192 replies to this topic

[Sorbic]

I've only played about 5 rounds but have enjoyed it so far. Both attackers and defenders won seem to have about an equal chance of winning and most of the matches seemed closer than the average in other modes. I do think that the Atlas extremities might need to lose maybe 5 armor each.

Plus with the Atlas often being slow I had an excuse to dust off the AC20 Urbie!

[Gracklefox]

Played 5 escorts yesterday, 4 times attacker (1 win), 1 defender (1win).
Keep in mind, I'm very new, so I didn't contribute too much, but results were interesting, to say the least.
On attack Polar we didn't find the VIP at all. Bad scouting etc., but time went out real fast. At least in my confused noob sense.
On defense Grim I tried to stay with the VIP. Whole Team rushed off to kill the attackers and did well. In the end I didnt see any combat, got no points, but at least the VIP must be relieved.
The one attack that I won my team must have been really well coordinated, for the VIP died before I got into real combat.
From the newb perspective: Most of the time I didn't understand, what was going on. It felt counterintuitive.
Staying with the VIP can get lonely real fast.
Its not easy, being new.

Cheers!

[LowSubmarino]

Escort is the least fun I ever had in MWO.

The mode sux.

Covering a real player/real vip might be fun.

But this mode is jut bad and whenever it is chosen I just think 'shiat.....'.

[TheArcher]

I actually like Escort mode. It's skirmish, but with the added challenge that the combat location moves. Defense has to anticipate where the VIP is headed, and keep that area clear. Offense also has to anticipate, to ambush the defense as best they can. I've had wins and losses on both sides of the ball. Yesterday on Crimson, my team was on offense. The VIP went into the tunnel and headed out the side exit, into our waiting arms. Defense wasn't ahead of the VIP, so we had 6 mechs blasting away, unchallenged.

The only game mode I try to avoid these days is Conquest. As I usually pilot faster mechs, I frequently wind up needing to run from point to point, watching progress bars.

[Y E O N N E]

Turrets need to go. Pronto.

They create a game mode where Lights have a potentially critical role, uncapping ECM generators. However, all of them are defended by turrets. Turrets which have phenomenal aim and put high relative amounts of damage onto Lights.

Remove turrets, and I will like this mode a lot more.

[xXJ35T3RXx]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I like the new Escort mode. Sure, the AI doesn't take a "logical" path at times, but I think that's what makes it a challenge.

The one thing is notice from the 10 times or so I've played the mode now, that the Attackers have to be very aggressive in the beginning to get eyes on the VIP by at least the 50% mark, otherwise they won't have enough time to work through the armor.

[Haazheel IIC]

Came back after a long brake and was confused at the beginning with the escort mission. Lost nearly all def and atk missions because most of my teammates didnt know what to do ( me included, im honest). But after all its something to work on and it gives the whole game a change...will see how it evolves through the next weeks....

[Leone]

Gracklefox, on 16 December 2016 - 01:27 AM, said:

Most of the time I didn't understand, what was going on. It felt counterintuitive.
Staying with the VIP can get lonely real fast.
Its not easy, being new.

Cheers!

Welcome Mechwarrior! Check your social button, should be on the bottom of the screen, just to the right of the LFG button. It'll be flashing blue. We might not be on at the same time, but if you see me, send me a little note (But don't feel the need to wait for me. It's easy to miss, whilst I'm dropping back to back matches.) I'll see if I can group up for a game or two and show you the ropes.

~Leone.

[Big Bertha 00]

I think the escort mode is a welcome change. So far it has been mostly kill the other team, but I have had some matches where strategic decisions had to be made whether to stay engaged with the enemy players or pursue the VIP. That's when it was most enjoyable.

[Sergeant Miles]

I just don't understand how to control or do anything with the VIP Atlas.
1.VIP seems to move randomly. 2.VIP gets stuck in silly places. 3 VIP doesn't defend it self in any way other then ECM. 4.We defending players can't easily tell where the VIP is going end up.. so we can't really plan ahead at all.
5.The pickup drop ship can't be hurt and doesn't defend, so why bother having it.

The mission feels like a training mission.

I can't find a training mission for this game mode and have no idea how to direct the VIP to the right location.

I don't feel this game mode is ready yet. It needs work still.

Edited by Sergeant Miles, 17 December 2016 - 10:00 AM.

[Jay Leon Hart]

Sergeant Miles, on 17 December 2016 - 09:57 AM, said:

5.The pickup drop ship can't be hurt and doesn't defend, so why bother having it.

So they removed the drop ship lasers?

[Big Bertha 00]

I would like for the defending team to have an idea on the planned route for the VIP. It seems to fit that the units guarding a VIP would have the route pre-planned.

[Nirvana7734]

Firstly, I really enjoy this game mode (or at least, how it was). I like the fact that this game mode mixes up where the action occurs on the map. No, I LOVE that fact. In the current version of the game I feel that the VIP now has too little health, as s/he is dying FAST, and in my experience the attackers are now almost always winning. In the previous game version I felt it was much more balanced when the VIP had LOADS of health, because the defenders have to deal with traversing potentially unsheltered and dangerous areas in order to adequately protect the VIP, whereas the attackers can attack from cover. I realize that when the VIP had way more health that you ran into the issue of defeating the defending team, only to have insufficient ammo to kill the VIP. Perhaps if the entire defending team has been killed the VIP should just be auto-destructed?

I certainly don't have all of the answers and am definitely looking for suggestions, but I will reiterate my main point: I loved this game mode in the previous version when the VIP had a LOT of health.

[I L L]

Every time I get an escort match I log out immediately afterwards and don't play for another day. It's intolerable in so many ways and it will lead to lower player numbers. I will never vote for this game mode and would love them to give us an option to opt out of it like they used to do before voting was put in. I won't be playing in anything but MRBC and scrims until it's removed.

Edited by IllMentalState, 18 December 2016 - 05:57 PM.

[Shiny and Chrome]

The VIP mech is slow, it rarely changes routes, it gets stuck, its not fun. I will be quitting every match that Escort is selected. Its not fun and it is screwing up my stats.

P.S. the money has dried up from me as long as this game mode is in the rotation as it currently exists. I have played 12 matches as a defender and only won 1. that was because the other team were idiots.

Edited by Shiny and Chrome, 19 December 2016 - 12:55 PM.

[Weeny Machine]

Escort is ok on maps with cover. On Tourmaline and Alpine however....

[Karl Streiger]

Is this mode somehow buggy, I was matched into a game as an attacker, accordingly I didn't had turrets or any sensor nodes (or at least I didn't saw any difference on hud or map)
Even got some rewards for the destruction of a turret - however I was the defender - I realized that something was strange after I fired a second salvo into the Vip and got the warning that the Vip is under attack.

Does the Attacker has to defend the VIP? Although I even got the mission objectives at the beginning - I should destroy the VIP before it reaches its destination - strange

Edited by Karl Streiger, 19 December 2016 - 01:18 PM.

[Big McLarge-Huge]

My experience in QP so far is that 95% of the time Defender wins. Trying to get QP players to zerg rush the Atlas is a bit like herding cats.

[no one]

Nirvana7734, on 18 December 2016 - 04:59 PM, said:

I certainly don't have all of the answers and am definitely looking for suggestions, but I will reiterate my main point: I loved this game mode in the previous version when the VIP had a LOT of health.

I more or less agree. I don't especially think the game mode will be improved by shuffling the VIP's hp one way or the other. The linchpin balance problem isn't how much HP the VIP has but how much or little time the attackers have to deal with the VIP and escort. It's great to have active scouting and play all over the map but if you lean too far towards making the winning attack strategy a deathball rush, that's boring.

[Gaden Phoenix]

The game mode is very balanced. To me it is a refreshing change of pace. From lets see:
~ Conquest, Lights run about, rest setup firing line at a position
~ Domination, Everyone rush to circle, setup firing line at circle
~ Skirmish, Every one setup firing line when you meet enemy
~ Assault, Every one setup firing line when you meet enemy or walk pass enemy team and cap...
The common denominator for all the other modes is, setup firing line and .... etc etc.

On the other hand, Escort is different because it forces you to plan you firing line position (radar towers), plan your skirmish strategy (how to deprive enemy of radar and cover) and know when to reposition yourselves as needed (when stupid VIP moves pass fight). I know that might not be some people's cup of tea. But for me, that is way more fun, then encounter enemy team and setup a more or less static firing line till match end.

The strategy of Escort for Attacker is:
1. Find your Attacker position
2. Find the VIP
3. Overwhelm, Side Track Defender lines
4. Deprive Defenders of Radar support
5. Kill Entrenched Defenders
6. Slowly weed down Defenders till VIP forces repositioning then scatter and break them

Strategy of Escort for Defenders is:
1. Use Radar to know where enemies coming from and
2. Setup a good firing like with Radar support
3. Make sure Firing line is beyond VIP
4. Pick off Attackers from Entrenchment
5. Dont get flanked
6. Dont let VIP move beyond your lines or get flanked
7. Reposition as required

Defenders have an easier time to organise but I have been bad defender teams pick horrible positions that get overwhelmed for easy. Or let the VIP bypass their lines and have to scramble and die trying to reposition.

Attackers have an easier time with uncoordinated defenders or must be patient for when Defenders have to reposition themselves or lose.

Thus really in the end, this game mode puts alot of need on team coordination and team skill. And thus again I guess I can understand why some people don't like it.

Edited by Gaden Phoenix, 19 December 2016 - 10:31 PM.