158 replies to this topic

[SteelWarrior]

While i fully support the founder packages (ill be buying mine early next week) I do have a slight concern with being able to choose between 1 of 4 "Elite" mechs. The problem being that the Atlas would be the most logical choice. It should be the most expensive, hardest to reach Mech out of the 4. Now what worries me is I havent seen much footage or information on how specifically the Class balanced warfare works out. Now if theres maps where speed and agility make or break the game mode then I could see the Elite jenners paying off. I am however slightly worried that on aug 7 all were going to see is mass Atlas matches where its just a gong show. IF the multi class warfare doesnt play out as PGI expects it could really throw a wrench into it.

Now the only balance i can see to this WITHOUT actually seeing the game in action myself is if the repair/ammo costs of using the heavier mechs makes it unviable to use every game. That would empower the cheaper to use Jenners and actually give out more Cbills/Expirence for using their lighter mech to max advantage.

I think its safe to assume the larger the mech the more expensive to operate it. But to what scale does it play into.....

[Alexander Caine]

Not really hardest to reach, since you can get any mech at any time. Pretty sure EVERYONE can start with an Atlas, just not a founders one.

Believe me, Jenners do just fine.

[Noth]

If it is anything like World of Tanks, heavies (and assaults) need support of mediums to be effective due to ease of being flank and being huge targets for fire support to target.

[Hikaru]

Atlas will cost a grip to repair and reload each match. I think people will actually grind gold/XP with the cheaper mechs.

And if everyone runs Atlas, roll out scouts + missile boats for easy wins.

[BeepBeepimaJeep]

From what i have heard the classes is balanced just enough that no class is "OP" and every class has its role to fill.

[Zervziel]

Hikaru, on 19 June 2012 - 11:35 PM, said:

Atlas will cost a grip to repair and reload each match.

Founder mechs generate increased C-bills and exp, but as BeepBeepimaJeep mentioned the mechs are balanced.

[Jonneh]

I agree there will be a tendency to think "Bigger = better". At the start of the game, it may even be true.. but as others have pointed out - A well played team with a more balanced lance will probably just abuse the weaknesses of a team with a more atlas heavy make-up.

Scout harass them while LRMS rail salvos into them, swamp them with faster and more agile mechs who can flank the target and get hits in at weaker areas. Have your own Assaults play more defensive and let the enemy come to you lumbering towards your defensive lines at slow speed while scouting them and setting up powerful defensive positions that give you the needed advantage to overcome the extra firepower they bring against you.

Combine these theories into practise with a team of friends with good communication and I'm pretty sure (so long as the game is balanced the way they tell us they'd like it to be) that you will quickly find people moving away from pure "atlas spam".

I hope that is the case, truely, because if there is one thing that is garbage in WoT - its the light/scout class and the total inability to do anything but suicide scout in 90% of games you play. Making your lighter chassis have more of a presence and role on the battlefield is the first step to combating the problem you foresee.

Edited by Jonneh, 19 June 2012 - 11:44 PM.

[SteelWarrior]

There are good points. Im not really worried about over powered as much as realistic. Im not one to use an Atlas myself but id hate to have every mech on the field be one. lol

However I do assume the heavier the mech the harder it is to achieve. because even if theres no tech tree like WoT one would assume that a 30 ton mech would cost considerably less then a 100 ton.....


And jonnehs post is solid. However how often in WoT do you have horrible cordination. half the time it felt like follow the leader without any real team work. Now i feel that Mechwarrior online will have a smaller but more elite crowd simply because mech games are cattered to a smaller audiance then tanks. So im just hoping it all comes togather nicely in terms of balance and counter balance.

Edited by SteelWarrior, 19 June 2012 - 11:47 PM.

[MajorBludd]

I'd just put it up in the air and say it depends on your team. As some one else pointed out a scout missile boat combo would just wreck their day but with out that team play (and I suspect early days will be a free-for-all) a rouge Atles sneaking off around the back could be a problem.

[DireWolf307]

I don't think Atlases will be an issue. Typically, they are slow, like any Assault would be. Sure, they can pack a punch, but you're pretty much a big glowing neon target for everyone else around I'm sure if they have the balancing in place, everyone will probably take Atlases at first and quickly switch to something that suits them better. Mediums and Heavies can do 8-9/10ths the work of an Assault and move around a lot quicker.

[Hikaru]

Here's a equivalent example.

League of Legends. 5v5 matches. "Carries" dish out the most damage. You can play anything. 5 carries if you want. But the reality is that in the overwhelming majority of games at the highest level, people pick out balanced teams with only one carry and everyone else in different roles. Why? Because nobody likes getting roflstomped. The metagame will work itself out. It may be that everyone goes "Metagolem" here -- super beefy, low damage tanks -- but considering the huge maneuverability and range differences in this game, I highly doubt that will happen. Your team could troll All Atlas All the Time, but a counter will become common knowledge, and then you'll just get tired of losing all the time.

[BeepBeepimaJeep]

SteelWarrior, on 19 June 2012 - 11:44 PM, said:

However I do assume the heavier the mech the harder it is to achieve. because even if theres no tech tree like WoT one would assume that a 30 ton mech would cost considerably less then a 100 ton.....

You could assume that, but without playing the release version we have no way of knowing exactly what will cost what.

[SteelWarrior]

I can 95.9999% guarantee that Heavier mechs will cost considerably more then lighter. Its only logical.


The only objection i have to the scout/missle boat combo arguments is that LRMS have never fell from the sky from behind a hill or from behind cover. The missle boat always has to have sight, and in the previous mechwarrior games the scouts didnt really contribute any "homing" or accuracy to the mix. Even the NARCS were somewhat useless. So if a catapult is perched and shelling the Atlas while a smaller scout mech is in the mix, depending on how the radar setup is done then the light wont be really adding anything to the fight other then to be a distraction, and what happens if the Atlas is loaded with long range weapons. So i dont really see it as a hard counter tatic.

but again without actually playing the game....all speculation.

Edited by SteelWarrior, 19 June 2012 - 11:55 PM.

[BatHunter]

It depends on how you use the different classes. An Atlas is powerful, but slow. The Jenner is fast and will be able to run circles around the Atlas. The Hunchback is similar. Faster than the Atlas. Think of it like boxing. A smaller boxer is faster, can dart in and strike then get out. But if not careful, the heavyweight can knock your butt out in nothing flat. On an open plain, stay away from the Atlas. But in broken terrain, the lighter more maneuverable machines will have a better time of it.

I took the Atlas as my founders mech because I have always liked heavies and assaults, and Atlases are just cool looking. So until I can get me a marauder or thunderbolt, I'll go with the Atlas.

[Noth]

SteelWarrior, on 19 June 2012 - 11:53 PM, said:

I can 95.9999% guarantee that Heavier mechs will cost considerably more then lighter. Its only logical.


The only objection i have to the scout/missle boat combo arguments is that LRMS have never fell from the sky from behind a hill or from behind cover. The missle boat always has to have sight, and in the previous mechwarrior games the scouts didnt really contribute any "homing" or accuracy to the mix. Even the NARCS were somewhat useless. So if a catapult is perched and shelling the Atlas while a smaller scout mech is in the mix, depending on how the radar setup is done then the light wont be really adding anything to the fight other then to be a distraction, and what happens if the Atlas is loaded with long range weapons. So i dont really see it as a hard counter tatic.

but again without actually playing the game....all speculation.

Scouts can share targetting data allowing LRM boats to lock targets without LOS. Further the LRM fly high then drop down on the target. Many videos have shown the lock sustaining for long periods when out of line of site.

[Rogen]

I thing that there would be some weigth balance from the start, so unstead of one atlas enemy team would have 2 hunchbacks, or catapult and janner.

Also i think that it would be balanced by the fact that there is some objective, and atlas is not really fast, so it would be possible to draw it away and bypass.

So we will see a lot of them, but i do not expect, that they will be in majority.

[Ashaltiriak]

I really hope that there will be a lot of Assault Founders Mech come early access. I'd feel useless in my Jenner without huge targets to scout for

We'll see how it works out with Lights/Meds/Heavies/Assaults, but I will at least give them the chance.

[SteelWarrior]

The hunchie is actually not much faster then the atlas


I havent seen these videos. tho id be interested in watching. That would go a long way in the effort to counter balance the "bigger is better" effect


All in all im super hopeful. Mainly sharing my concern with the option to choose between each class range.

[Shivus]

Some people have no interests driving assaults (stalker excluded for me).

[Chiyeko Kuramochi]

I am already looking forward to nuke them from long range in my catapult

Or maybe surprise them with a short range set up, who knows all I know is I would see a lot of them going down and I would not use mine much, never been a fan of the the Atlas.