51 replies to this topic

[Nightshade24]

Really depends...

On mech, at the time, if I am the priority target to them or simply ignored, etc...


There's a difference between me wanting to leg a light mech or wanting me wanting to leg an assault... it also depends if it is the first minute of the game or the last enemy running away)

All I can say is take a pinch of salt from each person here, keep in mind about playstyle, role, and situation... and also take a bit more salt from some people then others.

Rest of the info? It lays in the game and in your hands, practice and learning from your fights will help you out here...

[FlipOver]

About the legs thing, that is huge when it comes to light mechs and yesterday I had a match where that was amazingly obvious.

Got myself in a bad spot due to piloting my mech without paying much attention to where I was going (brainfreeze or something).

In seconds my centurion (50 ton mech) was between an enemy Adder and a Firestarter (combined 70 tons and much much more weapon hardpoints with just one target to focus on.

Had little to no time to think, all I did was aim for the Firestarters legs, seconds later he was going at 40Kph and I could finish him with ease.

Did the same to the Adder and got out of there with 60-65% armor left, but alive and working well enough to help out the team cap a point and also give the team info about enemy position by locking targets at the distance and out of the enemies field of view (also managed to fight and die to delay the last assault while he was rushing to help his team).

So again, against lights, no need to overthink things, go for the legs! A few solid hits and they are at your mercy.

Edited by FlipOver, 29 July 2015 - 11:58 PM.

[Elizander]

Also please take note that that this isn't some simple click and shoot type game since you do have other things to worry about.

1) Are you taking too long to decide what to shoot? Center mass.
2) Do you really have the heat/ammo to waste blowing off a side torso? If you blow off the side torso in a 1v1 situation will you have enough heat left to chew through the CT?
3) Are you exposing yourself for too long? Just fire and duck back under cover.

Accuracy and speed of aiming will come with time. It's sometimes more important for you to land some shots quickly and take cover rather than worry about all the complicated things in the game. Right now I mostly default to center mass without thinking be it a light mech or a direwolf. I almost always bring an AC/Gauss/PPC so even if it's a light mech he's gonna reel from taking 15-20+ damage in one torso location and I just try to compensate with twisting if I'm trying to CT core a Direwolf face to face.

I'm slightly improving with hitting light mechs CT with gauss/PPC/ACs though it's still mostly 30%-40% accuracy. It's not like they can kill me instantly though so I have the luxury of missing a little. Most of my light kills recently have been CT/ST since I don't aim for their legs anymore unless I see those stripped.

[sycocys]

I tend to shoot for upper CT to start out unless there's things ready to come off. Once you have their front armor busted or on the ropes you control the angles they can attack from, and going upper rather than legs drops 1 potential hitbox from damage spreading around to (head with 18 armor versus losing the legs with generally 40+).

My personal preference is to put damage into the primary location that will kill any mech on the field which is CT and Head area, if you take out legs first you still have to contend with their weapons - where if you strip their CT/ST/Head armor they won't be so keen on facing you up.

[Tarogato]

Running large pinpoint? I usually aim for cockpit. It's worth it for the lucky headshots you get from time to time, esp. with dual gauss and the BJ-1X. If you miss the cockpt, it goes CT anyways, so nothing wasted. If situation is too hairy to aim for the cockpit, then I usually go for center mass... except lights I always go legs, DRG-1N go for the arm, and popular XL assaults and heavies I go for the XL.

So to answer your question... in general, yes. Generally, center mass. Focusing specific components is a waste of time, heat, and ammo, unless it's a specific mech (like the DRG-1N) or a mech you know has an XL.

Edited by Tarogato, 30 July 2015 - 01:49 PM.

[Divine Decoy]

So much talking, some over thinking..... There are only 4 things/rules of the game

1) If you are in a fast mech (over 100 kph) try to shoot mechs in the back where armor is weak.

2) FOUCS FIRE on the same mech with the team...... aim CT.

3) SWEEP THE LEG on light mechs!!!! if it is a small light mech, SHOOT THE LEG so it can't run. basicly, if its small shot the LEG. Hey, i'm in a Stalker or Direwolf and I can't hit a Nova (then you have bad aim, BUT) SWEEP THE LEGs. Firestarter? LEGS

4) The enemy mech is badly damaged and you can take out a component. Hey, that catapult's ears are red, lets finish them off.....

The few mechs that have XLs with side Torsos that can be hit are Jagers (looking at you bombjager/jagerbombs) Griffins, Wolverines, Shadowharks, and Victors). Even out of those mechs you be surprised how many have standard Engines.... (the joy of my STD Logan Wolverine face tanking assults that all aim for the RT hoping to kill me....)

WHY GUESS, CT ALWAYS KILLS!!! focus fire on same target with your team, and WIN. the TTK (time to kill) in this game is soo fast why play around until you know u want points/cbills for your guaranteed win


This is simple logic, spread it around (or don't so i can rack up more points in subpar mechs like the Urbie and Awesome 8Q or my brawling Login surprise Wolvie)

If you over think it, you mess it up. heat of combat do what I said. SURE you can take out a dragon 5n's arm or a Nova or Warhawk's arms and cut their power in half (or almost none on a dragon or hunchie) BUT, the time it takes to get through you coulda probably killed the mech on the EASY TO HIT CT....



ALSO if you in a group and playing CW on defense, everyone aim for one leg with out killing them..... it's just fun and mean

Edited by Divine Decoy, 30 July 2015 - 02:50 PM.

[jss78]

Divine Decoy, on 30 July 2015 - 02:46 PM, said:

The few mechs that have XLs with side Torsos that can be hit are Jagers (looking at you bombjager/jagerbombs) Griffins, Wolverines, Shadowharks, and Victors). Even out of those mechs you be surprised how many have standard Engines.... (the joy of my STD Logan Wolverine face tanking assults that all aim for the RT hoping to kill me....)

(emphasis mine)

This is true. Definitely in the lower Elos where I play, and as a customary targeter of ST's, I find there are lots of people running STD engines even in mechs which are by general consensus considered "XL friendly". Not sure if these if these people don't know better, are space poor, or are simply plain contrarians, but they're definitely out there in numbers.

[Koniving]

CoolLew, on 29 July 2015 - 05:55 AM, said:

Questions guys-
Veterans, when y'all are in the chaos of battle, do you take the time to shoot at arms and such, or do you just shoot for center mass?

Take FlipOver's first rule when applicable: Otherwise....

If the build appears to use an Inner Sphere XL engine, go immediately for the most dangerous side's ST.

If the enemy survives, or if the build clearly cannot be using an XL engine, or if the build uses a Clan XL engine.... go for center mass. If they like to twist a lot but aren't terribly fast, Go For The Ballz!

Seriously. It's CT. It can't twist away. Butcher 'em. Get in there, grab 'em and yank 'em off!

[Malcolm Vordermark]

I rarely shoot for center mass, most of the time I have a specific location I want to target on a given mech. I only shoot center mass when I am under fire and getting lots of screen shake.

[no one]

Legs are getting to be a better bet recently. I've had people remove enough armor from my legs in the first few seconds of a match that a stray SRM could finish one off. It's like we all got a fake quirk pass. "-20% armor to all legs!"

Edit - Don't get me wrong, I like the concept of melee combat, but this ain't that.

Edited by no one, 30 July 2015 - 10:15 PM.

[Elizander]

As an extra thing to note, I run one of my Timberwolves with 1 Gauss, 2 LPL and 1 MPL without anything in the arms. I keep 1 armor in the arms so they are always in the red. There are times where I survived a fight because people were too busy shooting my arms off.

[DieselBurner]

In a pug match: Yes Center Mass Every Time.

With my team? Depends! ;D