Arctu, on 19 June 2013 - 03:34 PM, said:
Volthorne:
While I do not agree with Darren Tyler about the Catapult, his posts are not as agressive as yours. Please cut back on the personal attacks and focus on the topic.
It would be great to hear your arguments about why you prefer the LRM Catapult to the LRM Stalker.
Guess I need to go first:
- Stalker has more tonnage available and also more missile tubes. You can deal more damage and/or fire more salvos.
- Stalker has more armor
- Stalker has better hitboxes (no oversized cockpit, side torsos that protect the center core)
- Stalker has more laser hardpoints. medium lasers are probably the best defense against light/medium mechs when considering their weight. You also get to fit a TAG rather easily
- Stalker can be fast enough to easily swim with the group. I don't think more speed is necessary, since you are not supposed to run off on your own.
So what does the Catapult offer you? Do you really utilize the speed advantage or the jumpjets so much, that it more than makes up for dealing less damage, having less ammunition and dying a lot faster?
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I really dislike slow mechs, which is why I usually go light or medium. Catapult can go faster than the Stalker. Jumpjets are something I also really like even post nerf. (though it really pushes down the effectiveness of the catapult)
I use a XL engine for the extra speed and although it allows dying from Side torso destruction, chances are if you are engaged in close combat you are already dead so I went XL. It allows for good acceleration, speed, twist speed, and I feel it actually has a effect on Jump Jets too but it might just be me.
With the torso twist speed there is about 120 degree (I think) twist range which, again, coupled with the extra speed allows me to get targets locked quicker.
Although yeah speed might not matter to much to you, I like to fire and quickly move when the missiles hit to reposition myself. Which is quicker in a catapult.
Catapults have more missile slots (not hardpoints, the slots which missiles come out of) allowing to fire an entire volley instead of firing several volleys. This allows me to spend less time keeping track and is able to get more hits past AMS.
The head size hasn't really been a big major problem to me. I do occasionally get capped but it's every 10-20 matches, and it usually happens when most of my team is demolished, while the other team is 100% fine and they are all around us in close range. Even in a Stalker I would not really survive that, let alone win the match.
The last time I tried a Stalker was in March and I sold it a few weeks later. If they can go faster or have some other buff I will consider buying them again. But right now I am fine with my catapult and planning to buy a trebutchet.