58 replies to this topic

[Tastian]

One of the first things I do in a match is figure out where the Assault Lance is starting. I then usually rally toward them (and encourage the group to do the same). If I'm in an ECM mech I usually try to escort them to the rest of the team (and announce that I'm bringing ECM escort).

I've found the Shadowcats especially good at escorting the Whales because they fill more of a support role then a light would.

So, here's the story. I'm escorting a Dire Wolf and hanging back with him during the match. After a brawl gets started I notice he's standing at the back of the group and starts getting attacked by an ECM Spider. My Shadowcat has 2 ER Large Lasers but I decide to try to help. I run towards the Dire and start shooting the little guy a bit. I also put my ECM on Counter. The Spider runs off ... success! Then I take a Gauss slug to the torso out of nowhere. That Spider must have brought a friend. I switch ECM back on Disrupt and circle a bit standing close to the Dire Wolf. Another Gauss slug to the leg. And that's when I notice the 'friendly' Dire Wolf is facing me; shooting me! The conversation goes something like this:

ME: "Stop shooting me"
HIM: "You were shooting me. You almost cored my rear armor"
ME: "That wasn't me. It was a Spider on your butt. I came to help."
HIM: "I saw you shoot me."
ME: "I have ER Large Lasers. I may have grazed you while firing at the Spider."

So. He never saw the Spider. He noticed his armor was getting shredded, looked up and saw a friendly shooting in his direction. After repeatedly explaining to him what happened he continued yelling at me and never thanked me for helping him or apologized for stripping half my armor off and one torso.


To pilots who generally bring Assault mechs - do you appreciate support?

[Mudhutwarrior]

Typical of a player lacking situational awareness.

[Xetelian]

I know I appreciate support when I'm prowling around in my 100 tonners.

[0bsidion]

I play assaults more than pretty much anything, and yeah I appreciate support, but it's extremely rare to actually get it. It sounds like that guy had all the situational awareness of a grapefruit. If it had been me, I'd have noticed the ECM effect on my HUD and would be looking for the enemy responsible.

[Piney II]

When I drive a fattie, I definitely appreciate support. I also like driving mediums and heavies to support the big guys.

Keep your assaults healthy and happy as you escort them to the party........and help them out in the brawl.

[patataman]

I usually do the same and try to form up on the assault lance at the beginning of the match, wait for slow crabs, atlas and dires, but never had that kind of incident. When piloting an assault, a friendly ECM is most welcome. Thank you in regard of all the assault pilots.

[Tastian]

0bsidion, on 02 September 2015 - 05:43 AM, said:

I play assaults more than pretty much anything, and yeah I appreciate support, but it's extremely rare to actually get it. It sounds like that guy had all the situational awareness of a grapefruit. If it had been me, I'd have noticed the ECM effect on my HUD and would be looking for the enemy responsible.

I thought about that after the match ended: Why didn't he notice the ECM effect of the Spider? That would have been a dead giveaway.

[Rhaythe]

Tastian, on 02 September 2015 - 05:46 AM, said:

I thought about that after the match ended: Why didn't he notice the ECM effect of the Spider? That would have been a dead giveaway.

Common sense isn't very common.

[Lugh]

Tastian, on 02 September 2015 - 05:36 AM, said:

One of the first things I do in a match is figure out where the Assault Lance is starting. I then usually rally toward them (and encourage the group to do the same). If I'm in an ECM mech I usually try to escort them to the rest of the team (and announce that I'm bringing ECM escort).

I've found the Shadowcats especially good at escorting the Whales because they fill more of a support role then a light would.

So, here's the story. I'm escorting a Dire Wolf and hanging back with him during the match. After a brawl gets started I notice he's standing at the back of the group and starts getting attacked by an ECM Spider. My Shadowcat has 2 ER Large Lasers but I decide to try to help. I run towards the Dire and start shooting the little guy a bit. I also put my ECM on Counter. The Spider runs off ... success! Then I take a Gauss slug to the torso out of nowhere. That Spider must have brought a friend. I switch ECM back on Disrupt and circle a bit standing close to the Dire Wolf. Another Gauss slug to the leg. And that's when I notice the 'friendly' Dire Wolf is facing me; shooting me! The conversation goes something like this:

ME: "Stop shooting me"
HIM: "You were shooting me. You almost cored my rear armor"
ME: "That wasn't me. It was a Spider on your butt. I came to help."
HIM: "I saw you shoot me."
ME: "I have ER Large Lasers. I may have grazed you while firing at the Spider."

So. He never saw the Spider. He noticed his armor was getting shredded, looked up and saw a friendly shooting in his direction. After repeatedly explaining to him what happened he continued yelling at me and never thanked me for helping him or apologized for stripping half my armor off and one torso.


To pilots who generally bring Assault mechs - do you appreciate support?

I love support, and I am rarely so blind that I don't know what is shooting me from where..

[jss78]

I mostly run mediums, and 90% of the time the first thing I do is hit "Q" and head for the fatties.

At least in the low-tier cesspool where I play .. I find about the biggest predictor of team performance is who best supports their assaults. That it, who lets the assaults concentrate on what they do best, which is, punish the *ell out of whatever is in front of them., without having to worry too much about their rear.

In a lot of the NASCAR matches, unfortunately, the faster mechs are happy to feed themselves to the enemy without waiting for the fatties. I fail to see how that's a good idea if you could alternatively wait just one minute and then enter the fight with four King Crabs, Dire Wolves, etc. by your side.

[Kira Onime]

Awareness in this game is a super power or something reserved to "tryhards".

Edited by Kira_Onime, 02 September 2015 - 06:17 AM.

[The Great Unwashed]

Players who take assaults without seismic, do not notice ECM disruption and do not notice enemy targets near them (I assume you went to counter and locked the spider) when taking fire should be awarded with a very large bundle of balloons so that other players can stay away from them.

I only took continuous, deliberate FF once from a player that I shot in the back in zoom mode as he landed in front of me after a jump; it was a tournament and I guess he was angry or such.

Edited by The Great Unwashed, 02 September 2015 - 06:15 AM.

[Radbane]

I love the support I get, and I do like to bring support. But there's one big issue. The rewards for supporting is so weak compared to rewards from damage done and kills.

So, what commonly happens when me and my little supporting friend face the enemy? Everybody wants points, for glory and C-bills. So the helper wants to squeeze of a few shots for himeslf and gets in front of my humongus machine, probably thinking me being so big can squeze off a few rounds above him. Well, with these low hung armmounted weapons that ain't happening.

All of a sudden the helper becomes an annoyance.

And to be honest, I've done this myself when I've had a smaller supporting mech. I get restless and I don't want to end up ashamed with few points just because I spent my time covering a fatties behind in case a light harasser shows up.


So long story short ... I like to have and give support, but it should be more rewarding in some way, so pepole actually take these roles instead of getting in eachothers way.

[FupDup]

That Dire Whale in the OP is the embodiment of the Assaultwarrior Effect™.

[Wrayeth]

As an assault pilot, hell yes I appreciate support! As long as the person supporting me doesn't stand behind me or hump my legs (which tends to get me killed), then I absolutely love it when someone provides an escort. It makes me much more effective.

[Alistair Winter]

Yes, I appreciate getting help when I'm in an assault. And I also try to help assaults, as a rule of thumb. But in the PUG queue, you have to be a bit cynical about it. It's like they say:
"Fail me once, shame on you. Fail me twice... well, die alone then, you lumbering pile of ****."

Whenever assault mechs aren't being good teammates, I leave them behind. You have more chances winning by working with your good teammates than trying to save your bad ones.

[patataman]

Radbane, on 02 September 2015 - 06:04 AM, said:

So long story short ... I like to have and give support, but it should be more rewarding in some way, so pepole actually take these roles instead of getting in eachothers way.

Well, yes, the rewards could be a bit higher. But the true reward is wining the game, right?

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

I LOVE the support.

I run into this issue on occasion, and I DO tend to take WAY more fire from my own team than from the enemy... so it's easy to get very frustrated.

I think that particular pilot was just having a ****** day.

[Steinar Bergstol]

I've played assaults plenty (particularly the last few months while grinding up my King Crabs) and I've never fired at a friendly light on purpose, even if it might have accidentally hit me. Quite frankly any light which will come help keep enemy lights off my fat arse is a damn hero as far as I'm concerned.

In short, there's never a good excuse for firing deliberately at someone on your own team. Never. Even a teamkiller is better screenshotted and reported than sinking to their level. If you can't keep your cool enough to not fire at someone on your own team because you think they fired at you then maybe you shouldn't be allowed to control anything mounting any sort of weapon, yes?

[Lorian Sunrider]

I usually make an effort to escort slow assaults when I'm in lights/mediums.

I also like running circles around them to kill any boredom of moving slower than 80kph.

I know I was worrying the crap out of a King Crab last night who probably thought I was trying to core him from behind in a team kill scenario at first last night. Then he started rotating with my circling and we had fun with it.