IraqiWalker, on 15 January 2014 - 12:22 PM, said:
As for your reasoning for locusts, you are off the mark on them. In all honesty the locust requires the most skill to pilot properly. None of the jenners can come close to the 3M as an escort, simply because they can't put 2 AMSs. End of story there. In a 1v1 sure, the jenner would win, but since when has this game been a 1v1 game? This is a team game.
That's also where the locusts would shine, once dropship mode is utilized and weight restrictions apply, you will see more loci used than some of the other mechs.
All of your answers are based on dropping solo, but in this game we can drop as groups, and that's where things change. There are no bad mechs in this game, just misused mechs.
I understand that there are different roles for mechs. I also understand that there are a limited number of roles and that some roles are more useful than others.
I disagree on your point that there are no bad mechs. There are, some mechs are just worse than others. The Spider 5V for example. It's outclassed by the 5K and the 5D. It just doesn't have enough firepower to be useful, and it lacks ECM as well. Certainly you can use it as a satellite, but the other two could do the same job better.
All of my answers were based on solo comparing other light mechs to the Locust because that's the easiest way to point out its failings. I've done extensive group drops and competitive matches. I have never seen another team that that was any good take a Locust on a serious competitive drop.
The problems with the Locust are not alleviated by dropping in groups, they are compounded. Take 3 Locusts vs 2 Jenners (or 6 v 4). That's approximately equal tonnage. Which one is more likely to win? The Jenners. Ignoring the added mobility and terrain advantage that the Jenners have thanks to JJ and assume 5xML for both sides standing still.
In one salvo the 2 Jenners can do 50 damage, killing a Locust instantly. The 3 Locusts can do 75 damage, taking one leg off of a Jenner and damaging the other. In the next turn the Jenners do another 50 damage and another Locust dies. The Locusts do 50 damage and the first Jenner dies, the second Jenner takes 25 points to the leg. Next turn, the Jenner legs the Locust and the Locust legs the Jenner. Next turn, the Jenner kills the Locust and limps away on a half health leg.
Clearly, the above scenario isn't realistic and isn't directly applicable to the game, but you should understand the point. The Locust just does last long enough under fire to be as useful as the other lights. A half dead Jenner (or other light) puts out a lot more damage than a dead Locust.
The Atlas K can also take dual AMS. Do you see many of them around? No. The D-DC has better loadouts and can carry ECM which is more useful than AMS. A Commando, Spider, Raven, or Cicada with ECM is going to be more helpful than a duel AMS Locust. Remember, once you die you lose the benefit of AMS.
LRMs really aren't used in competitive play anyway. The best way to deal with them is through movement, terrain, and firepower. They can be effective in drops, but only when your team isn't coordinating fire well or is in a bad position. Heavy mechs should be moving in a group with AMS if LRMs are a concern. The addition of one extra AMS isn't going to make that much difference in that case.
The time to kill relative to the effective damage that you can do is what is important in MWO. Spiders have less firepower than Jenners, but they are much harder to kill. Thus they have a role. The Locust is the easiest mech to kill and it doesn't gain any special traits to compensate for it. Other mechs can run as fast, can carry better loadouts, and have ECM or JJ. While the Locust can carry some speed+weapon loadouts that no other mech can, it doesn't compensate for it's failings.
I agree that there might be a place for the Locust once tonnage restrictions are in. However, until that point they are inferior to the other light mechs. If you can point out a situation where the Locust really is the best choice I'd be interested in hearing it. I'll take a look at your guide and see if there's any feedback that I can provide. I don't disagree with your advice on how to pilot the Locust, but I do still consider them an inferior mech.
2
