having a plan set in stone.
Depending on our drop and stuff on the field, you have to adapt.
Sometime straight harassing support mech can shift power, but sometime you have to sit on a base just enough so they think you are really gonna cap it.

Wolfpack doesn't work every time, even less if you are not in one that you have coordinated pilots in,
Also, wolfpack is getting more and more popular (it was always popular but now even more) because of decreased viability of light mecs due to doubled back armor and increased boat/pinpoint accuracy plus emerging arms race. Edit: not to forget the weird agility of heavier that comes with bigger engines and twist speed that paired with all above makes lone light pilot almost useless unless he has a friend.

Speed dont get you anywhere most of the times.

Light tend to shine a bit more when you are at the voice comms so you can warn the team or coordinate wolfpack. In pug, it is a bit of a fish out the water.

Anyhow, i always appreciate to see a light pilot on my or enemy team (not 3l/ecm one), knowing that at this point there is not really any reward except personal satisfaction for pulling off results against odds stacked against you and pure love for piloting lights.

Edited by Marcus Cvellus, 10 April 2013 - 01:21 AM.

[Drehl]

Marcus Cvellus, on 10 April 2013 - 01:16 AM, said:

State rewind is already in except for ballistics. It is the ecm that made raven so popular, plus the dodgy hitbox that was fixed a bit in some of the last patches.

It's in for lasers exclusively and already had a huge impact on the survivability of lights. Everything with more at least 3 LLs can melts the legs of a light pretty fast. Now imagine what's going to happen if projectiles are hitting properly.

[Kiiyor]

Great points! If I had to add anything, it would be to please avoid sacrificing speed to gain more firepower. I love slower light mechs, especially when they're crispy on the outside.

If you want more firepower, maybe roll a 4SP. It'll probably be faster than your over gunned light anyway.

[Aim-Bot]

Sounds like the BASIC of lightmech gameplay. Newer players shall have alook at it.

[CarpetShark]

Rocdocta, on 09 April 2013 - 11:02 PM, said:

6. not falling back to stop our base cap. Your our only hope to get there and chase off their lights.

Every single time I've run back to base in my Jenner lately, I've been met by two or three heavies. One of them is usually an AC40 Jager and I'm dead in short order, doing my team no good whatsoever.

"Get behind them," I hear you say. The problem there is, of course, you don't interrupt the cap unless you're inside the colored beam...

Because of this and the terrible rubberbanding bug this patch, I've stopped playing my Jenners for a while. It was just too frustrating.

[Marcus Cvellus]

CarpetShark, on 10 April 2013 - 02:46 AM, said:

Every single time I've run back to base in my Jenner lately, I've been met by two or three heavies. One of them is usually an AC40 Jager and I'm dead in short order, doing my team no good whatsoever.

"Get behind them," I hear you say. The problem there is, of course, you don't interrupt the cap unless you're inside the colored beam...

Because of this and the terrible rubberbanding bug this patch, I've stopped playing my Jenners for a while. It was just too frustrating.

Hey the long tradition of mechwarrior games destroying any use for light mechs (except as free kills) have to be continued. xD

Edit: It was a joke.

I know that balance is waaay of at this point and that a lot of work is in front of developers to make lights and every build out there viable.

Edited by Marcus Cvellus, 10 April 2013 - 02:54 AM.

[Marcus Cvellus]

Drehl, on 10 April 2013 - 01:53 AM, said:

It's in for lasers exclusively and already had a huge impact on the survivability of lights. Everything with more at least 3 LLs can melts the legs of a light pretty fast. Now imagine what's going to happen if projectiles are hitting properly.

It will happen what always happens. People will adapt and only the hardcore will remain. A bit after that, even hardcore will move up to bigger tonnage.

[Px x64]

Rocdocta, on 09 April 2013 - 11:02 PM, said:

5. staying with the main group and never leaving the security of the fire support. Please run off, see whats going on, draw their lights into our heavies, do anything.

But not do this if you're only ecm mech in team

[stjobe]

Pretty solid advice there.

However, as all advice, you should not follow it unthinkingly.

I play a much different game when I'm in my ERPPC+ASRM4 Commando than when I'm in my 1xML, TAG, BAP, ESRII Spider 5V. And yet another when I'm in my ECM 2D or 5D.

So know what your 'mech and you can do, learn how and when to do it, and be prepared to adjust to how the fight develops.

Support your team by doing what's most appropriate at the time, whether it's scouting out the enemy, pinging the base to draw some enemies off the main furball, capping a base to get the points rolling, TAGging targets for your LRM boats, just adding your firepower to the furball, or even taking a hit for someone.

There's no "one way" to play a light 'mech, one of the skills you must master in order to be a good light pilot is to be flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.