75 replies to this topic

[Thalos]

I tried the Cent but other then the heat management as being a BIG problem with this thing I love the center torso lasers, so easy to hit stuff with but heat dissipation is rough on this.

[White Bear 84]

Oh lol. if you need MC to buy a raven let alone the CN9-A........... *LE SIGH*

You can grind for either of these in a night easy. And the awesome too...

Dont waste money on the raven 4x - it literally is the worst raven. The CN9-A is the best centurion, but you can earn it in a nights play.

Edited by White Bear 84, 03 May 2013 - 10:38 AM.

[Kdogg788]

MC purchase, just a way to skip through to getting that mech now. Centurion will still run you 3.7 million Cbills. Even with premium that's quite a few matches to save up for.

-k

[AutoRiff]

ICEFANG13, on 03 May 2013 - 08:52 AM, said:

PS don't buy a Raven-4X unless you want to test the still weak MGs and die.

I regret not visiting these forums and investigating before spending my cadet money on the Raven-4x. I discovered how crappy the mguns were and unmounted them. Not enough damage output to balance the short range and low cooldown cost.

Edited by AutoRiff, 03 May 2013 - 11:00 AM.

[Blue Footed Booby]

The sale is...odd. PGI isn't obligated to have a gigantic sale every weekend, and I'm not in a huff or anything, it's just that the mechs on sale are so specific. Why those variants? Why no paints, or cammos, or xp conversion, or anything else? I'm just curious as to what the process for deciding what goes on sale looks like.

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 03 May 2013 - 10:29 AM, said:

I think they call this the entitled generation, because they want everything for free and easy as can be.

People have been saying this about the generations after them since at least the beginning of recorded history. There are literally ancient texts that bemoan the laziness and impatience of the latest generation, and saying that kids these days will be the end of civilization. Yet every actual study I've seen finds that this isn't actually the case, that kids these days aren't really lazier or less responsible or more apathetic. It's almost like as you grow older you change in ways too gradual to be perceptable, and you aren't really able to objectively compare the perceptions of present-you to those of past-you.

Also, the internet lets idiots inflict their idiocy on a global audience.

What I'm saying is that every time someone makes sweeping generalizations about a generation, even if it's their own, I spend the next five minutes fantasizing about lighting them on fire. I may need to switch to decaf.

[Deathlike]

Blue Footed Booby, on 03 May 2013 - 11:05 AM, said:

The sale is...odd. PGI isn't obligated to have a gigantic sale every weekend, and I'm not in a huff or anything, it's just that the mechs on sale are so specific. Why those variants? Why no paints, or cammos, or xp conversion, or anything else? I'm just curious as to what the process for deciding what goes on sale looks like.

I would say that the sale is consistent with what they do with the trial mechs. Cycle different trial mechs. Wait 2 weeks or so. Have sale. Profit. Very simple, yet terrible since most of the stock mechs disappoint.

Now, if you ask why they pick certain trial mechs... I couldn't tell you a thing. Most sales that I'm aware of is related to some tourney event and/or the "poor variants" that seem to need more love. That's the only thing I can come up with.

For instance.. I've seen quite a bit of Atlas-K sales for a bit.. and that variant is terribad. Unless you are a completionist and/or hope that something of use will come to the Atlas-K, it's not that good a variant. They keep trying to sell it as if it were great, but it's sheer junk at the moment.

Edited by Deathlike, 03 May 2013 - 11:13 AM.

[Thalos]

I honestly feel that if your going to spend money on a mech like the Cent just spend a bit more and get the Lo-Wang, its faster, much better brawler and can take a hell of a beaten and continue to contribute far after the Cent would be dead. IMO

[Jabilo]

I would not recommend ever spending real money on something you can get with C Bills.

Get premium time instead and grind for what you want. If you are going to drop real money at least get something unique that is MC only - like a hero mech.

However for my 2 cents, the Awesome 8Q is one of my favourite mechs and can rock some beastly builds,

[Svidro]

er mah gurrrd

[DeaconW]

Viper69, on 03 May 2013 - 09:35 AM, said:

Whatever happened to if you dont like something you just dont buy it? When did it become vogue to open your mouth and spew just for the sake of doing so.

Pretty sure it was when Al Gore invented the internet...nah, scratch that...pretty sure its be going on forever...

[NinetyProof]

Question: When was the last time you bought a Mech / Chassis for it's loaded weapons?

Answer: Never, if your an experienced player.

So all the QQing about the default load out on the stock chassis is really just wasted air ... or ... wasted bits in this case.

The *first* thing you generally do with a new chassis is strip it to the bone, upgrade 2 or 3 systems (DHS, Endo, FF, Arty ... depending), put in a new engine, put in new weapons, adjust armor.

50% off is actually a decent sale ... if your so inclined too spend real money on a chassis you can get with CB's. Personally not something I would do. I would consider maybe an ILYA if they go on sale again, possible a Flame if they go on sale again, but a stock mech? no way.

[EyeOne]

Tabrias07, on 03 May 2013 - 09:03 AM, said:

A raven with machine guns that don't do anything, a cent with useless missiles, and an awesome.

Good sale.

Hey did you know you can customize mechs in the mechbay?! It's crazy!

[Koniving]

ICEFANG13, on 03 May 2013 - 08:52 AM, said:

PS don't buy a Raven-4X unless you want to test the still weak MGs and die.

You poor, poor thing.

You don't know how powerful the 4x Raven is, do you? This build is intended more for brawling solo against Atlases.






However, even with the default rig you can get both kills and kill assists while surviving with incredible ease. Don't treat it like a Raven 3-L. Instead, treat it like how people originally treated the Hunchback before pilot efficiencies. Escort and combat assistant to a larger mech. Even though I have 50 mechs, I use trial mechs as well as I collect footage necessary for a series introducing mechs in a lore friendly manner. I pug while using trial mechs for that purpose. The first thing I do is find a larger mech and escort it.

Koniving, on 21 February 2013 - 01:12 AM, said:

There are a few really good builds for the Raven 4x. However most people don't think of them because they're imagining the 4x Raven has a scout or fast harasser. It's neither of those things.

When it first came out it was an "assault" Light. People stacked it with streaks to have it as an anti-light guard that stuck near assaults. With the advent of ECM that became rather impractical. Some solutions still use them as combat support to mediums and heavies. Tag along some centurions or hunchbacks or slower trebuchets.

If you're willing to go slower, some people get a bit more creative. I've seen LRM Ravens that act as support LRM boats. I've seen brawler Ravens that sport an SRM-6 pack and a series of medium lasers. I've seen ballistic ravens sporting twin UAC-5s. Vicious little guys. Seen ranged support Ravens using twin AC-5, an AC-10.

Some ranged support Ravens who are unsure of their aim with limited ammunition use twin PPC rigs (this works great with the 2X as well as the 4X).

A build you could use for a PPC rig. For a 4x you would put the cannons on the right side instead, at either the arm or the shoulder. The TAG is optional, but it helps you know if you can hit the target before you fire. If your tag can touch it, then your cannon can. If your tag can't touch it and turn red, there's no way your PPCs will hit. That way you don't give away your position.

Note: PPC has a minimum range of 90 meters. Before the heat adjustments which makes it even easier to use PPCs, this Raven could throw 10 PPCs as close to back to back as humanly possible with the recycle times before worrying about heat. On Caustic Valley. Now it gets between 12 and 13 out in rapid succession. This will shred enemies very quickly. It will also make you a target. Given the slow engine you will need to think tactically. Is it a good time to reveal yourself? Can you hit the enemy? Where will you go to attack from after you are spotted? Can you get away quickly? Try to shoot when the enemy is not looking at you. Use Z or middle mouse to zoom. Fire when they are not looking for back hits. They will always do more damage. When they turn, slip away. Find another spot.

You could run ER PPCs. But they run hotter than what that video depicts, even now with the reduced heat. However there is no minimum range. Or you could simply go with one PPC and have some close range weapons too.

A popular ranged rig, especially with advanced zoom, is the Gauss Raven 4x. However the Gauss Rifle's low health and the tendency of luring vicious attacks will make it difficult. This is combined with the issue of a minimum range of 60 meters. I've tried this a few times but I have issues with missing. It uses the same engine as the PPC rig above.

Now, my absolute favorite rig is the AC-20 Raven. Currently I get 28 rounds + 5 jump jets. Like the PPC and Gauss rigs, it uses the same engine. With any of these you could go with a slightly bigger engine at the sacrifice of some ammo or heat sinks.

AC/20 Raven has its ideal role: Heavy and/or Assault support. You are the larger 'Mech's extra AC-20 cannon.

You can also try an AC/10 Raven, or twin AC/2 Raven. The AC/10 Raven gets more ammo, better range and low heat but doesn't pack enough wallop to take out an Atlas solo. The twin ac/2 Raven has its long range uses, so stay away from the enemy.

Good luck.

Feel free to ask questions. My advice on any of these builds: 1) Never let them get behind you. 2) Allocate 99% of your armor to the front. These rigs are meant to brawl or snipe, you're never supposed to let someone behind you. Don't sacrifice leg armor. Instead, sacrifice unused arm armor. You lose a leg, you're dead.

Koniving, on 04 April 2013 - 05:58 PM, said:

The Ravens 2x and 4x can be good for spotting. It is very important to keep them as heavy hitters whenever possible. There are many great builds, however I personally use my 4x as an 80 kph brawling AC-20 Raven with jump-jets and 4 tons of ammo in order to fight heavies and assaults. My 2x uses twin (standard) PPCs and a tag. I can spot for LRM users although I really use it to find out if I can hit my target before I reveal my position by firing. I fire my PPCs in chainfire so I have a chance to correct my aim should I miss.

The "cheese" build for Raven 3-Ls is to run twin Streak SRM-2s and 3 medium lasers in the "Craven" rig. I run a few rigs but the most devastating had been twin SRM-6 with two Medium Lasers. I ditched the third medium laser for extra SRM ammo. XL 295 engine. Max out armor as much as possible. My favorite rig, however, is twin flamers with SRMs.

Koniving, on 01 April 2013 - 09:08 AM, said:

If you're new and having issues.. Say you need to learn some tactics, unsure of what roles a certain mech could potentially play, need to see tactics and gameplay, etc.. I advise looking at my posts to this thread.

It starts out with a player asking for advice on picking a mech. From there I give him the advice I have, and then he asks other questions. Examples: "How to kill an Atlas." "Prefer streaks or SRMs, and why?" "How come I can't lock on certain targets." "What are the roles of the game and how are they played?" 3 pages of questions that every new pilot asks, and answers to them all. Lots of video examples, and references to other threads where things such as tactics, how to play as various mechs, and even a reference of basic to advanced controls.

Examples of things to learn: How to target and attack two separate enemies at once who are at different positions (most useful for assaults). Why the Ravens 2x and 4x seem so different in comparison to the 3-L. Why it is sometimes better to use smaller launchers instead of bigger ones (SRM 4 over 6. Twin LRM 5s instead of 1 LRM-10). How to unlock your arms from your torso. The list goes on.

(General fact: When a battlemech is completely taken out of its intended element and used in a roll it is unfit for, it's bound to 'suck' unless you're really good. Example: Dragon as a toe-to-toe brawler. Raven 4x [a combat escort mech] used in the same role of a Raven 3-L [hit and run, harassment fighter].)

If you're totally new and don't know jack about what's going on in terms of lore/story or just interested in seeing if there's more than what you've heard, try the 3 videos here. The first two are long versions but cut short of the current year. The third is an abridged (shortened) version that goes to the current year and a little beyond. While these were made before MWO, these videos use the canon lore that MWO is trying to follow.

-------------------------------------
Far as machine guns go, a pre-patch MG deals 0.04 damage per bullet and 10 bullets per second for a total of 0.4 damage per second. Twin MGs deal 0.8 damage per second to armor. Twin MGs deal 0.8 damage to structure + anywhere from 0.8 minimum to 2.4 maximum "crit damage" per second to an enemy's weapons, ammo, and heatsinks.

Post weapons balancing, the MGs will now have 120 meters optimum range and deal 0.08 damage per bullet. That means 0.8 damage per second for one MG. Which means twin MGs will deal 1.6 damage per second. Then, that's 1.6 damage per second to structure + anywhere from 1.6 minimum to 4.8 maximum crit damage per second to an enemy's weapons, ammo, and heatsinks.

4 current MGs can destroy an Atlas's AC/20 in 3 seconds once the armor is removed. After weapons balancing patch, just 2 MGs can do that.

Does that make them a primary weapon? No, but for their weight they're plenty powerful if you know when and where to use them. If your target is one of those Dragon 5N Champions, not even a second's worth of spray will make it the Dragon go boom if you strip the arm armor and pepper the Gauss Rifle. Dead Dragon.

My own Jager build currently does 2.4 damage per second with 6 MGs (as a backup weapon) and up to 7.2 crit damage to enemy weapons, ammo, and heatsinks. This allows me to defeat AC/20 Jagers in a matter of seconds by using a twin ER PPC to strip their arms, followed by peppering the arms to destroy the AC/20s and render them harmless. Or by shooting the armor off of their leg and peppering the leg for a matter of seconds to cause explosions that destroy their engine.

It's not bad as a backup weapon, and I've had a number of kills using the MGs while allowing my mech to cool down so I can use my ER PPCs again.

After the weapons balancing, it'll do 4.8 damage per second with 6 MGs + up to 14.4 damage per second to crit slots. (Note: when engines are enabled as a crit-target, they have 15 health. This means 6 MGs could destroy any mech within a second and a quarter or less minimum. 3 seconds and a fraction maximum.)

Terrifying, isn't it? They need only flip one switch, and even the current 6 MG rig could destroy an Atlas within 8 seconds maximum starting the timer once the armor is stripped from the center torso.

Edited by Koniving, 03 May 2013 - 11:55 AM.

[Ransack]

Kell Commander, on 03 May 2013 - 09:30 AM, said:

Am I the only one confused about the lack of a heavy here?

No need for a heavy when the Dragon Champion is there

[Thalos]

you make it sound so simple, just strip the armor and then get close to use your mg's. LOL! Seriously you feel that you are able to get close enough to an Atlas once you hit him with 2 PPC's and still think your going to get close enough to use those mg's if he knows your coming, good luck with that not including if he has escorts guarding him.

[Tenpin]

Norman Kosh, on 03 May 2013 - 09:41 AM, said:

RVN-4X? XL 225, 4 JJ, 2 (ER)PPC

I have 5JJ in mine - think I am running the XL 200 though...

[Felicitatem Parco]

I usually run ERPPC + PPC and XL255 (ES, DHS & FF, too) with just the 10 Engine Sinks if I'm going with a 35 ton Ion Cannon Boat without ECM or BAP.

The 4X works well for this, as the 2 energy weapons on the arms hit the same location... but leave you vulnreablt to loss of the arm and all your weaps.

Sorry forgot about the engine restrictions.. was thinking of my 3L.

The 4X can mount the 200XL and stock up on more heatsinks with the dual PPC loads, or use those Jets if you want to. I usually just get swatted when I jump in a "slow" Light Mech...

Honestly, i only ran the 4X for a length of time using the Ballistic Mounts for something, because there's no reason to run a 4X without ballistics, seeing that the 3L exists.

Edited by Prosperity Park, 03 May 2013 - 12:54 PM.

[Scrap Yard Dog]

i guess the tech's forgot to service the diaper disposal again... dont like it? dont buy it... quit reachin down the back of your jumpsuit collar, and pullin out handfulls of half digested breast milk.

they are compiling scads of data and presenting it... do you think they don't see a lack of sales on an item, when they can tell you EXACTLY what killed you, were, and how many times? believe me, the loot is being watched more closely than your KDR or a hotmap.

now take a deep breath, count to ten, toss back a beer, and get back to the post you abandoned... or you will be flippin burgers on the drop ship soldier.

Last i checked it still said "beta" next to the Mechwarrior.

[Ronan]

TruePoindexter, on 03 May 2013 - 10:15 AM, said:

No Heavy? I guess we still have the DRG-5N[C] as a trial then?

OH! Well that makes sense then. Might help if I paid just a leeeeetle bit more attention

[ZeProme]

Out of all the trial mechs, I believe only the CN9-A is worth the purchase IMO. It's probably the most versatile medium mech with all available hard points and has the awesome ability to fight as a zombie.

As a new player with close to 1k battles (I think), none of these mechs are worth the purchase unless you are really impatient or have no time because, fact is, you can buy it with C-Bills, I mean, you can get it in a day's worth of playing, unless of course you don't have much time.

I tried the AWS-8Q, I know all mechs as stock suck, but with its gigantic centre and side torso it's often times easy to be cored out. New players might be frustrated with this mech because they haven't learn the technique to side roll and spread damage among its body. Also, with all energy hard points, it might put an emphasis on energy management as PPCs and other intense energy weapons might lead it to constant shut down.

No input on Ravens since I don't even have much experience on them.

Only thing that's probably worth the buck is any hero mechs and premium time. Both of these features grants you better investment in the long term. And they are the only exclusive thing that can only be bought with MC.

Also, it would be really nice if they sell the YLW at half price again, I really like the Centurions. Please and thank you

Edited by ZeProme, 03 May 2013 - 01:07 PM.