35 replies to this topic

[Bront]

So you've got a mech with Jump Jets (JJs), but you don't know how many JJs you need? Here's a simple guide.

Are JJs worth installing?
Most definitely. Added maneuverability, ability to jump over obstacles (including other mechs), and tactical advantage they can provide is a huge bonus. Most top tier competitive teams have nearly all their mechs fitted with JJs, and the ability to mount JJs is an advantage over similar mech models that don't.

How many should I install?
Lighter mechs can get away with 1 and still gain some increased maneuverability and jumping range. Heavier mechs are no longer as maneuverable in JJs as they once were, and don't get a lot of lift out of 1 JJ.

2 seems to be the best compromise if you don't need outrageous jumping hight. It provides a good solid fast lift for peaking over or maneuvering over obstacles in battle. Be aware, JJ Fuel runs out faster than it used to, so you don't have as much time in the air.

Mounting 3 or more should give you great height and maneuverability. If you need to get into the air on a regular basis, it's actually worth mounting 3 or more JJs in a mech now. There are definite and noticable advantages.

Old answer:

Spoiler

1 JJ installed - Mechs with a single JJ are able to Jump-Snipe (also known as poptarting), as 1 JJ gives them enough lift to clear weapons over most ridges. 1 JJ mechs also can use the JJ to turn and maneuver quickly, as well as cushion a landing. If you can install JJs in your mech, you should at least install 1 for the added maneuverability.

2 JJs installed - The second JJ gives most mechs enough lift to clear mech sized hight obstacles entirely, or jump over medium sized terrain gaps (though this is dependent on speed as well). Jump-snipers with 2 JJ can get up faster and/or higher. 2 gives your mech some added maneuverability and escapability by being able to clear over hurdles easier, and sloped terrain is less imposing for a mech with 2 JJs. My personal recommendation for any JJ capable mech is 2 at minimum for the overall flexibility, and it is a bare minimum for light mechs who live on maneuverability.

3+ JJs installed - You like to hear John Williams music whenever you take off into the air. With at least 3 JJs, you can jump over all kinds of obstacles. This is for mechs that need to get into a high perch or want to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Usually best in light mechs, but can be potentially functional in other builds.

Ultimately, keep in mind that you get diminishing returns from JJs. JJ1 provides some amount of thrust, and JJ2 provides a bit less. Additional JJs do not increase the amount JJ fuel used in a jump (ie, how long you can jump for), but you get more thrust out of using your JJs.

Remember. Everything is a tradeoff. In selecting a mech with JJs, you chose to sacrifice some small part of your tonnage for additional maneuverability.

Edited by Bront, 05 March 2014 - 08:11 AM.

[Alaskan Nobody]

6+ JJ you can jump from the bottom of the overpass in Crimson Strait to the top (for the 55 ton at least)
7+ JJ you can easily jump from the bottom of the overpass in Crimson Strait to the top (again, for the 55 ton at least)

[Koniving]

"But Bront, jumpjets don't do any good inside closed structures!"

....Bull!

Shot by Lordred.

[Bront]

Koniving, on 02 March 2014 - 09:29 AM, said:

"But Bront, jumpjets don't do any good inside closed structures!"

....Bull!

Agreed. They help spread damage you're taking, and let you turn faster in an enclosed space. Besides, there's more open space than closed space on every map.

Shar Wolf, on 02 March 2014 - 09:23 AM, said:

6+ JJ you can jump from the bottom of the overpass in Crimson Strait to the top (for the 55 ton at least)
7+ JJ you can easily jump from the bottom of the overpass in Crimson Strait to the top (again, for the 55 ton at least)

Queue John Williams orchestration.

Edited by Bront, 02 March 2014 - 09:34 AM.

[XX Sulla XX]

If you are going to be jumping over tall mechs and over buildings and etc in close in brawling 4JJs work best on a Victor. But no need for them if you are a dakka build or a jump sniper etc 1 or 2 will do.

[Bront]

Looks like I'll need to revise this.

[Koniving]

From the patch notes: Lights won't notice a turning difference. Mediums will barely notice it. Heavies will notice it. Assaults will seriously notice it.

"1 jumpjet doesn't equal 3"....don't even know what that means but we're gonna find out.

Quote

Jump Jet Fixes and Updates:

• Jump Jets will now have slower turning rates based on the class of Jump Jets equipped and the 'Mech's base turning speed.
  
• Heavies and Assaults will notice this the most as they will not be able to snap turn as fast as they used to.
  
• Medium 'Mechs will barely notice the change.
  
• Light 'Mechs will not notice any change.
  
• There is now a significant difference between bringing full Jump Jets and 1 Jump Jet and there is a linear scale to them based on the number equipped to the 'Mech.
  
• The issue of 1 Jump Jet providing nearly the same amount of thrust as 3 Jump Jets is no longer the case.

Edited by Koniving, 04 March 2014 - 11:28 AM.

[Bloodweaver]

Koniving, on 04 March 2014 - 11:26 AM, said:

"1 jumpjet doesn't equal 3"....don't even know what that means but we're gonna find out.

It means you no longer get a massive sniping and brawling benefit from installing a single JJ over having none, while also gaining only a very small advantage for having two or more JJs instead of just the first one. In other words, if you want your Highlander or Victor to pirouette like he's courting the Nutcracker, or jump up like he's swatting basketballs out of the air, you're going to have to pay significantly in weight and slots. Long overdue.

But even that isn't the best part. The best part is that, in THEORY, it should give the higher-JJ variants (Quickdraw -4G, Shadowhawk -5M, etc.) a new purpose as compared to their more hardpoint-friendly brethren. Of course, we all know how well PGI's methods have done in practice as opposed to in theory... so we shall see...

[Appogee]

The effect of adding more JJs is now linear instead of logarithmic.

Edited by Appogee, 04 March 2014 - 11:50 AM.

[Koniving]

Bloodweaver, on 04 March 2014 - 11:34 AM, said:

But even that isn't the best part. The best part is that, in THEORY, it should give the higher-JJ variants (Quickdraw -4G, Shadowhawk -5M, etc.) a new purpose as compared to their more hardpoint-friendly brethren. Of course, we all know how well PGI's methods have done in practice as opposed to in theory... so we shall see...

I was just using Quickdraws before the patch, so I'll get to see that.

[Appogee]

Just tried them out.

The nerf on my Victor is very noticeable, in terms of height and duration of jump, and speed of jump-twisting.

Recharge rate appears to have been reduced as well.

Edited by Appogee, 04 March 2014 - 12:50 PM.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Appogee, on 04 March 2014 - 12:31 PM, said:

Just tried them out.

The nerf is very noticeable, in terms of height and duration of jump, and speed of jump-twisting.

Tested with full JJ or the default 1?

IE: is the whole cap or just the benefit of a single?

If it is just the single JJ cap, then my Griffin is going to be a very happy mech - if the whole cap....

[Bloodweaver]

I played a game with my 7JJ Griffin, feels the same on first impression...

[TercieI]

Appogee, on 04 March 2014 - 12:31 PM, said:

Just tried them out.

The nerf is very noticeable, in terms of height and duration of jump, and speed of jump-twisting.

Recharge rate appears to have been reduced as well.

Yeah, I noticed the recharge too, glad that wasn't my imagination. Spent some time on TG in single-JJ HGN. That was harder. My 2JJ SHD and CTF had no more difficulty jump-shooting, though.

[Devlin Stone]

Appogee, on 04 March 2014 - 11:41 AM, said:

The effect of adding more JJs is now linear instead of logarithmic.

It doesn't seem to actually work that way in the game. A shadowhawk with one jump-jet can clear the head of a victor. A Shadowhawk with three jumpjets barely does any better. Jumpjets are still lethargic and the benefit of multiple jumpjets is still underwhelming. Jets still don't recharge in the air, and I managed to get stuck on some invisible geometry while trying jump-jets out.

Edited by Devlin Stone, 04 March 2014 - 12:48 PM.

[Appogee]

Shar Wolf, on 04 March 2014 - 12:34 PM, said:

Tested with full JJ or the default 1?

Tested with its usual 3, and then with only 1.

The nerf is noticable even on the 3... particularly the recharge rate, which remains the same regardless of the number of JJs.

Overall I'd say they've achieved their objective of making 1 less useful, while keeping multiple JJs useful enough.

Devlin Stone, on 04 March 2014 - 12:47 PM, said:

It doesn't seem to actually work that way in the game. A shadowhawk with one jump-jet can clear the head of a victor. A Shadowhawk with three jumpjets barely does any better.

The nerf gets bigger as the chassis gets heavier. They said Mediums would barely notice it, and Lights not at all.

Edited by Appogee, 04 March 2014 - 12:49 PM.

[Mechteric]

Bloodweaver, on 04 March 2014 - 12:36 PM, said:

I played a game with my 7JJ Griffin, feels the same on first impression...

They said in the notes that lights and mediums were largely unaffected, it was mostly the heavies/assaults that would feel slower

[Devlin Stone]

Appogee, on 04 March 2014 - 12:49 PM, said:

The nerf gets bigger as the chassis gets heavier. They said Mediums would barely notice it, and Lights not at all.

They said that the Nerf to the rate of turn when using jump-jets would not be noticeable on light and medium 'Mechs. Linear scaling of jump jet power should be applied equally across all chassis. I think what I'm seeing is an artifact of the way they apply momentum and the fact that you're limited by your jump fuel more than anything.

From the patch notes -

• Jump Jet Fixes and Updates:
  
  • Jump Jets will now have slower turning rates based on the class of Jump Jets equipped and the 'Mech's base turning speed.
    
  • Heavies and Assaults will notice this the most as they will not be able to snap turn as fast as they used to.
    
  • Medium 'Mechs will barely notice the change.
    
  • Light 'Mechs will not notice any change.
• There is now a significant difference between bringing full Jump Jets and 1 Jump Jet and there is a linear scale to them based on the number equipped to the 'Mech.
  
• The issue of 1 Jump Jet providing nearly the same amount of thrust as 3 Jump Jets is no longer the case.

[GTV Zeratul]

Isn't one of the advantages of having mutiple JJ's installed that your initial lift off is (much) quicker? IRC 1 JJ builds power and than lifts off while a full set imediatly lifts off.

[Kjudoon]

Bront, on 02 March 2014 - 09:33 AM, said:

Agreed. They help spread damage you're taking, and let you turn faster in an enclosed space. Besides, there's more open space than closed space on every map.



Queue John Williams orchestration.

I think of it more like this at times. Boy I wish I could frap matches I have some days in my Shadowhawk.