190 replies to this topic

[RowanE83]

Awesomes have PLENTY of armour. They have a vulnerable CT, but that is fine and probably intentional. Awesomes aren't meant for standing still around in the middle of close range battle. You can't play them like an Atlas or Stalker and nor should they be given how quickly they move.

[Keifomofutu]

RowanE83, on 22 April 2013 - 11:44 AM, said:

Awesomes have PLENTY of armour. They have a vulnerable CT, but that is fine and probably intentional. Awesomes aren't meant for standing still around in the middle of close range battle. You can't play them like an Atlas or Stalker and nor should they be given how quickly they move.

They all go 60km/h unless you have the 9M. So yes your standard 8 model is exactly as slow as an atlas or stalker.

[RowanE83]

NRP, on 22 April 2013 - 11:41 AM, said:

I pulled out my PB for a few matches this weekend. It was tough going with the SRM nerf.

I agree, replacing them with srms wasn't great for me, either

[mekabuser]

idk. awesome requires a deft touch.. Add too much armor and it could suddenly become v v v dangerous.
Its never gonna be a stalker, because stalkers are basically giant ravens..
Thats..
Why
everyone
takes
them.

Ive had good success in my awesome.. Just gotta twist baby and kinda pretend you are a medium and then ur good.

[MavRCK]

The Awesome and the Highlander CT is too easy to hit. Experienced players rolling their torsos still get CT cored. <3 <3 and cupcakes if these mechs get their CT adjusted!!

[hercules1981]

TELEFORCE, on 22 April 2013 - 10:01 AM, said:

If you want to play your Awesome at close range, you really should invest in a 300 XL. Also, make sure you have speed tweak for added speed - You'll be as fast as stock Hunchbacks, Jagermechs, and Catapults. The extra speed does help at any range. I run a 300 XL in my 4 PPC AWS-8Q, and it does wreck stuff through peek-a-boo games. I pass through terrain back and forth, and I hit the other guy with 4 PPCs at any chance I get.

It anything, the Awesome plays like a Centurion. You use the arm with the hand on it as a shield. Fire your weapons, twist hand arm toward fire to absorb damage, then aim and fire again.

Also realize that the Awesome, for all intents and purposes, is more of a heavy 'mech than an assault 'mech, just because it doesn't mount much more armor than a Cataphract or the upcoming Orion.

That in itself is awesome , this dude said put in an Xl for close range haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[RowanE83]

Keifomofutu, on 22 April 2013 - 11:46 AM, said:

They all go 60km/h unless you have the 9M. So yes your standard 8 model is exactly as slow as an atlas or stalker.

Pretty baby also goes 85+. Yeah your right, the others are at 60 (without tweak) though they are all designed as LRM or PPC snipers - and are tougher than the alternative chassis which perform those same roles

[John MatriX82]

I've posted this elsewhere, but reworking hitboxes like this would improve survivability by far:
http://imageshack.us.../awshitbox.jpg/


In the mechlab, when you select the arm, the highlighted part comprehends also a wide part of the upper side torso, but in reality the side torso hitbox takes also all the shoulder, not like it's shown in the mechlab.

Why don't do they simply make that the upper side torso falls into the arm hitbox? For sure you'd lose arms often, but after that, all the upper side of the side torso would behave transferring HALF the damage to the side torso once the arm is gone.. By this at least the whole mech would be able to survive fairly longer and going XL may be easier also for the older and slow 8 series.

Edited by John MatriX82, 22 April 2013 - 12:08 PM.

[M4NTiC0R3X]

I like my awesome, can die just easily as any other.. does not prevent it from being fun or niche in the slightest.

(have played extensively w/ the awesome, I think they have more general capability than most assault) Can put damn near everything on it and at the same time as well.

• Almost max FF armor
  
• Low heat
  
• BAP, AMS, CMD Console
  
• Long range capability, focusing on close range brawling
  
• Speed / movement .. can put all that ^ + STD 375

It doesn't have the biggest guns and yeah it's can't get mega damage out the door in one alpha, but it's a little 'mechs best friend for sure.

Edited by M4NTiC0R3X, 22 April 2013 - 12:17 PM.

[Lucian Nostra]

While I rather like the Awesome and find them useful I can agree that it could stand being a little slimmer of a mech. It's a fantastic mech when people ignore it but it takes a beating quickly due to how wide it is.

Have an 8q and even the hated 8t like piloting em just wish I wasn't cored so fast even at long ranges

RowanE83, on 22 April 2013 - 11:51 AM, said:

Pretty baby also goes 85+. Yeah your right, the others are at 60 (without tweak) though they are all designed as LRM or PPC snipers - and are tougher than the alternative chassis which perform those same roles

Which means exactly what when the stalker boats more PPCs and more LRMs while having a harder to hit frontal profile? Wide Awesome is wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide, it fares a little better than the Stalker close up due to it's arm mounted weapons but even twisting like a freak I tend to lose my CT waaay faster than my sides.

[Xeven]

Instead of making the Awesome more tough Id like to see it run cooler than most mechs. Its extra size would allow it to cool faster due to more exposure to the wind/air. Giving it more cooling will make it capable of firing more often instead of being tougher.

[Trauglodyte]

Ok, I'm going to lend some advice here cause people still aren't getting it:

- 8 series runs a 300 max engine or it is meat, anything less then that and you're doing it wrong
- 9M/PB runs a 370xl MINIMUM or it is meat, anything less then that and you're doing it wrong
- 450+ yards is your bread and butter, engaging a target at a range shorter than that means your piloted wrong, got surprised, or you're suicidal and you're doing it wrong
- unless your're running an LRM boat, sitting in one spot for more then 10-15s means that you're doing it wrong
- if someone is firing at you, if you have your torso facing them, you're doing it wrong; think of the left side of the Awesome like a gigantic shield and meneuver accordingly and remember that there is NOTHING wrong with running in a circle to distribute damage

It Stalkers, Highlanders, and Atlases want to plod along at 45kph while getting pounded in the face, that is their business. You need to think of yourself like an 80 ton light mech with only 1/3 or 1/2 the speed, depending on the version you run. You can't take the pounding and you don't have the advantage in weapon weight, weapon burst, or weapon variety.

[Victor Morson]

The Awesome needs weight/BV limits. It's only weakness is that you're throwing 20 tons away for no good reason in an open tonnage game, unless you're running a cap gimmick.

I do not understand their instance on matching class-for-class instead of total-team-tonnage.

Trauglodyte, on 22 April 2013 - 01:09 PM, said:

It Stalkers, Highlanders, and Atlases want to plod along at 45kph while getting pounded in the face, that is their business. You need to think of yourself like an 80 ton light mech with only 1/3 or 1/2 the speed, depending on the version you run. You can't take the pounding and you don't have the advantage in weapon weight, weapon burst, or weapon variety.

The problem is, in an 8 man you're effectively throwing 20 tons away for the Awesome. That's a lot to toss on something like this unless you are trying an all-in cap strategy or are playing Conquest.

It's a great 'mech that is made useless* by the matchmaking and being 5 tons over a heavy.

* They are great for organized Conquest, though. I wish more people owned them.

Edited by Victor Morson, 22 April 2013 - 01:16 PM.

[Trauglodyte]

I get what you're saying, Victor. And I agree completely that, until PGI adds in a strict weight limit, the Awesome, Dragon, Cicada, and Flee will never see competitive play. It is, for all intents, like tying one hand behind your back. It is a fantastic mech that people can't seem to drive in a gaming environmen that is out of whack.

[Davers]

Keifomofutu, on 22 April 2013 - 09:23 AM, said:

PGI's new wonder child the Stalker killed it. Exact same kind of weapons only better in every way. And for ***** and giggles it has the profile of a heavy.

Yup. Awesomes can do 6 PPC builds too. Where are they? Stalker is much better profile and nice high weapon positions. The additional 5 tons to work with is just icing on the cake. They are meant for the same role, but the Stalker is just better.

This is the reason would rather we NOT get the Dervish as it will be a Trebuchet with an extra 5 tons to work with.

[Saint Scarlett Johan]

Fast sniper 9M
Runs at 85kph, fire off a few alphas then use that speed to bougaloo to your next spot and away from harm. Alpine and this mech are my favorite combination, because the only thing that threatens me are lights because if I can't outrun it, I can outgun it.

Giant laser hunchback
Also runs at 85kph, great for carving up anything smaller than you. Still should use it to hit and run, only do it from midrange and not close up.

Hit and run
This guy is also a hit and run at 80kph. Brutal on city maps where you can pass a street, alpha an atlas in the back or catapult in the head and move away before they see you. It's severely gimped on Alpine though.



The awesome needs love. It's so far from the it's lore-wise effectiveness it's not even fair. In the lore and on TT, the stock 8Q was a menace, and it was a very cool mech with its 28 SHS. It could stagger it's fire all day and hardly worry about heat. But here in MWO, it's a heat hog.

It's my favorite mech by far, from TT to now I love them. But the way they played in all previous MW titles and TT is the exact opposite of the way they should be played now.

[Peiper]

Various suggestions, in order. Pick one.

Up the engine size of the 8 series.

Weight/Tonnage matching.

Some sort of battle value matches (battle values should be adjusted for MWO, though, rather than using CBT battle values. For example, a Jaggermech isn't so great stock in MWO because it's designed to be an anti-aircraft mech, not an anti-mech mech. However, give it 2 AC/20's and it becomes infinitely more valuable in MWO. Similar to ECM which is nice to have in CBT, but is a superpowered area cloaking device in MWO and should double the value of any mech that has it).

Give it ECM

The real problem: The min/max frankenmech syndrome. The Awesome is designed to be a PPC platform - a long range mech-killer that is almost totally heat efficient. The Stalkers are all hot as hell in tabletop, and while they have a great variety of weapons, they could typically only fire half their weapons any given turn because of all the heat generated. The Awesome is a much better mech in tabletop overall than the Stalker, me thinks. If people weren't able to modify their mechs, the Awesome would be one of the more popular assaults. As long as people can modify their mechs into something completely different than what they are meant to be, one mech or another will be left in the dust - because of hardpoints, rather than size, shape, etc...

Another problem: mechs are designed with strengths and weaknesses built in, along with very specific missions. Many of those missions don't exist in MWO. Indirect fire-support missions to knock out bunkers, buildings, and either lay down or detonate minefields with LRM equipt mechs. Griefer mechs like the Spider with machine guns and flamers to wipe out infantry, torch buildings, and start forest fires. Medium mechs to take out vehicles with their SRM's and medium lasers. AA mechs to knock out VTOLs and Aerospace fighters and so on. The Awesome's roll of fire support has been usurped by both the Stalker and Highlander, who mount weapons higher and/or jump snipe. BTW, jump sniping is unique to video games, doesn't happen in Classic Battletech....

So, yeah, my Awesome is my favorite mech, but it sits in the garage most of the time because I know better than to take it out when I'm not already with a great team that can make up for my downgrading from my Atlas to have some fun in my 9M. And forget any of the other Awesomes. The only Awesome that's worth a grain of salt is the 9M because it's able to move much faster than the other Assaults. All the rest are too slow, and a slow Awesome is a BIG FAT TARGET.

So, I voted no in the pole, but would vote yes if you were to ask if the Awesome is in need of some love.

[General Taskeen]

OpCentar, on 22 April 2013 - 11:17 AM, said:

They should buff other AWS variants with speed so they match the 9M with 80+kph.


The Awesome should be the assault Dragon - superior speed in weight class, average armor and below average firepower.

Speed should not determine usefulness. And in my opinion, its not challenging enough for me to strap in something so I can go faster.

Anyways, here is my stat for the one and only Awesome I have, with only Basic skills unlocked. The fake 9Q Record Sheet Challenge Edition. AWS-9Q

Usually all deaths are ct (i also didnt buff armor values at all, since it is a challenge mode build). Regular PPC's would be a lot more rewarding to if they actually added the on/off feature of the Field Inhibitor.

Edited by General Taskeen, 22 April 2013 - 02:41 PM.

[Victor Morson]

Davers, on 22 April 2013 - 01:23 PM, said:

Yup. Awesomes can do 6 PPC builds too. Where are they? Stalker is much better profile and nice high weapon positions. The additional 5 tons to work with is just icing on the cake. They are meant for the same role, but the Stalker is just better.

This is the reason would rather we NOT get the Dervish as it will be a Trebuchet with an extra 5 tons to work with.

To be entirely honest given the way the Awesome was implemented in the game as the "fast assault" for some reason does feel a bit off. Honestly I wish it was a Charger instead. It fits what it is way, way more. Often I joke about it being basically a Charger with an Awesome skin.

General Taskeen, on 22 April 2013 - 02:19 PM, said:

Speed should not determine usefulness.

Sure it should, situation depending. If you need speed for a formation with weight (League drops) limits, the Awesome does have a niche.

Edited by Victor Morson, 22 April 2013 - 02:22 PM.

[Davers]

General Taskeen, on 22 April 2013 - 02:19 PM, said:

Speed should not determine usefulness.

And yet it is the defining characteristic of usefulness in MWO for every light and medium mech.