Posted 12 August 2013 - 06:01 PM
I see what the OP was after with the build. Trying to squeeze all the firepower possible out of a somewhat limited medium chassis. MIGHT have overdone it a bit, though.
Pulse lasers just aren't worth the extra heat and shortened range. Go back to a medium laser (or two?). Someone else suggested matching the SRMs for sake of reload time, and I think that's a GREAT idea. Bind both launchers to the same key. Sweet. Adding the PPC is smooth--it might be the one really GOOD idea in that build. Nothing at all wrong with a Large Laser, but PPCs and Gauss own this game right now. They have good range and do plenty of damage.
SO, get this--DO NOT ALPHA STRIKE ANYTHING! Your PPC is for medium and long range. It's useless up close. If your target is 200m or closer, do NOT bother firing that thing unless you've got a dead-on head shot lined up and he's shut down, just asking to get monkeyspanked back to his home world. The SRMs are fairly powerful, but they have a flight time. Throw Artemis IV on them if you can, and if you can squeeze it in, go with a pair of ASRM-6s. But again, if not, then go both 4s. Keep the reload times consistent. That's for relative slow-movers (your speed or slower) within 230m or less. Max range is 270m, I know, but it's a good guideline. Inside that same range, use the medium laser(s) for anything faster than you. DO NOT try to hit fast-moving mechs, especially lights at a full gallop, with the PPC or SRM unless they're totally oblivious and just begging to be punished--you'll waste your time. Hit the fast movers with the medium laser in the legs--it's usually an easier hit than center torso, and they tend to lose leg armor quickly. If it's a Spider, then just give up and eject. (Just kidding!) ((Not entirely--those things are TOUGH! I pumped about 200 damage into one in Frozen City yesterday, half of that AFTER its torso was peeled, and it just kept jumping around spitting MG rounds at me, I almost surrendered to it.)) (((But mostly kidding...)))
Moving with a group of heavier mechs is good advice. WATCH them, as well. The torso-twist defense these guys keep talking about? You'll see it once the 80+ ton mechs start beating on one another. There's type-chat in game, and there's awesome TeamSpeak3 support as well. USE those. Ask questions. Mostly you'll get a bunch of wise guys hacking on you with the type chat, but once in a while you'll get good advice too. Voice comm is still the way to go--no need to pull your hands off the controls to send potentially vital information to at least your own lancemates.
If a light DOES pick you off from the pack and start circling, back up to something. Put your back to a wall, cliff, SOMETHING. If he can't circle back there to hack at your relatively thin back flaps (where you have no weapons, by the way), then he HAS to face your thick armor and your weapons. As a RVN-3L pilot, I can tell you that I HATE when I let my prey get his back against the wall. I WILL run off. Usually...
If you do upgrade the engine and get a little faster, you may be able to pull that same routine on a much heavier/slower mech. So WATCH and LEARN when you see someone else doing it. Even Dragons and Awesomes have their moments when they get to go shark-circling some legged ATLAS. Don't face the guns if you don't have to. Carve you up some fatback. Ain't no shame in winnin'...
Last, but certainly not least, remember that not all of us are good sports. But many, perhaps even the majority, are. A little 'good game', maybe a deserved compliment to the guy that just ripped your head off in an epic dogfight, and so on. That old adage about catching more flies with honey? Kinda true. I also had one of those good sportsmanship experiences yesterday with a Cicada pilot who chased me down and gave me a GREAT fast dogfight. Same map, different drop. Never hurts to put a smile on another pilot's face (after applying the bright green can opener to his 4,000,000 C Bill investment).
Hey, thanks for playing MWO Beta! Have fun. And please don't aim that PPC at me. (Don't lase me bro!)