10 replies to this topic

[ZBeren]

So, I pilot almost exclusively stalkers, basically got them all but I use mostly the 5S, 3F and 5M. I kept my 3H as a lrm boat for the 20 lrms tubes, but it wasn't until today that I decided to use srms on him.

To my surprise, not only the 3H is able to shoot 20 lrms in one burst per arm (this is old news), but it is also able to shoot srms from the arms with the bay doors closed and no delay (they are open for a split second and inmediately closed back).

Maybe I'm missing something but none of my other stalkers is able to do this, so is this another 3H gimmick that we didn't know about? The lrms still got the usual delay (which is great, as that helps my lrm arrengement).

Edited by ZBeren, 13 June 2013 - 05:03 PM.

[New Day]

ZBeren, on 13 June 2013 - 05:02 PM, said:

So, I pilot almost exclusively stalkers, basically got them all but I use mostly the 5S, 3F and 5M. I kept my 3H as a lrm boat for the 20 lrms tubes, but it wasn't until today that I decided to use srms on him.

To my surprise, not only the 3H is able to shoot 20 lrms in one burst per arm (this is old news), but it is also able to shoot srms from the arms with the bay doors closed and no delay (they are open for a split second and inmediately closed back).

Maybe I'm missing something but none of my other stalkers is able to do this, so is this another 3H gimmick that we didn't know about? The lrms still got the usual delay (which is great, as that helps my lrm arrengement).

If your LRMs are delayed, then it's probably a bug.

Edited by NamesAreStupid, 13 June 2013 - 05:13 PM.

[Raso]

I wonder if that's something to do with HSR removing the SRM firing delay....

[ZBeren]

Die Primate Die, on 13 June 2013 - 05:41 PM, said:

Stalkers don't have bay doors like a Catapult, last I was told.

Huh? They even have bay door lights in the cockpit...

Edit: just tested srms on all my stalkers, all but the 3H got the delay when the bay doors are closed, this is either a bug or a 3H unique trait.

Could it be that the amount of missile tubes have something to do?

Edited by ZBeren, 14 June 2013 - 01:52 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

Stalkers certainly do have bay doors in the arms. They also have torso-mounted SM tubes with no bay doors, making them the only mech with a combination of the two.

Are you sure you're placing SRM in the arms and not seeing any bay door opening delay?
Are you sure you're firing them when the doors are closed? The doors remain open for a short period of time after firing.

[ZBeren]

Redshift2k5, on 14 June 2013 - 01:54 PM, said:

Stalkers certainly do have bay doors in the arms. They also have torso-mounted SM tubes with no bay doors, making them the only mech with a combination of the two.

Are you sure you're placing SRM in the arms and not seeing any bay door opening delay?
Are you sure you're firing them when the doors are closed? The doors remain open for a short period of time after firing.

ZBeren, on 13 June 2013 - 05:02 PM, said:

To my surprise, not only the 3H is able to shoot 20 lrms in one burst per arm (this is old news), but it is also able to shoot srms from the arms with thebay doors closed and no delay (they are open for a split second and inmediately closed back).

Normally, when keeping bay doors closed, it shoots the torso ones first and then the arm ones. With the 3H it shoots all at the same time, even with the bay doors closed. And of course I'm sure... Again, playing with bay doors is a huge part of my gameplay with the 3H (with the lrms, the normal delay would make the torso lrms a "decoy" and the arms lrms the actual damaging ones, unless I had a mech right up front, then I would open bay doors to shoot a complete burst), same with all my other stalkers, I keep bay doors open for full offense but keep them closed most of the time for a 2-time attack.

Edit: made a video that explains for itself

Edited by ZBeren, 14 June 2013 - 02:49 PM.

[mack sabbath]

My bad guys, a very experienced player had misinformed me about the bay door and I'm prone to using streaks and may not have noticed.

Pertaining to the peculiarities between Stalkers, I have a serious question since you guys would have good insight on this.

Totally by chance, as a new player, I bought Misery, used my cadet cash to fix-r-up.

As a result I ended up leveling the 3F and 5M, as well as Misery all the way through Elite, and now Misery has my only module as of today, it'll be a while till I fill it.

My concern is I now feel locked in to finishing this Stalker grind, and even more obligated to wrap it up on Misery first, because it'll be much faster.

I have two issues:

1) Misery really isn't my favorite Stalker, but I've farmed so much 30% on it as intended, that it's Queen of my stable.

2) I am addicted to the potential to shred pilots in a heat regulated rampage, but as a Stalker pilot, I can't do the other thing I want to do, and that's help my pugs win through running from teammate to teammate, ganging up on their enemy, distracting that other guy while my boy loses some heat, then move on, always looking for opportunities to rip into distracted and otherwise engaged enemies.

I tried a Phract 1X but those knuckle-dragging arms and weapon convergence without using armlock an awful lot kinda turned me off, but I'm wondering if that wouldn't still be my best alternative.

Survivabilty, decent "helping" speed, and POWAH!!!

Do I reeeeally want to grind three more mechs? Would any alternative you guys recommend have 2 other variants that aren't poop?

If so, what mech should I try next, or should I stick with a 62kph zeppelin rippling with electric doom? Or worse yet, a ballistic left shoulder aching to get shot off?

Thanks!

Sorry to derail, no offence if you abstain from aiding me if my Stalker dilemna is too far astray.

Edited by Die Primate Die, 14 June 2013 - 07:37 PM.

[ZBeren]

Do you like using Stalkers? It seems people are missing the point when using one, maybe I can bring some light to help you take a decition.

Think of Stalkers as a walking weapons plataform more than an actual mech, the only true weakness of a Stalker is also their biggest strength: they simply have too many hardpoints (and in result, heat efficiency is a complex subject on them). A Stalker is slow, lacks mobility and simply too big, it's not meant to support other mechs, it's meant to kill whatever is dumb enough to walk in front of them and that should be your only concern. The name isn't a coincidence either, even though they're like... the ultimate brawlers, they trully shine at the 270m range playing peek-a-boo (or in other words, STALKING your oponents), very few mechs can survive a surprise alpha from a Stalker.

My answer would be no, you don't need to grind other mechs, if anything, you don't have enough Stalkers (but that's just me lol) since I consider the 5S a must have for anyone who calls him/herself a Stalker pilot.

Also, I get that you sort of like the Misery, but since it lacks the multi-boat capabilities of other stalkers and doesn't really excel on boating the best of one type (which is usually the 2nd best option: stuff like 6 LL stalkers, or 6 ppc stalkers), I can also see why you're not so comfortable with them.

All that being said, there are other ways to aid your comrades that don't involve directly engaging their target. Stalkers arms allow them to peek-and-shoot without showing much of yourself and covering fire is always welcome.

Some other advice I would give, would be to drop the speeding engines, you only trully need the first that allows you to put one extra heatsink (about 57 kph with the speed tweak), I keep standard 290 on all my stalkers (60 kph with tweak) and that's only because I always had those 2-ish tons left with my builds.

Altho the 3F, 5M and the 5S are what people usually keep, for obvious reasons, Misery, 3H and even the 4N got some uses, albeit, very specific. The Misery well, the balistic hardpoint, the 4N still got 6 energy hardpoints so it's actually good (and cheap) if you plan on making a 6LL/6PPC Stalker and the 3H is the only Stalker that can shoot 20 lrms in one burst, and now it turns out its bay doors don't have a delay!

Edited by ZBeren, 14 June 2013 - 08:48 PM.

[Pale Horseman]

ZBeren, on 13 June 2013 - 05:02 PM, said:

To my surprise, not only the 3H is able to shoot 20 lrms in one burst per arm (this is old news), but it is also able to shoot srms from the arms with the bay doors closed and no delay (they are open for a split second and inmediately closed back).

Interesting quirk/bug, but are you sure they close back after firing? Your video shows your missile bay doors remaining open after firing.

[ZBeren]

Pale Horseman, on 15 June 2013 - 02:47 AM, said:

Interesting quirk/bug, but are you sure they close back after firing? Your video shows your missile bay doors remaining open after firing.

I made this thread after the first game doing this, so I thought they closed back inmediately (wasn't really paying attention). But after enough testing I can see they remain open for a while like normal bay doors (enough to shoot a 2nd volley after the first one). Nevertheless, this still doesn't change the fact that that first shot with bay doors closed (and the ones with them closed after it) still got no delay, so doesn't change much except I'll be missing the doors protection/bonus after I open fire for a few seconds.

[Krazy Kat]

Strange. Sounds like a bug. If SRM's were better I would try this. But if it is a bug it will get fixed.

Good find !