86 replies to this topic

[Rhaythe]

I played a game last night were a bunch of PUGs were crying about U/AC5's. Please tell me this isn't the next big outcry. And if it is, PLEASE tell me this is just a very vocal minority.

Or maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way. If people are sobbing about u/AC5's, then the PPC/Gauss de-sync obviously did its job. I just hope the official PGI response to the new weapon sobbing is a heartfelt eye-roll.

That, or "Screw it! Small lasers for everybody!!"

[WarHippy]

The devs have already said they will be taking another look at u/ac5's so be ready for the incoming nerf bat. In fact they have also said they will be looking at adding more "unique" weapon mechanics like they did with gauss so that nothing fires the same way or at the same time.

[Rhaythe]

....sigh.

[Joseph Mallan]

*FACEPLANT*

[Rhaythe]

Let's just give everybody Spider mechs with a single PPC and call this game MechQuake.

...actually, that mode could be fun.

[WarHippy]

That game mode might be fun until they add a new mechanic for the ppc where you have to click the fire button 6 times within 1.25 sec to charge it to fire on the 7th, but you have to start over if you accedently click to slow or to fast.

[Arctourus]

wonder if you can create a macro that will constantly charge the gauss so it's perpetually ready or nearly ready to fire.....

[Pastor Priest]

WarHippy, on 09 September 2013 - 06:52 AM, said:

That game mode might be fun until they add a new mechanic for the ppc where you have to click the fire button 6 times within 1.25 sec to charge it to fire on the 7th, but you have to start over if you accedently click to slow or to fast.

I'm now picturing mechs with supersoakers.

[ShadowbaneX]

As someone that's been using uAC's since March, the change down to 15% was a strong buff. I've stopped playing my K2 because it was too easy to do 700+ damage per match. Several of them going into the 900-1000 damage range.

The Ghost heat change effectively killed the dual AC/20 builds. The PPC heat change and the Gauss charge was effective and it killed the dual PPC Gauss. The next seemingly stupidly effective yet easy-to-use builds seems to be lower alpha damage, but much higher sustained DPS. Dual Ultras alone manage just over 9 DPS. Add in 4 MLs and you can briefly manage up to 14 DPS. Against that kind of fire power even an Atlas will be cored through it's CT in under 10 seconds.

There's also the cockpit shake on top of it, although the ultras aren't the worst for that. The 4-6 light missile builds (Streaks & LRM5s) do that worse and can also manage a decently high DPS and have the added effect of ensuring your opponent has a rather difficult time actually figuring out where you are.

Facepalm all you want, paired uAC/5s are one of the stronger, easy to use builds and it's not uncommon to find 3-4 mechs running them in the average PUG match. That's a sign that it's the next flavour of the month.

That said, using a single uAC/5 isn't that effective and I hope whatever feature they implement doesn't hinder them, and actually I hope it improves them somewhat. I'm still hoping for the ability to have an alternate fire mode for ultras. One mode single shot, no chance of jamming. Other mode always fires two shots, one immediately after another, but can jam. Increase the cooldown time to 1.5 seconds. Also increase the time it takes to clear a jam.

[MeiSooHaityu]

Well, the UAC is pretty brutal, but then again...isn't something always brutal?

I have definently seen a huge influx of UAC5 machines (heck I take out my Ilya WAY more often now), but I still hesitate to call a nerf. I want to see how things go for a while before I form an opinion on it. I will say this though, it definently isn't a weak loadout.

[WarHippy]

ShadowbaneX, on 09 September 2013 - 07:35 AM, said:

As someone that's been using uAC's since March, the change down to 15% was a strong buff. I've stopped playing my K2 because it was too easy to do 700+ damage per match. Several of them going into the 900-1000 damage range.

The Ghost heat change effectively killed the dual AC/20 builds. The PPC heat change and the Gauss charge was effective and it killed the dual PPC Gauss. The next seemingly stupidly effective yet easy-to-use builds seems to be lower alpha damage, but much higher sustained DPS. Dual Ultras alone manage just over 9 DPS. Add in 4 MLs and you can briefly manage up to 14 DPS. Against that kind of fire power even an Atlas will be cored through it's CT in under 10 seconds.

There's also the cockpit shake on top of it, although the ultras aren't the worst for that. The 4-6 light missile builds (Streaks & LRM5s) do that worse and can also manage a decently high DPS and have the added effect of ensuring your opponent has a rather difficult time actually figuring out where you are.

Facepalm all you want, paired uAC/5s are one of the stronger, easy to use builds and it's not uncommon to find 3-4 mechs running them in the average PUG match. That's a sign that it's the next flavour of the month.

That said, using a single uAC/5 isn't that effective and I hope whatever feature they implement doesn't hinder them, and actually I hope it improves them somewhat. I'm still hoping for the ability to have an alternate fire mode for ultras. One mode single shot, no chance of jamming. Other mode always fires two shots, one immediately after another, but can jam. Increase the cooldown time to 1.5 seconds. Also increase the time it takes to clear a jam.

Them being used doesn't make them flavor of the month, it just means they are the last man standing after everything else got its teeth kicked in. There will always be something at the top of effectiveness, but if you keep kicking the thing at the top to bottom you end up with an arsenal of nerf guns and people complaining that the new flavor of the month Small Lasers are too strong since after all 3-4 mechs in every pug are now using them.

[Rhaythe]

MeiSooHaityu, on 09 September 2013 - 07:48 AM, said:

Well, the UAC is pretty brutal, but then again...isn't something always brutal?

My only supposition is that PGI wants it to be a 'role' weapon. Hard to say what role i falls into now, as it's effective for sniping, brawling, and suppression. One of my favorite pasttimes is harassing Atlai into hiding back behind their hill using a few well-placed AC5 rounds.

[The Boz]

Rhaythe, on 09 September 2013 - 07:52 AM, said:

My only supposition is that PGI wants it to be a 'role' weapon. Hard to say what role i falls into now, as it's effective for sniping, brawling, and suppression. One of my favorite pasttimes is harassing Atlai into hiding back behind their hill using a few well-placed AC5 rounds.

Nailed it. The weapon covers pretty much all roles perfectly.

[Roughneck45]

It does need to be changed. It is just too good.

I think this game will have balance when taking an AC10 isn't a bad idea.

[MeiSooHaityu]

Rhaythe, on 09 September 2013 - 07:52 AM, said:

My only supposition is that PGI wants it to be a 'role' weapon. Hard to say what role i falls into now, as it's effective for sniping, brawling, and suppression. One of my favorite pasttimes is harassing Atlai into hiding back behind their hill using a few well-placed AC5 rounds.

Good point.

I was just commenting on how the community always finds something and exploits it. If it isn't the UAC5 (do to a possible upcoming nerf), it is something else. We will always have threads about how something is overpowered. When having so many options and configs in this game, there is always the premiere build and chassis.

[Clit Beastwood]

I don't have a huge issue with the uac5.. I die a little when I see someone running 3 of them simply because its not a very well rounded build, but to each their own... BUT THEN - dropped in a game, on the other team there was a 4 man premade all wearing similar colors 2 ilyas 2 jagers all running nothing but UAC5's - that lance was a total lawn-mower. That got kinda nuts.

[ShadowbaneX]

WarHippy, on 09 September 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

Them being used doesn't make them flavor of the month, it just means they are the last man standing after everything else got its teeth kicked in. There will always be something at the top of effectiveness, but if you keep kicking the thing at the top to bottom you end up with an arsenal of nerf guns and people complaining that the new flavor of the month Small Lasers are too strong since after all 3-4 mechs in every pug are now using them.

AC/20s are still very effective, it's just more difficult to use two of them on one mech right now.
ER PPCs are still very effective, it's just more difficult to use two of them on one mech right now.
Gauss Rifles are still very effective, it's just difficult to pair them with PPCs right now and people are bitching about the charge up mechanic.
Ultra AC/5s are still very effective, it's just stupidly easy to put a pair of them on a heavy or an assault, load it up with 7 or 8 tons of ammo and just go strolling out on to the battlefield and hold down the trigger and rack up 700+ damage.

Those things that got their "teeth kicked in" are still very powerful and useful weapons, PGI just made it so you can't grab several of them, stick 'em on a mech and be useful in all situations and at all ranges. Your Slippery Slope Fallacy that if they change the uAC we'll all be using SLs is, well, just that, a fallacy.

Right now the uAC/5 is very strong when used in pairs. I hope PGI can come up with something that will not just tone it down a bit, so that they're not overly strong, but also find a way of making the use of a single uAC/5 viable.

[Damian Frost]

MeiSooHaityu, on 09 September 2013 - 07:57 AM, said:

Good point.

I was just commenting on how the community always finds something and exploits it. If it isn't the UAC5 (do to a possible upcoming nerf), it is something else. We will always have threads about how something is overpowered. When having so many options and configs in this game, there is always the premiere build and chassis.

agreed, that's like someone griping about team work being OP and needs to be nerfed. UAC/5 has always had a role of being a fire suppression weapon; being able to keep an enemy mech behind cover until it is flanked and flushed out of cover from behind or spotted for LRM barrages even with its chance of jamming.

[oldradagast]

WarHippy, on 09 September 2013 - 06:06 AM, said:

The devs have already said they will be taking another look at u/ac5's so be ready for the incoming nerf bat. In fact they have also said they will be looking at adding more "unique" weapon mechanics like they did with gauss so that nothing fires the same way or at the same time.

Oh, I look forward to this *rolls eyes*

Heaven forbid people will be able to play the game without a dozen weapon groups, several macros, and the need to charge 1 weapon, while unjamming another, while focusing fire with a 3rd... unreal.

[Ryokens leap]

I have no issues with uac5 except for the unskilled who need a macro that totally eliminates the jam mechanic. If anyone can show me a video where a player can manually expend their total magazine of uac5 ammo and not jam then I'll stop whining, but until then uac5 macros should be outlawed.