6
In regards to locust vs AC, no the locust does not eat the artic cheetah for breakfast, but thats hardly a rebuttal now is it? This is just you saying it is vs me saying it isnt. So a locust has speed on the AC, but then thats it. AC has more armor, more hardpoints, and jump jets. With a locust you're limited to one large laser, several medium, or a mix of medium and small/ballistic. An AC can mount 6 clan mediums, which have the damage output of 6 LL from IS. You can annihilate a locust with a single well placed alpha, or group your weapons and easily leg him. I wont go into further detail because thats discussing tactics and that is a different discussion.
Now on to the mediums, you're comparing centurions and griffins to the stormcrows. Yes, with piloting and tactics matches can be won.... but stll the best build one can typically get with a griffin is the 4 srm6 with 2 mL. When I say "best" Im referring to its alpha or "firepower" rating in mechlab. Sure there are other ways to measure, such as DPS but we're using this.
So a griffen with that setup can drop almost or around 60 dmg. Enter the streak crows. 6 streaks drop around 72 dmg and you dont have to even aim them! Not to mention that they have a range of 360 to IS 270. So again, a clan mech that has all the benefits of the XL engine with no drawbacks, has weapons that do more damage from a greater distance that dont require as much piloting skill because they lock on.
The streak dogs/crows become instant light mech hunters, because they need only lock on and alpha and that light is toast. IS pilots still have to do it the old fashioned way with pointing and aiming.
The same applies to the IS heavies/assaults vs clan heavies/assaults. Can a KC or Atlas decimate a Kodiak? Sure, but I think thats more of a piloting question than the mech in question. Take a common Atlast build: 2 LL, AC20, 3Srm6 and pit it against a common kodiak build- 4 UAC10. Lets use 2 UAC20s to make it a little better of a comparison, and throw on 4 ER-mL.
So now the atlast can deliver 18point of dmg outside of 270m with its large lasers. The kodiak has 4 med lasers that do close to 30 dmg at a signficantly greater range (greater than 270...). Then the UACs have the potential to double tap and drop an additional 80 damage at 360m where the atlast is still just doing its LL and a very weak AC shot. Lets say the UACs total to 60 dmg instead of 80 to take into account jamming.
Then the pilots finally get into range, but a kodiak is able to already drop 60dmg from its uacs and 30 from its mL where the atlas did ~25. Triple damage beyond 270- I'll settle for double dmg (I think we can agree on that). When we finally do get into position, the atlas can use the full potential of its arsenal and deliver 74 damage... and the srms are a shotgun effect. The kodiak is doing 60 on a bad day from its UACs + 28 from its mL for 88 points of damage, with at least half of the volleys doing an additional 20points when the UAC doest jam. Then we're not taking into account the speed of a kodiak vs the Atlas. Again, XL with all the perks and no drawbacks.
Ahh, but quirks, you say- the atlas has an additional 30 armor on ct and 20 on side torso. Lets just be optimistic and say that all that armor allows one to survive and entire alpha before being put back to "equal" as we would be without perks. So my atlas survives that first alpha, allowing me to hopefully close to proper distance where I can use my weapons to their full. We're still talking significantly more damage from the kodiak, nevermind its quicker speed. I'll meet you half way and say that my spread with srms counters your burst fire from UACs. You're still doing much more damage on a bad day (when your UACs jam) and on a good day you're doing almost half as much more.
Now a King Crab vs a Kodiak? The crab is all torso, and all the armor quirks are in the arms. Because of this its not very good at brawling- you're GOING to hit a torso when you shoot a crab and pop off half its weaponry right there. Crabs can do well in a brawl against other IS mechs, but against Clan your best bet is to be fire support because you cant tank like the other mechs. If I ignore heat and build a crab for the highest apha with 2Ac20s, 4mL, and 4srm6 I end up with ~112 damage but thats at 270m. Your heavy/assault would have already gotten a free alpha at range and blow half the crab apart after I manage 1 good alpha.
So can these differences be overcome? Sure, they sometimes are but the ability of a mw to overcome these is the exception rather than the rule. We're attempting to compare two evenly matched pilots, so to point out that a very skilled pilot can take out a lesser one that has a superior mech is dodging the issue. The clan still does more damage at all ranges and they can reach out and begin their assault well before the IS does, so they do signifiant damage before IS begins to get into close range. Even at this range, its not so much "good" for IS as it is "less bad." IS is still doing much much less damage and has already lost those armor quirks (and then some) before even getting into range. When you attempt to talk abot tactics, assume the other MW is using tactics too, so while I may be doing my best to stay hidden and avoid being spotted, Im going to assume my opponent is doing the exact opposite and we're back to square one again with the mechs.
There you have it-more damage, greater range, less weapon weight, better weapon options, faster mechs, XL perks with no downsides.
Where does that put us? As Ive stated, I do not want the clan mechs or weapons to be nerfed anymore. I think its cheesy and lazy than offerring other options. I had started one thread suggesting the use of reactive/reflective armor for IS which would be a great idea, or introducing newer tech. All of these require help from the developers though. These changes, which would be for IS, would be justified because the clans are already at an advantage.
Edited by SlyJJ, 19 September 2016 - 11:43 AM.
