80 replies to this topic

[Ambuscade]

I don't subscribe to the meta builds either. I have for the longest time run the Cicada 3C (before the machine gun buffs mind you). With the past buffs my 3C performs SO much better.

I don't know what it is, I must be half Warhammer 40k ork or something, because I am addicted to the muzzle flashes and loud noises my quad machine guns make.

Ambuscade

[anonymous161]

Yeah I been sick of the meta build, it's such a boring way to play. I use the cicada 2a I think it's called it uses 6 medium lasers and wow is that effective, I been averaging nearly 700 damage and 4 kills a game lately. Cicadas are not normally priority so it's easy to get a lot of shots in, before they realize that their armor is almost gone after a few alphas though I dont alpha strike in the game I fire them one at a time so I dont shut down right away, which allows me to hit them at least 3 times with all my medium lasers hitting them. It's a fun build becuase you are fast and have decent punch. Cicada hardly seems like a medium mech it's easily the weakest, but the arms do help they do nothing so they do help absorb a few strong hits.

I encourage people to try new styles of play, being an ac40 jag cant be that much fun, your slow and all it takes is a guy like me that wont just go out in the open where they want you.

[Col Jaime Wolf]

honsetly no.

the way pgi has made this game any player that can actually "hit on target" is almost always better off with high powered AC's and PPC.

honestly its a load of BS cuz i just cannot stand making 59 mechs up for just an "ac40"

Edited by Mellifluer, 20 January 2014 - 06:02 PM.

[Col Jaime Wolf]

Viges, on 03 December 2013 - 07:08 AM, said:

Have you ever heard of highlanders OP?

Atlas is pretty good vs that builds, and there are other options too I think.

no its not. highlander is better then the atlas in every way in skilled hands. an atlas is always at the mercy of a JJ assault. even victors can walk all over atlas's because of JJ and insta hit rock your mech like it was hit with a AMR from COD.

[White Bear 84]

Rhaythe, on 03 December 2013 - 05:44 AM, said:

As I alluded, players are just reacting to the reward system. C-bills are given out for doing damage, not providing intel. If the rewards shift, then so will the play styles. Do the rewards right, and the only ones doing the high-alpha builds will be the ones that are only concerned with their kill-to-death ratios.

Yes, more rewards for better stuff. Maybe even a strength modifier - so if you are running a high alpha x2 ppc x2 ac20 build you get less of a bonus than say, you are running small lasers - with the logic that more work goes into destroying a mech with lighter/more diverse weapons than cheese.

Anyway, current fave is x2 AC5, 6ML, 1LL battlemaster.

I vote, bring back the gauss...

[White Bear 84]

Roughneck45, on 05 December 2013 - 06:16 AM, said:

Something has to be the best. At least right now we have two options, dual Ultras or an AC20 lol.

If you want a change of pace but don't want to run {Scrap} builds start playing quad AC5 heavies. The 4X and the Jagers can run it, and it is a ton of fun that can compete.

Absolutely - while I dont have many AC20 builds, many of my most successful builds are dual AC5. Not to mention the BLR - dual AC5, dual AC2 dakka dakka dakka.

[Col Jaime Wolf]

Scromboid, on 12 December 2013 - 05:44 AM, said:

Personally, I think the game is in one of the best balance states it has been in for a while. Now, I have only played since open beta, but still... not having to worry about 6PPC stalkers out there killing you from across the map is kinda nice. Ghost Heat sucks, for sure, and I think there is a MUCH better way to deal with it (cone of fire, whaat?) but the end results are that there are MORE viable builds than there were before and less cheese builds.

For example: I am rocking through my ShadowHawks right now (loving them) and finding that there are a ridiculous amount of competitive builds that can be run on those. You name it, I've run it and racked up over 500 damage in a match... 4xSSRMs and 2 meds on the 2D2, 4xLRM5 a ERLLas and TAG on the 2D2, 3xMguns 3xSRM4 1xERLL on the 2H, 2xAC5 1xAC2 on the 2H...

What I find is that, especially with the tall, blocky build of the Hawk, you have to PLAN your engagements. Running in willy nilly is going to get your face blown off. Patience, planning and reacting to emergent situations tends to up my Kill/Damage count and lower my deaths.

Your AC/40 Jaeger? Do not worry about me, bro. I will tear up your backside before you even see me. I see you coming. I will slip in behind you, volley the SRMs and chew your internals with my machines guns WHILE I am sidestrafing and legging that spider. No worries.

It is more about playstyle and reacting to what is not working than trying to find a 'build that works'. I bet I can take 10 dudes and toss em into your AC/40 and they get wrecked, whereas you can obviously play it well (According to your post). Maybe they drop out and start whining about how the AC/40 has been nerfed and does not work anymore.

Anyways, just a thought Worry about what YOU can do and not what PGI is doing

again this is the point we hardcore mechheads want to make to PGI. i really dont care if "oh look there are good mechs to make its X mech and Y Mech and Z mech are all good mechs!"

sure sure



what about my other 56 mechs? honestly i can count on ONE hand those that i consider truly "competitive". the rest are fluff and dander.

no matter what i do my awesomes are toast. i dont want to LRM boat it, i dont want to PPC my awesomes. guess what? they are pretty much useless if you dont play the long range game. and even then all my awesomes are wholly outclassed by any ONE of my victors.

atlas? same highlander better in every way

my battlemasters? eh they are "alright" but again my JJ assaults walk all over them

med you say? yes my pheonix mediums outclass every old med in the game. why do i bother holding onto my trebuchates? they arent competitive at all in this current meta, i sold my hunchies a long time ago. the only med that survived were those with JJ.

in fact im slowly curbing ANY mech that doesnt have both JJ and the ability to have a competitve loadout. thats like.......
whatever PGI releases this month and is the FOTM.

so ya.... its a load of ******* BS because i do feel like all the mechs i bought for cbills are now a total waste.

heros? i have every single hero minus except, oxide, grid iron, jester, protector and the boars head.........

thats death knell, the X-5, yen lo, Golden boy, Fang, Flame, Fire Brand, Ilya, Dragon Slayer, pretty baby, misery and heavy metal........

i would say maybe HM and dragon slayer are the best (JJ assaults you say?), Ilya comes in a close third and i love my X-5 cuz cicadas are one of my fave mechs. so ya i would agree that they are all good either because they can all boat the AC40 with JJ or just plain boat the ac40 or a ratta tat tat dakka dakk with C-bill bonus.........

but i would only say 3 are competitive. firebrand is nice but i never got good with it. PGI suck my #$%^!


16 assaults...... 4 atlas, 4 highlanders, 2 stalkers, 3 victors, 3 awesomes
11 heavies...... 1 orion, 2 cataphracts, 3 dragons, 4 catapults, 1 jag,
7 mediums....... 3 trebuchet, 1 kintaro, 2 cicadas, 1 centi
6 lights....... 3 spiders, 2 commando, 1 raven
18 pheonix mechs 3 lights, 9 med, 3 heavies, 3 assaults

im missing one but it adds up to 59 in my mechlab

just because a running list is nice and so the other pilots know why i say most of my mechs arent really competitive.

it was nice when i could just run around in my streak commando and hunt other lights sigh.....

Edited by Mellifluer, 20 January 2014 - 06:54 PM.

[White Bear 84]

Mellifluer, on 20 January 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:

i love my X-5 cuz cicadas are one of my fave mechs.

Best heroes I have found are the X5, Firebrand (big jager fan too) and probably the HM. Used to love my Flame though..

[Col Jaime Wolf]

White Bear 84, on 20 January 2014 - 06:37 PM, said:

Best heroes I have found are the X5, Firebrand (big jager fan too) and probably the HM. Used to love my Flame though..

x-5 is fun and a good mech, but i don't really find it capable of matching anything thats rockin an ecm or more speed or JJ. a good pilot can just run circles around anyone that is slower and incapable of getting up to places with JJ and firing from good angles that refuse your enemy a return shot.

love my dragons but i wish they where more competitive. they are really good med and light hunters, but again they really cannot stand toe to toe with anything heavier then them at all. even with their superior speed/agility profile across the board.. but when i start a round and see 6 assaults on my team i know its gonna be rough, without any lube .

this is what im saying tho.

this is the DEFACTO best mech in the game. you don't believe me? build it try it, get good with it.

1 no one fights you head on because you got the ultra 6 and will just pound them into oblivion over any open terrain.

2 they take off your ultra 6 arm because they fear it and rightly so

3 you finish them and all their buddies with 2 LL because you actually have a backup weapon on top of a beat their face in weapon.

4 did i mention it has an xl300 and 7 tons of ammo?

5 modules make it all work by allowing you to spot enemies far with zoom and tactics, and since you usually don't move much when blasting the ultra 6 at long range you will see if someone is trying to sneak up on you with seismic

6 hill climb+JJ+xl300 + tactics means you can usually escape any single enemy that you cant outgun. and those you cant outrun, which is only med and lights with JJ, neither of which will be able to stand and actually fight you. 2 LL for the lights + that one skill shot with the ultra 6 to finish that open XL in EVERY light. med? just blow them in half with the ultra 6, they wont stay to fight at all vs that monster.

7 remember to use the 2LL for the kill shot, not always but get good with it. the ultra 6 tears armor off like a **** and once there's a hole in the armor 2LL usually finishes it with only 1 or 2 more cannon blasts.

8 this mech makes me not want to play anymore. its simply to easy to use honestly way to powerful and way to deadly......

9 only 1 thing i would change if i didn't like the 2 LL, use 1 LL and 1 Med Laser then pop the xl320 in there with an extra ton of ammo. almost as deadly, and nice because its a little faster.

10 this mech works primarily because anyone rocking the 1 shot cannon, cannot miss. they HAVE to make that ac40 land on target. the ultra 6 denies them that, it is the perfect suppression weapon. both preventing them from shooting back accurately at all AND scaring the hell out of them so much that they WILL turn to run, at which point they die cuz it only takes like 3 ultra 6 shots with the 2 LL to CORE anyone's backside.

11 the actual process of killing can be as short as 4 seconds. so their massive insta hit damage is basically useless against a good pilot with good tactics

this is the smurfys, no joke here. build this thing and use it if you just want to get bored real fast

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7032f4ea7a980f4

long range, you smash them, brawling 1v1 no one can stand or even fight you. you have the speed and ability to dictate the fight. never found a better mech, DS comes close but isn't anything near this cuz it literally can only have an ac4 with 1 LL which just doesn't work nearly as well.

Edited by Mellifluer, 20 January 2014 - 08:22 PM.

[wanderer]

Zyllos, on 12 December 2013 - 06:54 AM, said:

Ya.

I would be fine with a stock mode, but it has to still allow customization within reason.

If the 'Mech is customized, then by definition it is no longer stock.

Stock designs should be newbies in Trial 'Mechs, safe in the kiddie pool where they belong.

The meta has always followed highly focused, single location damage dealers. When lasers could do it efficiently, we had lasers. Now it's PPC's and AC's.

It will continue until MWO realizes that pinpoint, high damage strikes and Battlemechs don't mix, because they are the most effective method of negating good defense- that is, twisting and moving to spread damage. It's amazing seeing the difference on my Shadow Hawks when I took the jets off for a lark- suddenly, they died MUCH faster. Why?

Easier to put all your shots into one place. I'd end rounds with my jet-equipped 'Mech missing limbs, most of my armor- heck, one fight I ended at 25% and still functional. Without them? Torso destroyed, if I was lucky first the side torso, but frequently it was CT, CT, CT, hello alpha strike, boom. Like clockwork, fast and often.

Right now, PPC's and AC's often remove that ability to spread damage around, and hence are most efficient and dominant meta. That you can snap-shot them for full damage while poptarting doesn't hurt either.

Keep reticule shaking when in the air no matter whether the jets are on or not, make PPC's splash-spread some of their damage, turn AC's into short-burst weapons like pulse lasers. Watch 'Mech lifespans go up and the meta get tangled again.

[Zerberus]

Mellifluer, on 20 January 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

(victor build and high praise)

With all due respect, it`s times like this that I long for private matches. I literally soloed an entire (looked premade, 4 Liaos, same camo) LANCE of those last night on alpine in my D-DC, because they probably also thought "he`ll n ever come in close" and just fell like flies when I did exactly that. And when i get under 270m, 2 66 pt alphas will make short work of your CT, or just one will blow your side torso out together with your glorious dakka and your XL engine.

If 4 of "the DEFACTO best mech in the game" are no match for one Atlas, then one of 2 lessons are to be learned from this:

1. The Atlas D-DC Brawler is the best mech in game. That is completely debatable, and even I would. But it IS in fact up there pretty high on the list of candidates

and /or

2. Never write the check without looking to see who`s in the cockpit first. Good pilots are like WWE superstars, anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Just without the scripting and fake wrestling

Edited by Zerberus, 20 January 2014 - 08:41 PM.

[Col Jaime Wolf]

Zerberus, on 20 January 2014 - 08:38 PM, said:

With all due respect, it`s times like this that I long for private matches. I literally soloed an entire (looked premade, 4 Liaos, same camo) LANCE of those last night on alpine in my D-DC, because they probably also thought "he`ll n ever come in close" and just fell like flies when I did exactly that. And when i get under 270m, 2 66 pt alphas will make short work of your CT, or just one will blow your side torso out together with your glorious dakka and your XL engine.

If 4 of "the DEFACTO best mech in the game" are no match for one Atlas, then one of 2 lessons are to be learned from this:

1. The Atlas D-DC Brawler is the best mech in game. That is completely debatable, and even I would. But it IS in fact up there pretty high on the list of candidates

and /or

2. Never write the check without looking to see who`s in the cockpit first. Good pilots are like WWE superstars, anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Just without the scripting and fake wrestling

like i said you would never get the chance to use your woop-*** ac66 cannon against a skilled pilot. ironicly my DDC is the same as yours i think.... AC20, srm18art+2ML? so is this the ONLY good build for the DDC? i think its one of the best for sure. but still i get bored and i want something new. getting tired of BS insta hit builds being the "end all solution"

because i could always just stay far away from you and i would. your weapons are only useful if the enemy PILOT is dumb enough to get close to you.

so ask yourself... would you GET close to your atlas, knowing that getting close like that is almost certain death? probably not, at least not unless you had backup and you KNEW the atlas wasnt going to be able to focus you so easily, he would be at least distracted or SOMETHING that would prevent him from a 1-2 KO.

battlefield awareness is the first step to tactics thats why those {Surat} walked right into your deathtrap thinkin they was "tough #*($&". and you tore them in half as you should have because you had the complete advantage. really nice job, very nice . they probably thought they had you but good, but you knew better you knew if they were dumb enough to just "walz on in there" you could 1-2 them fast enough to make them think twice.

being able to read the battlefield and apply your mech to the right location is what will make any mech work. thats why you walked 4 {Surat}, they thought they were such tough ($*%$ they didnt need any pansy "tactics".

they let you get right up on top of them and crack them in half. its always amazing to know you singlehandedly wiped a whole lance out.

all im saying, is make that mech, try it out for spin, like a new set of wheels , its NOT the best mech FOR a whole team. ITS the best 1v1 mech i have ever seen because you can dictate the range and style of the fight,

and in the hands of a skilled pilot thats all you need to walk all over people.

try it get good with it you will see. im not tryin to josh anyone and i tried many many variations of ac2/5 ppc lasers all that. this was the best balance and the most rutheless as far as PURE tactics and 1v1.

realize that an atlas cannot fight what it cannot catch, cannot beat what it cannot hit, cannot win when it cannot dictate the battlefield and is FORCED to fight on the enemies terms. <- a bad situation for any mech, you never want to fight on the enemies terms always YOURS.

what you cant outgun, you outrun.

what you cant outrun you outgun.

no one can stand in your way if you always use tactics to make sure those statements hold true. thats all im tryin to say.

love my atlas's i just dont see them working CONSISTENTLY well all the time unless we can choose the map.
cuz honestly i dont care which of my 4 atlas's im in, when im in canyon network i feel USELESS in my atlas, not being able to MOVE and reposition to HELP MY TEAM BEST.
in my highlanders and victors it just feels.... like the maps favor JJ overall WAY TO MUCH and nothing short of being able to choose the map will fix this.

Edited by Mellifluer, 20 January 2014 - 09:58 PM.

[White Bear 84]

Mellifluer, on 20 January 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

x-5 is fun and a good mech, but i don't really find it capable of matching anything thats rockin an ecm or more speed or JJ. a good pilot can just run circles around anyone that is slower and incapable of getting up to places with JJ and firing from good angles that refuse your enemy a return shot.

love my dragons but i wish they where more competitive. they are really good med and light hunters, but again they really cannot stand toe to toe with anything heavier then them at all. even with their superior speed/agility profile across the board.. but when i start a round and see 6 assaults on my team i know its gonna be rough, without any lube .

this is what im saying tho.

this is the smurfys, no joke here. build this thing and use it if you just want to get bored real fast

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7032f4ea7a980f4

Challenge accepted. See you on the battlefield!

[Aim-Bot]

What about 58 Pinpoint dmg`?

BOAR'S HEAD

This never gets old ^^ love it. melting amor like butter.

Edited by KuritaGuard, 21 January 2014 - 03:38 AM.

[Curccu]

Now that we have this Skirmish game mode, fast moving ERLL kite builds are pretty good

[Klaus]

Mellifluer, on 20 January 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

this is the DEFACTO best mech in the game. you don't believe me? build it try it, get good with it.

XL on an assault? Are you kidding me?
AC/20 with PPC x2 on a 733C or Misery.
Shoot your side torso, turn, shoot your side torso again, you're dead. GG kid.

[Turist0AT]

you must be new OP. Everything else is Nerfed, this is the result. what did you excpect?

[Waelsleaht]

I think they should do a "classic" or "TT" or "stock mech" game mode. where you only use stock versions of the mechs you own or the free ones and its tonage limitet. I would enjoy that a lot.

[Dan Nashe]

Stock mode does raise an interesting question of which stock mech are bes Becuse stock mechs are ridiculously imbalanced ginst each other-there are a handful of well built mechs in tt and a huge bucket of intentionally poorly built ones. I suspect there would be even less diversity in a stock league than currently, unless the game randomly put you in mechs, including mechs you didn't own, but that would defeat the main earnings stream. So not really practical for this set up of FTP.

It could be fun for a game or two to run a crummu mech against vastly superior mechs, with no ability to customze, but would get old fast.

Although I would love to see in in game button that returned your mech to stock(mouseover to see which parts you need free in mechlab to use button). Then, in game, pure stock mechs could be pgi certified with an (s) after the name. This would allow player run stock leagues, and ego driven stoc playing with street cred.

Also: 50 percent cbill boost for playing stock (easy to repair yo). So new players get that boost when broke.

My $0.02 on why a pgi stock league is awful, but how you could make it viable as a fun option.
(The label is critical to confirm that the other team isn't intentionally or accidentally cheating).

[xhrit]

Karl Streiger, on 03 December 2013 - 05:39 AM, said:

Can't say when i had the last 1 on 1 - warrior vs warrior fight....and dual PPC and single AC 20 were one of the combination i did use back then (in an Atlas)

Try playing a light. I get to 1v1 all the time.

And still manage to top the charts in damage, even with only 15 pinpoint alpha...