143 replies to this topic

[1453 R]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 02:01 AM, said:

I run mixed because I'm a lore hound.

Classic Warhammers, Marauders, Atlas and Catapult, these are some of my bread and butter. Running everything from lasers to MG's to Missiles and even AC... my Atlas actually is built on the basis of the 7D's stock configuraion [I even have a version that's 3025 era, single heatsinks that's one of my primary rides.] And contrary to popular belief, can actually do quite good in the thing.

I don't like the ERLL-enmasse meta that I constantly see... Thunderbolts with 6+ of these, or clan bots, or the classic and fonking boring ERLL raven... it's just lame and tired and not interesting.

I love being able to rubble mechs with medium lasers, AC20 and SRM6 with my AS7-D when I round a corner. I've seen pilots visibly panic and start backing away erratically when confronted with the classic 7D. And it's a glory to behold.

Other mechs like the Warhammer's I've rebuilt into lore focused variants with some upgrades... the Warhammer 6K for instance which I've rebuilt out of two of them, drops the MG's and adds some extra heatsinks. I also upgrade those to dubs instead of singles.

Which is, often times, one of the few upgrades I make... a lot of times, I make downgrades to my mechs and have them preform better... my Timberwolf-Prime for instance. Is based around the stock Prime variant, but I downgrade the LRM20's to LRM15's. Remove the medium pulse laser, and add in heatsinks and ammo. Everything else stays, and this is still one of my best damage dealing mechs I own.

People want to pretend that generalist mechs don't work, because they're not "optimal" they don't put out insane damage in a specific range bracket... they're ment to fight it out over all engagement distances... to be essentially a jack of all trades and master of none. However those moments, with hard fought battles, where things are hinging on a thread of internal structure and you secure the kill against a skilled opponent, feels all the sweeter in these rides over their min-maxed breathern.

The issue you run into is when someone does a build that can do everything the generalist can do, but without sacrificing half its firepower at any given range.

The Frankenbuilds with an SRM-4, an LRM-10, an AC/5, a TAG, two medium lasers, a flamer and a machine gun is not “covering all its bases”. That is a forking awful loadout at any range or in any terrain you want to fight in. it loses to close-range builds in close, it loses to long-range builds at a distance, it loses to medium-range builds at medium range. It loses to everything, everywhere, because in any given fight half of its weaponry is going to be useless.

Your TBR-Prime(2), if I’m reading correctly, runs 2x cERLL, 2x cERML, 2x cMG, and 2x cLRM-15, with additional ammunition and heat sinks, yes? A’ight. My best ‘Mech is my Invasion Cauldron-Born, with 2x cUAC/5 and 6x cERML. At long-long range (800+m), you could do more damage than I could, as that TBR fit is mostly a sniper. If you could keep to that 800+-meter range, you may be able to outfight Li’l Susan.

At any other range, your Timber Butt is mine to harvest as I please. In ~600-meter long-range fights I’ll bank on my autocannons over your cERLL any day of the week. The LRMs could prove annoying, but if you’re flinging rockets at 600m, most folks have all the time in the world to find cover or reposition to better hit the LRM guy. My Radar Derp cuts your missile locks and degrades your LRM damage; your Radar Derp don’t do a thing to my autocannons. And obviously, once we get into medium-range engagements of 400m or so, my firepower advantage becomes overwhelming and I can cut you to pieces whenever I like.

That’s what people mean when they talk about synergistic armaments and avoiding bracketed builds. You can do mixed builds just fine – but you have to make sure your mixed build actually does its job. Cool-running burst DPS autocannons complement a bevy of lasers very well – Quack/5s + Beamvomit is an excellent pug queue kit. Massive hole-punching AC/20s complement SRMs well and make for a very good brawler. Gauss rifles complement long-range energy weapons well. The Clan large pulse laser complements pretty much everything well because it’s as close to a do-everything doomcannon as this game has.

SRMs and LRMs do NOT complement each other. Gauss rifles do not complement flamers well. Medium pulse lasers do not complement AC/2s. Gauss rifles also do not complement AC/2s, or most other ballistics. Putting half a dozen different weapon types on your ‘Mech because canon means you have nowhere your armament gels together and fights well, and you will always lose to a player who doesn’t scatter his weapon tonnage across the four corners of Creation and invests in a well-chosen, synergistic arsenal instead.

If I can shoot you with all my guns – alpha or otherwise, I keep multiple firing groups for a reason – but you can only shoot me back with two-thirds of your guns, who’s gonna win that fight?

[Tordin]

I try not to use the quirks as guidelines but sadly I fall victim sometimes. I like generalist builds. So while I try to set up many variants after the quirks they got, I try to vary and use a liberal build with a spare variant. By that I mena, Im using experimental build on for example Blackjack 1 but let my Blackjack 1 (C) have the best possible build out of those quirks.
Im kinda weird like that.
No quirks for any mech would do wonders for my slight "OCD"

[Aresye]

Quicksilver Kalasa, on 07 April 2016 - 08:42 AM, said:

No he isn't, because surprise, laser vomit isn't as dominant as it used to be.

Example, here is our drop dec from an MRBC match we played last night:
x2 MAL-MX90 (3 AC5/2 UAC5)
x1 TBR-PRIME (2 ERPPC/Gauss)
x1 BL-7-KNT-L (3 LPL/5 ML)
x1 HBK-IIC-A (3 LPLs)
x1 SCR-PRIME (Streaks)
x1 JR7-IIC (Splat)
x1 ACH-PRIME (SPLs)

Only 3 of those 8 mechs had lasers, and that is not an atypical meta drop dec.

Just give it a few months for the meta to change, and then players will start complaining about the short-mid range tanky brawl meta we're currently in, because most forum complaints always seem to be about "yesterday's" meta.

For example, when poptarting died, the new TBR laser vomit meta was already in full force, yet it took a couple months before people stopped complaining about non-existent poptarts on the forums.

The, "everything is ERLL sniping" meta that everybody is STILL complaining about to this day? That died back when all IS quirked ranges got capped at 10%, which was what...2 months ago?

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

1453 R, on 07 April 2016 - 09:51 AM, said:

The issue you run into is when someone does a build that can do everything the generalist can do, but without sacrificing half its firepower at any given range.

The Frankenbuilds with an SRM-4, an LRM-10, an AC/5, a TAG, two medium lasers, a flamer and a machine gun is not “covering all its bases”. That is a forking awful loadout at any range or in any terrain you want to fight in. it loses to close-range builds in close, it loses to long-range builds at a distance, it loses to medium-range builds at medium range. It loses to everything, everywhere, because in any given fight half of its weaponry is going to be useless.

Your TBR-Prime(2), if I’m reading correctly, runs 2x cERLL, 2x cERML, 2x cMG, and 2x cLRM-15, with additional ammunition and heat sinks, yes? A’ight. My best ‘Mech is my Invasion Cauldron-Born, with 2x cUAC/5 and 6x cERML. At long-long range (800+m), you could do more damage than I could, as that TBR fit is mostly a sniper. If you could keep to that 800+-meter range, you may be able to outfight Li’l Susan.

At any other range, your Timber Butt is mine to harvest as I please. In ~600-meter long-range fights I’ll bank on my autocannons over your cERLL any day of the week. The LRMs could prove annoying, but if you’re flinging rockets at 600m, most folks have all the time in the world to find cover or reposition to better hit the LRM guy. My Radar Derp cuts your missile locks and degrades your LRM damage; your Radar Derp don’t do a thing to my autocannons. And obviously, once we get into medium-range engagements of 400m or so, my firepower advantage becomes overwhelming and I can cut you to pieces whenever I like.

That’s what people mean when they talk about synergistic armaments and avoiding bracketed builds. You can do mixed builds just fine – but you have to make sure your mixed build actually does its job. Cool-running burst DPS autocannons complement a bevy of lasers very well – Quack/5s + Beamvomit is an excellent pug queue kit. Massive hole-punching AC/20s complement SRMs well and make for a very good brawler. Gauss rifles complement long-range energy weapons well. The Clan large pulse laser complements pretty much everything well because it’s as close to a do-everything doomcannon as this game has.

SRMs and LRMs do NOT complement each other. Gauss rifles do not complement flamers well. Medium pulse lasers do not complement AC/2s. Gauss rifles also do not complement AC/2s, or most other ballistics. Putting half a dozen different weapon types on your ‘Mech because canon means you have nowhere your armament gels together and fights well, and you will always lose to a player who doesn’t scatter his weapon tonnage across the four corners of Creation and invests in a well-chosen, synergistic arsenal instead.

If I can shoot you with all my guns – alpha or otherwise, I keep multiple firing groups for a reason – but you can only shoot me back with two-thirds of your guns, who’s gonna win that fight?

First off, you're right on my Timber build, and you may even be correct on the fact that, under 600m, you could outduel me.

What you're forgetting primarily my friend, is that we're playing a TEAM game. My generalist Timberwolf, arguably primarly a fire support mech, is ment to enhance and help the TEAM. Sure if we were to go 1v1, I'd have to make damn sure I got myself in the best positions and all.

But when we're discussing balance, and builds like this, you can't simply think that your build is better simply because you can out damage me. Sure you could, arguably, but I'm also relying on my team to back me up, I'm relying on tactics, positioning and my own and other's piloting ability. While the only thing's in that equation I can personally control are my mech and my own ability, I STILL have to be mindful of what the team is doing.

So, to your closing statement. Sure you might be able to fire all your guns, but that's dependent on positioning and piloting, as much as your gunnery and all too.

I agree, there's a place for all build types, but the min-maxed, single bracketed type builds, are stale bread man, like rock hard stale. It's stale in Tabletop and it's stale here...

[Cy Mitchell]

Yeah, I run mixed builds. Usually I do not mix more than two types. AC/Laser, SRM/Laser, etc. I almost never mix ballistics and missiles because of the weight of the weapons and ammo.

I really dislike the one button, instant scan, pin point damage Alpha builds that dominate the game.

Imagine my chagrin when I took a 1 x LPL, 5 ERML build onto Terra Therma testing grounds and it killed all the target Mechs in about halt the shots of my favorite mixed build variant of the same Mech just by pushing one button. I hate it but I can see why players do it. It is definitely the easy button.

I guess because of my non-conformist attitude, I will always be a scrub.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 10:16 AM, said:

What you're forgetting primarily my friend, is that we're playing a TEAM game. My generalist Timberwolf, arguably primarly a fire support mech, is ment to enhance and help the TEAM. Sure if we were to go 1v1, I'd have to make damn sure I got myself in the best positions and all.

But when we're discussing balance, and builds like this, you can't simply think that your build is better simply because you can out damage me.

How do you think you help your team? By doing damage. Lights and fast mediums work because they work as satellite units away from the main body and open up more angles or take a mech with larger firepower away from trades against your main body forcing a disparity in firepower and hopefully allowing your team to win more trades. So unless your build is able to do that with its mix builds or trade more effectively against enemies (which you admitted it wouldn't even out-trade a mech in 1v1) then you simply are more ineffective.

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 10:16 AM, said:

I agree, there's a place for all build types, but the min-maxed, single bracketed type builds, are stale bread man, like rock hard stale. It's stale in Tabletop and it's stale here...

Regardless of your opinion on them being "stale", they tend to be more effective here, and in TT.

Edited by Quicksilver Kalasa, 07 April 2016 - 10:22 AM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Rampage, on 07 April 2016 - 10:19 AM, said:

Yeah, I run mixed builds. Usually I do not mix more than two types. AC/Laser, SRM/Laser, etc. I almost never mix ballistics and missiles because of the weight of the weapons and ammo.

I really dislike the one button, instant scan, pin point damage Alpha builds that dominate the game.

Imagine my chagrin when I took a 1 x LPL, 5 ERML build onto Terra Therma testing grounds and it killed all the target Mechs in about halt the shots of my favorite mixed build variant of the same Mech just by pushing one button. I hate it but I can see why players do it. It is definitely the easy button.

I guess because of my non-conformist attitude, I will always be a scrub.

Laser vomit doesn't dominate the mid range game any more than SRMs dominate the close range game or AC5 Mauler MX90s/ERLL/Gauss dominate the long range game. There is not an easy button in this game. It may be easy to kill mechs in testing grounds with laser vomit since, you know they are standing still, not firing back, and you can take your time in between shots, but drop against an SJR premade and tell me how easy your laser vomit is against the 120 SRMS taking chunks out of your armor, by the second.


Disclaimer : I use SJR as they are a well known, competent unit which serves my example. There are many other groups that will have the same effect.

Edited by Gas Guzzler, 07 April 2016 - 10:28 AM.

[GrimRiver]

Yes, most my builds have 1 to 2 ranged weapons while the bulk is med to short range.

Like:
1x ERLL, 4x ML

2x LPL, 3x MPL, 2x ML

2x ML, 1x AC20, 3x SRM6, 1x LRM10

1x LPL, 5x ML

2x AC5, 3x SRM2

2x C-GR, 4x C-SL

3x C-SRM6, 2x C-ML

Just to name a few of my builds.

[Snowbluff]

I do. My TBR-S is running 2 SSRM6, 2 A-LRM15, and 4 ERML.

[Cy Mitchell]

Gas Guzzler, on 07 April 2016 - 10:25 AM, said:

Laser vomit doesn't dominate the mid range game any more than SRMs dominate the close range game or AC5 Mauler MX90s/ERLL/Gauss dominate the long range game. There is not an easy button in this game. It may be easy to kill mechs in testing grounds with laser vomit since, you know they are standing still, not firing back, and you can take your time in between shots, but drop against an SJR premade and tell me how easy your laser vomit is against the 120 SRMS taking chunks out of your armor, by the second.


Disclaimer : I use SJR as they are a well known, competent unit which serves my example. There are many other groups that will have the same effect.

Agreed. I am not saying that Laser Vomit is the ONLY one button Alpha build. The Oxides and the Splatcrows are usually one button Alpha builds too. I guess the AC5 Mauler would be too. I think I would rather face ACs or missles instead of laser though. There tends to be more spread with the missiles and the damage must be more sustained for the ACs. I think the multiple Gauss are the only thing that kills as fast or faster than massed lasers. I just used the laser example because I did that comparison myself. True, the targets were not moving but I was. I did not stop moving for any of the target Mechs that were in open enough areas that I could continue to shoot and move. In my experience the one button laser Alpha build was much more effective than my mixed ballistic/laser build. I left the build intact and I will elite it in a week or so when I return from a trip. Maybe after that I will be tempted to come over to the dark side.

[Bullseye69]

Some of mechs d allow me to run av and medium pulse or large pulse , but some have missile slot and laser so I use SRM or sometimes lrms with laser to back it up. Some mech just have energy slots so tour forced to run all energy my banshee is running 5 large pulse laser. Overkill but at least they have to take out all the weapon or kill me to keep new being combat effective. The sad sight in the world to me on my team is a deicadeted lrm or SRM boat with no ammo and 75 percent health to me that just wrong. But some seisgn like the new archer is all missile slots.

[1453 R]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 10:16 AM, said:

First off, you're right on my Timber build, and you may even be correct on the fact that, under 600m, you could outduel me.

What you're forgetting primarily my friend, is that we're playing a TEAM game. My generalist Timberwolf, arguably primarly a fire support mech, is ment to enhance and help the TEAM. Sure if we were to go 1v1, I'd have to make damn sure I got myself in the best positions and all.

But when we're discussing balance, and builds like this, you can't simply think that your build is better simply because you can out damage me. Sure you could, arguably, but I'm also relying on my team to back me up, I'm relying on tactics, positioning and my own and other's piloting ability. While the only thing's in that equation I can personally control are my mech and my own ability, I STILL have to be mindful of what the team is doing.

So, to your closing statement. Sure you might be able to fire all your guns, but that's dependent on positioning and piloting, as much as your gunnery and all too.

I agree, there's a place for all build types, but the min-maxed, single bracketed type builds, are stale bread man, like rock hard stale. It's stale in Tabletop and it's stale here...

I didn’t mean to make that sound as much like a p!ssing contest as I did, and you have my apologies for that. But as Kalasa said, you help your team by doing damage, and something like my Li’l Susan does more damage more consistently across a wider variety of ranges than brackety builds.

That and…I have a team, too. Thing is, I don’t need to rely on that team to back me up as much as a brackety build does. Don’t get me wrong, your TBR isn’t actually all that bad, but it’s not going to win any 400-meter fights against a build targeted for medium-range combat. With Li’l Susan, or another build designed with the same sort of synergistic mindset, I don’t need to rely as closely on my teammates to cover my weaknesses. I can operate more independently at need, work with a wider variety of random puglies, and if I need to duel someone because that’s the way the game is going, I can do that.

Susan is great because she can do the Fire Support thing just fine with her autocannons or closer in with some of her lasers – but she can also hold her own in regular fights and win trades if she has to. I know, because I’ve done it, more than twice. That gives me options that sad bad Trailmix ‘Mex just don’t have.

I’ve maintained for quite some time that a ‘Mech which is Great(!), but only when it’s being ignored by the enemy, is not in fact Great(!) at all. If you (general you-the-audience ‘you’, not necessarily just CMDR) need your team to cover for you in order for your ‘Mech to work, then you’re objectively less useful than someone who can operate with loose, or no, team support.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

Quicksilver Kalasa, on 07 April 2016 - 10:21 AM, said:

Regardless of your opinion on them being "stale", they tend to be more effective here, and in TT.

And there's a reason why any GM worth their salt removes "overzealus" customization from Table Top, when the game became "Cram multiple gauss on 100 tonners and hope for random headshots." many in the community flat out banned customization or custom made mechs for good reason.

Just because something is effective, and possible, doesn't mean it's not outside of the spirit of the game or breaking mechanics in unintended ways.

1453 R, on 07 April 2016 - 11:04 AM, said:

I didn’t mean to make that sound as much like a p!ssing contest as I did, and you have my apologies for that. But as Kalasa said, you help your team by doing damage, and something like my Li’l Susan does more damage more consistently across a wider variety of ranges than brackety builds.

That and…I have a team, too. Thing is, I don’t need to rely on that team to back me up as much as a brackety build does. Don’t get me wrong, your TBR isn’t actually all that bad, but it’s not going to win any 400-meter fights against a build targeted for medium-range combat. With Li’l Susan, or another build designed with the same sort of synergistic mindset, I don’t need to rely as closely on my teammates to cover my weaknesses. I can operate more independently at need, work with a wider variety of random puglies, and if I need to duel someone because that’s the way the game is going, I can do that.

Susan is great because she can do the Fire Support thing just fine with her autocannons or closer in with some of her lasers – but she can also hold her own in regular fights and win trades if she has to. I know, because I’ve done it, more than twice. That gives me options that sad bad Trailmix ‘Mex just don’t have.

I’ve maintained for quite some time that a ‘Mech which is Great(!), but only when it’s being ignored by the enemy, is not in fact Great(!) at all. If you (general you-the-audience ‘you’, not necessarily just CMDR) need your team to cover for you in order for your ‘Mech to work, then you’re objectively less useful than someone who can operate with loose, or no, team support.

Accepted and thanks for clearing that up.

I must disagree however with your point that you're less useful. If you're raking in the damage, and getting multiple kills in a bracketed build, then what does it matter?

[CDLord HHGD]

Gas Guzzler, on 07 April 2016 - 08:31 AM, said:

I guess if it happened to me more often I might consider it an issue, but it is so rare and so obviously attributed to my own mistake that I don't feel the need to ask the developer to change the game on my behalf.

And this is something I've been observing closely.
1. How the hell did they know I was there? UAV? No. Spotter? Maybe.
2. How am I getting shot from behind this thing. My FoV tricking me? Maybe. My mech have a fat *** sticking out? Probably.

But there are times when the only answer is exploitation or other. I don't come there to name and shame or announce I was wronged. I screenshot and report and move on.

We are, however, in big stompy robots. We built big stompy robots to avoid being instagibbed with a knife. While stupidity should be punished and teamwork rewarded, I think the extremes either way we have now are too extreme.

[Gas Guzzler]

CD LoreHammer Lord, on 07 April 2016 - 11:27 AM, said:

And this is something I've been observing closely.
1. How the hell did they know I was there? UAV? No. Spotter? Maybe.
2. How am I getting shot from behind this thing. My FoV tricking me? Maybe. My mech have a fat *** sticking out? Probably.

But there are times when the only answer is exploitation or other. I don't come there to name and shame or announce I was wronged. I screenshot and report and move on.

We are, however, in big stompy robots. We built big stompy robots to avoid being instagibbed with a knife. While stupidity should be punished and teamwork rewarded, I think the extremes either way we have now are too extreme.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. Mine is that the game's unforgiving nature makes scouting and information paramount to success, and makes torso twisting vital to survival. It makes you have to think out every move to make sure you don't waste a bunch of armor or get killed.

[1453 R]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 11:13 AM, said:

And there's a reason why any GM worth their salt removes "overzealus" customization from Table Top, when the game became "Cram multiple gauss on 100 tonners and hope for random headshots." many in the community flat out banned customization or custom made mechs for good reason.

Just because something is effective, and possible, doesn't mean it's not outside of the spirit of the game or breaking mechanics in unintended ways.

MWO and TT are fundamentally different environments. In TT, you’re often running the entire career of a particular unit, tracking them over a great stretch of time with vastly different objectives than a MWO match. In tabletop it makes a lot of sense to restrict customization, as the point of TT is to immerse oneself in the world and live the trials and tribulations of your unit – including the high cost, hefty time sink, and uncertain nature of TT ‘Mech modification.

MWO, though? MWO, at current, is a game where you drop once, fight one fight, and reset. Whether or not that’s the game any given guy wanted MWO to be doesn’t really matter – right now, that’s the game MWO is. We have customization, which has as many wins as it does losses in terms of Game Fun (being able to ‘fix’ an awful chassis is a Win; Goosewhales are a Loss). MWO is less about coping with the suffering and incredibly subpar equipment of a troop of hard-bitten mercs living on the edge and more about being that crazy awesome pilot they write books about.

HBS has the other bit covered, or will in ‘bout a year or so. I’ve already started thinking of the two as “MechWarrior: Campaign Module” and “MechWarrior: Multiplayer Module” more than independent, complete games in their own rights (despite HBS’ promise of multiplayer and Russ’ insistence that MWO will eventually have a campaign). It helps, it really does.

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 11:13 AM, said:

Accepted and thanks for clearing that up.

I must disagree however with your point that you're less useful. If you're raking in the damage, and getting multiple kills in a bracketed build, then what does it matter?

If you’re pulling your weight in wherever you play, it doesn’t matter at all. That said, what’s a forum thread without points of contention, eh? How boring would this place be if everyone agreed with each other all the time?

[DefyingReality]

I play what could probably be considered a mixed build in my Stormcrows and Orions. UAC10 with SRM's and lasers to taste. Do I have poor matches in them? Yeah, sometimes. But when I get rolling, it can kick out a frightening amount of damage.

[CDLord HHGD]

Gas Guzzler, on 07 April 2016 - 11:31 AM, said:

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. Mine is that the game's unforgiving nature makes scouting and information paramount to success, and makes torso twisting vital to survival. It makes you have to think out every move to make sure you don't waste a bunch of armor or get killed.

In the dual gauss thread around here somewhere the OP posted that he was instagibbed in the split second it took him to torso twist. There are times when no amount of torso twisting will help you.

Are my reflexes slower than yours? Probably. Should I stop playing then? Being instagibbed is no fun. Sometimes you can shrug it off with a "oops, I f*cked up", but you can do everything right and it won't make a bit of difference. I generally stay away from FPS because I have a hard time tracking targets with my reflexes. I stay with MWO because I'm a big fan of the genre. But if I can't compete on your level, what should I do? "Git gud?" I can only hone my reflexes so much and I have never had consistently good reflexes. Meta up? Maybe but it's boring. I'm firmly in T2 now, so I am forced to your level.

[1453 R]

CD LoreHammer Lord, on 07 April 2016 - 11:38 AM, said:

In the dual gauss thread around here somewhere the OP posted that he was instagibbed in the split second it took him to torso twist. There are times when no amount of torso twisting will help you.

Are my reflexes slower than yours? Probably. Should I stop playing then? Being instagibbed is no fun. Sometimes you can shrug it off with a "oops, I f*cked up", but you can do everything right and it won't make a bit of difference. I generally stay away from FPS because I have a hard time tracking targets with my reflexes. I stay with MWO because I'm a big fan of the genre. But if I can't compete on your level, what should I do? "Git gud?" I can only hone my reflexes so much and I have never had consistently good reflexes. Meta up? Maybe but it's boring. I'm firmly in T2 now, so I am forced to your level.

Clearly the answer is actually to 'Git Bad', until you're back down in T4 where all the fun stuff goes on!

[Quicksilver Aberration]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 07 April 2016 - 11:13 AM, said:

And there's a reason why any GM worth their salt removes "overzealus" customization from Table Top, when the game became "Cram multiple gauss on 100 tonners and hope for random headshots." many in the community flat out banned customization or custom made mechs for good reason.

Even stock matches, it can still boil down to spam the most Gauss Rifles of taking Thunder Hawks and Hollanders, I'm not disagreeing that it made the game boring (though even Gauss walls have weaknesses), just pointing out that it is effective.

No one wants a boring and shallow meta (build wise) but currently it is a lot more diverse than most realize. That said, depending on the definition of "mixed build" is, you could potentially improve this, it is just that every time one of these builds pop up (PPC/Gauss/AC5s or Gauss/ERML) they get nerfed later because they end up being too powerful forgetting the fact you need to encourage weapons to be used together (meaning similar firing behaviors). Bracket builds are much harder to encourage, and probably never will be.