1507 replies to this topic

[Stinger]

I want a mech 50-70 tons. Something with some punch, but also some speed. I was thinking a firesupport mech, like a catapult or dervish, or a mech killer, like the warhammer. I will ultimately have to see what mechs are available...

[DireWolf421]

Well being a fan and player of most of the games over the years I can honestly say that I prefer to run 3 to 4 mechs more than anything else, these being...

1. Madcat MK-II
2. Loki
3. Vulture
4. Bushwacker
5. Catapult as a backup

Really though give me a mech with jump jets and some ER-PPC'S or Gause rifle and I'll play sniper from 2k out if not longer.

Edited by DireWolf421, 01 November 2011 - 08:33 PM.

[Strill]

Can anyone give a good explanation of why you'd use a given mech type? From my experience playing MechWarrior 4, Medium and most Light mechs were worthless. They had nowhere near enough mobility to avoid getting hit, and nowhere near enough damage to kill anything. Most of the time they'd just get killed in a single volley well before they could ever get into range. The vast majority of players used Heavy mechs, with a few Assaults. Occasionally you'd see someone piloting an Uller since it was the fastest light mech in the game and could actually avoid getting hit. Even when people did use lights though, it was usually only for contrived game types like Capture the Flag and David vs Goliath (2 assaults vs 8 (or was it 4?) lights). Any other light or medium mech, however, was way too slow to be worth using.

Edited by Strill, 01 November 2011 - 08:41 PM.

[Tirak]

Heavies for me, anything I can catch I can kill, anything I can't kill I can run away and come from behind. And if I round a corner and suddenly run into an Assault, I've got a chance of surviving the Alpha Strike in time to pull back and plink away, or give as good as I got.

Specifically, the Champion, I love this mech so much

[MechWarrior001]

I'll probably do medium, like a Uziel.

[Space Captain Zor]

I'd run around in an Elemental in this game if I could

Honestly though, gimmie an Aerotech fighter!

[Agent Cooper]

I hope to be able to pilot a Wolverine in this version or a Hunchback. Small enough and quick enough for good city fighting with a good punch.

Edited by agent_cooper, 01 November 2011 - 09:22 PM.

[T S Hawk]

Well how is it going to be based when the game comes out? Do we just get too choose our mechs or do we have to start off from the bottom of the barrel? As for piloting I am ok with whatever different missions will require different mechs.

[Jaroth Corbett]

Youngblood, on 31 October 2011 - 03:18 PM, said:

That's right, folks, anyone who pilots something more than 70 tons is a sissy.

So people piloting the 75 ton Timberwolf or Wildcat or Mad Dog MK II are sissies? When you & I can face each other in a Circle of Equals, we will revisit that remark surat!

Edited by Jaroth Winson, 01 November 2011 - 09:28 PM.

[Quixotics]

There was a different class outside of lights? ..huh so those weren't statues? ...I always thought something that couldn't rotate as fast as my raven could turn was just a target for that lil bird to poo on...

[Dmitri Valenov]

I like my Catapult, but since this game features a lot of Urban Combat, I think I'll have to go with the Wolverine or ShadowHawk. The Hunchback might be one to look for though with its AC/20s though.

[Kasai Oni]

I'll be happy to run recon as a Firestarter if I can. A jet of flame to the face can work just as well as any tonnage of armor: they can't hit what they can't see!

[Jack Gallows]

Strill, on 01 November 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

Can anyone give a good explanation of why you'd use a given mech type? From my experience playing MechWarrior 4, Medium and most Light mechs were worthless.

That's going to change in MWO. Like in the table top game, it's not an arms race to the highest weight class to be the victor. Many skilled pilots can take smaller mechs and be incredibly effective, and team work has taken quite a few prideful heavy/assault mechs down for the count. Example in fiction, and still possible in game, Phelan Kell upon his first contact with the Clans, manages to disable a Clan mech (or severely impairs one) in a Wolfhound. He's taken as a bondsman because of his shown skill and ferocity, the Wolfhound is only 35 tons and he was taking on a Star of Heavy Clan mechs single handedly at that point.

Strill, on 01 November 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

They had nowhere near enough mobility to avoid getting hit, and nowhere near enough damage to kill anything. Most of the time they'd just get killed in a single volley well before they could ever get into range. The vast majority of players used Heavy mechs, with a few Assaults. Occasionally you'd see someone piloting an Uller since it was the fastest light mech in the game and could actually avoid getting hit. Even when people did use lights though, it was usually only for contrived game types like Capture the Flag and David vs Goliath (2 assaults vs 8 (or was it 4?) lights). Any other light or medium mech, however, was way too slow to be worth using.

Again, this game is going to be designed with less range on range fighting all the time, with a lot more cover and more Urban type settings, so each weight class is going to have specific advantages, further enhanced by pilot skills and talents they obtain in their roles. Using a Heavy mech or Assault might seem like a good idea, until a lighter mech with a great deal more mobility manages to evade your raw firepower. Even if it doesn't take you down, it may help it's team take you out, and I'd probably trade the loss of a lighter mech for a big boy any day.

That's not to say you shouldn't take Heavy/Assault, as they obviously have more armor and a great deal more weaponry, and with excellent support, they become incredibly dangerous as well.

This is just a combat example, in a Scout or Electronic Warfare light or medium mech, they may be able to control certain elements of the battlefield to get the upper hand. They may not do a bunch of direct fighting, but if they keep you blind of info and lead you into an ambush or are able to spot for air strikes, they become incredibly valuable.

Many medium mechs are designed to fill either a specific role, or be versatile enough to work as an all around mech. Most are generally fast enough to avoid the bigger guns mostly, but aren't fast enough to outpace the faster light mechs. Just like any weight class, you have to find what they're good at and use them accordingly. The Centurion is a good example, it's slow for it's weight class, but packs a surprising hit and mix of weapons for it's type. Without further info on the actual combat roles, it'll be hard to tell what exactly you can boost it with, but it'd be a good makeshift long range unit, and a close range brawler if it keeps to cover and pilots get good at ducking corners versus bigger mechs.

It's all about tactics, which is what Piranha is going for with this.

Edited by Jack Gallows, 01 November 2011 - 09:52 PM.

[fakey]

I'm personally thinking either medium or heavy, something that can move fast and throw down if needs be. I'll have to wait and see what they put into the game.

However, I'll still be tempted to jump into an Awesome, just because.

Edit: Oh my ***, I just had a thought. Will we see people actually wanting to pilot Urbanmechs? That'd blow my mind.

Edited by fakey, 01 November 2011 - 09:55 PM.

[DamoclesGuard]

GIVE ME MY GRIFFIN!

Seriously though, I'll take speed and jump capability over armor any day.

I prefer to dodge the hit altogether, rather than just absorb it.

Don't get me wrong though when it's called for, you'll see me up on a hill top sniping away with King Crab Mk II's twin Gauss's and ER Lg. Laser and loving it.

[Halfinax]

It's really all going to depend on how the information war works. I think Light 'Mechs are going to be a boon to every Lance. I personally am hoping that it will make my personal favorites of either the Catapult or the Archer viable in an urban environment with indirect fire. I'd rather crater a hole in the ground and get a few hits on a enemy 'Mech in that sector than have to wait for them to run down a street at me.

I am worried a lot of people in here are going to be disappointed that there is no way some of their favorite 'Mechs are going to be in at launch as they've already said Clanners won't arrive for a year after launch as they intend a 1:1 ratio for world progression in game to the real world. Your Timber Wolf (Mad Cat)s, Shadow Cats, Thor (summoner)s just aren't going to be around for awhile.

Hope they are going to offer a few varients too. If neither of my favorite 'Mechs are going to be in/viable I'll have to take up a Hunchback. Not a big fan of the Atlas, and I'm not too good with the light 'Mechs. I'm just a bit too aggressive to be any good with something that fragile.

[Jack Gallows]

It'll be interesting to see if people will actually diverse their mech types due to how the roles effect combat. Too many Timber Wolf's or Summoners running around means not enough of other vital types of mechs, and it may strangle the Clan teams a bit if they don't split up who's piloting what.

Guess that's what being an Omni-Mech helps with, but probably can't turn a Timber Wolf into an Ewar boat like you could something smaller.

[Ghost 9]

I was hoping to find a search function before I posted this - I don't really want to trawl through 17 pages to see if anyone has mentioned World of Tanks and how they handle light/med/heavy progression.

For the unfamiliar; they use a Tier system where the fat stuff isn't available when you start. Newbs get a light starter tank and spend their experience points to progress through a tech tree until they reach the big stuff. The advantage is that it forces players to learn how to use a light tank *in battle*.

Disclaimer: Of course you can buy a premium heavy in WoT and skip past all the progression but I'm trying to limit my observation to keep the illustration simple :)

[Catherine Truscott]

Definately. From 30 to 45 tons are where I like to operate. Hunter-killers. Give me an Incubus or Shadowcat.

[flessar]

You want me to get out of my ATLAS!? Well fine, ill just grab its light cousin, the TrasCanODOOM! Urbie!

How many Light mechs do you know of that inspire heavy lances to back up and get into cover?