42 replies to this topic

[wamX]

So I tried out the new onslaught feature and I only generated one complaint, I WANT TO MOVE WHILE I DO THIS. Seriously, i want to be put in a situation where I need to move to stay alive while removing the threats, I died in the second wave set of walking wounded in my stalker because while I could pick targets off at long range, it usually took a few shots but It did the trick, but getting surrounded by 5 mechs that continually fire on me, a stationary target, there isn't a point to try to roll the damage, as i cant move to cover and then plan my next action accordingly. The difficulty settings are perfect they way they are, i just want to move and get some cover as I take on wave after wave.

Okay rant over.

However, as I was doing Onslaught, I noticed something that brought joy to my heart, I kill a mech with pulse fire at 180 meters, the mech falls to the ground with the "standard" explosion that we see now whenever a torso is destroyed or one gets cored, However, a few seconds later, the whole mech frags apart and explodes into little parts, making the mech appear to "go critical" and explode in a minor little light show that just generates happy thoughts.

Truth be told, Ive done my research on http://www.sarna.net...i/Fusion_Engine and the nuclear explosion I now accept to be just for show. But, the possibility of the reactor becoming punctured and thus just one more explosion with a little more volatile nature is all i ask that's probability is based on the destroying weapon, with lasers having no chance to puncture and ballistics having a very high chance, with gauss rifles taking the top spot for chance to puncture.

Anyone else notice this and maybe just think the same thing? Devs? Plz?

[orcrist86]

Stackpoling!

[Troutmonkey]

At a guess they're using this explosion to remove destroyed mechs so that they don't just pile up and end up lagging out the game.

[Elizander]

Troutmonkey, on 17 November 2015 - 04:06 PM, said:

At a guess they're using this explosion to remove destroyed mechs so that they don't just pile up and end up lagging out the game.

Can work for CW.

[Dave Forsey]

The explosion provides cover for the 'Mechs poofing out of existence (it's just a training sim after all :-) ), and it just looks and feels better.

You're locked in position because:

• There is no AI. The 'Mechs walk in an unobstructed straight line and have no ability to react or deal with player movement.
  
• It's targeted, ahem, as a shooting exercise rather than a tactical movement challenge, and locking movement encourages that
  
• It gives a clear end to the challenge - the "goal" line. And rather than just ending the challenge with some sort of popup, having them shoot you seems much more like a MechWarrior, going down fighting in flames, dénouement.

[MechWarrior414712]

^Jump jetted slowly in to the citadel and bots were hopeless

[orcrist86]

Dave, I haven't tried the mode yet, but was wondering if getting then to jump had been worked on yet. Also, zombie mech assault would be a great Halloween game mode next year... Just saying

[Ascaloth]

"Pro" tip: If you are having trouble to do the challenge, just change your engine to STD 100 (since you can't move anyway) and mount a crapton of big guns/heatsinks. Adv. Zoom and Target Info Gathering helps a lot.

I went through all the difficulties without taking a single shot using my dual gauss + 3 ERLL King Crab (with the modules mentioned above). Easy peasy.

[wamX]

Dave Forsey, on 18 November 2015 - 08:35 AM, said:

The explosion provides cover for the 'Mechs poofing out of existence (it's just a training sim after all :-) ), and it just looks and feels better.

You're locked in position because:

• There is no AI. The 'Mechs walk in an unobstructed straight line and have no ability to react or deal with player movement.
  
• It's targeted, ahem, as a shooting exercise rather than a tactical movement challenge, and locking movement encourages that
  
• It gives a clear end to the challenge - the "goal" line. And rather than just ending the challenge with some sort of popup, having them shoot you seems much more like a MechWarrior, going down fighting in flames, dénouement.

This makes sense now, every time I read "waves of enemies" I think back to MW4 instant action playlists, so, with that difference now understood, makes more sense. Would love to see something more come from it and perhaps a AI infused version of onslaught. I don't suppose that the body cleanup effect could get thrown into gameplay more for other reasons than just poofing things out of existence, like you said, it looks and feels better, and I happily agree.

[Dave Forsey]

@Ascaloth

Glad to know that Armageddon isn't impossible.

Your approach illustrates why the Academy challenges don't have extrinsic rewards - it's too easy-peasy to kit out a 'Mech with a special build and game the system. Rather, the purpose of the challenge allows a player to gauge how the build they want to use in game behaves (range, dps etc) and, of course, to practice hitting specific parts of a target at the greatest/optimal effective range.

And range limitations are exactly what new players have to understand.

[Ascaloth]

Dave Forsey, on 18 November 2015 - 11:14 AM, said:

@Ascaloth

Glad to know that Armageddon isn't impossible.

Your approach illustrates why the Academy challenges don't have extrinsic rewards - it's too easy-peasy to kit out a 'Mech with a special build and game the system. Rather, the purpose of the challenge allows a player to gauge how the build they want to use in game behaves (range, dps etc) and, of course, to practice hitting specific parts of a target at the greatest/optimal effective range.

And range limitations are exactly what new players have to understand.

And this is not a bad thing! In the end, the players need to learn how to fit their mechs for different situations (like Normal Games vs Community Warfare). Also the challenge is very funny, I almost screamed when I noticed a Battlemaster very close with only his head open while many lights were advancing on the other side. Heck of a good training

[Koniving]

wamX, on 17 November 2015 - 02:00 PM, said:

Truth be told, Ive done my research on http://www.sarna.net...i/Fusion_Engine and the nuclear explosion I now accept to be just for show. But, the possibility of the reactor becoming punctured and thus just one more explosion with a little more volatile nature is all i ask that's probability is based on the destroying weapon, with lasers having no chance to puncture and ballistics having a very high chance, with gauss rifles taking the top spot for chance to puncture.

Anyone else notice this and maybe just think the same thing? Devs? Plz?

Stackpoling. Thing is the explosions aren't supposed to actually be nuclear in origin. Explosive, yes. Big boom, area damage and such. But the boom isn't nuclear. (Also isn't called going critical either; any functioning reactor is in a critical state so long as they function.

Quote

When a reactor’s neutron population remains steady from one generation to the next (creating as many new neutrons as are lost), the fission chain reaction is self-sustaining and the reactor's condition is referred to as "critical". When the reactor’s neutron production exceeds losses, characterized by increasing power level, it is considered "supercritical", and when losses dominate, it is considered "subcritical" and exhibits decreasing power.

The explosion from the Thunderbolt destroyed those weaker buildings to the North-East, as well as cast damage out to those near it (especially my Thor). Specifically 1621 and 1622 (the far North-East was collateral damage by missile and laser fire). The Thunderbolt was obliterated from the inside. The explosion caused the building beneath the BlackHawk to collapse. The explosion did minor damage, but combined with the fall, the Black Hawk lost one side torso which in turn removed both an arm and a leg (since "No Torso Twist" quirk is enabled and by extension, loss of side torso removes both leg and arm).

Edited by Koniving, 09 December 2015 - 11:03 AM.

[Dave Forsey]

Good enough for me! Stackpole rules. And they always roll badly.

[wamX]

Koniving, on 18 November 2015 - 01:28 PM, said:

Stackpoling. Thing is the explosions aren't supposed to actually be nuclear in origin. Explosive, yes. Big boom, area damage and such. But the boom isn't nuclear. (Also isn't called going critical either; any functioning reactor is in a critical state so long as they function.





The explosion from the Thunderbolt destroyed those weaker buildings to the North-East, as well as cast damage out to those near it (especially my Thor).

'Tis just another dynamic that I would love to see added onto the game, no doubt I wouldn't want them to be a nuclear blast, 2km suddenly obliterated because some light mech got brave (or incredibly stupid), but something a little bigger than an artillery strike, if not the same size, would be a lovely effect to perhaps deter players who like to give hugs from staying close by, or some other tactical use, or just to look cool, heck, make it an achievement to get one kill from the explosion. I shot Cpt. Adams, do something similar to that.

[Roland09]

Koniving, on 18 November 2015 - 01:28 PM, said:

"When a reactor’s neutron population remains steady..."

Except it's fusion, not fission.

Never mind.

[Fiona Marshe]

Tested it using my alt-account LRM Stormcrow (without modules). 2nd wave of "Walking Wounded" always gets me as the LRMs don't throw out precision damage and 4 ER-MdLasers make it hard to clear out any assaults that spawned.

Having said that, its a support build and not supposed to tank 8 mechs at once.

[Jay Z]

Armageddon difficulty is possible in the trial DWF while taking 0 damage first try. The King Crab trial can also complete it however I took a fair bit of damage on the last wave and really had to conserve ammo. In a customised mid/long range assault, Armageddon is straightforward.

Edited by Jay Z, 18 November 2015 - 10:17 PM.

[Rogue Jedi]

I will admit I was a bit dissapointed that I could not walk around, and regretted taking my very short range (SPL+MG) FS9-E, however I cleared 4 waves.

Jumpjets definately worked but if I could move I likely would have cleared 6-8 waves in the Ember

[Kmieciu]

Dave Forsey, on 18 November 2015 - 11:14 AM, said:

@Ascaloth

Glad to know that Armageddon isn't impossible.

You should test it using the infamous DAKKA - Dragon-1N (2xAC5 with cooldown module, 2xML XL300).
It's makes it so easy that I purposely dismembered the enemy mechs piece by piece, because coring them was too fast.

[Dave Forsey]

Ok... so you all want something more difficult?

I'll give it a whirl. There's still a few parameters to tweak.