77 replies to this topic

[DeathlyEyes]

Extending the time for the Narc beacon was a great step to making it viable. Making it so it doesn't fall off regardless of damage sustained was just a complete mistake. I could understand increasing it. I personally think it should fall off after 60-90 points of damage. As it stands now a Narc beacon on a lot of maps is quite simply a death sentence. There's little to no cover in a lot of places on a lot of maps. The cover that does exist the LRMs simply just go over. 90 damage is a lot to take from just getting hit from one narc beacon and I find this to be fair.

[Ngamok]

Well, NARC isn't fire and forget. If you hit a mech with it under ECM, you still have to have someone with LOS on them. Also, AMS shoots it down, but people don't carry it.

[Wintersdark]

AMS can shoot it down, in some circumstances - particularly multiple AMS situations. It's not a sure thing with just one AMS though.

I use NARC with my StreakCrow, and at close range even 3AMS/ECM KitFoxes get tagged... and ravaged by Streakies.

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with how NARC is now. Yes, it's bad to get tagged with NARC on Caustic or Alpine, but on the other hand most other maps still have ample cover even when NARC'd. The trick is for people to get into the habit of letting their allies know when they've been NARC'd, so they know just breaking LOS isn't going to be good enough.

Keep in mind, IS-NARC is a minimum of 3 slots and 4 tons for 12 beacons which have a short range and very slow projectile speed. It's expensive kit to carry.

[Sug]

Never thought I'd live to see the day we get Nerf Narc threads.

[BigBadVlad]

Top tip, Powering your mech down after hiding behind something makes your mech disappear to the enemy, even when NARC'ed. At least before NARC update anyway. Haven't had the chance to try this recently.

If you have teammates nearby and have just a light harasser or two that narc'ed you, find a building or hill, snuggle up and shutdown for 30 seconds. you'll have some missiles still hit you because they were already launched and tracking you to where you shut down. You'll be out of the fight for a bit but it's better than trying to run around for the full duration AND still taking LRM's. Obviously powering down with a Daishi on you is not a good idea...

Edited by BigBadVlad, 25 June 2014 - 06:39 AM.

[Charons Little Helper]

The only thing is that you should probably get a warning when NARCed - otherwise it's in a good place.

[wanderer]

Quote

I personally think it should fall off after 60-90 points of damage

NARC a target before, and the average LRM boats of the day (say,the old 3x15 DDC's or the more modern LRM 50ish Stalker) would blast the pod off after the first salvo or so, because missiles.

We had those before. Nobody used them because they were a horrible waste of tonnage for minimal effort.. Heck, one average salvo from 2 LRM heavies and *pop* you'd have a dead pod in your target. The only reason NARCs are useful is the things actually stick around for more than a single hit. 60-90 damage? I sneeze out that much damage pulling the trigger twice in an Orion.

AMS, BTW will kill a NARC- given enough range to target. This is more likely with people firing at the edge of the range envelope, and I've had pods go pfffft trying to do that into overlapping AMS bubbles more than once.

[Ursh]

I think you can shut down to lose the target over you. In a game with good players, that could be deadly, but if you do it behind cover most pugs will forget about you while you wait it out a bit.

[DeathlyEyes]

wanderer, on 25 June 2014 - 06:49 AM, said:

NARC a target before, and the average LRM boats of the day (say,the old 3x15 DDC's or the more modern LRM 50ish Stalker) would blast the pod off after the first salvo or so, because missiles.

We had those before. Nobody used them because they were a horrible waste of tonnage for minimal effort.. Heck, one average salvo from 2 LRM heavies and *pop* you'd have a dead pod in your target. The only reason NARCs are useful is the things actually stick around for more than a single hit. 60-90 damage? I sneeze out that much damage pulling the trigger twice in an Orion.

AMS, BTW will kill a NARC- given enough range to target. This is more likely with people firing at the edge of the range envelope, and I've had pods go pfffft trying to do that into overlapping AMS bubbles more than once.

Don't forget that if you have multiple people shoot the target you are going to do way more than 90 damage. I am just saying that unlimited damage is really punishing to anyone especially with the current maps we have and LRM trajectories.

[wanderer]

The first one to hit usually blasted the NARC off, which left everyone else with no benefit (and sometimes, a lost lock). There was a reason nobody used NARC before the change- it was garbage when it could be shot off the 'Mech.

Put that back in, the NARC returns to being garbage. Bonus: If anyone else shot the target, it can peel the pod off to boot.

[Mechteric]

I'd like to see the following:

- HUD indicator when you have been Narc'd
- PPC hits on a Narc'd target should disable/destroy the narc due to EMP effects (MWLL did this and it was a great balancer)

[Lemming211]

The problem isn't NARC, but the extreme ballistic arc of LRMs. They should have a much more shallow arc, closer to line of sight, allowing them to clear terrain, but not cover. I'd like to see Arrow IV artillery some day, but what's the point when LRMs perform the way they do. Give LRMs a slightly more ballistic arc for NARC'd or TAG'd mechs.

LRMs also need a slightly wider spread, hitting CT every time can core an assault in a few barrages. NARC could reduce that increased spread.

[Graugger]

I tried the whole shutdown and wait thing while NARC'd, apparently it acts like BAP now in that they can maintain lock even when you're shutdown and out of LOS.

[Koniks]

wanderer, on 25 June 2014 - 08:07 AM, said:

The first one to hit usually blasted the NARC off, which left everyone else with no benefit (and sometimes, a lost lock). There was a reason nobody used NARC before the change- it was garbage when it could be shot off the 'Mech.

Put that back in, the NARC returns to being garbage. Bonus: If anyone else shot the target, it can peel the pod off to boot.

So give the NARC a bunch of hit points or a small number of hit points but resistance to explosion damage. And test the values until it's a sweet spot of usefulness.

BigBadVlad, on 25 June 2014 - 06:37 AM, said:

Top tip, Powering your mech down after hiding behind something makes your mech disappear to the enemy, even when NARC'ed. At least before NARC update anyway. Haven't had the chance to try this recently.

LRMs already in the air will still track you. E.g. if you power down on Canyon Network and the cover isn't high enough, you can break the lock so they can't keep spamming you, but you're still going to get hit by the package that's already in the post.

Edited by Mizeur, 25 June 2014 - 10:36 AM.

[Hans Von Lohman]

I have seen it used a lot more, probably because the Clan NARC isn't as heavy.

It might have something to do with all the LRM QQ threads we're seeing recently. People run and hide, but it doesn't help when you are NARC'ed, and you may have had no idea what happened to you. So, instead they will go to the forums and claim the game is broken without knowing all the facts.

[Stormyblade]

Charons Little Helper, on 25 June 2014 - 06:48 AM, said:

The only thing is that you should probably get a warning when NARCed - otherwise it's in a good place.

I agree. Although, finding out you've been NARC'd doesn't help you much, now does it? I mean, there's really no way to remove or counteract it, is there?

[Budor]

Stormyblade, on 25 June 2014 - 11:06 AM, said:

I agree. Although, finding out you've been NARC'd doesn't help you much, now does it? I mean, there's really no way to remove or counteract it, is there?

What happens if you power down?

[Koniks]

Budor, on 25 June 2014 - 11:08 AM, said:

What happens if you power down?

Mizeur, on 25 June 2014 - 10:35 AM, said:

LRMs already in the air will still track you. E.g. if you power down on Canyon Network and the cover isn't high enough, you can break the lock so they can't keep spamming you, but you're still going to get hit by the package that's already in the post.

[Wintersdark]

Stormyblade, on 25 June 2014 - 11:06 AM, said:

I agree. Although, finding out you've been NARC'd doesn't help you much, now does it? I mean, there's really no way to remove or counteract it, is there?

It makes a huge difference.

"Incoming Missiles" - I move out of LOS, but do not need to make sweet love to cover. After all, a single volley of LRM's will do trivial damage and as I've moved out of LOS they ought to lose target while in flight, so I won't get hit by many.

"OMG THERE'S A NARC BEACON ON YOU!" - I make sweet, sweet love to the closest rock I can find and cower there until the scary INCOMING MISSILES warnings go away.

[Elizander]

If you're on a fast mech then just run like 1,000 meters away.