4831 replies to this topic

[Johny Rocket]

I don't understand putting an ERLL or LL in the torso when you can mount it above cockpit.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Tractor Joe, on 27 November 2015 - 03:59 PM, said:

I don't understand putting an ERLL or LL in the torso when you can mount it above cockpit.

You're right in that. There's no reason for putting long-range lasers in torso slots on a lolcust if an arm slot is available. Convergence is a non-factor because the locust is so narrow, and you want arm pitch range to make use of the locust's sunroof. In fact, a locust would -lose- by putting a LL (or any laser) on CT when there are arm slots available; it's so short that if you were firing from inside water, being submerged would drop your damage by 50% or more depending on range.

...That being said, submerged locust = happy locust. Locust submarine stays pretty damned cold all the time, even if firing 6 MLs! It's actually short enough to put the ST heatsinks underwater! Not to mention that most of the locust is underwater, so missiles can't hit it (they explode on water surface + no splash damage now), lasers lose significant amounts of damage hitting things below water, AND you get extra cooling!

Note that on River City, a shut down locust all the way out in the water is quite literally invisible. The only part of the locust that sticks out is the topmost laser mount of each arm.

Edited by ArcturusWolf, 29 November 2015 - 06:38 PM.

[Dino Might]

ArcturusWolf, on 29 November 2015 - 06:36 PM, said:

You're right in that. There's no reason for putting long-range lasers in torso slots on a lolcust if an arm slot is available. Convergence is a non-factor because the locust is so narrow, and you want arm pitch range to make use of the locust's sunroof. In fact, a locust would -lose- by putting a LL (or any laser) on CT when there are arm slots available; it's so short that if you were firing from inside water, being submerged would drop your damage by 50% or more depending on range.

...That being said, submerged locust = happy locust. Locust submarine stays pretty damned cold all the time, even if firing 6 MLs! It's actually short enough to put the ST heatsinks underwater! Not to mention that most of the locust is underwater, so missiles can't hit it (they explode on water surface + no splash damage now), lasers lose significant amounts of damage hitting things below water, AND you get extra cooling!

Note that on River City, a shut down locust all the way out in the water is quite literally invisible. The only part of the locust that sticks out is the topmost laser mount of each arm.

Heat sinks in legs are the only ones that are affected by water to my knowledge. I don't think the code considers location of sinks relative to the position on the map - meaning that if you have leg heat sinks (doubles only possible for clanners) and are standing in a puddle or an ocean, the effect will be the same. I doubt that torso heat sinks get a boost even if the torsos are submerged.

I'm not sure that missiles explode on the surface of water, but there is significant damage reduction for all weapons going through the water.

All that being said, the main point is that running in the water on River City is prime time for the Locust. Playing U-boat commander, you can crush other mechs as they go for your legs while you shred their exposed torsos. I took out two FS9s in River City because they kept going for my legs in the water as I hammered their STs.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Yeah, might be placebo regarding the DHS in the torsi. Still, there was a staff post from ages ago that said missiles exploded on hitting the surface of water.

Quote

Missiles will explode when impacting water and SRMs are immediately active (whereas LRMs do not activate their warheads until 180m). All missiles can do splash damage, which is dependent on range to the explosion. So, if your SRM launcher is at water-level or underwater then they will explode before even leaving their tubes and your Mech will incur the full splash damage itself. This is as designed.

And if this is true, then water is the ultimate AMS for lolcusts Simply sit in water and watch as those SSRMs plough into water and explode harmlessly.

Edited by ArcturusWolf, 29 November 2015 - 08:01 PM.

[stuh42l]

I feel like I finally broke through the haze and went epic, even if the match was a loss all but one of the enemy team was killed by me.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

LCT-1V LPL

All hail the new locust overlord! Tankcust with LPL on a 0.3s burn duration and 1.3s cooldown (with modules)!

But no really. Those quirks...

+20 CT Struct (Now you aren't going to explode the moment you lose all CT armor)
+15 LT/RT Struct (Same as above, but you still aren't going to like a direct AC20 hit)
+16 RL/LL armor (Now you aren't going to get legged that often)
+50% Energy CD (!)
-50% Laser burn duration (!)
+15% Energy range

Edited by ArcturusWolf, 30 November 2015 - 06:28 PM.

[Dino Might]

I'm coming back to MWO tomorrow for the LCT-1V LPL overlord. That looks like fun!

stuh42l, on 29 November 2015 - 10:38 PM, said:

I feel like I finally broke through the haze and went epic, even if the match was a loss all but one of the enemy team was killed by me.

Locust hidden perk: +5 carry capacity

[Virlutris]

ArcturusWolf, on 30 November 2015 - 06:21 PM, said:

LCT-1V LPL

All hail the new locust overlord! Tankcust with LPL on a 0.3s burn duration and 1.3s cooldown (with modules)!

But no really. Those quirks...

+20 CT Struct (Now you aren't going to explode the moment you lose all CT armor)
+15 LT/RT Struct (Same as above, but you still aren't going to like a direct AC20 hit)
+16 RL/LL armor (Now you aren't going to get legged that often)
+50% Energy CD (!)
-50% Laser burn duration (!)
+15% Energy range

Look at the newly-generic 1M quirks:
50% Range
25% Cooldown
25% Duration
25% Heat Gen
and a missile quirk

I think the 1M's 50% range is better for the LPL than the 1V's cooldown, the already short beam duration on an LPL gets 25% better along with a 25% cooldown, and the heat gen is the frostiness on the cake. The array of quirks just embarrasses the 3V for the build.

1M LPL Overlord scoffs at your 1V's paltry 15% boost to range. Poke like you mean it!

Edit2add: Yes, the LPL 1V looks like fun, no doubt. Just havin' fun.

Edited by Virlutris, 01 December 2015 - 01:39 AM.

[DarthHias]

3M gets worse quirks than the 1E although it has one hardpoint less.

[stuh42l]

DarthHias, on 01 December 2015 - 02:01 AM, said:

3M gets worse quirks than the 1E although it has one hardpoint less.

But for awhile it was THE locust.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Well okay. I guess one glaring weakness of both these (apparently) overquirked locusts is the CT hardpoint(s). I retract my statement about the LCT-1V being king.

....Locusts don't exactly have a great torso pitch range. With only a 20 degree torso pitch up and down, it's got very poor positioning abilities if you don't have any arm weapons. I had trouble hitting a Stalker on Terra Therma when I'm in the caldera and shooting OUT of the caldera. Could barely hit the top of the thing.

This rules out sniping from a perch, and most definitely rules out supporting your team by playing AA gun vs UAVs. I would think that the 3M and the 1E would still be kings of locusts, because they actually have useful hardpoint positions...

[DarthHias]

1E will stay the mean knife fighter it is now ^^
However all Locusts get buffed because I think leg armor is superior to structure, because fall damage is calculated by leg structure if I´m right?

stuh42l, on 01 December 2015 - 02:06 AM, said:

But for awhile it was THE locust.

I remember

[3xnihilo]

stuh42l, on 01 December 2015 - 02:06 AM, said:

But for awhile it was THE locust.

#neverforget

[shopsmart]

LCT-IV with a LPL and 180 XL in it was a beast. To me at least. No module for the LPL, but was it fun. 280,000 cbills. And first game out with the dec 1st patch.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

LCT-1E is...

....

I don't believe that my disappointment can get conveyed in one "Son, I am disappoint" image. The star of the lolcusts is now largely useless due to the (effective) removal of Anchor Turn, Kinetic Burst and Hard Brake. You can't stutter-step in front or behind of a heavy any more because accel and decel take so freaking long. And the turning circle of a lolcust got huge due to AT nerf...

It's not even the reduction of Speed Tweak that killed it. It's the overall agility reduction. No matter what quirks they slap on to the lolcusts, it's not going to be the same again :/

Edited by ArcturusWolf, 01 December 2015 - 02:22 PM.

[Takashi Uchida]

what.. what have they done with my baby

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (vader voice)

[Dino Might]

Yeah. Locust is now a dead mech walking. It really sucks - the great thing it had going, extreme nimbleness, is now gone. I am le sad.

On the plus side, the 1V LPL overlord is racking up 800 dmg games again. It overheats sooo dang fast though.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

LCT-1M LL Overlord

Alternate build for LL/LPL overlords. LL runs MUCH cooler, but does slightly less damage. Use LCT-1M if you want staying power, LCT-1V for burst.

But in all honesty, right now the 1V is probably the best of all the lolcusts. The 1M looks similar, but has far less durability. I've had the 1V tank four AC20s so far and still be on yellow internals - something that hasn't happened to me before in any locust before this.

Edited by ArcturusWolf, 01 December 2015 - 08:27 PM.

[Takashi Uchida]

I'm still gonna try to make the 1E work..what a damn shame though, it was easily the most fun mech to drive because it handled like you were playing a true FPS game. I nearly sh-t my pants when I came up against a Firestarter, tried to juke him but it felt like my feet were stuck in cement. It still makes an okay escort but I'd be hesitant on going on any solo opps, ESPECIALLY once the clanjenner gets here. my gawd.

Haven't had a "bad" game yet with it post patch (obviously haven't had many games period), but we'll see how this goes. It certainly feels different. On the other hand, I'm handing out fades left and right with my Zeuses and they don't feel substantially different. Fatties who aren't that agile to start don't feel the brunt of the maneuverability nerfs as much.

Edited by Takashi Uchida, 01 December 2015 - 09:16 PM.

[Takashi Uchida]

(great time to be an assault pilot right now, actually. Tons of Marauder side torsos to pop, nobody in the light queue to be annoying.)