92 replies to this topic

[Rat of the Legion Vega]

Villz, on 15 May 2013 - 09:51 PM, said:

lol streak cats will be trash any1 who thinks a streak cats will be able to do anything than kill shot already cored out targets or maul lights and crapply armoured mediums is dillusional

Mauling lights is bad enough if you happen to be someone who likes playing lights. The last thing this game needs right now is yet another way to kill lights in under 10 seconds.

[Blue Boutique]

Dimwit Professer mode:

If you're all alone and you come across an enemy streakcat, do this one bane of all streakcat move,

SHUT DOWN YOUR MECH!

After all, the streakcat cannot launch any missiles and will curse you as it hobbles over to 180m where you can quickly start up and toast the jerk.

[Plavis]

Today Kitty watching a raven, keep circlejerking wile you can.



May 21

The kitty tells the raven, Imma boat B I T C H







Hey Raven, ITS PAYBACK TIME

Blue Boutique, on 16 May 2013 - 03:18 AM, said:

Dimwit Professer mode:

If you're all alone and you come across an enemy streakcat, do this one bane of all streakcat move,

SHUT DOWN YOUR MECH!

After all, the streakcat cannot launch any missiles and will curse you as it hobbles over to 180m where you can quickly start up and toast the jerk.

BAP detects shut down mechs.

[Native]

people are always surprised when they see my streak cat... one match someone said "oh look I didn't know dinosaurs were still around" referring to my beloved cat... I got 5 kills that game. good times

[Muz0079]

Been playing an A1 splat for several months now, even during the current snipe-fest. I never tried a streakcat since ECM was implemented before I bought my A1 but I gave it a whirl the other night.
Tbh all the patch is going to do is to make the ecm lights think twice before trying to single handedly take one on. Most games I was stacking up 400+ dmg per match and usually at least 3 kills, however what you end up becoming is a light/medium mech deterrent. Heavys/assaults just tend to shrug off your damage unless they've already taken a bit of a beating.

I really don't think every A1 pilot is suddently going to convert to a streakcat overnight. It will all come down to preferred playstyles:
Want to go light hunting and get some payback on those damned 3Ls or just fancy being in a mop-up crew? Covert to a streakcat.
Want to duke it out with the heavys/assaults or sneak up and backstab some poptarts? Stick with your splat.
Want to stand there feeling useless as your missiles still take an eternity to hit the hill in front of where your target has just moved to? Pack some LRMS...

Or mix up any combination of the above.

[jakucha]

Piners, on 13 May 2013 - 12:59 AM, said:

Streakpocalypse. We are ushering it now as we speak.

Edited for fail color.

You guys are forgetting, it will never actually be a streakpocalypse again unless missile damage is multiplied again, which it isn't and probably won't be.

[Blue Boutique]

Plavis, on 16 May 2013 - 03:35 AM, said:

BAP detects shut down mechs.

My mistake, 180 m is the ECM jamming range for BAP but it only detects shut down mechs at 120m. With the range of streak at 270m, you do have a 7.5 second window which gives you enough time to blow off an ear or hit the cockpit.

[LordBraxton]

Denno, on 12 May 2013 - 10:04 AM, said:

Eh, the Catapult is still retardedly easy to headshot from the front and sides and it happens all the time in anything but very low elo brackets. You just don't see em anymore. It really needs to be adjusted, imo, just like the massive ct hitbox on the Awesome as well.

I have to strongly disagree, the cockpit is the only weakness on an otherwise brutally efficient design.

If you want to shrink the cockpit on a catapult you will have to shrink the torsos on Awesomes\Phracts

And we all know mediums need to be shrunk by a good 30%

Edited by LordBraxton, 16 May 2013 - 11:23 AM.

[Kitane]

LordBraxton, on 16 May 2013 - 11:22 AM, said:

I have to strongly disagree, the cockpit is the only weakness on an otherwise brutally efficient design.

If you want to shrink the cockpit on a catapult you will have to shrink the torsos on Awesomes\Phracts

And we all know mediums need to be shrunk by a good 30%

Um, wasn't the cockpit on Awesome adjusted during OB? Its cockpit used to be a huge bullet magnet in CB, making any standing or slow moving AWS a glorified 33hp glass decoration.

[William Mountbank]

Well, even with the BAP change, I'll still be hunting down lolcats in my wolfpack Spider 5D. Why? 151kph of safe and an ER-PPC.

What's more serious is that Ravens packing ECM and BAP will now be invincible vs other lights again.

[Menetius]

On a semi-related note, I can see SRM's getting nerfed again after the clan invasion. CSSRM-6 OP.

Edited by Menetius, 16 May 2013 - 02:27 PM.

[Firelizard]

Menetius, on 16 May 2013 - 02:27 PM, said:

On a semi-related note, I can see SRM's getting nerfed again after the clan invasion. CSSRM-6 OP.

Only just now seeing this? I had this problem in mind ever since the game was announced!

[General Taskeen]

Firelizard, on 16 May 2013 - 06:02 PM, said:

Only just now seeing this? I had this problem in mind ever since the game was announced!

Haha, indeed. We've already predicted what will happen if Streaks stay in their current format.

One of the Madcat variants brought to the Inner Sphere is the Mad Cat Config D. It has 4 CSSRM6, which weigh the same as an IS SRM6 (it would be a straight upgrade-up if mounted on an IS Mech). An A1 with 6 of those puppies would be a sight to behold.

Even an SSRM2 with its complete auto-seeking ability, no-brainer point and shoot, and forget, is going to make a Flea's life pretty hard, which only has MAX 138 Armor, as if it won't already be extremely difficult for the Flea's existent in matches. Even a Commando will die in 1 hit to 4 SSRM6, and Medium Mechs will be torn in half.

Edited by General Taskeen, 16 May 2013 - 06:18 PM.

[DemonRaziel]

As has already been mentioned, the BAP change comming in the next patch will benefit not only the A1, but many other 'Mechs heavy on the M hardpoints. And it's hard to argue that there should be some counters for the be all end all information warfare tool - ECM.

What I fear, though, is, that while this change will barely do a thing for the LRM users, it will mostly benefit the streak boats - which would not be a concern, if the streaks weren't broken in their own way.

Every streak-heavy 'Mech worth its salt will now find 1.5t to include BAP into its loadout, thus making the build viable even in an ECM heavy drops. Good thing: more viable builds means more variability in games (something new to accompany the poptarts). Bad thing: Light 'Mechs will have an even harder time.

Some people believe this will remove the 3L from the Lights throne, but I am fairly certain this will not be the case - a 3L packing ECM and BAP will be able to streak the living crap out of any ECM-cowered 'Mech whill still retaining it's own ECM cload, BAP-equipped JR7-D will now be almost as good as the 3L, JR7-K will be close behind. A 2D will stay the same, maybe even switch the ECM for BAP (if it can't pack both 'cause of low tonnage) as the BAP should work for locks even if the enemy has more ECM than you do.

The balance between the light 'Mechs will shift a little (with the 5D getting a significant drop, I am afraid) and the survivability of Lights will drop overall, as a lot more 'Mechs will be packing streaks and using them effectively.

tl;dr: ECM had to be countered, BAP had to do more, more viable builds will bring more variability to the game, SSRMs are broken and most Lights will cry - and for a good reason

my 2 CB

Edited by DemonRaziel, 17 May 2013 - 04:01 AM.

[Kyynele]

DemonRaziel, on 17 May 2013 - 03:51 AM, said:

Some people believe this will remove the 3L from the Lights throne, but I am fairly certain this will not be the case - a 3L packing ECM and BAP will be able to streak the living crap out of any ECM-cowered 'Mech whill still retaining it's own ECM cload, BAP-equipped JR7-D will now be almost as good as the 3L, JR7-K will be close behind.

So, what's left of the ECM is basically avoiding a bit of LRMs (you can no longer shut down LRM boats with ECM, and every serious LRM boater will have TAG, so your options are getting close or staying in cover/far away) and the chance not to be picked by enemy sensors, enabling stealthier scouting. Even in skirmish it can break streak lock in the 150-180m range. I guess there is still some use for the 3L.

But Jenner-D is faster. It has jumpjets. It has 1 more energy hardpoint, and all of them in the arms. I expect Jenner-D with BAP to win pretty much any light vs light duel, and for this reason be preferred over the 3L by most.

[DemonRaziel]

Kyynele, on 17 May 2013 - 05:03 AM, said:

you can no longer shut down LRM boats with ECM

Wait, what? I thought this still works (and will work) just fine.

[Kyynele]

DemonRaziel, on 17 May 2013 - 05:25 AM, said:

Wait, what? I thought this still works (and will work) just fine.

After the 21st patch, BAP nullifies ECM. Every serious LRM boat will have BAP. Thus, an ECM light can't just stand next to a LRM boat completely disabling his ability to use the majority of his weapons. Of course, in this case the light is closer than the minimum range of LRMs is, and cannot be shot at with LRMs by that particular boat, but so would every non-ECM light be. The LRM boat can continue blasting away LRMs to other enemies while hopefully the other team members take care of the light. Other LRM boats can also shoot the ECM light since his ECM is now off.

And, with TAG, the ECM light can be targeted within 750m by that single LRM boat, not counting possible other mechs with BAP. You need LOS for that, but LRM boaters shooting without LOS are newbies anyway.

So, the ECM light is only safe from LRMs when he's either closer than 180m or at least 750m away from the LRM boat. Which is better than 1000m for others, but I'd say it's negligible, and not good enough for people to choose 3L over D.

[DemonRaziel]

I have not read the official statement on how the BAP will work exactly, but per my understanding it should allow you to detect other 'Mechs even if they are under the ECM cloud as long as they are w/in the BAP range. It will not turn the ECM off for any other 'Mech, though (as ECM on counter mode does).

Also, I have no idea how the LRM lock nullifying ability of ECM will work in combination with BAP, if the enemy 'Mech next to you has ECM, you have BAP and you are trying to shoot another 'Mech outside of his ECM range. But in such a case, you would probably just TAG the target and shoot your missiles just fine anyways.

Again, this is how I imagine the BAP to work, I have no official statement to back this up.

[Kyynele]

The official statement is here

Quote

Now here's the biggie. BAP is meant to increase your sensor range by amplifying your sensor systems. It allows you to get detail targeting information faster and also allows you to detect nearby shutdown Mechs. Yeah? So?... well...

BAP will now negate ECM within 150m (tuning number) of the enemy. Negate? What 'chu talkin' 'bout Paul?

If Mech X has BAP, and Mech Y has ECM, and Mech X gets within 150m or less of Mech Y, Mech Y loses all effects of ECM. It is a 100% counter to ECM. Mech Y is now vulnerable to LRMs/S-SRMs as long as Mech X stays within 150m. Any friendly Mechs to Mech Y will no longer be shielded until Mech X leaves the 150m area around Mech Y.

Edited by Kyynele, 17 May 2013 - 07:35 AM.

[DemonRaziel]

Ahh, thank you.
Now that explains a lot... and makes no sense whatsoever.