Alistair Winter, on 01 November 2013 - 11:17 PM, said:
If you're in a Raven 4X, you need to learn how to make 3 different weapon types work together - energy, missile and ballistics. If that was the dominant light mech, it would make sense from a balancing perspective, because it would be balanced by skill. Hard to learn, but with great benefits. A mech like the JR7-F would be easy to learn, but with low benefits. Right now we have the opposite. The most noob-friendly build of all light mechs is actually the best of them all, and the mech that can only be used to full effect if you're Neo from the Matrix is one of the worst mechs. How does that make sense from a game balancing perspective?
Just a mostly-quick two cents from someone who bought a RVN-4X as their first 'mech and still uses it nigh exclusively, the key to it isn't really balancing the three weapon types as much as it is being selective about which two of the three you want to specialize in; with only 2 ballistic slots, the 4X can't very well put MGs to much use, as having only 2 MGs on a light 'mech is less than ideal and an SDR-5K or even an LCT-1V will beat you out in nearly every aspect every time if you try to focus on MGs.
What this ultimately leaves you with as a 4X pilot are two basic options; either pool your assets into being fast and ranged with LLs and LRMs (
Somewhat like this, although truthfully I've never gone this route, and only create that loadout based on what I have seen from other very effective 4X pilots) or take the opposite direction and refit the ballistic hardpoints with AC/2s at the expense of missiles and any lasers better than SLs,
like so. Obviously there are more ways to spec out a 4X, but to be entirely frank they usually end up proving themselves relatively subpar when compared to the capabilities of other light 'mechs.
Back to the aforementioned two, though, the former is quite great as a distance sniper, netting solid damage scores at long ranges and being fast enough to evade direct fire while also having enough damage potential to fight in mid-close range when necessary, but the latter is my personal favorite; mounting dual AC/2s on a 104/kph 'mech with JJs and enough ammo to spare creates a light 'mech with enough highly focused damage output to take on larger targets with ease. The consistency provided by rapid-firing AC/2s over lasers and their cooldowns is a godsend on a fast 'mech, and the ability to throw all of your damage at one spot on an enemy without too much difficulty means you can reliably score kills instead of only assists - as long as you play it smart, of course.
Turning this back around to the topic, though, my vote goes to the RVN-3L since it's the only Raven chassis on the list; while it may not be the most used, the sheer firepower capabilities on all Raven variants make them extremely capable, and (at least in my opinion) more versatile and effective than the rest of the light 'mechs - with certain Jenners coming in a very close second, of course.
Edited by apocryphalPanacea, 02 November 2013 - 08:56 PM.
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