122 replies to this topic

[Mr David]

Since SRMs will finally be fixed soon, what SRM centric builds will you run?

I've been playing with an Orion-VA build:

XL335, 2xASRM6, 2ASRM4, 2ML, AC10, 12 DHS, 5T ASRM ammo, 3T AC10 ammo.

60 alpha, 80 kph, missles are all on actuated arms that rarely get blown off.

Still deciding whether to add a DHS by dropping the engine to XL325.

I play it as a blob buster. Stay out of fire until things get close, armor gets worn off, then flank and backstab until the XL pops. It works well enough now, but when SRMs get fixed, its going to wreck house.

Edited by Egomane, 27 April 2014 - 12:21 AM.

[Mcgral18]

Either an SRM22 SHD 2D2 without artemis, SRM18 2K w/ artemis or something a tad heavier, posibly a Victor-S, SRM18+AC20 and whichever lasers.

I only hope PGI doesn't reverse this "temporary" 2.0 SRM buff. They can't be that powerful, especially when compared to the FLD meta.

[Bishop Steiner]

Mr David, on 26 April 2014 - 08:28 PM, said:

Since SRMs will finally be fixed soon, what SRM centric builds will you run?

I've been playing with an Orion-VA build:

XL335, 2xASRM6, 2ASRM4, 2ML, AC10, 12 DHS, 5T ASRM ammo, 3T AC10 ammo.

60 alpha, 80 kph, missles are all on actuated arms that rarely get blown off.

Still deciding whether to add a DHS by dropping the engine to XL325.

I play it as a blob buster. Stay out of fire until things get close, armor gets worn off, then flank and backstab until the XL pops. It works well enough now, but when SRMs get fixed, its going to wreck house.

I'll stick to my usual. AC10, 4x ASRM4. 340XL. GH is negligible, but the damage and sustainability is pretty sweet.

[El Bandito]

Mr David, on 26 April 2014 - 08:28 PM, said:

Since SRMs will finally be fixed soon, what SRM centric builds will you run? I've been playing with an Orion-VA build: XL335, 2xASRM6, 2ASRM4, 2ML, AC10, 12 DHS, 5T ASRM ammo, 3T AC10 ammo. 60 alpha, 80 kph, missles are all on actuated arms that rarely get blown off. Still deciding whether to add a DHS by dropping the engine to XL325. I play it as a blob buster. Stay out of fire until things get close, armor gets worn off, then flank and backstab until the XL pops. It works well enough now, but when SRMs get fixed, its going to wreck house.

If it is SRM centric, then A1 and 3F for me. Nothing like blasting the rear armor of unsuspecting mechs.

[Mark of Caine]

I'm just worried that if SRMs become the new meta, they'll get hit with the nerf bat. With some mechs being able to sport 4-6 missile racks, the alphas are going to be as insane as they were back in closed beta. Splatapult anyone? Possible 72 dmg alpha if my math is right...

Edited by Caine2112, 26 April 2014 - 08:39 PM.

[FupDup]

Caine2112, on 26 April 2014 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm just worried that if SRMs become the new meta, they'll get hit with the nerf bat. With some mechs being able to sport 4-6 missile racks, the alphas are going to be as insane as they were back in closed beta. Splatapult anyone?

SRMs used to only be insane due to splash damage that caused damage per missile to skyrocket almost exponentially -- there have been recorded times of a single SRM missile doing 12 damage during the splash days. But today, splash is set sufficiently low that it almost doesn't exist. Also, our long-range weapons are much more effective these days due to better hit detection, whereas they weren't too great during the Splatcat's reign. We also have a few larger maps, and even heat to limit large numbers of SRM tubes from being fired at once.

Edited by FupDup, 26 April 2014 - 08:41 PM.

[SweetJackal]

Caine2112, on 26 April 2014 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm just worried that if SRMs become the new meta, they'll get hit with the nerf bat. With some mechs being able to sport 4-6 missile racks, the alphas are going to be as insane as they were back in closed beta. Splatapult anyone? Possible 72 dmg alpha if my math is right...

The original Splat Builds that oneshot everything was a bug with explosives in how they prioritized components when a radius reached two components. For the start, someone had it hitting the head as a priority. Then it was a bug with how explosion damage multiplied itself. These bugs actually empowered early CB LRMS as well.

Since then all SRM pathing has changed, the Head location has gotten innate explosives resistance, the explosive radius of SRMs has been tuned to about as small as it could be to prevent overlap and those bugs have been targeted and dealt with (hopefully.)

Frankly the 6 ASRM6 Catapult isn't really a threat. Harsh heat restrictions, extreme ammo dependance, damage spread and an extremely short range. The Pinpoint Damage of your average AC/40 Boom-Jager is a bigger threat as it doesn't have that damage spread and sports a better range.

[Mark of Caine]

Still, you know as well as I do FupDup that there will be a number of players that will find ways to abuse the system as much as possible. And I fear SRMs will be next, and once nerfed, be ruined for the rest of us regular players.

[FupDup]

Caine2112, on 26 April 2014 - 08:52 PM, said:

Still, you know as well as I do FupDup that there will be a number of players that will find ways to abuse the system as much as possible. And I fear SRMs will be next, and once nerfed, be ruined for the rest of us regular players.

I have no doubt in my mind that abusers gonna abuse. However, the mostly-removal of splash damage makes it very difficult to abuse them. They no longer do exponentially greater damage than their on-paper values. We also have very powerful long range weapons to combat them with, whereas back in the day hit detection made many long range guns unreliable.

An actual "SRMageddon" seems fairly unlikely to me given our current conditions. There'd certainly be a surge in SRM use once hit detection for them improves, but I don't think it would qualify to be a full "meta" of its own.

Edited by FupDup, 26 April 2014 - 08:55 PM.

[3rdworld]

Probably dust off my 4SP and relive the glory days.

[Mcgral18]

Caine2112, on 26 April 2014 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm just worried that if SRMs become the new meta, they'll get hit with the nerf bat. With some mechs being able to sport 4-6 missile racks, the alphas are going to be as insane as they were back in closed beta. Splatapult anyone? Possible 72 dmg alpha if my math is right...

As Fup said, splash was causing a single missile to do over 15 damage on light mechs, due to hitboxes being smaller than the splash, causing it to hit just about every hitbox on Commandos. As it is, splash is 5 CM, which might even be a cause of the poor hit detection.

And that was with 2.5 damage. We'll never get that level of damage again. Besides, all that damage is spread. 30-40 frontloaded is worth more than 70 spread over 3 hitboxes.

Edited by Mcgral18, 27 April 2014 - 09:40 AM.

[Sybreed]

I'll try to use a 1 group boat so I can use as less brain cells as possible

[Bagheera]

3rdworld, on 26 April 2014 - 08:55 PM, said:

Probably dust off my 4SP and relive the glory days.

The 4j has a tighter group, though it's all eggs in one basket, especially if you want the full 275 engine.

SP was my closed beta fastback of choice, but the redesigned 4j is my new favorite.

[Osric Lancaster]

Eh, I'll use SRMs when they give them beam riding guidance, critical damage in line with table-top and an unguided falloff range on par with the falloff of every other weapon in the game (aside from LRMs). Until then there are better uses for that heat.

[kapusta11]

There is still no real advantage for getting close, SRMs will be, at best, as common as AC20.

[ICEFANG13]

I think many players at this point will be happy if pinpoint jump sniping takes a backseat. SRMs, in all game theory, need to be 'overpowered'. What I mean is, if SRMs were equal to (current cream of the crop meta build) then, because of their short short range, they are actually much weaker.

Ideally, a SRM based mech sustains a low->heavy amount of damage while closing the gap, but once there, will be able to eliminate the enemy mech.

Of course in a game like this, its not always just simple math, but the concept is logical. If SRMs are equally good as long range weapons, why take them again?

I personally can't wait, and I like to use 2-SRM-4 JR7-D so I'm quite biased but having my KDR fall from 10->6 solely because SRMs were so bad was just as annoying. I want it back damn it!

[Deathlike]

Three words:

BRAWL BRAWL BRAWL

Since the previous patch...

SRM 4 + ARTEMIS 23 6,380 3,447 54.03% 01:49:12 7,285

It can only get better!

Then again, we have PGI anomalies:

SRM 4 1 632 219 34.65% 00:05:01 428
SRM 6 + ARTEMIS 0 146 56 38.36% 00:00:00 194

I've used regular SRMs more than once... and let's just say... because PGI...

Additionally, stats didn't seem to properly record my use of Advanced Zoom, but I guess that's working as intended™.

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

2xPPC 4xSRM4 Shadowhawk would seem rather appealing if SRMs are fixed.

[Asmosis]

I will probably add them to my atlas, and take the A1 6srm6 out for a spin but I fully expect it to be weaker than a jaggermech that's built decently.

About the only mech that should really be scared is the locust, since volleys of srms around its feet are bound to blow off its legs eventually, maybe more effectively than ssrms for a pilot that can aim. A1's ran pretty hot even without ghost heat, and long range alpha was almost unheard of back then (limited to dual gauss K2, who couldn't shoot you if you JJ'd above 30 degrees).

Edited by Asmosis, 26 April 2014 - 10:22 PM.

[Coralld]

My Cicada-X5, Shawk 2D2, and Victor 9S, all can't wait for the patch.