First, sorry for sounding aggressive in my post, I was in a hurry, that wasn't my intention.
blinkin, on 25 June 2013 - 01:51 PM, said:
so 28 to 30 tons of weaponry (not counting ammo) shouldn't kill an assault after 3 volleys? yes it is easy to lock LRM but you get a big bright warning when they are launched and you are given time to lose the lock or hug a wall and COMPLETELY nullify the attacks.
You can't judge by the weapon tonnage. In your example, it's like saying "why can't a 6PPC salvo take down an Atlas in a 2-3 shots". It's a broken mechanic, it shouldn't be there in the first place. We have enough problems with the high pinpoint alphas, imagine adding to those the high pinpoint 60-80 LRM salvos as well. Also, all weapons are nullified when your target hugs cover. Why should LRMs be different ? Don't let the "lock" confuse you. In all lore based instances I can think off, LRMs were used much like a direct fire weapon. Try and play your LRMs with direct LOS and/or tag and you will tear down your targets. In fact, LRMs have the added advantage that if your target is engaged in a brawl and thus you have a lock acquired by spotters, you can still put damage on it from almost everywhere in the map. Sounds fair I think.
I will be a bit more antagonistic than I should, but here is what an LRM 60 or 80 build tells me - and what I actually see happen when I meet one the battlefield: "I have traded all my tonnage for a single weapon type, I have no speed and no inclination to look for targets, you guys spot for me while I stay alone and defenseless behind a rock near spawn point, and in return I will fire inefficient, split-up, slow salvos that take 20 secs to reach the target and lose lock most of the time before they connect. In short, I will also take up a heavy or assault spot in your team and offer nothing in return". However, when those pilots know what they are doing and manage to get in the 500-600m range, they can core pretty much anything in 2-3 salvos.
blinkin, on 25 June 2013 - 01:51 PM, said:
the only time i get nailed by LRM in my atlas is when i have charged into the open like a moron. guess what happens to those LRM 60 mechs when a scout finds them, they get butchered because they can't defend themselves at close range.
You are pretty much correct. The only way an Atlas gets nailed is when they charge in the open with no backup. Wait..... that happens no matter what is shooting at you. Why should LRMs take down an Atlas when he or she is careful ?
As to what happens to "those" LRM60 mechs, maybe they should consider trading an LRM20 for some close combat weaponry. As I said, there's no mech with 60 tubes, maybe that should be a hint that instead of an extra launcher, one could pack a couple of med lasers. It's all you need to keep that pesky light off until help comes. It's totaly up to the pilot to decide if they want to be defenseless at close range in trade for a big salvo. Any assault is pretty much defenseless when caught alone by a skilled light pilot. Why should LRM boats be different ? Don't get caught alone, easy.
blinkin, on 25 June 2013 - 01:51 PM, said:
my lrm mech is a hunchback 4sp with 2xLRM 20. i stick with it because it is somewhat fast (68kph, i think) and it can effectively defend itself against most scouts. also i like the suppression caused by the steady stream of missiles. i can fires an almost continuous stream of LRM. with the 2 launchers set to chain fire it can fire 8 separate missile clusters with each recharge. it is designed to maximize the suppression effects of the LRM (knock, screen blur, and impact noise)
You can't judge and balance LRMs by considering volleys of 60 or 80. There is no mech atm with so many tubes. That means that the missiles get split into groups of salvos, which greatly reduces their efficiency - and rightly so in my opinion. I've been grinding Catapults this past week and I am noticing that I do much more damage in my 30 LRM C1 and 40 LRM C4 than the 60-80 LRM stalkers. I can also tell for certain that AMS affects my salvos a lot less than the "divided" larger ones. You can play your Hunchback any way you wish, but just because you want to squeeze 40 missiles through a 6 missile tube, doesn't justify demanding that it be efficient. You yourself are saying that your HBK is designed to harass. Well, you trade harassement for efficiency, pretty fair I think. Also, my C1 and C4 are doing about the same speed with a 30 and 40 salvo. Maybe you should try that and see the difference.
The point of all this, is that LRMs
are a bit more than lock and shoot. A lot of things come into play - much like direct fire weapons. If you stand back and shoot from 800-900m range, you are going to do really bad. If you actively follow your team, fire from 500-600m, have a "sane" loadout based on realistic mech abilities you can become lethal very fast. If you can get a teammate to TAG for you, your golden. It is also much more interesting and engaged gameplay. Following the second tactic I am in the top damage for every win and almost every lose I get. And I get this damage in a much easier way than my other direct fire mechs who can get obliterated in an instant since I need to close the distance and get into the thick of it.
I am not saying I am extra skillful, but any change to increase LRM damage - I totally agree on fixing the bugs plaguing them - would make most builds overpowered.
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