19 replies to this topic

[Voivode]

Run quite a few matches with the hitbox changes. The Awesome feels like the other assaults now.

What I mean is, when I get mobbed and die my side torsos blow out before my center torso. Just like the other assaults!

No more dying in an Awesome that's perfectly intact except for center torso!

Unless you just stand there and take it, then there's no helping you.

[NRP]

Meh, it might be slightly more durable, but it still melts quickly under AC or LRM fire. Doesn't feel significantly different than before to me.

[Voivode]

All mechs melt quickly if you stand in AC or LRM fire. Maybe you shouldn't stand there taking it?

Edited by Voivode, 20 November 2013 - 08:11 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

NRP, on 20 November 2013 - 08:08 AM, said:

Meh, it might be slightly more durable, but it still melts quickly under AC or LRM fire. Doesn't feel significantly different than before to me.

I find almost everything but my Shadowhawk and Victor tend to melt under fire pretty quickly. Those you can sacrifice limbs like a boss.

That said, it still appears to be far from the juggernaught the AWS is supposed to be.

[Voivode]

Torso twist is still a must for the Awesome. Then again, I'm of the opinion torso twist is a must in an Atlas too. Put those burly arms to work!

[Mechteric]

agreed, last night I had several matches in my trip-PPC 9M and had a blast

[Trauglodyte]

Try the ERPPC tri-Lrg Laser w/ Streak+BAP combo, Capper. The 370xl gets you moving just right and you have a Hell of a punch for less heat.

[DONTOR]

Cant wait to try out my PB again said the patch time was 3 hrs so havent got around to it yet. My hopes are slightly up though.

[Voivode]

DONTOR, on 20 November 2013 - 08:36 AM, said:

Cant wait to try out my PB again said the patch time was 3 hrs so havent got around to it yet. My hopes are slightly up though.

If you liked Awesome's before this then you'll be very happy. If you were on the fence this will probably tip you to liking them. If you hated the Awesome, then this is probably not enough to change your mind.

[NRP]

I understand peoples' excitement about the Awesome being improved, but the notion that the Awesome is now "on par" with other Assaults is really nothing more than confirmation bias at work. Give it a few weeks and people will begin to realize that nothing has really changed. Awesomes are still far too easy to kill. One only needs to look at the Battlemaster for an obvious example.

[Lightfoot]

Facts are the Awesome has a CT that is about 15% narrower and everything below the waist is divided between the two legs. Still leaves it with the biggest CT of any Assault, but better than before.

No Ballistic slots hurt the Awesome the most because it can't run normal Battletech Energy loadouts, but all the other mechs run normal Battletech Ballistic loadouts. PGI needs to address this imbalance and the sooner the better for everyone and MWO's integrity.

[oldradagast]

The Awesome's biggest problems now are:

1) Lack of ballistics - since ballistics really are dominate
2) Lack of jumpjets - might be less of a factor if even 1 jump jet didn't make a huge difference.
3) Ghost heat mostly hammers energy based mechs... and the Awesome is heavily energy based.
4) Lack of high-mounted weapon hard points (like the Stalker, Jager, etc.)


Truthfully, issues 1, 2, and 3 are more game balance related and not problems unique to the Awesome. That being said, the Awesome still suffers from these problems and thus won't see much play.

I played a few matches yesterday: the first one, I got down to 44% in my 8R with the whole left side sheered off, but survived the match and got a kill or 2. Another game (I wasn't in my Awesome) saw a pair of them tank much like any assault - taking a hammering, slowly losing pieces, and eventually dying - but they didn't collapse like a cheap tin can.

So, yeah... I think they are about where they should be for durability (though I still like the idea of extending the arms up over the shoulder), but they still lack key features that make the competitive in this game environment.

[Gorgo7]

Ran my 9M last night and was mightily pleased with it's staying power. Ended two matches alive with no armour remaining from the (front) left and right torso's but the center torso armour was still intact.
I have never seen that before in any of over 250 matches on this particular machine!
Delightful!
It may not be "THE BEST" assault out there but it sure makes me happy!
Nice improvement! Very evident.

[Voivode]

I think "best" is relative. I've run competitive matches in Awesomes, Atlas', and Highlanders and I'll consistently do the most damage and get the most kills in an Awesome. Other people might not, but for how I do things it's the best assault.

[DaZur]

What gets me about the Awesome is how people actually choose to pilot it...

If you look at the provided variants, all of them are configured as heavy ranged support mechs. IMHO, I don't think the Awesome was ever intended to toe-up and brawl... Yet time and time again I see pilots either attempting to re-configure it to do just that and or just plain piloting it like a brawling Assault and getting hammered.

For whatever reason folks look at the Awesome and presume "tank" and try to run it as such...

Yes, it's torso is as big as an Elephant's arse... That said, it's hardly any easier to hit than any other Assault at range. However if your under 200m... well, I think one would have to actually "try" to not hit the torso... and even then, I think it'd still get hit by accident.

[FupDup]

DaZur, on 20 November 2013 - 09:44 AM, said:

What gets me about the Awesome is how people actually choose to pilot it...

If you look at the provided variants, all of them are configured as heavy ranged support mechs. IMHO, I don't think the Awesome was ever intended to toe-up and brawl... Yet time and time again I see pilots either attempting to re-configure it to do just that and or just plain piloting it like a brawling Assault and getting hammered.

For whatever reason folks look at the Awesome and presume "tank" and try to run it as such...

Yes, it's torso is as big as an Elephant's arse... That said, it's hardly any easier to hit than any other Assault at range. However if your under 200m... well, I think one would have to actually "try" to not hit the torso... and even then, I think it'd still get hit by accident.

Lower arm actuators aren't very good for long-range combat unless you've got JJs or really fast acceleration, that's why. The people who wrote BT didn't take the time to think about the impact of how high/low weapons are mounted.

[Lucian Nostra]

It's not super amazing but it is definitely better than what it was, I'm still getting cored out but at least my side torsos are going to orange and red armor before I go up.

[DaZur]

FupDup, on 20 November 2013 - 09:46 AM, said:

Lower arm actuators aren't very good for long-range combat unless you've got JJs or really fast acceleration, that's why. The people who wrote BT didn't take the time to think about the impact of how high/low weapons are mounted.

Understood...

That said, acknowledging that known factor and trying to force it into a role it's ill fit to accomplish is not the solution either.

Sadly I think the Awesome is "one of those mech" that just supports my theory that not all mechs are and or can be created equal... The Awesome is just so conically specialized and built around that conical niche (Poor Lower arm actuators not withstanding) it's never going to escape that divisiveness...

[FupDup]

DaZur, on 20 November 2013 - 09:55 AM, said:

Understood...

That said, acknowledging that known factor and trying to force it into a role it's ill fit to accomplish is not the solution either.

Sadly I think the Awesome is "one of those mech" that just supports my theory that not all mechs are and or can be created equal... The Awesome is just so conically specialized and built around that conical niche (Poor Lower arm actuators not withstanding) it's never going to escape that divisiveness...

Well, giving it super good acceleration/deceleration would help it fulfill that canon hillhumping role (the one thing Locusts can do well in MWO is hump hills due to their ludicrous accceleration rates, so it might be able to help the AWS). Or we can just say screw it and give them good hitboxes for mid-close range fighting, and leave the fire-support to the other assaults like Victors and Highlanders.

Edited by FupDup, 20 November 2013 - 09:59 AM.

[Trauglodyte]

Of course, the other option would be to provide some added fuctionality to Free Look (the ability to move yoru arms independent of the torso) that would straighten your arms out. That would allow everyone to ridge hump while removing the need to do so with only a few chassis. After all, having actuators is supposed to be a benefit but we really don't have it in game (Free Look is ok but not that great).