13 replies to this topic

[Mazzyplz]

i constantly hear people bad mouthing and trash talking this mech like it's the worst mech in the game, i bought it a long time ago and i thought i had done enough to redeem it but since i come back to the game about 2 weeks ago i notice people still looking down on the good ol' 8t; one of my favorite awesomes hands down (with 9m and 8r) -
i don't know what the meta websites say, couldn't care less.

(note that i play solo matches usually because community warfare is boring currently IMO)

Spoiler

ALL THESE PICTURES ARE DATED ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, NONE IS OLDER THAN 5 DAYS.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...2f074a03a624e39
this is it. will try and make some space for more srm ammo if i can.
EDIT:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d274db406136ed1
(now without ams but with 2x srm4 - armor values are now correct also)


modules are large pulse range and large pulse cooldown with obviously coolshots, both coolshots.
(now uses radar deprivation + both large pulse range+cooldown)

the weapon groups are 3 large pulses grouped (no chainfire)
medlas + erll grouped to leg light mechs
srm group to shake enemies off at close range.
and maybe you can add some chained groups too. (i don't use weapon groups at all)


now i am not saying this is the best build there is, just the one i use but dont be so quick to dismiss the 8t. it's actually good IMO, whenever i dont get good damage i get a few kills, it's rare that i walk out of a match empty handed - still there are some people telling players to stay away from the 8t and that's really sad

Edited by Mazzyplz, 15 May 2015 - 12:44 AM.

[oldradagast]

The 8T is not bad, but it is perhaps the least focused of an already questionable chassis... though that hard-point mess known as "Pretty Baby" is worse.

Personally, I think you'd be better off dropping the SRM 2 and SRM 4 and just using 1 SRM 6. Why? Because that way all the missiles are fired from the same point vs. 2 coming from one torso and 4 from the other; it also means all the missiles are fired at once vs. being on 2 different reload times. My suggested change won't reduce your alpha, but slightly improves your cooling efficiency and offers the above-mentioned increase in SRM accuracy.

As for me, I've had plenty of success in my 8T - far more than anyone probably should. I currently run it as follows:
- Standard 300
- Typical upgrades: DHS and Endo
- 2 LRM 10's (I think with artemis) and Beagle Active Probe.
- AMS
- 5 Medium pulse lasers

This offers a decent long-range damage output, while the 5 medium pulse lasers are a solid threat to mechs that get too close. Play it at medium to longer ranges until you are out of LRM ammo, then look for weakened targets to carve to pieces with the pulse lasers.

Note that the large number of arm mounted weapons also gives you some ability in a brawl and against lights. Don't get me wrong - you're NOT a brawler, but you can track close, fast targets better than a lot of assault mechs.

Edited by oldradagast, 30 April 2015 - 03:30 AM.

[Mazzyplz]

yes i thought about the single srm6, but then the cycle time is longer

also if i lose any side i dont lose all my missiles which is good, put the srm2 in the side of the ams so if they knock ams out still have 4, if they knock srm4 out still got ams+ 2

Edited by Mazzyplz, 30 April 2015 - 10:15 AM.

[_____]

You can do OK in the 8T, but it just takes more effort.

• You can't do asymmetrical builds and so you don't have a true shield side
  
• You don't have shield arms unless you just don't use one of the arm's hardpoints, which leaves you with too much tonnage
  
• For LRM support, 8R is better
  
• For SRM spam/brawling, 8R and 8V is better
  
• Laser vom, 8Q and 9M are better

8T just doesn't quite excel at specific anything. It's not terrible, but relative to the other AWSs it's at the bottom, like the PB.

[Mazzyplz]

no i disagree.

8t > 8q in my opinion, those torso hardpoints are just plain bad for me.
and if you want to use them for ppc better get 9m.


you can do more than just ok i think, in those matches i played plenty of people with king crab, dire wolf, stalker and whatever else and they didn't one up the awesome in fact when i play with another awesome 90% chance we win. just the way it plays out from what i have seen.

you have seen differently then that's fine thats your experience, but it doesn't trump my own

[_____]

ERPPCs are still not so great after the 9M quirks. They're meant to hit stuff over 700m (PPC+8Q quirks+range module) and the ERPPC velocity still makes it harder to hit stuff at that range if they're moving. It's still heat inefficient compared with every other weapon in the game. This is why I prefer to run ERLLs on the 9M instead of the ERPPC. But others will run ERPPCs if that does better for them.

The torso mounts on the 8Q are higher up than the arms so that's always good, and they're closer together so you have to expose less of yourself to shoot. The 8T's arm lasers on the other hand has a greater range of motion for sure, but the entire width of the mech has to be exposed to do full damage. It's also lower mounted making it harder to hit stuff peeking over ridges or if you're peeking over the side of a ridge yourself.

It's possible that you don't arm shield that often, so you don't think that's important. But having an arm to take damage is one of the advantages of most IS mechs. That's something that the 8T can't do.

Anyways, it's good to hear from another person's perspective on the 8T and it should be heard. I think it's different from what most people would say who have looked at the 8T, but you know that's your right to have that opinion and more power to you if you can do well in it.

Edited by BlackhawkSC, 30 April 2015 - 09:21 PM.

[oldradagast]

Mazzyplz, on 30 April 2015 - 09:27 AM, said:

yes i thought about the single srm6, but then the cycle time is longer

also if i lose any side i dont lose all my missiles which is good, put the srm2 in the side of the ams so if they knock ams out still have 4, if they knock srm4 out still got ams+ 2

To each their own, of course, but the longer cycle time of the SRM 6 is a small price to pay, IMHO for the benefits:
- Slightly better cooling efficiency
- Better missile grouping (all fired from one location)
- No need to worry about launcher desync (the SRM 2 is recharged but the SRM 4 isn't yet - do you fire or not?)

Also, the SRM's are such a minor aspect to this mech, that I wouldn't worry about needing to split them up so you still have 1 launcher per side. Your main weapons by far are the big energy weapons - 2 per arm. Everything else on that build is just a backup weapon.

An argument could made to forgo the missiles entirely, but that would just make the 8T an odd cousin to pure energy mechs like the 8Q. Eh... I just wish the Awesomes were better mechs and energy weapons weren't so limited in this game; it's basically lasers or nothing, and more than a few of those = overheating unless the mech is super-quirked.

[Mad Ox]

In right hands any mech in game can be made to shine some mechs just alot harder to shine up.

[Zordicron]

It's a playstyle, and many don't like it, or don't understand it either.

I dropped with you a couple times fairly recently. You would kept away from the major front fighting, and this gave you endurance for the match, which of course allows higher dmg scores. As the fuzzball unfolded, it was part of your plan to allow others to take the incoming fire so you could effectively return fire.

There is nothing wrong with that for an Awesome. In fact, it has to play that way. It is basically as durable as most lighter heavy mechs(like 60 tons) because of the hitbox and size of mech. And a bit slow by today's standards. It has suitable firepower, though to do it it tends to run a tad hot unless you follow quirks closely on each variant. If you advance into a fight with your team mates, you will not survive it, and the team loses the firepower.

Many players do not like this playstyle, the playstyle of "let the other guys take the lead and brunt of it" when running assault mechs. I think a lot of the Awesome hater club members don't even understand it, hence the "it dies so easy" remarks after they get blown away 2 minutes into a match.

I like Awesomes. I kept all of mine after I mastered them, though I must admit I did not like the T as much as others, because I felt the hardpoints for the missile weapons too limited. baby of course has a special place in MWO as the whipping pole, but thats another story. BUt, you have to be in the right mood to play the Awesome, and be in the right mindset to allow others to dictate basically where you go and what you shoot, despite being a big bad assault mech. And you have to be ok with letting those other players be the ones to step out and get focused so you can lay a smack down without getting nuked.

[oldradagast]

Eldagore: Agreed.

The Awesome has one thing going for it - decent speed for an assault. Okay, it's not FAST, but FAST comes at the price of XL engines or stupid-big standard engines. Point being is that while it is not tough enough to lead the charge, it's fast enough to enter the furball once the fight has begun.

That being said, they are still tough to play and suffer from a host of small issues none of which, on their own, would be crippling, but taken together really do limit the mech. I still like them, but it's just an odd match between them and me, not a testimony to the quality of the Awesome. They aren't unplayable, but unless you mesh well with them, you'll probably do better in almost anything else that's comparable in weight.

Edited by oldradagast, 07 May 2015 - 06:04 PM.

[Mazzyplz]

why yes eldagore, i actually don't try and tank enemies usually because to me that's not what the awesome is about!
to me, if we should compare assault mechs to huge tanks with big weapons, then the awesome is this:

http://upload.wikime.../T813_army2.JPG

or this !

http://upload.wikime...et_PICT6026.JPG

it is just a huge 80 ton arsenal with very little pilot survivability, but you have to give it credit for being able to boat so many weapons, where the zeus and victor really can't!! the torso movement is good as well so that's always a plus - i think many awesome pilots just get tanked and explode because their arsenal is not damaging the enemy enough that they don't turn around and flee, which is what happens when i shoot - that gives me some time to breathe because the best defense is a good offense
i wish awesome pilots would stop making their loadouts so energy efficient like an inner sphere gargoyle, that's not playing to the chassis strengths, it needs to be kitted out like an underton stalker, heaviest weapon per hardpoint IMO

idk if i was just crashing and burning when i played with u but when i can hope to play good in the 8t - it looks something like this;


(finally able to record some gameplay now that i have an nvidia card without my game becoming unplayable! -for the most part)


enough stopping power for brawling ranges too









this is the same build from above but i got rid of ams and srm2 to go for dual srm4s. i think the criticism on my 2+4 was somewhat valid, so ams gone - now definitely dependent on radar derp module though! [i am thinking of using advanced seismic sensor on this chassis so i can better know where the danger is]
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d274db406136ed1
will edit first link with srm8 now.


it's funny that you mention me hanging back at first - that's correct for the most part lol - i sometimes take a role covering the back of the group like sarna says vanguard role for awesome. and sometimes i do shoot at light mechs as a light mech hunter or intercepting any sort of flankers at the back - but it's not that i let other players take all the heat for me either, not afraid to face a mech head on for a few seconds nor to lead a charge;
mostly i focus keeping the bulk of the team safe, bouncing from the back to the forward of the train when needed and moving back again with my generalist loadout - and in this metagame - when i cannot be king of the hill in a sniper game like in tourmaline lately i find that i can do the role of the charger, assault recon >
go a separate way from the team, defend myself from lights w/o support if i can time a window right in order to go back to the group in time, after relaying intel.

any case i start the match out as vanguard vs flanks / light hunter / gathering intel / sniping - at some point in the match i turn into a mainline mech and try to stand in the front, even if not visible - so i can split the map with my firepower, and anything a line mech would do like support a push and facetank as well, though ambushing is preferred for all aws, all the time.

- in particular with this 8t build, one very useful thing about it, its like a vulture - if you can see an enemy on the map without ct armor you can kill him and go back to being unseen, the laser vomit on this is enough to wreck any structure ct except another awesome with their +20ct hp structure bonus. it is much better at sniping weak prey like this among their pack than the 8q or 9m because of those arm hardpoints as well

i also got an 8 kill game with this 8t recently - although i havent had that much time to play the 8t in the past 10 days or so

i wont tell you this mech is great in CW or 12 man, but on a pick up group scenario it wrecks!

Edited by Mazzyplz, 22 May 2015 - 10:11 PM.

[WatDo]

Awesomes are fine, they're like Blackjacks in two ways - people underestimate them, and they're my most powerful mechs right now.

I don't like your builds though. You want laser vomit awesome, try this ---> http://mwo.smurfy-ne...echlab#modified

You have a bigger engine, you go FASTER than your clan counterpart, the warhawk. You also mount comparable damage with better heat management, as none of your weapons hit the ghost heat cap (meaning alphas fo dayz yo). You can even ZOMBIE, AND you have a shield arm. The awesome can be ridiculously hard to kill, even if it is as big as a barn. Alpha, twist to either arm, twist back and alpha again. Solid gold.

Edit - Just noticed the link doesn't work, i don't want to sign up on smurfy to save the build though. It's a 9m with a standard 340 engine, 2 lpl, 4 mpl, endo, ferro, 17 double heat sinks with some armor shaved to fit it all.

Edited by WatDo, 24 May 2015 - 12:26 AM.

[Mazzyplz]

WatDo, on 24 May 2015 - 12:22 AM, said:

Awesomes are fine, they're like Blackjacks in two ways - people underestimate them, and they're my most powerful mechs right now.

I don't like your builds though. You want laser vomit awesome, try this ---> http://mwo.smurfy-ne...echlab#modified

You have a bigger engine, you go FASTER than your clan counterpart, the warhawk. You also mount comparable damage with better heat management, as none of your weapons hit the ghost heat cap (meaning alphas fo dayz yo). You can even ZOMBIE, AND you have a shield arm. The awesome can be ridiculously hard to kill, even if it is as big as a barn. Alpha, twist to either arm, twist back and alpha again. Solid gold.

Edit - Just noticed the link doesn't work, i don't want to sign up on smurfy to save the build though. It's a 9m with a standard 340 engine, 2 lpl, 4 mpl, endo, ferro, 17 double heat sinks with some armor shaved to fit it all.

i already run a very similar 9m, good thinking there! i mostly use that one on my drop deck, i just love this 8t because i am arms player

[WatDo]

Mazzyplz, on 24 May 2015 - 12:25 PM, said:

i already run a very similar 9m, good thinking there! i mostly use that one on my drop deck, i just love this 8t because i am arms player

Cool beans. Lets hope these awesome Awesome builds don't get too popular and pgi decides to nerf em. ;P