40 replies to this topic

[Johnny Reb]

Only AWS I kept is the 9M, like my other builds its an Assault playing Heavy, like my Cent-D, Treb 3-C and maybe my BJ-1x who play lights. However, yet to find a heavy that wants to play as a med, oh ya my Flame, nvm.

[N a p e s]

Once I got my doubled elites on the the Awesomes I sold all of them except the 9M.

Anytime I played the 8R or 8Q I felt way too slow and vulnerable. Its just very hard to commit to an attack like you're supposed to in an Awesome. Thats where the 9M shines IMO. I usually play flanker with it and try to get behind the enemy firing line where I cause some havoc and confusion.

[TexAce]

If the hitbox of the CT wouldnt be designed so freakin bad, that no matter how far you twist, the enemy can still shoot you in your CT, the mech would be totally fine for me.

I mastered 3 Awesomes but this little problem really bugs me so much, that I don't want to pilot it sometimes.

Edited by TexAss, 27 May 2013 - 06:29 AM.

[Der BruzZzler von Wiesndoof]

The AWS is outclassed by any other assault.

Soy, on 26 May 2013 - 06:52 PM, said:

The hardest thing to do in an Awesome is learn to shield correctly, I can't stress that enough. For practice, take out an awful build with only 2 MLs and practice just correctly soaking damage and not doing damage. It will help you learn discipline, anticipation, and correct positioning. The Awesome is a big mech so you have to be precise - like someone said earlier today in an Awesome thread, the side profile is very thing but the front is very wide. Learn to get that thin profile. Not 'almost' thin. Thin. Do it.

^ This! Exactly!

IMO, the AWS is a class of it's own. Not easy to handle. Yes, it's outclassed by any other assault, but i don't care. I'm using the 8Q energy variant with three PPC's and four ML's. It's a bit hot. Even on masterlevel with an STD 300 + 8 DH's, but it's a fair config and you can learn to manage the enormous heat. The AWS is a bad Brawler. IMO, it's more a second line supporter and if you use it well, you can have some fun with it. It's definitely not a noob mech. On the contary, it's a very demanding and underrated mech.

Some guys claim that AWS pilots would gimp their own team? Hmm... some rounds ago, we won 8-0 and my "gimp machine" killed 5 baddy's and has done nearly 900 DMG. I am not of the opinion that I've weakened my team! The AWS is just not "easy mode". You wanna be awesome? Play the ******* Awesome!

Edited by The Birdeater, 28 May 2013 - 11:31 AM.

[NRP]

When I roll an AWS, I always make a point to kill a Stalker and/or Highlander, just as a nod to those who think I'm gimping the team.

[Kaeb Odellas]

I've had some great times in my Awesomes. A 9M with an ERPPC and triple LL, and 385 XL makes for great fast fire support, and my 8T with quad LPL and 300 STD makes light mechs cry.

I do agree the PB is a **** though. Its got amazing top speed, but its hardpoint loadout is atrocious. The only role I can picture for it is a second-rate LRM boat. Maybe it'll be useful once collision comes back and you can just tackle everything repeatedly.

[TemplarGFX]

I love the awesome. and none of you will ever reason away my love of the platform

[Kasiagora]

TemplarGFX, on 27 May 2013 - 04:01 PM, said:

I love the awesome. and none of you will ever reason away my love of the platform

I feel the same way about the Charger. When the Awesome was first released I bought an 8Q and gave it a 400 engine and 7 small lasers and ran around having more fun than ever in this game. Then I got endo-steel and upgraded them all to medium lasers, but it felt like cheating.

Ever since they took 400 engines away from all of the assault mechs, I haven't given the Awesome a second glance.

[NRP]

It is true however that rolling an Awesome is hard mode these days. The high pinpoint damage builds, the recent LRM barrage meta, and the further nerfing of SRMs all contributed to my decision to mothball my Awesome fleet.

[John MatriX82]

Unfortunately the Victor will be the end of the Awesomes. From the design I guess it will be able to run XLs decently and all variants come with a 320 as a minimal engine, therefore every variant will be as fast or even faster than the AWS 9M or the PB.

The whole game would need a rebalance by introducing fixed hardpoint restrictions. By this Devs could make that Awesomes like the 9M or the 8Q then only ones to carry 3 PPCs, while stalkers could be limited to two, making the AWS chassis counterable but respectable. Until then.. yes, XL survivalability is near to null and the whole chassis is totally overshadowed by the Stalker if not even by the Cataphracts (and probably by the Orions the next month).

I personally like my 9M (I won't get rid of it, I gladly dumped the 8-series variants), but everytime I bring it up I either get targeted by everyone "uh look there, an easy kill!! gogogo for it!!" or with the XL you can get wasted in no time, no matter how much you try to tank with the arms.

[AntiCitizenJuan]

So yeah, bought a 3F and just got it Basic'd.

Heres the stats so far... STALKER STK-3F 31 22 9 2.44 56 11 5.09 14,205 36,052 03:01:14


O__O

2LL 4ML 4SSRM2 STD310

Edited by AntiCitizenJuan, 28 May 2013 - 09:31 AM.

[Fuggles]

For a straight up missle/laser assault yeah you right the aws is simply outclassed. I used to brawl in my 9m before all this HSR, and with its speed, if you played well, it did great. Now not so much.

The 9m is however the only fast ppc boat in the game and I have more good games than bad in it regardless of my team. So to that end, it's stil viable but worth it? That's up to you to decide.

I tell you what, I spent a ton to get my 9m to where it is so if I had to do it over... Yeah i would, it's still a lot of fun.

[Der BruzZzler von Wiesndoof]

John MatriX82, on 28 May 2013 - 07:37 AM, said:

The whole game would need a rebalance by introducing fixed hardpoint restrictions. By this Devs could make that Awesomes like the 9M or the 8Q then only ones to carry 3 PPCs, while stalkers could be limited to two, making the AWS chassis counterable but respectable.

^ This + 1000!

[Lightfoot]

I would like a re-vamp on the PB's hardpoints. It was made shortly after everyone complained the YLW and Ilya were Pay2Win, plus we all voted the Awesome to be the top contender for the next Hero mech. So we got an Awesome with 3 hardpoints (I don't count the one in the head or the 2xmissile with 4 tubes).

In the re-design the PB should have the missile right torso with 20 tubes and the left arm with 10-12 tubes. 2x Energy in the right arm, 1x energy in the left torso, and keep the 1xenergy in the head for it's Awesome heritage. And get rid of that long braking time. The lore on this mech was that it's pilot controlled it like dancer. How does that mean she couldn't get it to stop normally?

Either a logical assault re-design or refund the MC's. PB is Pay2Lose. And I am sorry if that sounds overly critical, but the PB takes an assault mech away from the team and replaces it with a fat medium. A very expensive one at that.

[Trauglodyte]

Soy, on 26 May 2013 - 06:11 PM, said:

Stop putting more than 1 LL in ur 9m, cuz you are STARING AT PEOPLE and they are obviously going to CORE YOU OUT..................................

Soy, on 26 May 2013 - 06:52 PM, said:

Best engines for 9M - 360XL, 380XL, 360 STD [for brawl]

2 LLs or 2 PPCs in the torso slots is ok, in fact its best thing u can do there, but don't stick another in arm.

Make more balanced 9M build and practice, maintain good speed and good heat control, overlap your ranges and use multiple weapon systems and play multiple roles. You want to be in 400-500 meters flanking but unfocused, or getting in quick using angles from Seismic or fight momentum, or to soak damage in vanguard situations by good gorilla swing action.

Either you make a balanced build, or you go with MLs and a fast STD for brawling [which is obviously going to be hit or miss depending on composition of teams, map, etc]. I find a balanced 9M to be one of the best solo or casual mechs in the game at the moment, for serious. Try something like 2 PPC or 2 LL in torsos, tag or ML in head, LPL (or ERPPC if using LL in torsos), LRM5s in chest [scouting for ams over hills, suppression, etc] or SRMs when they get flight path more reliable, and a streak in other arm.

The hardest thing to do in an Awesome is learn to shield correctly, I can't stress that enough. For practice, take out an awful build with only 2 MLs and practice just correctly soaking damage and not doing damage. It will help you learn discipline, anticipation, and correct positioning. The Awesome is a big mech so you have to be precise - like someone said earlier today in an Awesome thread, the side profile is very thing but the front is very wide. Learn to get that thin profile. Not 'almost' thin. Thin. Do it.

Soybean speaketh the truth.

Sadly, most people that run Awesomes don't understand how to torso twist/time incoming damage and, thus, eat it in a hurry. It, much like the Dragon, is a newbie killer because they always underestimate the size of the torsos. BUT, having Mastered every single one of the Awesomes, save for the hideous anti-hero (why take the 8V with 1 less energy HP?), I can make them all dance. The hardest for me, though, was the 8T due to not having the prototypical shield arm. And now, with the state of missiles being less then optimal, they are even harder to handle. But people that underestimate the 9M usually end the game watching someone else play only to see them, too, fall to a far better pilot. It wasn't easy placing in the Assault VS The World, tourney, especially considering that a lot of people cheesed the matches with help from teammates. But I got #9 with an ER PPC and 3 Lrg Lasers w/ an LRM 5 and a 375xl. Play smart and use your angles and people will be left dumbstruck as to how they got outplayed in what they consider to be a superiour assault mech.



PS> Victors won't outclass the Awesome as much as you think. Ballistics are heavy which puts that speed at a much higher platform to obtain. A 375xl in an 80 ton frame gives you 31.5 tons to play with for ordinance. A Gauss takes up half of that which doesn't leave a lot of room for backup weaponry and ammo.

[NRP]

Lightfoot, on 28 May 2013 - 01:32 PM, said:

I would like a re-vamp on the PB's hardpoints. It was made shortly after everyone complained the YLW and Ilya were Pay2Win, plus we all voted the Awesome to be the top contender for the next Hero mech. So we got an Awesome with 3 hardpoints (I don't count the one in the head or the 2xmissile with 4 tubes).

In the re-design the PB should have the missile right torso with 20 tubes and the left arm with 10-12 tubes. 2x Energy in the right arm, 1x energy in the left torso, and keep the 1xenergy in the head for it's Awesome heritage. And get rid of that long braking time. The lore on this mech was that it's pilot controlled it like dancer. How does that mean she couldn't get it to stop normally?

Either a logical assault re-design or refund the MC's. PB is Pay2Lose. And I am sorry if that sounds overly critical, but the PB takes an assault mech away from the team and replaces it with a fat medium. A very expensive one at that.

I've wondered about this myself. I own almost all the hero mechs (except the DK), and none feel as gimped as the Pretty Baby. I get the feeling PGI was afraid of something and that fear informed the way they designed this mech. I absolutely love the speed and maneuverability afforded by the XL400, but the ridiculous stopping distance, woeful hard point layout, and general fragility of the Awesome chassis really make piloting this mech a frustrating experience. Seriously, only three energy hard points? One 15 tube launcher in the torso? One LRM15 has never and will never be able to do squat. Besides, an Assault with this kind of speed just screams "brawler/striker", not "LRM boat". The bottom line is the PB is woefully underpowered (even by heavy mech standards) and the faster speed doesn't even come close to making up for it. I've enjoyed the PB and the process of figuring out how the best use it, so I'm not asking for a refund. But I would appreciate it if PGI took it back to the drawing board.

[Sephlock]

^ The PB is pretty gimped, but... the Yen Lo Wang says "hi". Maybe if it had the titanium claw...

[Tremendous Upside]

PB desperately needs some help. SRMs were the only thing that made it somewhat viable, and now they've been nerfed to hell. It needs the braking distance leveled to what the 9M has, and at least one missile hardpoint moved to RT (while the arm is adjusted to support 6+ tubes). The 9M is so much more fun to use (and so much better)...

[TheMadTypist]

Part of the Problem with the AWS is that if you own another assault, especially if that assault is well configured, you wind up with an overinflated rating for the AWS and everytime you drop you're being matched as though they expect you to move mountains. It doesn't help that the Assault weight class is the only one that spans a full 20 tons, and the AWS is at the lowest end of it (even if it doesn't look like it is).

The matchmaker just goes "Oh, so you own a competitive atlas and you want to drop in a AWS for a few rounds? Well **** you then!" I've got no idea why they base the separate ratings on weight class when they admit different chassis have different roles, and one pilot might have differing levels of competency at each role. As it stands the AWS is a "losing-streak-mech" so long as you own almost anything else in the same weight class.

[Soy]

Fuggles - 9M isn't fastest PPC boat in game; 3D can go just as fast with trip PPC and haz JJs, thusly more mobile ppc boating platform. Armors are very similar as well [you can max 3D's armor, and engine, and crit slots for DHS with 3 ppcs, making it honestly a better trip PPC platform].

Trauglodyte - 375XL is a no-no - cuz 380XL weighs the exact same!