81 replies to this topic

[Appogee]

While there's certainly a role for Artillery and Air Strikes in the game, surely they were never intended to be used with the frequency that's now occurring in the group queue...?

I had three matches today where I counted around 7 strikes against my team, one after the other, within the first 5 minutes of the encounter. Instead of being used to dislodge campers, the strikes were being dropped on lances while still in transit, exposing crits even before Mechs got into combat with each other.

If you're in a relatively fast-moving Mech, and you keep your wits about you, you can generally avoid strikes. But if you're in a Dire Whale, or a Fatlas with anything other than the max engine, even when you see the smoke, you can't avoid the multiple strikes being landed on you with high frequency. There's no effective strategy to avoid them.

So, while there's definitely a role for Strikes in the game, I think there are way too many of them being used now for the good of the game or the enjoyment of the players. The situation will only get worse when the new locked consumables slots system comes into effect shortly.

Your views...?

Edited by Appogee, 27 July 2014 - 06:52 AM.

[w0rm]

Strikes are completely fine.

[MechWarrior849305]

Strikes are completely

[Mudhutwarrior]

Your on comms and bitching about arty? LOL

[Triordinant]

Air strikes and artillery were added to the game as a cbill sink because players were accumulating "too many" cbills and consumables were the short-sighted answer. The game would be infinitely more fun if air strikes and artillery were not part of it. The best solution for now is private matches where all participants agree beforehand to NOT use any consumables.

[Xeno Phalcon]

Wait until everyone has two consumable slots we can freely abuse

[Appogee]

Appogee, on 27 July 2014 - 06:52 AM, said:

... (b)ut if you're in a Dire Whale, or a Fatlas with anything other than the max engine, even when you see the smoke, you can't avoid the multiple strikes being landed on you with high frequency. There's no effective strategy to avoid them.

Mudhutwarrior, on 27 July 2014 - 07:05 AM, said:

Your on comms and bitching about arty? LOL

Either you have some clever new strategy for Dire Wolfs avoiding Strikes - which I'm sure you'll share with us - or you don't read too well.

Edited by Appogee, 27 July 2014 - 07:20 AM.

[Koniving]

Obviously in group play.

There should be some methods to counter strikes, though.
Before Airstrikes even came out, the Jagermech (an anti-air fire support mech by trade) was released.
My question to PGI's Ask the Devs was "Now that we have the Jagermech, can we shoot down airstrikes?"

The answer was: "Right now it is not powerful enough to warrant that. If we do decide to give it more power we may consider a mechanic like that."
At the time they did 10 damage per 'shell'. It's become 40 damage per shell, then 30.

Still can get headshots that kill which is AWESOME!
But... no one can counter it. No one can shoot the jet down.

If I had designed it, rather than a strafing run of AC rounds it would have been a fighter with an Arrow IV missile homing in on the targeted mech, with a bit more time to react and shoot at the jet or the missile before it slams down for 40+ damage. (Compared to LRMs, Arrow IV missiles are supposed to be pretty big; a Catapult using an Arrow IV launcher could only fit 5 tubes in that huge launcher).

As for the artillery, there isn't a feasible way to counter it. Though I'm sure someone might think of something.

[PANZERKAT]

They are intended to break up packs and people camping with no intent to move. Don't wanna get hit by arty, keep moving.There are too many areas where a team can pack up and play the waiting game, forcing the other team into a deathmarch.

Edited by KOMMISSAR KITTY, 27 July 2014 - 07:53 AM.

[A banana in the tailpipe]

Strikes use to be MUCH MUCH worse. Now they are fairly balanced.

[El Bandito]

I flipping warned you guys about strikes' spammability, impossibly fast delivery, and damage, repeatedly. Not fun anymore now, is it?

Koniving, on 27 July 2014 - 07:27 AM, said:

As for the artillery, there isn't a feasible way to counter it. Though I'm sure someone might think of something.

Just increase delivery time to 8 seconds. Will still do the job of rooting out entrenched enemies, but mechs will have plenty of reaction time to evade.

Edited by El Bandito, 27 July 2014 - 07:54 AM.

[Mudhutwarrior]

Appogee, on 27 July 2014 - 07:19 AM, said:

Either you have some clever new strategy for Dire Wolfs avoiding Strikes - which I'm sure you'll share with us - or you don't read too well.

I avoid them in an atlas or banshee all the time without comms. just as slow as your p2w pig.

[PANZERKAT]

Perhaps giving the command console a use where its own electronic warfare systems make it harder to drop bombs in a certain radius, increasing the time for the bombs to drop.

That's a better idea than making it longer for the sake of it.

[Mudhutwarrior]

nerf warriors unite!

[Appogee]

Mudhutwarrior, on 27 July 2014 - 07:56 AM, said:

I avoid them in an atlas or banshee all the time without comms. just as slow as your p2w pig.

As you clearly you haven't actually driven the "p2w pig" you're offering an opinion on, we'll discount both your opinion and that chip on your shoulder.

Edited by Appogee, 27 July 2014 - 08:09 AM.

[Torgun]

It's a big CBill/MC sink depending on how you're buying them. Either way it's going to be like this as long as people will be spamming it and PGI is getting paid for it. That it's pretty crap for gameplay is just a sidebar.

Edited by Torgun, 27 July 2014 - 08:06 AM.

[Appogee]

Koniving, on 27 July 2014 - 07:27 AM, said:

If I had designed it, rather than a strafing run of AC rounds it would have been a fighter with an Arrow IV missile homing in on the targeted mech, with a bit more time to react and shoot at the jet or the missile before it slams down for 40+ damage.

That is a really good idea, in contrast to the present implementation.

Any weapon that does damage from "infinite" range without being able to be countered in any way (if you are in a slow-moving Mech, of course) is rarely a good idea in any game.

Edited by Appogee, 27 July 2014 - 08:07 AM.

[PANZERKAT]

Never really had them impact my game more than " move there is arty..." and then the battle briefly shifts. The shells aren't very accurate and don't do much damage.

They are great for scouts and help the smaller mechs harassing and delaying the enemy...as they are supposed to do. Never used it myself, but I see why other people do.

Edited by KOMMISSAR KITTY, 27 July 2014 - 08:08 AM.

[Ultimax]

Appogee, on 27 July 2014 - 07:19 AM, said:

Either you have some clever new strategy for Dire Wolfs avoiding Strikes - which I'm sure you'll share with us - or you don't read too well.

I got targeted with Arty 3x in the same match last night in my DW.

I had to laugh it off, they weren't even trying to "break up formations", they were just laying arty down behind me repeatedly.

[A banana in the tailpipe]

Ultimatum X, on 27 July 2014 - 08:07 AM, said:

I got targeted with Arty 3x in the same match last night in my DW.

I had to laugh it off, they weren't even trying to "break up formations", they were just laying arty down behind me repeatedly.

Those are players trying to earn more bills through damage, a major problem with MWO that cripples otherwise good pilots because the K/D ratio stats influence their game play.