115 replies to this topic

[Angel of Annihilation]

WM Quicksilver, on 05 November 2014 - 03:41 PM, said:

I don't know that people are asking it to be slower than a Stormcrow, but it needs to run a smaller engine to be a more efficient. 45 tonners aren't an optimal tonnage in TT, but thanks to MWO's ability to mount engines outside the ones divisible by their tonnage, the 45 tonner can be better optimized; ergo this mech would be all around better if it had a 325 XL instead. That's honestly the biggest complaint and once again showing of the issues with the omnimech restrictions as opposed to the mech itself (if you couldn't tell, I think the omnimech restrictions have caused more problems than solved).

Hmm maybe. I have just unlocked speed tweak and I have to admit that the 142 kph is nice, but I have to admit that I didn't notice any issue with this mech only running 129 kph and think I would actually be fine at 129 kph if that was the tweaked top speed. That being the case, I could drop the engine to a 340 XL which would give me 3 more tons to play around with and 3 tons would without a doubt, drastically improve the Ice Ferret.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

So far I like my Ice Ferret. It is exactly what I expected. A fast striker/harasser. I'd be surprised if the comp folks used it with the Stormcrow being only 15 tons heavier but it'll do alright in pug play.

The way I play, it seems to do much better on long matches where it can wear the enemy down. Doesn't have near the output potential in the short term as a lot of other mechs these days.

[FupDup]

Rouken, on 05 November 2014 - 04:22 PM, said:

So far I like my Ice Ferret. It is exactly what I expected. A fast striker/harasser. I'd be surprised if the comp folks used it with the Stormcrow being only 15 tons heavier but it'll do alright in pug play.

The way I play, it seems to do much better on long matches where it can wear the enemy down. Doesn't have near the output potential in the short term as a lot of other mechs these days.

The Nice Parrot is 10 tons lighter than the Doomcrow, not 15 tons.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

FupDup, on 05 November 2014 - 04:23 PM, said:

The Nice Parrot is 10 tons lighter than the Doomcrow, not 15 tons.

Yeah, I keep forgetting that its 45 tons.

[Aresye]

There is a single advantage for the Ice Ferret. That's 1 (ONE) advantage. Singular:

- Conquest maps in an IS vs Clan setting.

That's it.

So while I can do okay with it, it's pretty much going to end up being one of those, "Master it out, never touch it again," type mechs, because for any kind of competitive play (aside from the single example above), anything the Ice Ferret can do, there's a mech that can do it better.

Kit Fox has ECM and JJ.
Adder has more firepower.
Stormcrow is a better hit and run mech.
Nova has more firepower and JJ.

For a mech to be viable in a competitive setting, it pretty much needs at least one of these three things:
- ECM
- Good hardpoints and enough tonnage for a decent loadout.
- Jump Jets

The Ice Ferret has absolutely none of those.

[Josef Nader]

Again, I don't think anyone is saying the mech is gonna be ultra competitive. No comp team is going to give up on a Stormcrow, even in conquest.

However, there's a big difference between viable and competitive. Just because a mech isn't gonna compete at the top levels of play doesn't mean it isn't:

1) A blast to play
2) Offering a unique way to play the game
3) Viable for most PUG and Team play

The Ice Ferret offers some unique advantages and a perfectly viable playstyle.

[Carrioncrows]

So far my best build is Quad med pulse

Extra heat sink and absolute maximum armor everywhere.

Little warm, and you might want to hold off until you get it elited to help with the heat, but it is amazing.

[TamCoan]

After two days of playing it, my opinion is that it's just pure crap. Not enough hard-points to be effective in combat, large frame to make an easy target and has trouble taking on better armed and faster IS lights. The only thing it has going for it is that it has an impressive torso twist. Tried a number of loadouts so-far and just everything except a locust seems to out-do it. Really disappointed with it.

[Deathlike]

FupDup, on 05 November 2014 - 04:23 PM, said:

The Nice Parrot is 10 tons lighter than the Doomcrow, not 15 tons.

Ice Weasel. It weasels itself in and out of combat, and you're left wondering why it wasted its time with you...

[Xetelian]

Look how fast I can run
Does that tickle?

[1453 R]

Xetelian, on 05 November 2014 - 07:22 PM, said:

Look how fast I can run
Does that tickle?

Which, realistically, sums up the usual arguments nicely. Or at least half of them. The other half, of course is:

"Look at all these guns I brought! ...why is the fight over there now?"

Or, to put it in less asinine terms on both sides - people who don't think speed matters in MWO look at the Ferret and see a waste of space, whereas people who believe that bolting enough firepower onto the fastest 'Mech they can manage is the better way to go see the Ferret as very literally the only choice of fast-response/strike-fighting Clan 'Mech.

You can tell who's in what camp by seeing what they each say about the Ferret, and by how badly they do or do not want the Viper.

[Greenjulius]

Viktor Drake, on 05 November 2014 - 03:18 PM, said:

Even more amazing it my Ice Ferret Prime (I) has now became my top C-bill Clan earner with 18 matches and earning an average of 203k C-bills per match. My Stromcrow (I) by comparison has managed to only hit 180k C-bills average in the 28 matches I have tracked for it.

What build are you running it with?

TamCoan, on 05 November 2014 - 05:57 PM, said:

After two days of playing it, my opinion is that it's just pure crap. Not enough hard-points to be effective in combat, large frame to make an easy target and has trouble taking on better armed and faster IS lights. The only thing it has going for it is that it has an impressive torso twist. Tried a number of loadouts so-far and just everything except a locust seems to out-do it. Really disappointed with it.

This is unfortunately my assessment as well. I'm a light pilot, and had a hard time adjusting to the Kitfox, as I came from Ravens and Jenners. I got used to the Kitfox and learned to love it, as it could bring firepower with ECM.

This mech however, has less tonnage than a kitfox and no ECM option. Speed isn't enough or everyone would be running commandos and locusts.

Edited by Greenjulius, 05 November 2014 - 09:19 PM.

[NovaFury]

It's a decent light mech, with huge hitboxes for some reason.

[Greenjulius]

NovaFury, on 05 November 2014 - 09:28 PM, said:

It's a decent light mech, with huge hitboxes for some reason.

This too. I don't know why people claim it's tanky. It's only as tanky as a kitfox, in that it has a clan XL. It loses it's arms uber-fast.

[STEF_]

Just finish to elite it.

It is the perfect medium for a light mech pilot.
If I managed to elite it in less than 2 days, this means it's not so subpar or tier 4-5 at all.

The ferret is only one step behind the stormcrow, and absolutly better than nova, adder or kitfox.
Of course, it must be properly piloted, so it doesn't need jj/ecm/many-hardpoint to work very well... in the right hands
Speed and tank.
Absolutely fun.

For course, in competitive play, I choose the stormcrow for medium.... but, what da hell was you expecting? the crow has 10 tons more!

And in mwo the storm is very "easy mode"

Edited by Stefka Kerensky, 05 November 2014 - 11:01 PM.

[Greenjulius]

So, maybe I've found a decent build. What's disappointing is the Prime can't run it.

4xERML
2xDHS
Clan Computer Mk1
Clan Active Probe
1xAMS+1/2 ton ammo

Named in honor of a Black Footed Ferret pet I had as a kid:

Hydra

It runs cool enough to fire the 4xERML often, and has the range needed to keep it alive. The Clan Computer Mk1 adds an extra 5 meters, but more importantly increases crit chances. The range module 5 adds another 45m effective with range mod5, making the max 910m. The AMS helps lessen damage from LRMs just enough to be worthwhile over an extra DHS.

Clan Active Probe now defeats ECM up to 360m, so it's hard not to recommend for a skirmisher.

I'm considering dropping the Targeting Computer, Active Prove and a DHS for Narc. I'll try that soon.

Soon to post a couple games.

[Alexander MacTaggart]

A modified IFR-C is working really well for me.

Remove Artemis, load 3xLRM5, BAP, MPL, 3.5 tons of LRMs (630 = 42 volleys), run around the outskirts of the brawl dumping 15 missiles every 2-3 seconds and pulsing dudes. As soon as someone takes a shot at you, disengage and find a new firing spot.

Also weirdly I thought LRM5s were 'hooked up' to ghost heat but there is no warning for having 3 of them on this mech.

[Greenjulius]

Alexander MacTaggart, on 05 November 2014 - 11:05 PM, said:

A modified IFR-C is working really well for me.

Remove Artemis, load 3xLRM5, BAP, MPL, 3.5 tons of LRMs (630 = 42 volleys), run around the outskirts of the brawl dumping 15 missiles every 2-3 seconds and pulsing dudes. As soon as someone takes a shot at you, disengage and find a new firing spot.

Also weirdly I thought LRM5s were 'hooked up' to ghost heat but there is no warning for having 3 of them on this mech.

It's the 4th LRM5 that adds ghost heat. All other LRMs add ghost heat after 2.

Source

Edited by Greenjulius, 05 November 2014 - 11:12 PM.

[ChapeL]

The Ice Ferret is a great narc platform.. but NOBODY seems to be bringing LRMS anymore. ( I'm not even asking for a boat here... what about a Timber Wolf with a pair of 15s ? Please ? )

[Greenjulius]

ChapeL, on 05 November 2014 - 11:17 PM, said:

The Ice Ferret is a great narc platform.. but NOBODY seems to be bringing LRMS anymore. ( I'm not even asking for a boat here... what about a Timber Wolf with a pair of 15s ? Please ? )

Yeah, I noticed this and stopped using Narcs because of it. All the bad players got their wish to turn this into directfire warrior online. "Clearly the weapon is the problem, not the playstyle of the victim."