202 replies to this topic

[Rutilus Diabolus]

I've never understood peoples obsession with the assault mechs. Me personally, I prefer mobility over firepower. You will see me most of the time in a light or medium mech on the field, occasionally in a heavy, and only in an Assault if my team needs it. Why would somebody want to chose a mech, that, even though it may pack a serious punch(which some i've found to be seriously underpowered for their size) it has no mobility, and you get a person in there who is a good pilot, in a medium or so, can make you look very foolish in your lumbering 100 ton Atlas. Thoughts?

[Adridos]

Well, it's mostly tendency of today's gamers to think the Steiner way: bigger = better.

Otherwise, it is the case of games where it actually stands true and most people don't want to be the crushed ones.

[Chillybill]

depends on the situation, what would you want to be in if you had the chance to supprise your enemy in a up close and personal slug fest where running and maneuvering is limited, something big, armored and powerful

If its wide open spaces I want something that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee

I dunno just a thought

[Spleenslitta]

I guess they feel like they are at the top of the food chain because of sheer size and brute firepower.
Being able to trade hit for hit with any mech on the field and be able to win through simple and yet effective tactics is probably what they think about.

But the most important reason might be because there are few light and medium mech players with the skill and courage to take them on toe to toe and win.
They want to win and they want to win often.

I'm mostly the same type of player as you OP. I used to love the Timber Wolf but then i suddenly fell for the Summoner because of it's tough looks and then i just suddenly found myself piloting a Stormcrow whenever i could.
And now i prefer to never go above 55 tons. I even have strong preferance for lights.

Edited by Spleenslitta, 23 June 2012 - 09:12 AM.

[Aggammenonn]

I've always loved fast heavies and tough mediums myself

[Jonneh]

I'll be piloting whatever I feel like on the day I guess. Part of the enjoyment of a role based team game imo is that you can change role and see how each leg of the tripod is supposed to support the greater bulk.

Effective scouting is what tempts me right off the bat because its the one thing that WoT got totally wrong. I dare say a hardline defence assault mech would be a worthy role to play too. There is something iconic about the tactical defender which would attract me.

I think I'd enjoy quicker mechs for aggressive styles of play, but who knows. I could find myself in at Atlas gunning at the enemy hey-diddle-diddle and enjoying every minute. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Edited by Jonneh, 23 June 2012 - 09:17 AM.

[Major Bill Curtis]

Mediums and heavies for me: I prefer some degree of control over the engagement to being a bullet (laser) magnet.

Mobility and firepower gets me all happy.

[Rutilus Diabolus]

Im actually surpised at the responses. I was anticipating some die hard, the bigger the better, type of people responding but it seems like most people are not like that. Which contradicts everything i've been lead to believe by polls and posts i've read on here.

[gregsolidus]

I did it bettter.
http://mwomercs.com/..._1020#entry1020

[Spleenslitta]

You could look at it from this perspective too.-- The map so far is large enough that a fast mech can choose the time, place and range to engage against most opponents.
If you can choose all three of those things all the time when you're fighting slow mechs then the big mechs are just heading for the scrapyard.

[ermine]

If the game is properly balanced, I'll take medium and sometimes a heavy. The balance will pretty much necessarily involve some sort of BV calculation.

But the idea that a low tonnage team will, generally, beat a higher tonnage team is silly. That has basically never been true in the battle tech universe, unless a scenario was specifically designed to generate that outcome. And thus BV was introduced.

[MacabreDerek]

My primary mech will probably be the Stalker. The reason for this is simple, I love my support mechs, and it's one of the few that hold a great mix of weapons to do so, while having enough punch to deal with most things it's weight or lighter up close. If supported at all, I really see the Stalker as a contender for one of the better mechs out there. It's only real failing is that it's center torso (much like the Catapult) is extended forward, so when allocating armour I may need to put more points into the CT than I normally would and a little less on the side torsos.

A support mech should be behind the main lines of engagement, so I have no problem with it being slow, it's got the tonnage to carry some really heavy weapons, it's got the armour to survive a long range shoot-out with other support mechs, and gives a good mix of LRM and Laser fire so that it's support style switches on a whim from long range bombardment to sniping. The addition of four medium lasers and 2 SRM racks means it's got alot of up-close punch, and if may use it's long-range weapons at close range for a nasty alpha-strike if given the chance (In a situation where you can kill your opponent in one alphastrike at the cost of overheating, if it's not in the middle of a larger skirmish, it's nice to have the option to just pummel someone ALOT).

I really do love almost everything about the Stalker, fell in love with it in MW2:Mercs, in that one escort mission where you're forced to pilot it (I know everyone hated that mission, but I loved that mech), and it followed me into BT CCG when the Stalker became the mainstay for my IS decks. I loved the new artwork and redesign for the Stalker in MWO, and if there is 1 Assault mech that deserves to be seen on the field by Canon standards, it's the Stalker, the most widely produced and used Assault mech in the IS.



Edit: Figured I'll go further into detail. I am a huge fan of mobility, I am pretty sure Light mechs will be keeping the opponents honest by threatening to cap their base if they dont keep an eye on it and mechs ready to fall back to stop them from doing so. I can find alot of abuses for that situation.

The thing about Assault mechs though is they are line-pushers. They are SLOW, so once they start going forward, they need to focus on pushing the line to the enemy cap as quickly as possible. They do not have the speed to turn around and save the cap, or chase after a Jenner. They can however be the first one around the corner, take the innitial shots from the enemy while the heavy/mediums follow behind to be able to get into the fray without being shot at by a whole group.

The Assault mechs also are really good at areas of denial/lanes of fire, because they carry so much firepower and armour, the direction they are facing means something is about to have a bad day in that general direction. Now it's great if you're in a light/medium to try and circle around, but what the Assault mech has done is provoke you to move out of possition by threatening your current one. You can try to run around, but if the Assault is supported, it means trying to get the Assault's back is turning your own to 2-3 medium/heavies.

And that's the lynchpin of the argument, the Assault who is out on his own is just too slow to deal with most things that are focused around manuvering. It is there to take the innitial punch when pressing the line for it's comrades, it is there to offer an overwhelming amount of firepower to whatever doesnt get out of it's way, and it's through the assault mech that most people will rally and push onward.

If an Assault mech with a pair of lancemates push all the way to your cap, it's going to be hell to get them off it, and they can win. In this case, the Assault mech then doesnt have to chase you down, you have to come to it. This means typically the Assault isnt chasing anyone down, it's just there to push them out of the way.

You also have the added benift of being able to use an Assault as mobile cover. Since it takes quite a few shots to core it, it means that if you are getting shot at, you can try to manuver behind your Assault lancemate and let him become the distraction.

The Assault mech isnt 'the one to rule them all', but instead becomes a valuble asset to his team. Whatever role he chooses to take, he is capable of influencing the board by his sheer presence and applied firepower.

I am sure once MWO comes out, we'll have alot of dangerous newcomers who treat it as a one-man army, and they will be more of a hinderance than help, but I also believe that once you have a good Assault player on your team, you will see the difference and know that an Assault mech is indeed the backbone to gaining ground.

Edited by MacabreDerek, 23 June 2012 - 09:51 AM.

[Draelren]

I'm a huge fan of the Stormcrow, Shadow Cat, and Nova personally. In MW4 I loved the Conjurer, but it was a redesign off of the original and most likely will never be seen in that incarnation on MWO.

[Breacher]

i plan on piloting everything. unless the pilot progression takes a super super long time then i might consider spec'ing into one . but i mean really.. the only better thing than one giant walking death machine is many giant walking death machines.

as for why chose an assault over others... sometimes you just want to be the biggest thing out there.

[Rutilus Diabolus]

I have to agree with what you said MacabreDerek. I can see myself occasionally using the Stalker because it is a perfect support mech. But i can never see myself chosing an Atlas, or something like it because I just dont see the appeal in using a giant bulls-eye, which is all i've ever seen the atlas as being. There is all this Whoop ti do about the atlas, and some other assaults about how they are the battle mech that will turn the tide and are this big epic war machine, but in my mechwarrior experience, which is every mechwarrior game there is, ( except for TT) the atlas has been nothing more than a bullet magnet that barely effects the battle. I know why they put it in the game, its as simbolic in the franchise as the Mad cat, but as far as using it in battle? I cant see the point, when there are heavies, or even mediums, that would be far more prevalent in the battle.

symbolic, whoops

[Vulpesveritas]

I personally can't stand going slower than 100kph at this scale. And I like to use hit and run tactics.
You can guess what I pilot.

[Badfinger]

Jack of all trades, Master of one!

[Alkazar]

I went with the Atlas for several reasons.

• Looks grumpy and badass. Ol' Granpappy Atlas gonna bend you over his knee and break you in half.
  
• Provides some room for error while learning the game. As has been stated before, you can afford to screw up a bit with a 100-ton mech in a way you can't afford to in a 35-ton.
  
• Has a varied weapon load. While getting the hang of all the weapons in the game and understanding how they operate, it would be helpful to have a mech that can mount a new weapon type to try out while still retaining enough space for more proven, reliable weapons in case it turns out you absolutely hate said new weapon. I'd like to be able to test out an LB-10X AC, for example, while keeping a solid bank of lasers to prevent screwing myself over for a game if the AC doesnt perform as I'd like.

#3 is probably the biggest reason I took the Atlas. It will serve me as a reliable training mech until such time as I have no further use for it in such a role, then it will be a big, stompy C-Bill farming machine.

[Alcatraz968]

I personally believe weight classes should be used how the Devs intended.
Lights are to scout and lure mechs.
Mediums are the hornets the bite you in the butt.
Heavy have both firepower and speed and are heavy attack force.
Assault are the big guns and the rally point.

I like the Medium class (Shadow cat) to lure enemy's to my teammates personally. Its so fun watching there faces go pale.

[IronGoat]

I will be piloting an atlas as a founders mech
i enjoy big ponderous mechs they do require skill to pilot well. if you think a pile of armor and weapons makes you a god ill remind you that lions kill elephants
assualt mechs are at a disadvatage in many scenarios, especially when they are outnumbered.

HOWEVER

my fave mech is a 60 ton rifleman and if ( ! WHEN ! ) they add it you will most likely see me piloting that.
until then my first purchased mech will be a centurion which is one of my all time faves from tt

the only mechs i dislike are ones that sacrifice all, for speed, just to be annoying ( pew pew boats in my groups lingo)