118 replies to this topic

[Davers]

Saxie, on 18 June 2014 - 09:21 AM, said:

Yes STOCK. You can change the engine on the Atlas... yes?

We were talking about stock engines- specifically on 100 ton mechs.

[Maxx Blue]

Despite the massive troubles last night, I did get a few drops in with my DW. It is pretty much a giant walking CT, but really there is more to it than that. Here are the list of reasons that, for me, came together to make this a surprisingly squishy 100-tonner:

• The CT hitbox is big and easy to hit even when torso twisted a good amount.
  
• Because of the giant head-shelf, LRM's still seem to hit the front CT often, even if I am running away or turned at an angle.
  
• It is slow as hell, so moving between cover gives the enemy more 'free shots' at you when you need to manuver.
  
• It's also so slow that it is easy to get left out of position compared to the rest of the team...especially on alpine.
  
• The weapons loadouts that are the most effective also require a lot of face-time on the target. You really need to stay facing the target a bunch to put all your weapons to use.

To me, all of those things combine to make it one tough mech to play. I even spent the money/XP to get anchor turn and twist-x immediately and to get the LRM-lock-breaking module to help out. I also tried out a mastered DW on one of the public tests and it wasn't enough to solve the speed and agility issues.


I am perfectly fine with having to face-tank if you want to get full DPS out of a DW, I just wish it was possible to spread more damage across the side torsos and arms. Given the model and how the DW has a long 'nose' like the stalker and catapult, I don't think you will ever be able to do much about folks being able to hit your front CT from all sorts of angles, but you could take some of the 'cheek' area and put it on the side torsos. You could also just take the entire upper-head-shelf area and split it between the right and left torsos. That would at least help with the LRM issue.

In the end, I don't think we should realistically expect that the DW's are ever going to be regularly dying to anything other than CT kills. However, we can expect that more of their other sections should be beat-to-hell when it finally drops.

Edited by Maxx Blue, 18 June 2014 - 10:17 AM.

[Grizley]

So far pretty much every Direwolf I've either piloted or seen piloted either lives with a heap of smoking enemies who didn't respect the firepower or dies with no CT and untouched side torsos and arms.

I'm not even really sure it's possible to hit the side torsos without using a splash weapon.

[Ozeo]

It's really not, I tested in a private match today, for some reason everything goes to the CT. I have taken a screenshot every single game I have played today, and it's always engine destroyed when I die.

I got hit once, went from 100% to 98% and my CT was red.

[SirLANsalot]

Yes the Hitboxes are off...apparently there is a stripe on the top of the "hood" that is all CT part of the Hit Box, so this is why LRMs seem to hit it more then other parts of the mech.

If the Boxes get adjusted properly, the "hood" should just be LT/RT perfect split, along with the Codpiece fix that somehow this mech hasn't got (it counts as CT). So there is a lot of that mech that's outside of the "dome" that makes up the CT, that somehow counts as CT.

Despite that, a good pilot can still work the mech and smoke anything in front of him.

[Sephlock]

S3dition, on 18 June 2014 - 03:59 AM, said:

Every match:



Honestly, with the games I've played so far, I'd have told the crusading clans to leave the Dire Wolf at home and take a mech worth its tonnage.

The only advantage it has - potentially high damage output, is completely mitigated by the fact that it's too slow to get into the fight, too slow to aim its weapons, to0 big of a target, takes a day and a half to turn around, and it's too slow to escape a fight.

Even without CASE, I'd happily fill my side torsos with ammo. They literally never lose their armor before I"m cored. And I'm generally cored just turning around to shoot back.

I do more average damage using an all energy banshee than an all AC/5 loadout on a Dire Wolf. That's pretty pathetic.

So don't fall into the salesman's trap, people! Stay away from this lemon.

Shhhh.

We're JUST ON THE CUSP of convincing the Smoke Jaguars to join the Pen 15 initiative.

[BarHaid]

Hmmm.... Sounds to me like the Dire Wolf is ------- AWESOME

[Khobai]

Giving the Daishi a quirk that increases movement speed by 10% would help (that would increase its max speed from 54kph to 58kph). That would be a good quirk to give the Daishi Prime left torso instead of the useless missile cooldown reduction. Since it would require giving up the ballistics in the side torso I think it would be pretty balanced. Additionally the Daishi CT needs its hitbox size reduced significantly.

Edited by Khobai, 18 June 2014 - 12:49 PM.

[Ozeo]

So far never had a arm or torso ripped off, not legged once. Only engine destroyed.

[Archon]

Ozeo, on 18 June 2014 - 12:59 PM, said:

So far never had a arm or torso ripped off, not legged once. Only engine destroyed.

Same here. And good luck protecting that CT with such limited movement. I'd love to torso twist to reduce damage...but because my twist speed is excruciatingly slow and the CT hitbox is screwed up it does nothing.

[Shadow 101]

I found that unlocking the skills helps a little (trying to get to speed tweek ASP!) and am now averaging 500 - 600 score and not dying as much.

Saying that I noticed in the last match I played, one salvo of LRMs from a Timber Wolf made my CT go from a 100% intact to red (Critical Warning ) & the second salvo killed me. All the damage was taken by top of my Mech (hood) as i could see the graphics damage there on the spinney death screen!

[blackicmenace]

Mordin Ashe, on 18 June 2014 - 04:05 AM, said:

PTS taught me two things about the DW.
First, never be in the line of fire. Stay behind, peek if you have to. 100t Mech, yes, but not supposed to lead the charge. The key it to avoid any fire at all and always have allies at your sides.
Second, pack as many weapons as possible and alpha everything you see. The only way of staying alive is to make the enemy fear you, and you won't achieve that with less than 50 alpha you can dish out into CT of enemy Mechs. You must be deadly if you wish to survive.

All of this is simply a workaround of the fact that DW is uncompetitive by having so huge CT it is impossible to miss it even from sides. The hitboxes will have to be reworked into more promising state. Until then, always stay at safe second line of fire. Anything closer and you are dead.

Its an assault mech its job should be to lead a charge. Its CT is garbage and needs a buff.

[A banana in the tailpipe]

Direwolfs were designed to down drop ships full of mechs. Bitty mechs should know better to stay out of the way.

[Jonathan Paine]

Wow, this massive amount of whining almost makes me want to get one.

[Gambino87]

S3dition, on 18 June 2014 - 03:59 AM, said:

Every match:



Honestly, with the games I've played so far, I'd have told the crusading clans to leave the Dire Wolf at home and take a mech worth its tonnage.

The only advantage it has - potentially high damage output, is completely mitigated by the fact that it's too slow to get into the fight, too slow to aim its weapons, to0 big of a target, takes a day and a half to turn around, and it's too slow to escape a fight.

Even without CASE, I'd happily fill my side torsos with ammo. They literally never lose their armor before I"m cored. And I'm generally cored just turning around to shoot back.

I do more average damage using an all energy banshee than an all AC/5 loadout on a Dire Wolf. That's pretty pathetic.

So don't fall into the salesman's trap, people! Stay away from this lemon.

It's LRM food for my BLR-1S imo lol

[blackicmenace]

Jonathan Paine, on 18 June 2014 - 01:37 PM, said:

Wow, this massive amount of whining almost makes me want to get one.

Go buy a Awesome, basically the same thing.

[Jonathan Paine]

blackicmenace, on 18 June 2014 - 01:39 PM, said:

Go buy a Awesome, basically the same thing.

No, it really, really really isnt.

[Gambino87]

blackicmenace, on 18 June 2014 - 01:39 PM, said:

Go buy a Awesome, basically the same thing.

No way.

[A banana in the tailpipe]

blackicmenace, on 18 June 2014 - 01:39 PM, said:

Go buy a Awesome, basically the same thing.

I think you mean it's the same as a Warhawk.

[Tombstoner]

S3dition, on 18 June 2014 - 03:59 AM, said:

Every match:



Honestly, with the games I've played so far, I'd have told the crusading clans to leave the Dire Wolf at home and take a mech worth its tonnage.

The only advantage it has - potentially high damage output, is completely mitigated by the fact that it's too slow to get into the fight, too slow to aim its weapons, to0 big of a target, takes a day and a half to turn around, and it's too slow to escape a fight.

Even without CASE, I'd happily fill my side torsos with ammo. They literally never lose their armor before I"m cored. And I'm generally cored just turning around to shoot back.

I do more average damage using an all energy banshee than an all AC/5 loadout on a Dire Wolf. That's pretty pathetic.

So don't fall into the salesman's trap, people! Stay away from this lemon.

Not a lemon it just takes team work to work well. Team work is sugar so make some lemon aid and you will see the potential of such a mech. also add some armor to the rear just in case.