44 replies to this topic

[Mira Widowmaker]

I need some help.

I decided to start piloting a new chassis, but cannot decide, if I shall put my c-bills on the Orion or on the Victor.

I love my Stalkers (good firepower and nice speed), I do not like my Atlai (too clumsy, too slow), I have fun with my Ilya (but did not like the other cataphracts that much), I am really bad at using light mechs (too squishy for me... and not enough firepower - did I mention that I like to have overproportional firepower on my mech?).

I tried the Victor Hero once on the test servers and it seemed like a nice mech. I only took him out for 4-5 rounds. It felt al little bit like my Ilya but with armor on it.

What makes me hesitate to chose the victor is the placement of the weapon slots. I cannot really think which weapon configuration (I would like) to use on the variants.

So any suggestions, ideas, advice from people who have piloted one or both of them?

[Bishop Steiner]

Victor.

Hardpoints are slightly differing areas, but very close. But the VTR has more armor, better hitboxes and JJs, and the ballistic being in the arm means dual uac or an ac20 and still able to run an XL, which the VTR does with great aplomb.

[Ngamok]

Victor has nice hit boxes but otherwise they are almost identical. Difference is placement of the ballistics. Do you like them in the arm more than torso?

[Mira Widowmaker]

Ngamok, on 18 October 2013 - 01:03 PM, said:

Victor has nice hit boxes but otherwise they are almost identical. Difference is placement of the ballistics. Do you like them in the arm more than torso?

I prefer the ballistics in the arms. But I admit, I am a little bit sceptical having them only in one arm. And the Orion has the one variant with many missle slots in the arms, which looks interesting.

[Steelgrave]

I have and like both. Ultimately I favor the Orion because I can do four mlasers and an AC/20 with it as opposed to my Victor's 2 mlasers + AC/20 + assorted missiles.

Also my Victor tends to get shot more and feels like a bigger target. On the flip side, it soaks that abuse better than my Orion.

The difference in arm vs torso mounts is a matter of taste and style. I like having a wider arc with my arm weapons, but I like having greater weapon durability of torso mounts, so for me that point is kind of a wash.

Now if missiles were less glitchy, more reliable, damage dealers (I'm looking at you SRM's), I'd probably favor my Victor.

[Bishop Steiner]

Orion has 2 things I really like:

Looks friggng great, IMO

and the arm mounted LRMs have absolutely fantastic fire angles. I can clear the canyons on canyon network easy.

But the squishy CT and mediocre mobility keep me to my Victors.

[DONTOR]

VICTOR! rolling damage for days!

[XX Sulla XX]

The Victor would be my choice.

[Mira Widowmaker]

So no Orion-fan here.... its seems it will be the Victor.

[Vercinaigh]

victor

[Kaylos Thex]

Well the Victors do have one bad attribute.

All three c-bill variants are pretty much identical.
There is not a great deal of variety to do different styles.

[TercieI]

Kaylos Thex, on 18 October 2013 - 03:03 PM, said:

Well the Victors do have one bad attribute.

All three c-bill variants are pretty much identical.
There is not a great deal of variety to do different styles.

Only 2/3 can mount the AC20.

S

[SgtMagor]

Victor, assault mech with jump jets nuff said!

[Finn McShae]

I'm sure your decision is over by now, but for my money I'd go Orion. It is less agile, but it's style fits me better. I never can take enough advantage of JJ's to make their weight worthwhile. And with a STD engine I can cram an AC/20, 4 MLAS and a LRM 15 + Artemis on an Orion. Gotta go XL to get that kinda firepower on a Victor.

Though, Victors are very fine mechs in themselves don't get me wrong.

[Mira Widowmaker]

Finn McShae, on 18 October 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

I'm sure your decision is over by now, but for my money I'd go Orion. It is less agile, but it's style fits me better. I never can take enough advantage of JJ's to make their weight worthwhile. And with a STD engine I can cram an AC/20, 4 MLAS and a LRM 15 + Artemis on an Orion. Gotta go XL to get that kinda firepower on a Victor.

Though, Victors are very fine mechs in themselves don't get me wrong.

I have bought my first victor. But I am still not sure... I never really use JJs (apart from Canyon-map), so I feel they are dead weight, but an interesting option.

Interesting you say, that you would need a XL engine for the same punch you get in your Orion, because after looking at the build for some time I decided (though it is an assault) for XL engine to get speed + firepower. I do not like my Victor to have less firepower than my Ilya (which has a XL engine... ok..).
I will watch how often I will be killed because of the XL and maybe think over my decision again, but for now... it is working, I think I might test an Orion before I buy the next Victor variant... not sure about it at the moment... should not throw my c-bills out of the window (the victor cost me 10 m c-bills for buying + necessary upgrades).

[Ghogiel]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 October 2013 - 01:03 PM, said:

Victor.

Mira Widowmaker, on 19 October 2013 - 12:30 AM, said:

I have bought my first victor. But I am still not sure... I never really use JJs (apart from Canyon-map), so I feel they are dead weight, but an interesting option.

Put JJ on everything that can carry JJ every time no questions asked.

Dead weight? crazy talk. it's like having 100 extra armor points in a brawl at least. they will save your life time and time again and allow you to snipe or brawl better than without them.

Edited by Ghogiel, 19 October 2013 - 12:57 AM.

[Topshot Tiger]

I honestly would prefer an orion. On my Protector i run with an std 300, 3 MLAS, 1 Large laser, and two AC 5's. He may not be as quick and maneuverable as victor, but i prefer him hands down.

[Bishop Steiner]

Ghogiel, on 19 October 2013 - 12:53 AM, said:

Put JJ on everything that can carry JJ every time no questions asked.

Dead weight? crazy talk. it's like having 100 extra armor points in a brawl at least. they will save your life time and time again and allow you to snipe or brawl better than without them.

Ghogiel and I can disagree pretty strongly on many things. This is NOT one of them. The advantage of a mech with JJs is the JJs, and yes, it is worth it to have the max the mech can carry. It allows you to clear taller obstacles, other mechs and greatly improves your versatility and effectiveness, even if it may take some getting used to to use them. Even in melee range, just feathering your JJs will let you turn faster to easily track Light mechs circling you. And on a mech like the Jenner you will usually run out of crits before tons anyhow. 4 tons is a minimal investment for the advantages.

Simply put, in my experience, a well piloted VTR need fear nothing in the game short of a a wolf pack. I can and regularly do hunt the biggest of the bigs, because your Stalker, Highlander and Atlas waddle like fat pigs to the slaughter, no matter how big an engine you give them. The marginal advantages they have in armor only really matters if you are trying to charge them across a wide open field. That ain't the Victor's game. Treat the Victor like a Medium Mech on a Roid Rage, an 80 tons uberpissed Centurion on a pogostick and come at them from the sides, the backs, etc, knock the snot out them, then jump over a ridge and do it all again.

There are some mechs that are the benchmark for their class, and no it doesn't always have to be the heaviest in class. Jenner pretty well is the king of Lights, the Centy/Shadowhawk for the Mediums, and Jagers/Cataphracts for Heavies. The VTR is definitively that for Assaults. the problem is, too many people out there think that just driving an assault makes them great, and there are a Lot of bad VTR jocks who think that poptarting makes them good.

[John MatriX82]

Victor hands down. It still retains a good speed, can do things with XL engines as well, has more ballistic options in the RA while Orions are limited to the side torso and it comes with jumpjets that gives an edge in basically any situtation.

[Bishop Steiner]

TopshotTiger, on 19 October 2013 - 04:18 AM, said:

I honestly would prefer an orion. On my Protector i run with an std 300, 3 MLAS, 1 Large laser, and two AC 5's. He may not be as quick and maneuverable as victor, but i prefer him hands down.

preference is fine. doesn't make a mech a better choice, per se, but being a game, preference beats optimal. I am kind of curious how you fit 4 lasers on a mech with only 3 energy hardpoints though.

check
DRAGON SLAYER
and....

MATE
DRAGON SLAYER

btw, why waste the Protector with a standard engine? for 2 AC5 you don't need the crits, and the CT on orions are damage magnets, so you don't gain any extra survivability, whereas the extra speed or firepower on a Protector can greatly improve their survival. Something like this, if I were to base it around your preferred loadout: PROTECTOR