54 replies to this topic

[Vanguard319]

I'm a little bit concerned about the "New strategy" that seemed to dominate the PTS today. I'm talking about the Zerg rush of Clan mechs that just steamroll everything in their path, with little to no chance for the other guy to even fight back due to being gang ***** by multiple Ultra Autocannons and heavy weapons. Is this only temporary, or is it time to consider quitting because there is nothing fun about being torn apart with no realistic means of fighting back. (at least you had a chance to evade Artillery strikes, now you're a corpse, especially if you dropped in a group of disorganized pugs.)

thoughts?

[FupDup]

Focus fire has always been a meta, and probably always will be. Not much can be done about that.

[SeanM]

People will complain about the "meta" no matter what it is.

If you enjoy the game, keep playing.

If not, stop playing.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

I hope this is the new meta. The past two test days have had the most enjoyable matches I've had in a long time.

Still need to wait and see what players better than myself can do with in against the jump snipe meta.

[Axeman1]

Bring armor. Had little trouble gunning down big slow clan mechs in my laserboat battlemaster.

[Funkadelic Mayhem]

The issue is poor clan pilots need to get close to keep weapons on longer to do full damage. SOOOO people are going to QQ about clan weapons and low damage, when in fact the only thing they should be doing is practicing at range. [/end]

[Monkey Lover]

This is how you play

2 minutes sniping,
2 minutes rushing
5 hunting down last few mechs.

[Koniks]

The focus fire deathball rush has always been effective. The challenge has been getting a non-coordinated PUG team to follow.

Seeing it happen more often makes a nice change of pace from map-circling and jumpy potshot camping.

[Tezcatli]

Well people are so used to picking others off at a distance and trading shots. That being zerg rushed by large numbers is overwhelming. It doesn't help that despite all that stuff about Clan mechs being slow. They seem relatively unimpeded in their rushes. Then you get pugs where 4 mechs wander off and the remaining 8 are zerg rushed. That's been my experience most my last matches.

Edited by Tezcatli, 15 June 2014 - 10:23 PM.

[Lukoi Banacek]

Vast majority of players on the PTS were Clan mechs doing the Clan rush.

Wait and see how it balances out once the Clan rush meets the poptart meta and then worry about it.

Frankly, if there were multiple "so easy a caveman can do it" kind of "metas" available it might make for a better game.

Give it a bit to settle first...then see if it's worrisome.

[Lynx7725]

Vanguard319, on 15 June 2014 - 10:16 PM, said:

I'm a little bit concerned about the "New strategy" that seemed to dominate the PTS today. I'm talking about the Zerg rush of Clan mechs that just steamroll everything in their path, with little to no chance for the other guy to even fight back due to being gang ***** by multiple Ultra Autocannons and heavy weapons. Is this only temporary, or is it time to consider quitting because there is nothing fun about being torn apart with no realistic means of fighting back. (at least you had a chance to evade Artillery strikes, now you're a corpse, especially if you dropped in a group of disorganized pugs.) thoughts?

Not too worried. If anything, the jokers on the PTS were even more disorganized than my usual PUGs because they are so eager to use Clantech. A lone Clan Mech is still a target.

And the main culprit of the Ultra gang bang is the Dire Wolf. Once people figure out how to take advantage of the walking beer barrel, it'll get toned down -- 2 half-days of PTS isn't enough to get the tactics worked out, but that thing is not exactly the most nimble thing in the world.

[1453 R]

Way, waaayyy too early for any sort of actual meta to be developing. Right now people are mostly just flying into battle quick as quick to get the most of of their previews. And it has been glorious. The test days are easily the best time I've had in MechWarrior in forever. I totally get where the bitterness comes from, though - it's been a long time since I've seen so many games go down to the freewheeling deathbrawl. Used to happen all the time back in the 8v8 days, but it fell off pretty much completely in more recent times. Good to see it come back, especially since direct-fire sniping is by no means dead, either.

If this is anywhere close to what the game environment is going to be like post-17th, then I will dance a veritable jig of joy. Alas, I don't think it'll shake out like that...but even if we just move closer, that'll be a definite plus.

[Zeke Steiner]

Well, no, the meta has never changed. Its always been organization and communication. Its just that folks who don't like to communicate found a different way to win. MWO is a team game, thinking that putting out high dmg = your contribution in the match is ignorant. Mind you there's nothing wrong with being ignorant, just keep looking for ways to better understand the game and of course, keep practicing.

[Vanguard319]

Ok, there have been some good replies so far, so if this is expected to be the way matches go from now on, how do people go about effectively countering it?

[Goose]

You are looking at the normal failure of recon in the game: Bold Team pushes, timid team gets maybe one or two sensor blips to represent the enemies Main Body.

If the Auto-Target was removed from the game, would anybody notice?

[Lynx7725]

Vanguard319, on 15 June 2014 - 10:37 PM, said:

Ok, there have been some good replies so far, so if this is expected to be the way matches go from now on, how do people go about effectively countering it?

Still the same old: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.

One thing I suspect would change though -- you'd likely see more charges. Clan heavies are VERY agile for their weight and pack a hefty punch. Jump capable Timber Wolves and Summoners are likely to charge through any defensive lines for hit and fade attacks, disrupting the enemy and letting the assaults start to clean clocks. Those heavies are fast, well armoured, and very mobile, and optimized builds would be good at tearing faces off quick.

[Ben Morgan]

Group up, focus fire back, if the oncoming rush is to strong slowly retread, draw them out and kill their slow mechs while the fast ones are kited away?

Alternate strategy: He who rushes first wins! LET THERE BE A GIANT STOMPING BRAWL OF AWESOME DESTRUCTION.
Goddamn I love brawls.
So the 2 ideas to "counter" the rushing is:
1) Stand your ground, pick them of in a giant brawl
2) Retreat, retreat, retreat and pick them of one by one in a boring sniper battle.

[Sephlock]

Vanguard319, on 15 June 2014 - 10:16 PM, said:

I'm a little bit concerned about the "New strategy" that seemed to dominate the PTS today. I'm talking about the Zerg rush of Clan mechs that just steamroll everything in their path, with little to no chance for the other guy to even fight back due to being gang ***** by multiple Ultra Autocannons and heavy weapons. Is this only temporary, or is it time to consider quitting because there is nothing fun about being torn apart with no realistic means of fighting back. (at least you had a chance to evade Artillery strikes, now you're a corpse, especially if you dropped in a group of disorganized pugs.)

thoughts?

I'll be honest. I ******** LOVE IT! I LOVE IT OH SO VERY VERY MUCH!

NO MORE 15 MINUTE LONG GAMES WITH NOTHING BUT STEPTARTING AND POPTARTING! NO MORE COWARDWARRIOR! IT'S EITHER AN ENDLESS SWARM, AN EPIC BRAWL, OR THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (if they're all poptarts).

Lynx7725, on 15 June 2014 - 10:45 PM, said:

Still the same old: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.

One thing I suspect would change though -- you'd likely see more charges. Clan heavies are VERY agile for their weight and pack a hefty punch. Jump capable Timber Wolves and Summoners are likely to charge through any defensive lines for hit and fade attacks, disrupting the enemy and letting the assaults start to clean clocks. Those heavies are fast, well armoured, and very mobile, and optimized builds would be good at tearing faces off quick.

And we all know how well that ended for Aidan (in the short term ).

[FETTY WAP]

You mean.. brawling??
Maybe.. teamwork, even?! Oh no. Not teamwork.

I'm out.
ggpgi

[ManDaisy]

Sad to say there is really not much you can do as 1 versus 5. Best counter is teamwork like the others say.