8 replies to this topic

[Sowaka]

Not sure where else to post this.

I've had two straight days of SSRMs working moderately well, my performance with them is horrible but that's another story.

Anyhow, I'm having a rather frustrating issue... I've equipped my Kintaro-18 with the TAG laser. I'll have an enemy "locked" with the 'R' key AND have my TAG consistently pointing at the enemy, but the "lock on" reticule will completely fail to appear and I'm completely unable to fire at the enemies with my SSRMs. This is horrendously frustrating as I've equipped the SSRMs as my one and only defense at close range, but they're completely failing to even begin to lock on to targets within in their range, even when I have them targeted AND tagged with the laser.

What's going on? Is there a mechanic that I'm completely missing? I've been in massive skirmishes with several enemy mechs, I'll cycle targets and TAG them but I'll still be completely unable to lock-on to any of them, leaving my SSRMs completely useless.

[Johnny Reb]

Tag does not help with streaks unless against a ecm covered mech. That said, I bet you had one or more ecm mechs in range canceling your bap, or no bap and canceled by one. Big reason why any lrm (or streak) mech needs bap so one ecm light cant stop your lrms or streaks.

Edited by Johnny Reb, 23 September 2013 - 10:32 PM.

[Rushin Roulette]

Maybe a silly question, but have you been experimenting between SRMs and SSRMs on your mech? Could it be that you still have SRM ammunition installed, but the SSRM launcher? Thats one of the more common reasons why SSRMs refuse to lock (no or incorrect ammunition installed).

[Sowaka]

Hrng! I thought that once I started regularly using TAG my woes would be done! All night I've been having the issue of being unable to fire at enemies, this definitely explains it, thanks a ton! And I definitely have the correct ammunition equipped. I was able to fire them off on several occasions, but the problem would quickly appear once again before they could really accumulate to any meaningful damage.

******* though, it seems that everything I wanted to do with the Kintaro-18 is easily countered. Tried to LRM boat with it but found that I rarely had allies locking enemies long enough for me to boat from a distance, but when I get a little closer in order to TAG I start taking on tons of damage and notice all my missiles being shot out of the sky by mass AMS. Then when I got rid of some LRMs so that I could do a tiny bit of brawling with SSRMs I've been finding that I can't fire them at all. When I can fire them it usually ends up being at a weird angle that causes them to hit the water due to lights being 66% submerged when entering puddles or they hit the ground because the enemy is slightly more elevated than me. Wish I could just trade this dang thing away

[BUDFORCE]

Do you have a beagle active probe on your mech????? If not, get one and that might be what you are doing wrong.

I dont find streaks that bad, not like they used to be in closed beta, but still a good support weapon.

You do need other weapons with them though, using just streaks alone is a really bad idea.

Ive just been testing an Orion with dual large pulse lasers and 4 SSRMs and find the SSRMs pretty effective and I dont seem to be getting jammed that often.

EDIT: Infact drop the tag as well, you dont need it for streaks. Just adds more micro management, weight, takes up a laser crit and means you have to point towards the bad guy. Not worth it.

Edited by BUDFORCE, 23 September 2013 - 10:49 PM.

[Johnny Reb]

With the damage upgrade streaks are as good or better v. lights, take out those precious legs. Against heavy mechs, if you fire next to torso no where but torso for streaks to go, torso is in trouble!

Sowaka, on 23 September 2013 - 10:42 PM, said:

Hrng! I thought that once I started regularly using TAG my woes would be done! All night I've been having the issue of being unable to fire at enemies, this definitely explains it, thanks a ton! And I definitely have the correct ammunition equipped. I was able to fire them off on several occasions, but the problem would quickly appear once again before they could really accumulate to any meaningful damage.

******* though, it seems that everything I wanted to do with the Kintaro-18 is easily countered. Tried to LRM boat with it but found that I rarely had allies locking enemies long enough for me to boat from a distance, but when I get a little closer in order to TAG I start taking on tons of damage and notice all my missiles being shot out of the sky by mass AMS. Then when I got rid of some LRMs so that I could do a tiny bit of brawling with SSRMs I've been finding that I can't fire them at all. When I can fire them it usually ends up being at a weird angle that causes them to hit the water due to lights being 66% submerged when entering puddles or they hit the ground because the enemy is slightly more elevated than me. Wish I could just trade this dang thing away

If they have alot of AMS YOU ARE SCREWED, i would send them all together then and move on, it happens. Do the best you can with lrm25. Also, try to hit ppl away from the ams coverage, obviously.

Edited by Johnny Reb, 23 September 2013 - 10:57 PM.

[Rina Fujimoto]

TAG doesn't do **** for streaks; ditch it, equip a Beagle Active Probe. it negates ECM, which is what's causing you to not be able to lock on.

[DEMAX51]

What you are experiencing is at least one enemy 'Mech using an ECM, which blocks lock-on weapons from establishing lock. Only a few select 'Mechs can mount the ECM (currently one raven, one spider, one commando, one cicada, and one atlas), and ECM protection can only be countered by: a friendly ECM set to "counter," or a Beagle Active Probe (will counter ONE enemy ECM within 150 meters), or a TAG (but really only for LRMS), or a hit from a PPC (which disables the ECM for only 5 seconds).

To effectively use streaks a Beagle Active Probe is pretty much essential, but if you run into multiple ECM mechs you're still going to be in trouble. This is one of the drawbacks of relying on streaks as your main weapon.

Edited by DEMAX51, 23 September 2013 - 11:38 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

Sounds like ECM; TAG can pierce ECM but only if you are outside the 180m bubble of ECM's close range coverage. Get further away from the mech, or try a BAP which specifically counters an enemy ECM within 180m

TAG is great for piercing ECM at longer ranges where the target is in an ECM bubble but you are not. BAP is the opposite.