64 replies to this topic

[DavrosDalek]

I've been running the Locusts for the past few days and I'm finding it rather difficult to keep the legs from vaporizing when an enemy so much as glances at me. Yes, I know that it only has 16 points of armor on the legs but it seems that any damage taken goes directly to them. Keep in mind that I'm not driving this mech as I would a Commando or a Jenner, I stay on the edges of a battle and swing in only after all of the enemy mechs are heavily engaged. Or as is more often the case, I avoid combat totally and focus solely on spotting and scouting. The leg damage really needs to be looked at. =/

[MonkeyCheese]

If only they would up the armor, even to just 20 a leg.

[Clit Beastwood]

DavrosDalek, on 21 November 2013 - 10:21 AM, said:

I've been running the Locusts for the past few days and I'm finding it rather difficult to keep the legs from vaporizing when an enemy so much as glances at me. Yes, I know that it only has 16 points of armor on the legs but it seems that any damage taken goes directly to them. Keep in mind that I'm not driving this mech as I would a Commando or a Jenner, I stay on the edges of a battle and swing in only after all of the enemy mechs are heavily engaged. Or as is more often the case, I avoid combat totally and focus solely on spotting and scouting. The leg damage really needs to be looked at. =/

the legs are fine, you just need to adjust playstyle. As you're running across tourmaline, hug the lowest points. I know it's more circuitous, but you need to stay in the craters, the crags, behind any and all protrusions. Dart in, hit an enemy, then *leave*. If you're getting consistently legged, you're either spending too much time exposed or you're too slow. Are you running max engine? speed>firepower with the locust.

[Ironwithin]

The legs are easily the biggest part of that mech, wich speaks volumes about how to play it.
Of course you take the majority of damage there, seeing as everyone and their grandmother tries to shoot your legs first to stop you from running around at almost relativistic speeds.

[DavrosDalek]

Fierostetz, All of your suggestions on play-style are essentially exactly how I play this mech. My engine is maxed (190xl) and i'm running full armor on the legs. I'm trying to get this mech out of basics, and on to elite for speed tweak. Frustrating stuff.

[Atheus]

I think what you're looking for is a Jenner.

[dak irakoz]

I just want them to not get broken walking slowly into a wall

[Arnold J Rimmer]

dak irakoz, on 21 November 2013 - 06:17 PM, said:

I just want them to not get broken walking slowly into a wall

It's easy.

You avoid the wall.

[Fabian Wrede]

Actually Locust legs should have 20 armor same as side torsos

[Helsbane]

Advanced zoom + 1ERLL = profit. Backstab, relocate, backstab.... If your armor is made by Reynolds Wrap, don't get that close.

[Atheus]

Helsbane, on 22 November 2013 - 08:16 AM, said:

Advanced zoom + 1ERLL = profit. Backstab, relocate, backstab.... If your armor is made by Reynolds Wrap, don't get that close.

If this is all someone is planning on doing in a match, I really hope they don't wind up on my team. With that sort of loadout you can't even hope to reasonably fight other light mechs. You can do the same thing, but with far more firepower in a raven or Jenner.

Here is a list of the reasons to take a Locust into combat right now:

• To humiliate people by killing them in the weakest mech in the game.
  
• To satisfy your curiosity over what it's like playing the weakest mech in the game.
  
• To handicap yourself and your team because you win too much otherwise.
  
• To feel justified doing nothing useful in a match because your mech isn't suited for anything other than running around uselessly, then dying.

[AC]

Wait! Locusts have other parts you can shoot besides legs? This is news to me!

[FireDog]

Locust, and most other light mechs should be out scouting, tagging targets, going after crippled mechs, unarmored targets and vehicles, and supporting BAs and Infantry. Even in the heavily enabled light mech world of MWO a twenty ton mech is a sad compliment toward your team. Especially when there are other up-tonned and up-gunned lights with ridiculous overpowered ECM available. Yep a locust is outright foolishness outside of games with sever weight limits.

[Ironwithin]

Atheus, on 22 November 2013 - 08:53 AM, said:

...You can do the same thing, but with far more firepower in a raven or Jenner.

Well...d'uh.

The Locust is just another symptom of a sickness called "not enough gamemodes".
You take it to have some fun, if you want to WIN you go with a spider or jenner and if you REALLY want to win you drop with 12 people all in atlases ... no point besides "having fun" in taking anything that weighs less if you look at it realistically, as all we have right now is deathmatch.


It will probably change someday and then maybe the LCT can shine, as might so many others that are just "filler" right now.

[Tesunie]

Atheus, on 22 November 2013 - 08:53 AM, said:

If this is all someone is planning on doing in a match, I really hope they don't wind up on my team. With that sort of loadout you can't even hope to reasonably fight other light mechs. You can do the same thing, but with far more firepower in a raven or Jenner.

Here is a list of the reasons to take a Locust into combat right now:

• To humiliate people by killing them in the weakest mech in the game.
  
• To satisfy your curiosity over what it's like playing the weakest mech in the game.
  
• To handicap yourself and your team because you win too much otherwise.
  
• To feel justified doing nothing useful in a match because your mech isn't suited for anything other than running around uselessly, then dying.

5. To run as a scout, tattling on the enemy forces. (Spotting)

6. To play bait, and lure enemies into a trap with the "free locust kill". They don't see it coming till your friends have already killed them. (Did this with some heavies behind me. Kept bringing in targets to them, and then, well, a Dual AC20 Jag hurts.)

7. To distract. Run behind the foes taking the most obscure paths, then popping up behind them and shooting them in the back. Then hide and run. Wait a bit, then rinse and repeat.

8. To play as a mobile support unit. See a friend in trouble, dart in, get some attention, then dart out. Hopefully providing your friend with a way to get out of trouble. (And if you die, you are still viewed as only a Locust... your life to save a larger friend can be a good trade off.)

9. To cap, conquest or assault. In assault, it can also be a fake cap to distract, playing into roles 7 and 8 by drawing enemies away from the front lines. Can win games on it's own...

10. To never be disappointed when you do die and do little to no damage. If I did 100 damage, I did good enough. If I do 300 damage, shame has been rendered to the enemy and my fellow teammates. If I did 20 damage, I did what everyone else expected of a Locust.


The Locust I find is a "no disappointment" mech. No matter what happens, you can't be disappointed with the results.

[42and19]

I find the locust rather hard to pilot, but that is because I spent so long in the jenner that not having jumpjets feels weird. That being said I have seen plenty of good locust pilots.

They aren't a terribad mech, they just require a slight adjustment to play style.

As for the legs....I never shoot for the legs on a locust, the torso is wide enough that I can usually land a nice shot there and have one-shotted many of them.

[Caboose30]

Helsbane, on 22 November 2013 - 08:16 AM, said:

Advanced zoom + 1ERLL = profit. Backstab, relocate, backstab.... If your armor is made by Reynolds Wrap, don't get that close.

That.

[Tesunie]

IN response to "how bad the Locust is" I present a funny screen shot from a match I just had.

Look at this damage! And I'm still not dead yet! Not bad for it's low health...

And if it couldn't get worse, here is worse a few moments later in the match...


In my 81KPH Locust, here was my ending stats for the match:




Just goes to show, it's all in how you play it, and how the match goes. (match before I did 34 damage, out damaged 3 other members of my team in larger mechs (Catapult and a Blackjack at least), and still wasn't disappointed.)

[Nothing Whatsoever]

One thing that would be nice is tweaking the height we receive fall damage to legs for the tiny light mechs.

If we could fall from a bit higher (and maybe not get as much damage), the tiny lights would then be able to use different areas to better escape when necessary.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

It's always puzzled me why Light mechs take the most damage from falls. Surely they should take the least?