126 replies to this topic

[Shae Starfyre]

Did it ever occur to anyone that those asking for locks are really saying in the short amount of space available...

"If your new to the game, the R key will lock your targets and your other team mates can get situational awareness, and any support mechs like LRM Boats, can support you. It will also provide you with a read-out in the upper right-hand corner so that you can disable or know the weak spots of the mech to be better effective at killing or winning the game. It is also true that while most LRM boats can and should get their own locks for the purposes of LOS and other bonus to inflict the maximum damage with their missiles, we often do not have or are limited in secondary weapondry. We also tend to be a bit slower, and can soften those targets for you as we approach so that you can get the kills too. It is also important to note that while I would love to bring my armor to bear, sometimes the faster lights and mediums who leave all the support and assaults behind would be better served to hold the targets as long as possible so we can catch up and put that armor and fire power to the advantage of the team..."


or...

"Press R for Rain"

I, personally, am too busy to read the former.

[Kotzi]

Ye, theres no point in weakining the enemies armor before brawling. Either you get butthurt or you act as a real teamplayer and adapt to your teams loadout. But go ahead rush into the enemy when he still has 100% armor. Then insult your teammates and ragequit and start a topic about how stupid "insertanyteammateorweaponsystemoranythingthatbothersyouatall".

[Gagis]

Tahribator, on 05 May 2015 - 03:44 AM, said:

Alright I need to vent too.



Any decent pilot will lock their targets constantly to get information about them. If they're not, then they're still learning and this phrase won't encourage them to change their behaviour anyway.

These whole set of "2160 missiles looking for a good home, locks pls" LRM boat mating calls at the beginning of the match are nothing more than saying "I have nothing but missiles and I will just park this baby in a ditch away from the fight. So go ahead and work for me!". I will lock my targets as usual, but I also know that we possibly have a player who will contribute minimally to the actual fight. It's discouraging.

If the owner of this sentence is in an Assault, then I find this sentence also selfish and repulsive. If you bring an Assault on the field, you are obligated to be at the frontline, intimidating the enemy and exchange hits. You are not supposed to be hiding 500m behind the frontline waiting for locks. Of course, nobody is holding you from doing that but know that it's just not the way to play an Assault.

The best locks are the locks you get on your own (due to target decay/radar derp). Embrace it and build a 'Mech with enough mobility to do that. I have nothing against LRMs or LRM boats (even I do it occasionally for fun) I just don't like people betting it all on LRMs and then expecting their team to the work for them.

This is why the only LRM boat that does not make me cringe is the Trebuchet 7M. It has a very good firepower/tonnage ratio, can move itself to very favourable firing positions and usually carries its own TAG. LRMs are a harassment weapon, and are best used in mechs that actually can get in place to harass the enemy.

I don't think I have ever seen a LRM Assault that did its share of work in a match, and even most LRM heavies are a stretch.

Edited by Gagis, 05 May 2015 - 05:02 AM.

[Kyynele]

Joseph Mallan, on 05 May 2015 - 03:12 AM, said:

Yup I will always invite missile boats to the party. Cause Winning is more important than my personal stats.

I don't get what personal stats have to do with this. It's much easier to get kills with direct fire than with missiles, just aim at the soft spot and see your name appear on the screen. Nobody who's anything in this game is truly worried about LRM boats stealing their kills.

Also, getting tons of kills and thus winning a game are better for your stats than hiding and trying not to die, having your team win some matches for you, despite your efforts.

You can also play badly with other weapon systems besides LRMs. The indirect fire option of LRMs just makes it possible that some people think it's THE way LRMs should be played. You don't have to be the passive coward that loses the team matches, you can get up there, get a lock and shoot your enemy in the face, even if you only brought LRMs.

[MechWarrior3671771]

"UAVs get expensive. I don't think I'm going to use them anymore"

But don't you need to scout for your team?


"Ya know, I never really liked scouting, I don't think I'm going to do that either"

So you're going to just what... stop playing lights?


"Nah. I'm just not going to scout"

But won't that hurt your team?

"Meh. I never really liked winning either."

[Kjudoon]

zortesh, on 05 May 2015 - 04:07 AM, said:

If your a lrmboat and you ain't tagging or narcing your frankly lazy.

And the only two reason I would ever give you locks is.
1: I'm narcing stuff in my warhawk so i can lrm things myself.
2: I need to lock stuff up so I can shoot the soft bits neways.

lrmsboats just aren't as useful to the team as .. practically any other mech...... I don't honestly know why people bother with the abundance of ecm mechs nowadays anyways... lrming stuff effectively takes so much more work and effort then just shooting stuff with directfire once you climb the elo ladder even a little bit.

If you're an LRM boat and you have a narc, you're meching wrong. Narcs are for scouts, not the LRMboats. Why? Because if you're THAT close, you're dead meat most times unless surrounded by your team, and even then, you aren't doing it right.

LRMboats aren't as useful because of selfish, whiny players have pushed PGI to ruin the weapon system with the constant tantrum Team...? Screw the team! I'm here for me and my stats and if I lose it's your fault! Me me me! What used to be a good counter to the long range meta now is obsolete because we have the "Super-Long Range meta" where one shot kills can happen at 1500m thanks to quirks, Clan Mech ranges and modules. Plus the magic box and Missile umbrella is pretty much a ubiquitous crutch for all those same whiners who complain that indirect fire weapons get to use cover from them. Nope. No hypocrisy here.

On the other hand.... You can't blame them though. They've managed to get these exploits put in the game for their benefit and normalized. Now, this is the game PGI wants and everything is "Working As Intended!"

Just like all other games, this game is about exploiting flaws in design and abusing every loophole found.

I'll just leave it at that.

[Ratpoison]

Narcs can work on mechs with excessive missile points, but it's very difficult to find the room and tonnage for that on top of LRMs and backup weapons.

Edited by tortuousGoddess, 05 May 2015 - 05:55 AM.

[Kjudoon]

tortuousGoddess, on 05 May 2015 - 05:54 AM, said:

Narcs can work on mechs with excessive missile points, but it's very difficult to find the room and tonnage for that on top of LRMs and backup weapons.

If the hardpoints are excessive, 5 tons for the NARC plus ammo is excessive for the needs 99% of the time. And again, you're still too close.

[Tahribator]

Gagis, on 05 May 2015 - 05:00 AM, said:

This is why the only LRM boat that does not make me cringe is the Trebuchet 7M. It has a very good firepower/tonnage ratio, can move itself to very favourable firing positions and usually carries its own TAG. LRMs are a harassment weapon, and are best used in mechs that actually can get in place to harass the enemy.

I don't think I have ever seen a LRM Assault that did its share of work in a match, and even most LRM heavies are a stretch.

That and the HBK-4J. It has monster DPS, the head laser for TAG, mobility to chase targets and constantly harass. Medium LRM boats are perfect if LRMs are your thing. Heck, even a CPL with JJs is perfectly capable of being an LRM harasser all the while keeping up with the team at the front. I'll even take an occasional ON1-VA.

When you go into Assault territory things rapidly change and you simply become helpless. Acquiring own locks are painful due to loss of mobility. Yes you will absolutely demolish a team single-handedly without ECM and an understanding of cover in your LRM60 KGC, but you'll miserably fail for the rest of the 90% of your matches.

[Gagis]

Kjudoon, on 05 May 2015 - 06:02 AM, said:

If the hardpoints are excessive, 5 tons for the NARC plus ammo is excessive for the needs 99% of the time. And again, you're still too close.

Under 150 is too close. Narc works at a greater distance than 150m.

Expecting mechs that are viable without LRM's of their own to field NARC is unreasonable. Teams can not afford to waste tonnage like that.

You don't really need NARC much in the first place. Having TAG+Artemis on your lurm boats is quite enough.

Being surrounded by your team is EXACTLY where a LRM boat should be.

Edited by Gagis, 05 May 2015 - 06:08 AM.

[Ratpoison]

Kjudoon, on 05 May 2015 - 06:02 AM, said:

If the hardpoints are excessive, 5 tons for the NARC plus ammo is excessive for the needs 99% of the time. And again, you're still too close.

450m is not at all too close, it's the range you're at when you're properly supporting your brawlers and not hanging back where your tonnage goes to waste.

[Catra Lanis]

I use R when I can, why the hell would I say no to what's esentially free artillery support?

[Almond Brown]

Burktross, on 04 May 2015 - 04:12 PM, said:

MWO:
A Team Based Game

Not when your gaming idles are "Rambo" and "Leroy Jenkins" it ain't. LOL!

[Kjudoon]

tortuousGoddess, on 05 May 2015 - 06:11 AM, said:

450m is not at all too close, it's the range you're at when you're properly supporting your brawlers and not hanging back where your tonnage goes to waste.

450 is minimum range as far as I'm concerned. Under that is danger close when you're packing almost exclusively LRMs. You should be out of range of Medium lasers.

[Almond Brown]

Jman5, on 04 May 2015 - 04:54 PM, said:

Yup. Indirect locks should be viewed as a nice little bonus, but you should never rely on players holding locks for you. I'm always suspicious of indirect locks because they can be lost at any moment. Then you have 100 missiles in the air that are destined to hit dirt.

But if they aren't "your" Missiles, it has not affect on your combat effectiveness right? When I read, have LRM's and someone reply they won't help lock, they also get SFA help when they cry out in need. That way, those who won't help others, don't get help when they need it either. Fair right?

[sycocys]

Target for yourself whether or not you have lrms. If you can't see that mech, chances are you aren't going to hit it with direct or indirect fire.

[Novakaine]

Kotzi, on 04 May 2015 - 10:26 PM, said:

Ye because this is COD mitch! Remove lights, narc, tag or anything else designed to acquire targets its everyone for himself. Dont steal my kills you blue guys.

You know what Ghost Bears make?
Damn fine rugs.

[Christof Romulus]

Poisoner, on 04 May 2015 - 02:33 PM, said:

Not sure how else I can elaborate this.

Well I mean... you could try, right?

[ilikerice]

Chuanhao, on 04 May 2015 - 09:51 PM, said:

Question on Game Mechanics

If you are on the receiving end of a blind-fired LRM volley (e.g. when being under ECM protection), Will the “incoming missiles” alarm / shrill go off to notify you of the threat? or will the alarm only go off when being fired upon when under active "R-key" tracking (i.e. no ECM cover)?

No it will not, it only goes off when firing while locked. This is also useful just to fire an lrm 5 that you know isn't going to hit just to drive a mech back into cover sometimes.

[Screech]

Any time a I see "Hold R for loc" I get behind them.