24 replies to this topic

[Capnflintlock]

As a mechwarrior, I've always liked using mechs that were jack of all trades. The orion, for me, is one such mech. The On1-k is my go to variant, as it offers a healthy variety of weapon choices, and distributes them well across the mech. Currently, I've been running :

Max Armor
300 standard engine
3 extra double heat sinks
AMS (1 ton)
4 Medium Lasers
1 UAC 5 (3 tons)
1 LRM 15 (3 tons)
C.a.s.e in left and right torsos for ammo storage.

When in combat, I place myself on the second line of offense, behind the brawlers and assault mechs, offering support where I can. The DPS this thing punches out is insane, especially with its UAC5 quirk. The Medium lasers and LRM 15s let me do well in varying ranges, and ensures I'm able to help the team to some capacity no matter where I am. If I get attacked, my relatively high amount of armor can protect me fairly well, and I can lose varying portions of my mech and keep on fighting.

Down sides are, of course, its relatively easy to hit center torso, but when you're playing as a support, that issue isn't a huge problem. If I do get focused, I can fall back and use my LRMs.

Whats you're guys opinion on this mech since it got the quirk treatment.

[Johnny Z]

If I wasnt set on liking it I wouldnt bring it in my drop deck. My mediums do as well or better most often. My commando is worse than the Orions though.

To many mechs have PPC and ERPPC quirks so I think the Protector could use ERLL heat quirks to make it viable. That or buff the AC20 like the T bolts got a ppc buff? Armor like some are saying the Atlas needs?

Edited by Johnny Z, 18 January 2015 - 01:09 PM.

[Ngamok]

I like the M with the LBX-10 with the quirk and cool down module.

[zagibu]

Haven't tried one, yet, but I imagine it plays a little like a smaller, weaker Atlas.

[Capnflintlock]

zagibu, on 18 January 2015 - 12:39 PM, said:

Haven't tried one, yet, but I imagine it plays a little like a smaller, weaker Atlas.

A fairly accurate assumption now that I think about it. Its weapon loadout / placements are nearly identical to that of the atlas. If you were looking to play something that behaved like an atlas, but was faster, the orion would be a good pick for you, as you can still mount practically the same build, minus a few things unless you want to trade up onto a XL engine.

[Bishop Steiner]

Capnflintlock, on 18 January 2015 - 12:09 PM, said:

As a mechwarrior, I've always liked using mechs that were jack of all trades. The orion, for me, is one such mech. The On1-k is my go to variant, as it offers a healthy variety of weapon choices, and distributes them well across the mech. Currently, I've been running :

Max Armor
300 standard engine
3 extra double heat sinks
AMS (1 ton)
4 Medium Lasers
1 UAC 5 (3 tons)
1 LRM 15 (3 tons)
C.a.s.e in left and right torsos for ammo storage.

When in combat, I place myself on the second line of offense, behind the brawlers and assault mechs, offering support where I can. The DPS this thing punches out is insane, especially with its UAC5 quirk. The Medium lasers and LRM 15s let me do well in varying ranges, and ensures I'm able to help the team to some capacity no matter where I am. If I get attacked, my relatively high amount of armor can protect me fairly well, and I can lose varying portions of my mech and keep on fighting.

Down sides are, of course, its relatively easy to hit center torso, but when you're playing as a support, that issue isn't a huge problem. If I do get focused, I can fall back and use my LRMs.

Whats you're guys opinion on this mech since it got the quirk treatment.

I tend to stick to my VA, with a 340XL, ac10 and 4x aSRM4.

Yup, I ignore ALL the weapon specific quirks in the build, because they simply don't suit me, or the mech. An AC20 means a std300, which means slower twist and slower speed for getting that CT out of danger. SRM6s, even with artemis, don't focus damage effectively, they just provide fat stat padding damage numbers. So I stick to my 4s, for better RoF, tighter, more effective damage groupings, and an AC10 for better range and RoF.

While not as effective as it was pre clans, I still can wreck well, playing the Heavy Cav role. I suppose you could call it another version of second line support....where you stand back with UAC and LRMs, I flank the main action and lay heavy firepower into their backs and sides, and kill off the overextended ones.

My knock on the Orions? The quirks in general are boring, and don't fit the mech. The specific quirks should better reflect the design and role it was meant for, aka, the stock design, overall.

zagibu, on 18 January 2015 - 12:39 PM, said:

Haven't tried one, yet, but I imagine it plays a little like a smaller, weaker Atlas.

Smaller, weaker, but generally much more mobile, and therefore, survivable, Atlas. With only a small loss in armor and firepower. (I really have never found it's STs as vulnerable as people claim)

[Felicitatem Parco]

zagibu, on 18 January 2015 - 12:39 PM, said:

Haven't tried one, yet, but I imagine it plays a little like a smaller, weaker Atlas.

Yeah, unfortunately the Developers decided that the 75 ton Orion is designed to be weaker and less combat proficient than the 75 ton Timberwolf. So, don't expect it to "get love" in the way that would make it useful like a competitive Mech, or anything like that... :-(

Edit - Russ said it on Twitter, this is not just a TW is OP comment.

Edited by Prosperity Park, 18 January 2015 - 12:52 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Prosperity Park, on 18 January 2015 - 12:50 PM, said:

Yeah, unfortunately the Developers decided that the 75 ton Orion is designed to be weaker and less combat proficient than the 75 ton Timberwolf. So, don't expect it to "get love" in the way that would make it useful like a competitive Mech, or anything like that... :-(

sadly. BEcause I really want to love it. Of course, I really wanna love my Summoner, too.........

[Felicitatem Parco]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 January 2015 - 12:52 PM, said:

sadly. BEcause I really want to love it. Of course, I really wanna love my Summoner, too....
.....

I know. It's saddening when a decision is made to make one Mech intentionally-better than contemporary Mechs. It renders those contemporaries "inferior" and detracts from the game inventory's quality.

Heck, the Summoner is Russ's favorite Clan Mech, but he still decided to make the Timberwolf as good as it is simply to placate Lore-heads. It was probably a bad decision for the game's overall viability.

Edited by Prosperity Park, 18 January 2015 - 12:58 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Prosperity Park, on 18 January 2015 - 12:56 PM, said:

I know. It's saddening when a decision is made to make one Mech intentionally-better than contemporary Mechs. It renders those contemporaries "inferior" and detracts from the game inventory's quality.

Heck, the Summoner is Russ's favorite Clan Mech, but he still decided to make the Timberwolf as good as it is simply to placate Lore-heads. It was probably a bad decision for the game's overall viability.

Yup, my favorite non Warhammer mech, also.

So easy to fix a lot of the issues in this game, but seems like he relies on input from a very very small circle of people, whom, as quirks 1.0 pointed out, are often not as in touch with the game as one might think.

[Brody319]

No

[Erasmos]

I think Orion is one of the most under-rated mechs out there, and of all my hero mechs, the Protector is my favorite. (most consistent stats with it, too.)

I think the real problem is that people lack creativity with the builds, and insist on STD engine, when the side torsos don't get hit NEARLY as much as one would expect.

[Davers]

I am not sure about all that CASE in your build. Ammo explosions don't seem as common as they used to be.

I really tried to like the Orion myself. I never found a build I really liked, and I just felt like a punching bag every match.

[Bishop Steiner]

Colonel Tonberry, on 18 January 2015 - 01:39 PM, said:

I think Orion is one of the most under-rated mechs out there, and of all my hero mechs, the Protector is my favorite. (most consistent stats with it, too.)

I think the real problem is that people lack creativity with the builds, and insist on STD engine, when the side torsos don't get hit NEARLY as much as one would expect.

yup. most people believe the hype, and feel they HAVE to boat a single weapon to be useful. Orion is counter to that.

[zagibu]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 January 2015 - 12:49 PM, said:

I tend to stick to my VA, with a 340XL, ac10 and 4x aSRM4.

Yup, I ignore ALL the weapon specific quirks in the build, because they simply don't suit me, or the mech. An AC20 means a std300, which means slower twist and slower speed for getting that CT out of danger. SRM6s, even with artemis, don't focus damage effectively, they just provide fat stat padding damage numbers. So I stick to my 4s, for better RoF, tighter, more effective damage groupings, and an AC10 for better range and RoF.

Sounds good, I also often ignore mech quirks, because I like varied or brawley layouts more than boats and snipers. E.g. I have a TDR-5S with two AC/5, 3 ML and a SRM6. Works well for me.

I'll probably get the Orion at some point, but am currently on Blackjacks and after that will probably level the Cataphracts because of the tourney reward. Then maybe Enforcer. But after that, Orion is very likely. It just looks cool.

[Deathlike]

The overall logistics of the Orion are unimpressive... and the quirks don't help much to that.

Then again, I don't see them fielded often, so it speaks to how poorly the balance through the lack of proper quirks.

It's hard to hate on something that a minor few would bother fielding. It's sad really, and it's not even close to challenging the Timberwolf in any measurable way.

[kapusta11]

I run slow *** Orion M with 2.5 sec cooldown AC20 and 2x PPCs, doing fine. Hitboxes are actually pretty good (layout wise, not size) you can easily protect CT and thus devote the entire side for tanking.

Edited by kapusta11, 18 January 2015 - 02:59 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Deathlike, on 18 January 2015 - 02:41 PM, said:

The overall logistics of the Orion are unimpressive... and the quirks don't help much to that.

Then again, I don't see them fielded often, so it speaks to how poorly the balance through the lack of proper quirks.

It's hard to hate on something that a minor few would bother fielding. It's sad really, and it's not even close to challenging the Timberwolf in any measurable way.

IMO, what the Orion needs:

ALL MODELS:
ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE (LT): 16.00
ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE (RT): 16.00
ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE (CT): 16.00
ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE (LA): 10.00
ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE (RA): 10.00

It's an old school, tanky, generalist mech. Frequently meant to be an Assault mech. It should be TOUGH, and currently, thanks to things like mediocre hitboxes, it is not.

Weapon quirks should mirror it's intended roles, as always.
ON1-K
MEDIUM LASER DURATION: -10.00 %

LASER DURATION: -10.00 %

AC10 COOLDOWN: 15.00 %
BALLISTIC COOLDOWN: 15.00 %
MISSILE COOLDOWN: 12.50%
LRM COOLDOWN: 12.50 %

ON1-M
MEDIUM LASER DURATION: -10.00 %
LASER DURATION: -10.00 %
LB 10-X COOLDOWN: 20.00 %
BALLISTIC COOLDOWN: 20.00 %
MISSILE COOLDOWN: 20.00 %
LRM20 COOLDOWN 10%
possibly, increase ST structure, since it's designed around an XL engine.


PROTECTOR
GAUSS COOLDOWN:20%
BALLISTICS COOLDOWN: 20%
PPC PROJECTILE SPEED: 25%
PPC COOLDOWN: 15%
ENERGY COOLDOWN 15%
ENERGY HEAT REDUCTION 15%


ON1-V
BALLISTICS COOLDOWN: 15%
AC10 COOLDOWN: 15%
MISSILE COOLDOWN: 20%
SRM4 COOLDOWN:10%
LRM15 COOLDOWN 10%
MISSILE HEAT REDUCTION: 20%

ON1-VA
BALLISTICS COOLDOWN: 15%
AC10 COOLDOWN: 15%
MISSILE COOLDOWN: 20%
SRM4 COOLDOWN: 20%
MISSILE HEAT REDUCTION: 20%





SOMETHING more along those lines would at least give them some roles, and be more lore accurate to what it should perform like. Obviously the numbers are just fast guestimates.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 18 January 2015 - 03:08 PM.

[ChapeL]

I still think the Inner Sphere answer to the Timber Wolf is not meant to happen in the 3049-50 line up of heavies but somwhere among the excellent designs they come up with starting 3052, like the Penetrator, War Dog, Maelstrom, Dragon Fire and Gallowglass. Any of which could be fitted to perform similar to the TW. ( I said perform, not do the exact same thing )

In the here and now, the Orion is a fun mech with a wide array of weapons, that isn't mean't to be the tip of the spear like the Timber Wolf can be.

[kapusta11]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 January 2015 - 03:00 PM, said:

ON1-VA
BALLISTICS COOLDOWN: 15%
AC10 COOLDOWN: 15%
MISSILE COOLDOWN: 20%
SRM4 COOLDOWN: 20%
MISSILE HEAT REDUCTION: 20%

I see what you did there.

Edited by kapusta11, 18 January 2015 - 03:11 PM.