4831 replies to this topic

[22y]

5ML. I figure with the manoeuvrability this mech has it's easy enough to reposition and get a safe angle on an enemy to stay near heat cap. This means the small amount of sustained DPS you get from that extra DHS is really worth it.

[Mole]

I do extremely well in a Locust 1E with 6 medium lasers. The quirks it gets are just awesome. Before quirks rolled around I used to do the same in the 3M. The 3M was my first mech. Then quirks happened, and I saw no other choice but to sell the old girl and replace her with a 1E. Just don't stand still and never, ever run in a predictable pattern. Not even serpentine is good, because again, predictable pattern. When running away from enemy fire you need to be completely erratic and jerk your locust all over the place. Which, honestly, is a good tactic to perform in any 'mech when trying to get to cover from enemy fire.

[Thor Sten]

I got a little frustrated over Polar Highlands and didn't touch my Locust for a few weeks (Incrasing PSR was ridicully easy with my Shadowcat by the way). Now I'm back in my PB, and oh my... The SPLs. The MGs. The Speed! WOW! What fun I missed!

Still not really all that keen on Polar Highlands. Any good ideas, what to do with a Pirates Bane on Polar Highlands? I mean besides giving ECM to the whales and waiting for the endgame to start? I somehow get sniped away all to easy just trying to scout.

Edited by Thor Sten, 09 March 2016 - 10:20 AM.

[Virlutris]

Thor Sten, on 09 March 2016 - 09:56 AM, said:

I got a little frustrated over Polar Highlands and didn't touch my Locust for a few weeks (Incrasing PSR was ridicully easy with my Shadowcat by the way). Now I'm back in my PB, and oh my... The SPLs. The MGs. The Speed! WOW! What fun I missed!

Still not really all that keen on Polar Highlands. Any good ideas, what to do with a Pirates Bane on Polar Highlands? I mean besides giving ECM to the whales and waiting for the endgame to start? I somehow get sniped away all to easy just trying to scout.

Couple thoughts on the fly, please excuse any disjointedness or redundancies:

Use the trenches and other rolling contours.

Make your peeks oblique, so that you're running full tilt nearly laterally to the point where you want to peek, so that when you peek above a contour, you're reaching the peak of your movement arc just long enough to have your cockpit high enough for a sneak peek.

For corners, round the corner at an angle that lets you anchor turn back into cover with minimal exposure (that oblique thing again), or disappear up and over a (verified) safe contour to break locks and make incoming fire eat dirt (Locusts are quick and short, and I laugh when I do this ).

Minimize exposure, like you would on any other map. Polar's actually more OP than you'd initially guess for LCTs, because all that low-contour terrain is exactly the kind of place you can "hide" a Locust from incoming fire and break locks, making shots eat dirt. And that low, broken/rolling terrain is basically all the map is.

The PB is nigh unto undetectable there, unless you want to be seen. Hill climb modules are funny for abusing those short trench walls at speed, but RaDerp, Seismic, and TIG or even Adv Sens Rng are much more precious for those pre-peeks, sneak-peeks, and ducking-behind-contours.

It'll come to you, keep at it!

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Thor Sten, on 09 March 2016 - 09:56 AM, said:

I got a little frustrated over Polar Highlands and didn't touch my Locust for a few weeks (Incrasing PSR was ridicully easy with my Shadowcat by the way). Now I'm back in my PB, and oh my... The SPLs. The MGs. The Speed! WOW! What fun I missed!

Still not really all that keen on Polar Highlands. Any good ideas, what to do with a Pirates Bane on Polar Highlands? I mean besides giving ECM to the whales and waiting for the endgame to start? I somehow get sniped away all to easy just trying to scout.

Pirates' Bane has ECM, and has a really, really short profile. If you happen to have white paint, paint your whole mech white and you disappear into the background (caveat: winter camo + other forest maps = sticking out like a sore thumb). Dipping in and out of trenches and snow ridges with Radar Deprivation will cause you to vanish if you happen to get locked on somehow, and will help dodge ERLLs, PPCs and AC shots.

Use your ECM to shield fatties before the brawl phase happens. If you can find a straggler on their team, feel free to use your speed to eliminate said straggler and bolt. When the brawl phase happens, find someone who's preoccupied and stab him in the back with your SPLs.

Be aware that due to the way Polar Highlands is rendered and shaped, 'skylining' (cresting a ridge to stand on top of it) is a surefire way to get sniped. DO NOT DO THIS. If you are going to scout, either go up the ridge and down the other side, or approach the ridge at an angle so you can run back down at full tilt. Nobody can snipe you if you appear only for a fraction of a second, moving oblique to their line of sight.

Another way to play this, if you feel particularly adventurous, is to put an ECM and an ERPPC on your Peanut Butter. I don't remember the exact build, but it was extremely fragile as it was losing a large chunk of what little armour was on the little locust.

[Exilyth]

I've been running the LCT-1M with 2 ML and 2 SRM 2 (1t ammo) for the last week.

I'm quite happy I'm done eliting that variant, it's fine when backstabbing things, but SRM are hard to use vs other lights, unless they're moving straight. Against ACHs, you can just forget it.

[3xnihilo]

Exilyth, on 09 March 2016 - 02:36 PM, said:

I've been running the LCT-1M with 2 ML and 2 SRM 2 (1t ammo) for the last week.

I'm quite happy I'm done eliting that variant, it's fine when backstabbing things, but SRM are hard to use vs other lights, unless they're moving straight. Against ACHs, you can just forget it.

Yeah, nothing is harder than trying to hit a moving light mech with srms while running in a locust.

[Tim East]

Fox With A Shotgun, on 09 March 2016 - 02:14 PM, said:

Another way to play this, if you feel particularly adventurous, is to put an ECM and an ERPPC on your Peanut Butter. I don't remember the exact build, but it was extremely fragile as it was losing a large chunk of what little armour was on the little locust.

Hahahah, I already do this. Just dump arm and head armor. Not like you plan on getting shot anyway, and even if you do, not like you plan on needing/getting hit in those parts.

[Flak Kannon]

I have finally been leveling all my locust this last couple weeks.

I have had a blast, although, my forearm tendons might have gotten a little tight here and there from all the WASD button mashing.


But aall in all each Locust is a challenge. And I like that.

They can really create major HAVOK, but the margin for error is so much smaller than other mechs.

I enjoi'ed the 3 SRM2, 1 ML laser build the most. 250 rounds ammo, XL180, 162kph. When I got in front of anything and let the machine gun rate of fire srm 2's go.. pure chaos.

If you were one of my victims this week, i'm sorry.

fun times.

The one I disliked the most was the Locust with 2 Ballistic and 2 energy hardpoints. 2 Machine guns aren't quite enough, and 2 MPL alone aren't quite enough. I tried it with 1 LPL and once with 2 MG and 1 LL, neither worked all that well.


Enjoi

[Virlutris]

Tim East, on 09 March 2016 - 03:27 PM, said:

Hahahah, I already do this. Just dump arm and head armor. Not like you plan on getting shot anyway, and even if you do, not like you plan on needing/getting hit in those parts.

Okay, my curiosity's getting the better of me:

Stripping the head and arms is a given here in the Locust Overhive.

That would be fine in any other LCT, but the PB requires one to scrounge up another 1.5 tons of weight savings to mount the ECM. Where else are you dropping weight?

The XL180 saves a half-ton, are you going further than that on the engine size? Perhaps shaving additional armor somewhere (legs, torsos?)in a bargain with the devil?

Do tell

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Virlutris, on 09 March 2016 - 04:25 PM, said:

Okay, my curiosity's getting the better of me:

Stripping the head and arms is a given here in the Locust Overhive.

That would be fine in any other LCT, but the PB requires one to scrounge up another 1.5 tons of weight savings to mount the ECM. Where else are you dropping weight?

The XL180 saves a half-ton, are you going further than that on the engine size? Perhaps shaving additional armor somewhere (legs, torsos?)in a bargain with the devil?

Do tell

BIG BRASS PAIR ON THIS TINY LITTLE MECH!

Off topic: LRM75 Kit Fox. Just because I can, doesn't mean I should. I put this little thing together just for kicks last night. Let's just say that a NARCed locust on the enemy team got the worst fright of his life...

Now to try LRM80 Adder

Edited by Fox With A Shotgun, 09 March 2016 - 05:04 PM.

[Tim East]

Uh, let me log in and look. I sort of forgot.

Ok, I cut to an XL 170 engine, 4 external DHS, the ECM, and the ERPPC. I'm rocking 3 FF armor on each arm, 14 on each leg, 17 on my ECM side torso and 14 on the other, 23 on the center, and 1 on the head.

/edit: Yeah, I have much more armor than that guy as a percentage of my 'Mech's weight.

Edited by Tim East, 09 March 2016 - 04:57 PM.

[stealthraccoon]

Yeah I went with the just a PPC, the erPPC is a little hot, and you shouldn't ever be within 90m of an enemy anyhow...

[smurfy]http://mwo.smurfy-ne...6d09f0082faef62[/smurfy]

And of course, the AC2 "Sneaker-Plinker":
[smurfy]http://mwo.smurfy-ne...07f711086cd41fb[/smurfy]

Edited by stealthraccoon, 09 March 2016 - 09:14 PM.

[Tim East]

I prefer the ERPPC because I like to light duel and pretend I have an AC10 and a leaky coolant system. You'd be surprised how many people get zapped in a rear-ST and die while trying to outmaneuver me. Plus at a hair shy of 150 with tweak you don't always get to choose your battles and it pays to be able to knife fight with the 'Mech piloting equivalent of a flamberge. Here's a hint: It's all about the pommel-strike.

Something I didn't mention before that should be obvious: I put the ERPPC in the left ST, next to the ECM. I like lefty 'Mechs. Like my reverse Hunchback. Many people don't expect them.

[3xnihilo]

i have circled back to the 3s. It seems I never finished eliting it. Now I am trying to decided on 4 srm2 with 3t of ammo 2t plus a ml. I have been running w/laser but those 200 missiles disappear rather quickly.

[Thor Sten]

Thanks for the hints on polar highlands, will try to get in the right mind set. Another thing I noticed: Using external view, used with caution it allows to look over edges without exposing yourself (although it might give away your position). Might be worth another try. Going totally white for Polar Highlands seems a bit risky(considering the othe maps). I'd try some light greys. Perhaps with a bit of blue or green.

Tim East, on 09 March 2016 - 04:56 PM, said:

Uh, let me log in and look. I sort of forgot.

Ok, I cut to an XL 170 engine, 4 external DHS, the ECM, and the ERPPC. I'm rocking 3 FF armor on each arm, 14 on each leg, 17 on my ECM side torso and 14 on the other, 23 on the center, and 1 on the head.

/edit: Yeah, I have much more armor than that guy as a percentage of my 'Mech's weight.

What about getting a 180XL engine? It has one more internal DHS (reducing it's net weight cost to "half a ton") and internal DHS are more effective then external ones (unless they patched this in the last few weeks).

(Oh and 1 point of head armor ist really needed, whenever I try to go topless, some airstrike will hit the ton of MG ammo I store under the pilots seat.)

Edited by Thor Sten, 10 March 2016 - 10:18 AM.

[Dino Might]

Takashi Uchida, on 23 February 2016 - 10:07 PM, said:

I'm still not over that it took a couple months for them to fix this. To be honest, I wonder what percentage of the player pop actually noticed that there were no movement quirks period?

I know I personally am prone to suggestion. I remember playing the sluggish 1E, then switching to the 1V which had better movement on paper. I convinced myself that it felt marginally better, even though in reality both were the same sugar pill.

Ideally, PGI would take this hint and stop trying to appeal to the e-peen supersports gamer and recognize their fanbase for this game is mostly old Battletech nerds who have normal lives. Even though it would make the Locust less fun, I'd be perfectly fine with slowing the combat mechanics down making the game more simulator than shooter (I'd be ok with less walking though). It already is atypical for an FPS, screw it, go all the way.

I really wish they'd have piloting skill involved in movement. Consider:

As you move, your mech sways (leans) left or right with some amount of random push in one direction or the other. Imagine your mech being on a tightrope, and if you lean too far to one side, you fall over. As you change speed and the gyro needs to compensate, you lose some stability, and you have to continually offset this sway with direction input. In essence, to turn the mech, you lean it and as a result it will turn, kind of like a motorcycle. But if you lean it too far to one side without the right amount of speed, you exceed available stability and you fall over.

Classes can be balanced by giving lighter mechs less inertia in the sway, so they are less likely to have severe inputs, until they are making higher speed maneuvers. Assaults have more inertia, but also more inherent stability, and not as significant of an acceleration factor to balance.

It would be interesting deciding how you want to maneuver with the very real possibility that you topple over and become a sitting duck. I think you could manage it so that most people could move at a reasonable pace without falling, but to get the highest speeds out of your mech, you'd need some practice.

[Virlutris]

3xnihilo, on 10 March 2016 - 04:36 AM, said:

i have circled back to the 3s. It seems I never finished eliting it. Now I am trying to decided on 4 srm2 with 3t of ammo 2t plus a ml. I have been running w/laser but those 200 missiles disappear rather quickly.

Go all-in on the SRM2s, brother. 3 tons works better, and you can even drop the engine a little, for andl extra half-ton.

I built it like a pocket version of the hyper-optimized SRM4 Huginn (when they had that absurd 50 pct cooldown).

You can/will burn 300 (or 350) missiles :3

Doo eet.

Addendum: it's even funnier with a SRM2 cooldown module

Edited by Virlutris, 10 March 2016 - 01:19 PM.

[3xnihilo]

Virlutris, on 10 March 2016 - 01:15 PM, said:

Go all-in on the SRM2s, brother. 3 tons works better, and you can even drop the engine a little, for andl extra half-ton.

I built it like a pocket version of the hyper-optimized SRM4 Huginn (when they had that absurd 50 pct cooldown).

You can/will burn 300 (or 350) missiles :3

Doo eet.

Addendum: it's even funnier with a SRM2 cooldown module

Ok, I am sold! Xl180, 4-srm2, 3.5t ammo, ftw!

[Fox With A Shotgun]

3xnihilo, on 10 March 2016 - 01:52 PM, said:

Ok, I am sold! Xl180, 4-srm2, 3.5t ammo, ftw!

Can totally vouch for SRM boating like this!

...

-looks back at SRM6x4 locust- I feel guilty now. They said I could boat anything, but I didn't want to boat something. I wanted to be a Torpedo Boat. And before you ask, yes, I did actually pilot this thing once. Powered down in snowblind frozen city, and then unloaded into an unwary enemy LCT that came out of the tunnel. The tears of rage were delicious.

Edited by Fox With A Shotgun, 10 March 2016 - 01:57 PM.