68 replies to this topic

[Bigbacon]

Pick up a black jack and loadd it up with 2 PPC and 4 medium lasers. Having a lot more luck with it and fun. Still not getting kills but lots of assists but that doesn't matter much to me.

Still debating as to switch out to 2 ER-PPCs or not.. Not sure if the extra range and exgtra heat will be beneficial at all.


Iam oddly REALLY tempted to try a really stupid mech setup with a firestarter which i know would be completely useless but interesting to try...not sure if it is worth the c-bills to do it though. This is why i wish there was a build-n-test where you could freely build and try before you commit to buy.

[Koniving]

Nothing says you need to have 2 ER PPCs. You could have a PPC + ER PPC combination.

As you build a collection, you'll find it a lot easier to make test rigs. There's more mechs now than shown here, but.. you can take a peek at this to give you an idea of when it's a good idea to do random test rigs.

Mainly flipping through my mechs for the first minute or two. But basically when you have a crap load of mechs, experimenting gets easy with all the spare parts just floating around. (I short cutted my way to 2 Banshees by selling 16 or 18 standard engines that I'll never use).

Edited by Koniving, 22 March 2014 - 10:58 PM.

[Sargon X]

Voivode, on 21 March 2014 - 10:13 AM, said:

If you ever find yourself struggling against a build or weapon in this game, try running that build or weapon to find its ins and outs. Once you understand how to use the weapon, you will understand how to protect yourself from it.

I think this is excellent advice, and something that I am planning to do to try to enhance my understanding of LRM's.

[Bigbacon]

so I ended up getting my FS9-K build though I ran out of fund to complete it. Damn those XL engine having to cost so much. Needs to be faster than what the st210 can give me and I need to upgrade it to double heatsinks to get more fire time and get heat to drop faster.

I think once I can get it over 110k speed it will be a bit more fun and annoying to everyone else. I swear I am doing more damage per round with this little guy over the blackjack where I have the range and weapons to do damage.

[Jon Gotham]

The light mechs can be better harassers due to smaller tartet profile and higher speed+he ability to get outta dodge if you mkae a mistake.
The Blackjack can be a very potent fire support mech though in the right hands. As for the 2 ER PPCs it is usuable, but you have to be sure of each shot and be very aware of the fight and diirection it's taking-you do not want to be in a brawl!
I used 2 ERs on my BJ for some time, averaged around 450 a game and I'm far from good. I'm sure you could too!
Have a go!

Oh and pm me with your Firestarter K build-I'd be interested to see it, I also have a few for you if you want?

Edited by kamiko kross, 23 March 2014 - 09:19 AM.

[Bigbacon]

I'm lucky if I average 30 damage a round...

I swear some rounds I an pounding the hell out of stuff left and right and end up with like nothing.

how do you link/display builds? It is sad when you see it but I am getting more done with it than anything else so far.

[Kjudoon]

Go to smurfys, you can build there, and then use the share build function.

30 points of damage a round? you're definitely not meching to optimum levels. What're you doing that's getting you killed or your shots wasted? Maybe we can give some advice to help you out.

[Enigmos]

Recommend taking some time on the target range, preferably terra therma. You'll find your target mechs around the central volcano. When you find the centurion there's a few out that door. There's also a Cataphract outside the door next to the Awesome. While the target mech's don't move, you can still practice circling them at speed, twisting your torso for each shot. It is good practice, helps teach the principles of torso twisting (to spread the damage you take) and the art of the snap shot.

30 points of damage is six hits with a medium laser at optimal range. You can do better.

Speaking of range: you might be pointing your weapon in exactly the right direction but your target may be out of range.

Medium lasers peter out after 240 meters. Large Pulse after 300 meters. LRMs require at least 180 metes before they arm. If you fire them at any target under 180 metes they will bounce off it like dead duds. Short range missiles explode harmlessly at about 200 meters.

Take the time to learn your tools. All weapon types have an effective range. Outside that range they are ineffective.

Edited by OriginalTibs, 24 March 2014 - 09:16 AM.

[dragnier1]

Bigbacon, on 21 March 2014 - 07:31 AM, said:

this is an odd question and i'm guess this has to do with balance? why is it that the smaller engines require you to carry so many more heatsinks than a large one?

The answer can be found here. Scroll all the way down to the last section "engines" and take a look.

[Bigbacon]

ok that seems to have helped a bit. tried out 2 LLs and 1 ERLL and moved more armor to the front, left like 10 on the rear.

Was hitting the 400-500 damage range in the few rounds I tried. Still not getting kills but not really a huge deal to me.

Edited by Bigbacon, 25 March 2014 - 09:31 AM.

[Jon Gotham]

Glad you are finding your feet!

[Whoops]

The only reason LRMs suck so much right now is that the Stalker trial happens to be a walking launcher and people are running them. The increased speed, the NARC upgrade...I'm fine with those, even though it means I die more often from LRMs. There are ways to counter LRMs in the game: cover and ECM.

I'm more irritated with Adv. zoom dual guass/dual PPC poptarts than I am with LRM boats, myself. A lot of them are complaining, and they have nearly twice the range of the LRM users. Their problem is (in my opinion) that the firing positions they use offer little to no cover against descending missiles, as that would prevent them from firing themselves.

[Kjudoon]

Cyron Zarva, on 25 March 2014 - 12:00 PM, said:

The only reason LRMs suck so much right now is that the Stalker trial happens to be a walking launcher and people are running them. The increased speed, the NARC upgrade...I'm fine with those, even though it means I die more often from LRMs. There are ways to counter LRMs in the game: cover and ECM.

I'm more irritated with Adv. zoom dual guass/dual PPC poptarts than I am with LRM boats, myself. A lot of them are complaining, and they have nearly twice the range of the LRM users. Their problem is (in my opinion) that the firing positions they use offer little to no cover against descending missiles, as that would prevent them from firing themselves.

These are the mechs the LRMs are meant to counter inside 1000m. The speed up on the time prevents lock from being lost and they can no longer shoot with impunity like they have been for months now.

[Takashi Uchida]

Bigbacon, on 25 March 2014 - 09:30 AM, said:

ok that seems to have helped a bit. tried out 2 LLs and 1 ERLL and moved more armor to the front, left like 10 on the rear.

Was hitting the 400-500 damage range in the few rounds I tried. Still not getting kills but not really a huge deal to me.

Those are good numbers, especially for someone starting out. Right now, autocannons and PPCs are my preferred weapons, but when I first started out, like you, I was getting games where I was lucky to hit 100 damage. I definitely recommend lasers to people who are newer. When you're a beginner, it's more encouraging to do a little damage with a weapon that you can "correct" your shot with than to do zero damage with a pinpoint weapon by missing.

Large lasers are decent weapons for beginners. Their range is good enough that you don't have to get too close. They do, however, run pretty hot (especially the ER version). Eventually, you may want to try PPCs again. Still, LLs are not to be completely discounted. A Raven-3L (with ECM) can poke its way to over 1000 damage with two ERLLs. That little bas***d can become to biggest threat on the field if it comes down to a 3v3 type of situation and all the big boys are hurtin.

[Whoops]

Kjudoon, on 25 March 2014 - 04:14 PM, said:

These are the mechs the LRMs are meant to counter inside 1000m. The speed up on the time prevents lock from being lost and they can no longer shoot with impunity like they have been for months now.

That's what I'm getting out of it too. Target decay and such can only do so much, and it takes either tactics or sheer luck (read: other 'Mechs being targeted) for an effective LRM boat to close to within optimal firing range. All the while, they are able to be targeted not only by the snipers, but by any 'Mech (read: lights) that manage to get within the 200m firing range, without being able to fire their primary weapons back. This is a SERIOUS disadvantage. And yet, I do not hear the LRM crowd screaming "Unfair! Nerf the lasers/PPCs/Gauss/ACs!". This could be because I don't spend hours a day on the forums, but it could just as well be because those weapons are balanced.

LRMs as they are now are "balanced", as a viable weapons platform. Their scaling back on speed and such takes them back into the realm of "meh" because it's already difficult enough to get into range. LRM boats are priority targets, especially on open maps like Caustic or Alpine, no ifs, ands, or buts.

People may read this and say, "But with Lurmageddon x.0, they need reductions!!!" My answer to that is the same I had earlier. Lurmageddon (love that name, btw) only happened because of the trial Stalker boating 4 LRM15+Artemis and a TAG laser. I personally used it because as a low income player, I don't have any assault 'Mechs and was attempting to get the achievements. (LRMs are great for assist achievements). With the accuracy of snipers using the advanced zoom, LRMs are not a popular choice given the longer range weapon chassis' out there. Dual AC/20s and dual gauss are the most common builds I see people floating around for ballistic boats, and of course dual PPC/ERPPC boats for energy weapons.

Personally, and I should probably put this into the Dev's corner, I think they should limit the size of the weapons based on chassis. Just because a chassis has the available tonnage doesn't mean they should have the space for certain weapons. Any 'Mech should be able to carry SRMs or SSRMs. For LRMs, I would break it up as the following:

Light: LRM5
Medium: LRM5, LRM10
Heavy: LRM5, LRM10, LRM15 (with the CAT-A1 and C4, because of their singular chassis design, being able to sport LRM20s)
Assault: LRM5, LRM10, LRM15, LRM20

Again, this is a personal opinion, but fitting a LRM20 into, say, a Cicada...it just doesn't make sense! And it might calm down the Lurmageddon cries as not every 'Mech would be able to shoot off LRM40/60 salvos.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Cyron Zarva, on 26 March 2014 - 12:14 PM, said:

Again, this is a personal opinion, but fitting a LRM20 into, say, a Cicada...it just doesn't make sense!

One of the variants to the Adder/Puma coming up carries 2 CLRM20 in it's stock loadout.

The thing with those mechs that carry a lot of big weapons - is that they have to make sacrifices to do so.
The trial Stalker, as an example - has rather poor heat - and a miserable survival ratio.

You mount an LRM20 (weight 10 tons plus whatever ammo you want) into a smaller mech... you are making some serious holes in your ability to do anything else.

Edited by Shar Wolf, 26 March 2014 - 04:36 PM.

[Whoops]

I'm not debating that, Shar. What I'm saying is that an LRM20 is a certain size...placing it on a medium 'Mech would mean the launcher as big as the 'Mech's CT, and that's sort of silly IMO. It's all good to me...just show me a realistic pic of the 'Mech that carries it. We'll call it the Santa 'Mech because it's belly will jiggle like a bowl full of jelly whenever it fires!

[Alaskan Nobody]

Cyron Zarva, on 26 March 2014 - 05:03 PM, said:

What I'm saying is that an LRM20 is a certain size...placing it on a medium 'Mech would mean the launcher as big as the 'Mech's CT

I hadn't meant it in quite that manor....
LRM are rather bulky - but not quite as bulky as you seem to think - or perhaps some of them are - and others are not.
(IE: the Thug's PPC are described as 10% smaller than the Warhammer's)

Let me see if I can put it another way.... >.<

All we really know about the "size" of the LRM20 is that it takes 5 slots and weighs 10 tons- but how big is a slot?
Would a single slot on a Locust be the same size as the slot on the Atlas? In TT, the answer was yes - but that is silly, no?
After all, the Locust is only 20% the weight of the Atlas, and while weight and bulk (wrong term?) are not necessarily equal - that is a pretty massive difference.

(had a brain-fart while double-checking the spelling of "necessarily" and forgot the rest of what I was planning on typing out here >.< )

As for a pic, hows this work?



Edit: Been looking at that pic for months now - and only just now noticed the flamer - I think I am glad they moved it
Edited Edit: fixing typos.

Edited by Shar Wolf, 26 March 2014 - 09:05 PM.

[Kreman]

I must say that this mechwarrior is a bit of a let down. I played MW from its begining and although this new MW have good graphics the gameplay and the mechlab are a mess especially the mechlab. You wpould think that an old MW veteran like myself would have no problem setting up a mech but it sux. You have know idea what you can put on a mech untill you buy it and then you find out its shit and you cant do anything about it. At the start I thought all I had to choose from were the 4 mechs I could see and trying them didnt help as you cant configer them or see what other wepond fit on them.

As I said I am an long time MW player and back when the game was big I played almost every day for 5 years and loved every minute of it but after speaking to lots of long time MW player I get the same reply meac lab is a mess, also I can't find any severs to join you just join where ever it puts you. I sent as little as I could just to get in and test the game and the mechs and now im glad I did. Its a shame because the graphics are not to bad.

[Edustaja]

Kreman, on 26 March 2014 - 10:56 PM, said:

I must say that this mechwarrior is a bit of a let down. I played MW from its begining and although this new MW have good graphics the gameplay and the mechlab are a mess especially the mechlab. You wpould think that an old MW veteran like myself would have no problem setting up a mech but it sux. You have know idea what you can put on a mech untill you buy it and then you find out its shit and you cant do anything about it. At the start I thought all I had to choose from were the 4 mechs I could see and trying them didnt help as you cant configer them or see what other wepond fit on them.

As I said I am an long time MW player and back when the game was big I played almost every day for 5 years and loved every minute of it but after speaking to lots of long time MW player I get the same reply meac lab is a mess, also I can't find any severs to join you just join where ever it puts you. I sent as little as I could just to get in and test the game and the mechs and now im glad I did. Its a shame because the graphics are not to bad.

Yeah, the usability leaves a lot to be desired.
That's why I just use mwo.smurfy-net.de to build the mechs first.

Edited by Edustaja, 27 March 2014 - 12:55 AM.