88 replies to this topic

[TheTipOfTheSpear]

Hey guys relative newbie here. I started this game because of just how amazing the Atlas looked on game ads and for its general all round badassery. Basically, I love my Atlases. However, I mostly solo que with PUG matchs. What this usually means is that my matches end very quickly, with me leading a charge that either fails and ends with me doing little to no damage or epic steam rolls that ends with 600 to 1000 or more damage. Either way, the results were extremely inconsistent. Getting tired of this short of gameplay, starting from two days ago, I started playing alot more passively in the early game and only making calculated pushes into isolated groups of 3 to 4 mechs. I do not be to brag when I say this, but I generally can out brawl any mech ingame in a atlas with my srms and ac20 strikes (which is to be expected). However, contrary to popular belief, leading a charge does not mean brawling. It means torso twisting like crazy with little accuracy and a dead mech or heavy damaged mech depending on whether or not your team follows through with you. When I find that I'm the second one in, I can successfully do massive amount of damage. By switching to this playstyle, my damage has spiked with average of 600 dmg or more in the past 2 days with 3 games over 1000 dmg. One game even managed to hit 1300. However, by implementing this short of wait and see approach, I have been yelled at ingame chat and VoIP for not playing the atlas correctly.
TL;DR do you think that a Atlas has a duty as the mech to always be the first one into the breach, tank as much damage as possible despite how much potential damage it can do when it gets into range? Please give me valid opinions and reasons as why why you think so.
Good hunting!

[iLLcapitan]

I expect the atlas on my team to push by my side and to not having LRMs equipped.
Other than that, enjoy the game (and your atlai) as it fits you!

[Bilbo]

They want you to do as your name implies but you are better off taking the more cautious route. Unless you are playing with people you know you are as likely to be leading a one man push as not, especially if the enemy is actually firing back.

[MarineErrant]

I'm no Atlas. I pilot faster assaults like the Gargoyle and Warhawk. That said, I've read and seen in action that the best results tend to be for the bigger assaults like an Atlas to play a more conservative role initially and bide their time. Wait for the enemy team to be opened up a bit if you can but don't forget to contribute. Just don't be the center of attention. Mid game you can then push against the battered bad guys and really put the hurt on.

[Scout Derek]

Well, it IS a Assault mech, and the definition under the Game Sub-forum says that Assaults:

• Are expected to be well protected and field immense amounts of weaponry. Their job is to take point and break the enemy line with a steady stream of fire.

But that doesn't mean you have to follow the role, some Assaults are different, like the Executioner for example.

[TheTipOfTheSpear]

iLLcapitan, on 07 March 2016 - 08:09 AM, said:

I expect the atlas on my team to push by my side and to not having LRMs equipped.
Other than that, enjoy the game (and your atlai) as it fits you!

Yeah, only AC20 and Srms equipped on my DDC and S's. When I see the woeful atlas who has lrms equipped I she'd manly tears of frustration.

[Hit the Deck]

TheTipOfTheSpear, on 07 March 2016 - 08:04 AM, said:

...I started playing alot more passively in the early game and only making calculated pushes into isolated groups of 3 to 4 mechs....

That's basically how the good Atlas pilots that I observed in the game play.

[Xavori]

Equip nothing but LRM's and ammo. Fire up Rush's 2112 track 5 in your MP3 players and drink in the salty, salty tears of your teammates on VOIP

[TheTipOfTheSpear]

It enlightening that there are those whom sees Atlases as something more than a disposable meat shields. I figured I was doing something wrong. Thank yall for your responses

Edited by TheTipOfTheSpear, 07 March 2016 - 10:12 AM.

[Tom Sawyer]

[Sandpit]

I don't expect any player or build to do anything other than login and play the game and have fun. Take whatever build you want and play however you want.

If I'm playing alongside one of my guys or another Marik teammate on our TS and in a group or in CW, I just expect them to play as part of the team in whatever mech and build they want to play in.

[GRiPSViGiL]

Not carry LRMs.

[SmoothCriminal]

hard to coordinate PUGs. You should be at the front but either only push into small groups (as highlighted above) or move up when you have a few other heavies/assaults gunning for a push. Most matches would go as follows:

Teams form up into deathball
Teams encounter one another and begin trading
Idiots YOLO
After one side seems to have the edge, THEN you rally and push up.
Clean up remaining enemy deathball, chase down poking lights.

[Gravitas]

I'm not the greatest of Atlas pilots, but I do enjoy them. But two ways have brought me greater success. One, as was mentioned, be in the front but not IN the Front of a charge. Or as I'm likely to do, keep those assaults (and generally the team) together. Yeah, if in solo queue, coordination is sometimes the hardest part of the match, but when a team makes a focused effort to stay supportive and concentrate fire, it doesn't matter if you're in the light or the assault, you will all benefit.

And silly as it is, the other time I had the most success in my Atlas was as the surprise clean-up batter. A bit ago when PGI was having silly server hiccups, I found myself starting a match and then immediately getting disconnected. By the time I returned, thinking my assault was a sitting duck and likely roasted, not only was I untouched and slowly rumbling toward the fight, but everyone was pretty slagged once I got there. Of course, the DDC ecm helped, but a Suddenly Surprising Atlas! was a pretty fun trick to pull on the other team. One shot kills on 4 mechs and a win was done.

All in all though, you're Atlas needs to be 'in the mix' of the fight, however that may be. Front load your armor a bit, learn to spread damage with torso twist, and practice fire discipline so you can keep that steady stream of fire and not overheat. Don't get too excited to shoot that you forget that waiting for your big shot is worth it.

Edited by Gravitas, 07 March 2016 - 08:23 AM.

[cazidin]

"I came here to kick *** and chew bubblegum. And i'm all out of gum."-Duke Nukem piloting his custom Atlas, The War Head.

[TheTipOfTheSpear]

Xavori, on 07 March 2016 - 08:18 AM, said:

Equip nothing but LRM's and ammo. Fire up Rush's 2112 track 5 in your MP3 players and drink in the salty, salty tears of your teammates on VOIP

The very thought of that is quite......enticing. Funny thing is, if I drop on polar scrublands, I will probably do over 1000 dmg with that build. Oh the lolz

[Lugh]

Try this.

Type T for Team.

c3 atlas Push at 10:15 or whatever is 15 seconds from the current time. That will give people a tiny bit of time to shift toward c3 to support your push.

[SmoothCriminal]

Lugh, on 07 March 2016 - 08:27 AM, said:

Try this.

Type T for Team.

c3 atlas Push at 10:15 or whatever is 15 seconds from the current time. That will give people a tiny bit of time to shift toward c3 to support your push.

pretty sure "T" is all party chat...

[TheTipOfTheSpear]

Lugh, on 07 March 2016 - 08:27 AM, said:

Try this.

Type T for Team.

c3 atlas Push at 10:15 or whatever is 15 seconds from the current time. That will give people a tiny bit of time to shift toward c3 to support your push.

When your an Atlas pilot, you develop skills to put out public PSA's like "hello everybody this is your lonely friendly neighborhood atlas speaking......." and typing into chat "push with the atlas please". From my experience of doing this, it doesn't really do much in pubs. Usually, whoever pushes with you is whoever happens to be with you at the time of you major push. That means you have to subtract the yolo scouts, nascar in mediums, the afk king crab and the guass snipers who thinks thier doing damage from 1000 meters away. Simply put, even broadcasting your intentions to all doesn't really work. It's based on luck of your teammates follow you or not.

[Queen of England]

If you're doing 600-1000 damage per game, you're certainly doing it right. The Atlas isn't a kamikaze.