143 replies to this topic

[9thDeathscream]

All I almost exclusively see is all energy builds. Or some Dakka ones as well Yeah I know they are so easy to run. But damn cant some guys do something, anything else. Or is it to hard???

Edited by Akulla1980, 07 April 2016 - 01:05 AM.

[Widowmaker1981]

mixed build as in SRMs + SPLs? Or ACs + PPCs/LPLs? Or Gauss + LPLs/PPCs?

Yes, they do. frequently.

Or are you expecting to see frankenbuilds that make no sense, like SRM+LRM+AC+ML+PPC ? Because no, people don't use those, because they are extremely hard to use while also being worse at max potential..

Akulla1980, on 07 April 2016 - 01:03 AM, said:

All I almost exclusively see is all energy builds. Or some Dakka ones as well Yeah I know they are so easy to run. But damn cant some guys do something, anything else. Or is it to hard???

edit: also, too hard. not to.

Edited by Widowmaker1981, 07 April 2016 - 01:09 AM.

[C E Dwyer]

I run mixed, but only because I won't subscribe to the sadness called laser meta.

Can't really blame the players, its all P.G.I's fault, they are the ones that are making it this way

[9thDeathscream]

Always getting burned down by high alpha laser try-hards. Its making it impossible to skill up mixed hard point builds.

Did I hear they are trying to fix this issue?

[Zolaz]

Put an LRM rack on your waddling Direwolf or Atlas. Boom, mixed build. Complements the laser vomit when you cant hit anything because people have run into your lane of fire or playing belly to belly against the enemy.

[9thDeathscream]

Small lasers + Srms. Acs+ Ppcs. Laser + Gauss. Laser + lrms. These are fine. But I'm been getting my *** handed to me by energy only mechs for days now. Even Omnis configured for lasers only. Its like almost no one is willing to do anything else.

[Sjorpha]

Like widowmaker pointed out, there are many commonly used mixed builds. Ac+lasers, gauss+lasers, ac+ppc, srms+pulse, lrms+lasers and so on.

What you don't see is many builds with weapons that don't synergize well, but why should you?

[Ex Atlas Overlord]

Akulla1980, on 07 April 2016 - 01:03 AM, said:

All I almost exclusively see is all energy builds. Or some Dakka ones as well Yeah I know they are so easy to run. But damn cant some guys do something, anything else. Or is it to hard???

I use them all the time...

And yes it's harder (requires thought, planning, attention to detail under pressure), which is why most people won't do it.

Edited by The Atlas Overlord, 07 April 2016 - 01:25 AM.

[Col Jaime Wolf]

Akulla1980, on 07 April 2016 - 01:03 AM, said:

All I almost exclusively see is all energy builds. Or some Dakka ones as well Yeah I know they are so easy to run. But damn cant some guys do something, anything else. Or is it to hard???

all balance aside, the module system penalizes builds that cant boat weapons.

really its almost as if PGI' wants us to only run one trick ponies.

[Joey Tankblaster]

I mix IS-LPL with IS-ML quite often

[Metus regem]

Always mixed builds, as close to stock as I can.

[Yosharian]

Akulla1980, on 07 April 2016 - 01:03 AM, said:

All I almost exclusively see is all energy builds. Or some Dakka ones as well Yeah I know they are so easy to run. But damn cant some guys do something, anything else. Or is it to hard???

A mixed build sacrifices effectiveness for versatility. In most games you need the former more than the latter. The way the game is built it just makes more sense to used specialized builds.

This will not change unless PGI changes the game so that only 1-3 weapons can be fired at any given time. If the most you can fire efficiently is 1-2 large lasers, for example, then it makes no sense to bring 8 lasers that perform in the same range bracket.

Unless that happens, people will continue to boat weapons that perform in the same range bracket or lead time.

Edited by Yosharian, 07 April 2016 - 01:47 AM.

[kesmai]

I do it all the time.
That mixing I mean.
I always mix large pulses with small or even sometimes medium lasers.

[FalconerGray]

I just died in what looks like a very T5 match and have found on my team;

Orion IIC - LB-10X, UAC10, 2xERML, 3xSRM4
Dire Wolf - 8xMPL, 4xAC2 (not UAC or LB, std AC)
and a King Crab with 2xAC2 (in chain fire), 3xML, 2xLRM5, 2xLRM10.

We lost.

Edit - Orion did 62 damage, DWF did 98, King Crab at a respectable 467....and then a dual Gauss, 4xML Warhammer with 70.

Me? One shot CT rear killed in the first 2 mins whilst scouting in a Jenner, only damage I took all match. Oops.

Edited by legatoblues, 07 April 2016 - 01:58 AM.

[Tristan Winter]

Depends on the mech. I generally try to run mixed builds on mechs that are canonically equipped with mixed loadouts.
Centurions, Highlanders, Timber Wolves, Kit Foxes, etc.

The cost of strapping an LRM10 on a Centurion or dual LRM15's on a Timber Wolf isn't really that huge. For pugging in the solo queue, it can even be quite useful to have LRMs as support weapons. Because of the uncoordinated teams, you may often find yourself out of position to contribute with direct fire right away. And pugs usually lack disciprine, so even a single LRM10 or LRM15 is often enough to keep one or two enemy mechs from being too bold. At higher levels that obviously doesn't work, but it's surprisingly effective in the solo queue.

However, there are mechs like the CTF-2X or the Victors or the RVN-4X, which are simply so woefully outclassed that you can't really hope to combine ballistics, energy weapons and missiles without becoming a real liability to your team. Some mechs are just so bad, that I've given up trying to use canon-inspired builds.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

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.

[SmoothCriminal]

Akulla1980, on 07 April 2016 - 01:19 AM, said:

Small lasers + Srms. Acs+ Ppcs. Laser + Gauss. Laser + lrms. These are fine. But I'm been getting my *** handed to me by energy only mechs for days now. Even Omnis configured for lasers only. Its like almost no one is willing to do anything else.

You've just answered your own question there. It is the state of the game - laser builds are simply the best for tossing damage downrange. Why would people hinder themselves simply for diversity? This is not news - it's been the "meta" for almost a year now. PGI haven't done a great deal to change it yet but a new energy draw system might mix things up a little. Might.

I would also throw out a massive buff to [hover] JJs because they've been terrible for a long time.

[kapusta11]

B-but my mech should be viable!

[theta123]

I have plenty of mixed builds,

because go screw yourself, noob meta players

[Chados]

It depends on the platform for me. On a Zeus or Wolverine, yes. I like to run AC5+ML+SRM. Nasty, especially inside 290m. Nothing beats guns for backing off laserboats. I've backed up Dire Wolves by bouncing dual AC5s off its cockpit! And no one likes it when they close in on you and suddenly find out they've closed into SRM range and you've just added another 12 points of damage to your return fire. Plus SRMs induce cockpit shake. They're like a big shotgun.

Edited by Chados, 07 April 2016 - 02:48 AM.