44 replies to this topic

[Murzao]

So last night I was in a pug match with 11/16 participants in medium mechs. 4 Cents (3 Wangs), 1 BJ, 1 CDM on my team, 3 Cents (1 Wang), 1 Treb, 1 Hunch on the other.....the other 5 pilots were a mix.....the enemy team was heavier but we still rolled em I killed a Phract easily in my Wang.

In other matches last night, in my 9-A I had many 700+ damage 2-3 kill top score on any team games....one should have been 900 but I'm usually too cheap to buy coolshots for pugs matches. But there were more mediums around than lights.......

[Screech]

Majed, on 28 July 2013 - 09:36 PM, said:

Bring back Repair & Rearm costs and you will see many players go back to mediums to save the costs just like in the days of close beta .

People played mediums in closed beta because they were much more viable then not because of R&R. You know you were getting credit wipes constantly in closed betas so there was no reason to try to hoard cash.

[Tsenado]

umm, did you realize the recent heat adjustments have the minimum impact on mediums (and lights) and probably boosted their survival rate massively and yet, OP decided it is a "downfall of Mediums"?

Seen teams of centurions running the show, idk, centurions and hunchbacks have a lot of armor, they can out tank heavies like catapults and jaggermechs.

Play smart, don't take all the hits to one section of your armor, use covers, no rambo will live with 8 mechs shooting at you (well real rambo might live), even assaults like altas with the most armor in game.

[Steel Claws]

Khobai, on 28 July 2013 - 09:00 PM, said:

PGI doesnt need to add weight restrictions. They just need to equalize the weight classes. If all the weight classes are equal than players will play them equally. Its that simple.

To fix medium mechs they have to speed them up, they have to fix pinpoint alphas that murder mediums in two hits, and they have to give mediums a stronger role by bringing brawling back to the game.

I really don't know what you are all complaining about. I normally see at least 4 and usually more mediums in almost every drop. They are far from dead and are usually playing a pivotal roll in the win if they are driven with any skill.

Edited by Steel Claws, 29 July 2013 - 10:39 AM.

[SmilingElf]

Personally, I don't pilot many mediums at the moment. That is largely due to a point already iterated: It's not that mediums are bad, it's that, simply put, you can do it better with a light or a heavy.

I up-engine every heavy mech I own with an XL, and that gives my heavies comparable or better maneuverability to the heavier end of the mediums. I run near to max armor, so I'm ahead there. And I'm usually carrying comparable or better tons of gun/ammo/coolant. Yes, with the new incline mechanics, mediums can go up a steeper incline than most of my heavies. In the grand math, however, this is a small price to pay for the rest of the benefits.

There is an argument that putting an XL in many/most heavies is a bad idea, as it can decrease their survivability due to the combination of side crit slots and the increased difference between side and center torso armor. How is that any different from a medium? Yes, the difference in armor is numerically greater, but, with the odd scaling and geometry in MWO (another issue,) they have a comparable level of risk. Unless you're piloting a Hunchback, the workhorse / brawler of the medium class, in which case you have a MUCH HIGHER RISK courtesy of the hump, to the point that many Hunchie pilots I know will only use standard engines, REDUCING the amount of tonnage they have for other elements of design.

As I have not ventured into light mechs yet, I do not have personal experience with that side of the argument. From the sidelines, it appears that the Cicada would be comparable to the Jenner and the Raven. If you want ECM, the answer appears to be Raven, due to hardpoints. Otherwise, the question becomes whether you want better performance and jumpjets or the extra weight capacity. That said, that feels like a very thin line of distinction.

Personally, I own a Trebuchet, and expect to purchase the two more needed complete my 'efficiencies.' When it came out, it had a distinct niche: a quick, mid weight, jump jet capable mech. I picked it up week one, did well and had fun with it. Now, we have the Quickdraw. While not identical, it's comparable, and, again, likely numerically superior. Similar hardpoints and engine spread, more armor, and an extra 10 tons to play with. Admittedly, while the added weight of the heavy class jump jets and larger engine to maintain speed may account for the extra 10 tons, at best it's about a wash, and then the Quickdraw still has the additional armor. I still enjoy and will play my Trebuchet, but that does not change the fact that, while it was once distinct, a mech in another weight class can now do the job as well or better.

TLDR: Medium mechs are not, inheritantly, bad. However, most of the medium weight class mechs are, at best, comparable to one or more mechs in most regards, and demonstrably inferior in at least one. Until something is done to give them an aspect in which to excel, this weight class will remain largely marginal.

**Edit: Incorrect word choice.

Edited by SmilingElf, 29 July 2013 - 03:13 PM.