240 replies to this topic

[MauttyKoray]

I gotta admit that the Atlas, pre-clan, was the thing you turned the corner and shat your pants over because you knew things were gonna hurt and it was gonna stick around long enough to do its job. The current state of it however leaves it at somewhat of a laughable state as both of the Clan Wave 1 assaults and even now the King Crab can out tank and out DPS the mech easily. While the hardpoints leave the Atlas locked into its firepower (which isn't bad as it is), the amount of beating it can take is no longer the strength which made it a cornerstone of a push against an enemy team.

The idea I, and others I've talked to, have had about the Atlas was that it was a walking wall meant to take the brunt of damage while putting a hurt back on its attackers and be the tip of the wedge of the hammer to deal the crippling blows on the battlefield. While the latter can still occur, the previously mentioned mechs can do a much better job of it and make the Atlas (at 100 tons no less) a pick only for pug matches now. Its limit of a STD engine due to hitboxes further limits that tonnage and its effectiveness as none of its torsos are the equivelant of hitting a brick wall anymore.

So in order to bring the Atlas back to what I take as the epitome of a walking wall, I suggest that it receives Armor bonus quirks to augment its intended role.

Thoughts, suggestions, and counter arguments?

[CDLord HHGD]

Sure, why not?

[terrycloth]

Well, I mostly play IS, but Crabs seem to go down easier than Atlases. Dire Wolves are about the same but they're more dangerous.

I'd expect people to mostly use an Atlas for the DDC's ECM, to cloak a group of assault mechs pushing. I guess that's the sort of thing that works a lot better when the enemy isn't on voice chat. So, PUG only, like you said.

[Sarlic]

Join the ride: http://mwomercs.com/...s/page__st__440

[MauttyKoray]

terrycloth, on 13 January 2015 - 10:55 AM, said:

Well, I mostly play IS, but Crabs seem to go down easier than Atlases. Dire Wolves are about the same but they're more dangerous.

I'd expect people to mostly use an Atlas for the DDC's ECM, to cloak a group of assault mechs pushing. I guess that's the sort of thing that works a lot better when the enemy isn't on voice chat. So, PUG only, like you said.

I originally started this game by buying an AS7-K as my first mech (however I no longer own any due to clans) and it gave that feeling while playing it, and playing against it formerly. Now however its no more than a nuisance because of, as you said, being able to carry ECM on the DDC variant. However my point is exactly what you stated, the King Crab may go down slightly easier (due to less armor) but it carries a much larger armament (the same being true with the warhawk), while the Direwolf is both just as tough to bring down while also being far more heavily armed.

We all know that the Atlas is no longer a mech of choice due to the other available Assaults, however short of giving it more weapons (which is a joke) the only idea that I personally have is to increase its toughness, effectively its survivability, and give it its previous walking wall role back.

[Alwrathandabout42ninjas]

MauttyKoray, on 13 January 2015 - 10:51 AM, said:

I gotta admit that the Atlas, pre-clan, was the thing you turned the corner and shat your pants over because you knew things were gonna hurt and it was gonna stick around long enough to do its job. The current state of it however leaves it at somewhat of a laughable state as both of the Clan Wave 1 assaults and even now the King Crab can out tank and out DPS the mech easily. While the hardpoints leave the Atlas locked into its firepower (which isn't bad as it is), the amount of beating it can take is no longer the strength which made it a cornerstone of a push against an enemy team.

The idea I, and others I've talked to, have had about the Atlas was that it was a walking wall meant to take the brunt of damage while putting a hurt back on its attackers and be the tip of the wedge of the hammer to deal the crippling blows on the battlefield. While the latter can still occur, the previously mentioned mechs can do a much better job of it and make the Atlas (at 100 tons no less) a pick only for pug matches now. Its limit of a STD engine due to hitboxes further limits that tonnage and its effectiveness as none of its torsos are the equivelant of hitting a brick wall anymore.

So in order to bring the Atlas back to what I take as the epitome of a walking wall, I suggest that it receives Armor bonus quirks to augment its intended role.

Thoughts, suggestions, and counter arguments?

The main problem is time to kill mechs in general, its not a problem with the Atlas. The Stormcrow and Timberwolf are good because they have broken hitboxes that dont register damage properly. A Warhawk in comparison to those 2 feels like its made out of tin foil. The Atlas still takes damage very well, and can soak damage on its arms... problem is firepower and alphas are way higher than they used to be, so it feels less tanky than it did before, despite the increase to structure on its torso's.

TTK needs to go up across the board by about 1/3 imo, including clan mechs, and they need to fix the Stormcrow and Timber hitboxes to normal status like the rest of the mechs. Until then, the game is broken sadly.

Edited by Alwrath, 13 January 2015 - 11:08 AM.

[Sarlic]

Alwrath, on 13 January 2015 - 11:07 AM, said:

The main problem is time to kill mechs in general, its not a problem with the Atlas. The Stormcrow and Timberwolf are good because they have broken hitboxes that dont register damage properly. A Warhawk in comparison to those 2 feels like its made out of tin foil. The Atlas still takes damage very well, and can soak damage on its arms... problem is firepower and alphas are way higher than they used to be, so it feels less tanky than it did before, despite the increase to structure on its torso's.

TTK needs to go up across the board by about 1/3 imo, including clan mechs, and they need to fix the Stormcrow and Timber hitboxes to normal status like the rest of the mechs. Until then, the game is broken sadly.

Koniving had a good post about this.

[Gaius Cavadus]

ITT: we learn that all level 2 tech is wildly imbalanced.

Which is true. Only level 1 tech was every truly balanced and even parts of that were kinda rough.

But power creep is power creep. It even happened in the boardgame; it happened here.

[Kinjikai]

Insert AtlasPunchingWarhawk.jpg

[BourbonFaucet]

MauttyKoray, on 13 January 2015 - 10:51 AM, said:

Thoughts, suggestions, and counter arguments?

How about a damage resistance buff rather than a numerical armor/structure buff?

Say it's 20% across all 3 torso sections.

A medium laser inflicts 5 points of damage. A 20% reduction reduces this to 4. In reality, each "tick" of the laser for .5 damage does .4 damage instead. Each LRM would do .8 damage (still don't get why they nerfed it by .1 damage).

This also HELPS in protecting the equipment in the structure without needing 2 quirks.

Edit: Lol, that clbuttic mistake. It censored out a word that means "helps" and also just coincidentally just happens to be a virus.

Edited by Techorse, 13 January 2015 - 11:26 AM.

[Brody319]

Rounding a corner and ending up face to face with a King Crab/Dire Wolf in your favorite locust.

[Rhaythe]

Brody319, on 13 January 2015 - 11:31 AM, said:

Rounding a corner and ending up face to face with a King Crab/Dire Wolf  in your favorite locust.

Hit-reg issues, don't fail me now!!

[Joseph Mallan]

MauttyKoray, on 13 January 2015 - 10:51 AM, said:

I gotta admit that the Atlas, pre-clan, was the thing you turned the corner and shat your pants over because you knew things were gonna hurt and it was gonna stick around long enough to do its job. The current state of it however leaves it at somewhat of a laughable state as both of the Clan Wave 1 assaults and even now the King Crab can out tank and out DPS the mech easily. While the hardpoints leave the Atlas locked into its firepower (which isn't bad as it is), the amount of beating it can take is no longer the strength which made it a cornerstone of a push against an enemy team.

The idea I, and others I've talked to, have had about the Atlas was that it was a walking wall meant to take the brunt of damage while putting a hurt back on its attackers and be the tip of the wedge of the hammer to deal the crippling blows on the battlefield. While the latter can still occur, the previously mentioned mechs can do a much better job of it and make the Atlas (at 100 tons no less) a pick only for pug matches now. Its limit of a STD engine due to hitboxes further limits that tonnage and its effectiveness as none of its torsos are the equivelant of hitting a brick wall anymore.

So in order to bring the Atlas back to what I take as the epitome of a walking wall, I suggest that it receives Armor bonus quirks to augment its intended role.

Thoughts, suggestions, and counter arguments?

As a Long time Atlas Pilot, I do not want any more help being deadly.

[Kaeb Odellas]

I'd like to see all of the Atlases' weapon quirks stripped away in exchange for more durability and torso twist. Something like a 50% boost to internals and 20% faster twist speed or something.

Also, give the K variant another hardpoint for gods' sakes. Give it an extra missile or something. That thing blows.

[Joseph Mallan]

Kaeb Odellas, on 13 January 2015 - 11:45 AM, said:

I'd like to see all of the Atlases' weapon quirks stripped away in exchange for more durability and torso twist. Something like a 50% boost to internals and 20% faster twist speed or something.

Also, give the K variant another hardpoint for gods' sakes. Give it an extra missile or something. That thing blows.

Maybe as an Option. I am more a offensive Assault player and like my range/cyclic increases. But understand that others like to feel "tankish".

[FupDup]

Joseph Mallan, on 13 January 2015 - 11:48 AM, said:

Maybe as an Option. I am more a offensive Assault player and like my range/cyclic increases. But understand that others like to feel "tankish".

If you want offense over defense, you can choose a mech like a King Crab or Dire Whale.

[Joseph Mallan]

FupDup, on 13 January 2015 - 11:48 AM, said:

If you want offense over defense, you can choose a mech like a King Crab or Dire Whale.

I have the King, but still prefer my Atlas-S, But thanks for the offer!

[Mercules]

Brody319, on 13 January 2015 - 11:31 AM, said:

Rounding a corner and ending up face to face with a King Crab/Dire Wolf in your favorite locust.

I thought that tended to go more like this:

[cSand]

Joseph Mallan, on 13 January 2015 - 11:34 AM, said:

As a Long time Atlas Pilot, I do not want any more help being deadly.

Amen

My Atlas S needs to get up close, but at that point any TBW or DWF or whatever the f**k you want to throw at me is just cannon fodder

[LordKnightFandragon]

Kinjikai, on 13 January 2015 - 11:19 AM, said:

Insert AtlasPunchingWarhawk.jpg

Does that work? And why doesnt the PGI WHK have big long barrels like that for the lasers? Instead we get stubbies.....will forever wonder when we can get a WHK that looks like a WHK.

Edited by LordKnightFandragon, 13 January 2015 - 01:03 PM.