467 replies to this topic

[Bront]

I think the clan pack is influencing this quite a bit. The Adder isn't that great, the Kit Fox is a slow mech, and everyone loves their Timberwolves.

[Deathlike]

Bront, on 03 July 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

I think the clan pack is influencing this quite a bit. The Adder isn't that great, the Kit Fox is a slow mech, and everyone loves their Timberwolves.

While true, once that "newness" wears off in another 2 weeks... I doubt things will go "back to normal" in favor of lights.

[Alistair Winter]

DaZur, on 03 July 2014 - 02:33 PM, said:

AW, no offense but when the limited scope of "death match" and death match with distractions" as the only mission parameters... why would anyone take anything but heavies and Assaults?
I know your working real hard to take a back-handed swat at PGI and all, and actually I agree with your intent but until there's something of value for Mediums and Lights aside from being soft targets... You're kind'a stating the obvious.

I've got a legion of white knights in my face who would disagree with you.

[Devil Fox]

The problem I found is the need to carry if you're a good player and solo dropping. I dropped light's and mediums but then the real firepower and tanks weren't doing anything useful game after game. All my efforts to narc, counter ecm and strike at the enemy rear even in my IS light's were in vain if my team doesn't push the advantage and opportunities, So I gave up on them solo dropping, I'm still eliting the Timber Wolf's.

As soon as I drop in my Timber Wolf's instantly doing 800+ dmg games, and setting up multiple targets for kills, and setting up the win for the team. Remember lemmings follow lemmings, so I just blitzkrieg into the enemy and their rear-lines in my brawlers or hold down flanks/avenues of advancement so my allies can "eventually" flank them (had one game I held 5-7 mechs on Frozen City at C3 Ridge, took my team 6min to eventually flank into their rear).

At present, until I get rewarded well for playing lighter mechs, I'll continue to use my heavier mechs just to make cash, get good games and carry many of the players I would never have seen pre-patch.

[Hellcat420]

Jherek C, on 03 July 2014 - 12:52 PM, said:

That's not true. In MW3 I was mostly running lights and fast mediums. No hardpoint limit made it easy to stock them up with x lasers and nag even Thors and Mad Cats (while Daishi and Annihilator being almost totally useless and being easily killed by any average light or medium pilot), lag gave them a good shield (you had to shot 2-3 mech lenghts ahead to hit - with lasers) so they been nearly impossible to hit from range with Gauss or PPC and LRM could be dodged with jumping. MW4 however made lights pretty weak again.

so you are saying MechWarrior 3 had a community size of 1.5 people? last I checked one person is not the majority of the community.

[TygerLily]

It's almost as if Clans were just released and all their Lights going only 100kph is keeping people focused on the bigger stuff! /endsarcasm Seriously, I think that's the issue...

Edited by TygerLily, 03 July 2014 - 03:42 PM.

[Cybersniper Vickers]

Threads some 12 to 14 hours ago were of a different nature to this one overall.
There was much light hating. Many were glad to see more leg damage to lights, and that
type of thing. There was no discussion about the MM at all. It was all about the new leg damage.

L2P, Learn to use your JJs remarks all over. Ignoring lights that don't have JJs as an option also.
So, the sudden drop from 15% or so the other day to 5-6% lights today is likely due to the
leg damage issue, more than anything. Other factors as mentioned though might make things even worse.

When added together, well.....people should not be so surprised.

[DemonRaziel]

Deathlike, on 03 July 2014 - 03:07 PM, said:

While true, once that "newness" wears off in another 2 weeks... I doubt things will go "back to normal" in favor of lights.

That depends on what "normal" is, when it comes to Lights. And Mediums. From my experience, the norm for these classes is about 15%, occasionally spiking to 20ish.

Also, in a few weeks, the new excuse for the imbalance in the MM status will be "some clan 'Mechs just got released for MC/CB, so people are buying and grinding these, that's what skewing the numbers".

[Felio]

It does seem like turning on 3/3/3/3 has somehow made lights even less popular.

[Deathlike]

DemonRaziel, on 03 July 2014 - 05:00 PM, said:

That depends on what "normal" is, when it comes to Lights. And Mediums. From my experience, the norm for these classes is about 15%, occasionally spiking to 20ish.

Also, in a few weeks, the new excuse for the imbalance in the MM status will be "some clan 'Mechs just got released for MC/CB, so people are buying and grinding these, that's what skewing the numbers".

Been saying that for a while... since the MM status has been operational. It's not getting any better anytime soon unless something dramatically happens.

Felio, on 03 July 2014 - 05:06 PM, said:

It does seem like turning on 3/3/3/3 has somehow made lights even less popular.

No... it's just made "more official".

There were threads months ago just for stat dumping/tracking. The MM tracker only confirms reality.

[MischiefSC]

Another benefit of all this is a good, transparent look at whats getting played and to a lesser degree, why.

[Felio]

I have a theory.

When the "play (light or medium) for faster queue times" was a lie, people launched as those mechs and sometimes found matches quickly by coincidence, and they believed it was because they launched as a light or medium.

Now the MM is waiting to find lights and mediums, and queues are slow for everyone -- there is no more illusion of it making a difference, so people have decided it doesn't matter, and this failure is self-perpetuating.

[CheeseThief]

I also have a theory.

It involves Daishi's, Madcats and a half c-bill price Atlas sale.

[Mark Brandhauber]

Lights and mediums certainly seem less prevalent in the pug queue and in skirmish and assault for that matter, You still see them in conquest.
I do think the fact that the clan lights are not really true light mechs (as we have come to know inner sphere lights) combined with a significant number of people are still breaking in their new clan toys (heavy and assault).
The knock on effect of the whole percentage of classes being shown is; if the game is showing a major concentration of heavy and assaults (which it almost always is) many players will not want to bring their medium and light mechs for fear of being ripped apart in a single volley from the heavier machines.
The base fact is that most players do not want to play a light or medium because they don't see the maneuverability and speed an advantage enough to earn them more rewards in game.
I play all mech classes and know that this is not the case; my more rewarding games come from a highly successful runs in a medium or light mech however more rewarding in c-bills through assists and damage and definitely in testing my skills.
I actually feel you should have to qualify to drive the heavier machines I cannot the times I've seen assault and heavy mechs completly wasted on inexperienced pilots

Edited by Mark Brandhauber, 03 July 2014 - 06:58 PM.

[Yokaiko]

CheeseThief, on 03 July 2014 - 05:19 PM, said:

I also have a theory.

It involves Daishi's, Madcats and a half c-bill price Atlas sale.

Driving lights sucks.

[MischiefSC]

At the moment, people don't drive lights for the same reason they don't drive Quickdraws or Centurions, or most Hunchies, or BJs of almost any sort... or Trebuchets. Or Dragons. Oh, and Orions. Awesomes. By and large Catapults too. Kentaros! I almost forgot them - you never see them. Tbolts.

Yeah, about 70% of mechs are flat out inferior. By design, on purpose, intentionally.

Which is because people don't know how to play them right.

See? How can that not make sense?

[Yokaiko]

Mark Brandhauber, on 03 July 2014 - 06:51 PM, said:

The base fact is that most players do not want to play a light or medium because they don't see the maneuverability and speed an advantage enough to earn them more rewards in game.

That is because there are next to no quantifiable rewards. You don't do the raw damage, your dont' make the XP, your don't make the cash.

.....and you have to work twice as hard.

[Mark Brandhauber]

I don't disagree, But anyone who values their skill should drive all mech classes not just heavy and assault.

[DYSEQTA]

But I love my Adder

I am really surprised at those numbers as in actual games I can't say I've noticed a shortage.

[WarZ]

Yea Ive been watching the queue numbers all night as im going for drops. It's 75-80% heavies and assualts, lights are generallly 5-10%, and mediums are 10-15%'ish. They really need to lock down the 4x3 and not have release valves. Cause we swinging into matches that have only 2 lights and 2 mediums, and it starts feeling heavy meta again. I'd be happy to wait a minute or two if I was guaranteed to have actual class balanced matches. Don't kick those damn release valves in too quickly. Its defeating the purpose.

Last night there was such a flux of players that everything was smooth and matches were fun and the queue wasnt nearly this bad.

Tonight I tried pugging and elo hell is as strong as ever. Did 5 matches in a row doing 800-1k damage with 2-4 kills each time... and lost each one. Next nearest teammates are doing 200 range at best

I mean... c'mon ?!?




Edit: Btw, just spent a minute looking at the queue - its been 54-60% heavies...

Edited by WarZ, 03 July 2014 - 07:37 PM.