32 replies to this topic

[El Bandito]

That is the question: Whether it is better to buy those mechs on discount, and suffer their reduced quirks as the new skill tree rolls out, or to pass over the sale, only to have the new skill tree cancelled.

Same question on the Hoppers, since I need them for CW.

[Jackal Noble]

Ugh.....Crabs. That is all.

[Bud Crue]

I'm only keeping the SL (jumping crab) and the Resistance version for the paint scheme and the 2 AMS...just because. Dumping the rest. With only a 5% quirk distinction between them the quirks just don't matter (they barely mattered in the live server but as proposed in the PTS they may as well be ignored), so that leaves engine size and a single hard point being the distinctiveness for the other models. No reason to keep em, or in the OP's case, to buy more more than 1 or 2.

[TercieI]

Better Hoppers than Crabs, IMO. As for the rest...who knows?

[Koniving]

Someone sounds crabby.

Why not?
It's a shame the skill tree system doesn't seem to be providing unique options for each mech...
The lore I'm reading suggests that while fragile to the point of having a total of seven redundancies to try and keep it functional during a fight, the Crab has a powerful sensor system that can even make predictions as to what an enemy might do after dropping off the grid.

[JasonIIC]

IS mechs are a slippery slope. I bought Urbies, then I got crabs...

[CygnusX7]

Those hit boxes though. I have a set. I'd probably buy just one knowing 3 mechs will no longer be necessary to skill it.

[NRP]

I derped around in the Trial Crab a while back, but it just didn't feel good to me. And it's ugly as . . . We'll, know you.

I'd get the Grasshopper.

[Ngamok]

Only problem is the all energy slots and low arms. I only liked the center torso and head slots on them. They aren't anything special. I bought the Wolfhound and Crab package out of that collection. Wasn't impressed with either.

[Spheroid]

I like the Crab, but at fifty tons it is cheap enough to consider without the incentive of this sale. The Grasshopper is the more important purchase even though I personally find it terrible.

[The Lobsters]

NRP, on 03 March 2017 - 07:51 AM, said:

I derped around in the Trial Crab a while back, but it just didn't feel good to me. And it's ugly as . . . We'll, know you.

I'd get the Grasshopper.

That trial/champion Crab with the 3 LPL's isn't the best fit imo, a lot of guys I know have given up on Crabs because of those fits. That's just Gman shoehorning his own big laser meta on every mech.

They don't have the acc/dec quirks to make them effective peekers and will compete with the HBK-4P as a laservom mech up to 280 engine size. They're much better leveraging their high engine cap, going for medium lasers or mpl's and playing the fast striker/flanker role. They take a standard engine well too. Dual ams/standard engine Crab was made for rushing the rear lrm mechs across open ground. A b@stard to kill.

Edited by The Lobsters, 03 March 2017 - 09:24 AM.

[Metus regem]

[Bishop Steiner]

El Bandito, on 03 March 2017 - 06:45 AM, said:

That is the question: Whether it is better to buy those mechs on discount, and suffer their reduced quirks as the new skill tree rolls out, or to pass over the sale, only to have the new skill tree cancelled.

Same question on the Hoppers, since I need them for CW.

or maybe people need to get used to a new reality... even if boating is still the "way" that the whole idea is to reduce efficacy across the board.... and thus the Crabs may be reduced with changes... but so is everything else. And...metas change anyhow...so anyone buying based solely on that... eh, I don't feel sympathy when the meta leaves those purchases behind.

[Wiley Coyote]

Bishop Steiner, on 03 March 2017 - 11:50 AM, said:

or maybe people need to get used to a new reality... even if boating is still the "way" that the whole idea is to reduce efficacy across the board.... and thus the Crabs may be reduced with changes... but so is everything else. And...metas change anyhow...so anyone buying based solely on that... eh, I don't feel sympathy when the meta leaves those purchases behind.

[Captain Polux]

Such a goofy looking mech.

[Felicitatem Parco]

El Bandito, on 03 March 2017 - 06:45 AM, said:

That is the question: Whether it is better to buy those mechs on discount, and suffer their reduced quirks as the new skill tree rolls out, or to pass over the sale, only to have the new skill tree cancelled.

Same question on the Hoppers, since I need them for CW.

Best plan is to stop playing altogether. That way you don't have to worry about the skill tree or future design changes.

(I feel this is a proper reply to a Skill Tree Complaint thread click-bait-disguised as a mech discussion thread)

Edited by Prosperity Park, 03 March 2017 - 01:26 PM.

[El Bandito]

Bishop Steiner, on 03 March 2017 - 11:50 AM, said:

or maybe people need to get used to a new reality... even if boating is still the "way" that the whole idea is to reduce efficacy across the board.... and thus the Crabs may be reduced with changes... but so is everything else. And...metas change anyhow...so anyone buying based solely on that... eh, I don't feel sympathy when the meta leaves those purchases behind.

Clan meta mechs are not gonna be weaker as the skill tree offers them options previously not available to them in exchange. I am 100% sure that I will never regret my Clan meta mech purchases.

Prosperity Park, on 03 March 2017 - 01:26 PM, said:

Best plan is to stop playing altogether. That way you don't have to worry about the skill tree or future design changes.

(I feel this is a proper reply to a Skill Tree Complaint thread click-bait-disguised as a mech discussion thread)

You have assumed wrong, and your reply was thus poor. My Clan mechs are looking forward to the skill tree change. My IS mechs, not so much. It is actually a complaint about tech imbalance, and deficiency of quirk bandages.

Edited by El Bandito, 03 March 2017 - 05:57 PM.

[stealthraccoon]

I loves my CRABS! (and I find energy boating boring, tedious and dull)
I really like my 27B with 4 spl, 1 erLL and a mlas along with std300. I find with the SL variant I forget that I can jump, and I'm horribly tempted to run the 20 with a std350 and 5 small lasers, because why not?

The Grasshopper was not fun for me, but it seems to be great if you like driving a replica of the Statue of Liberty into battle.

Edited by stealthraccoon, 03 March 2017 - 08:14 PM.

[Kuaron]

Buy one each in expectation of the rule of 3 getting dropped.

[xe N on]

Bishop Steiner, on 03 March 2017 - 11:50 AM, said:

or maybe people need to get used to a new reality... even if boating is still the "way" that the whole idea is to reduce efficacy across the board.... and thus the Crabs may be reduced with changes... but so is everything else. And...metas change anyhow...so anyone buying based solely on that... eh, I don't feel sympathy when the meta leaves those purchases behind.

I own mostly mediums and play mostly mediums. I own crabs, I will sell them all most likely if the new skill system arrives.

The new reality will be most likely: Clan battlemechs are even more stronger. IS mechs that were previously already bad as the Crab (meager quirks) get even more shafted.

Why I should bother with crabs if I can use my HBK-IIC fully quirked high hard point jump jetting Clan XL, Clan-Endo, Clan-Ferro beast mechs? They are already the better mediums now and will even be better with quirks.

In addition: Medium mechs as the CN9-AH were only viable because of it's massive weapon quirks. Not because its structure/armor quirks. Who cares about +10 structure if facing 50 pin point Night Gyrs or multi-dakka Koadiaks? The only thing that matters for a medium is: agility, low exposure time, low exposure profile. The crab has .. wait .. none of the factors.

The only winner I currently see for the new skill system in the medium bracket are: Huntsmen and HBK-IIC. Even Stormcrow is going to suffer because mobility will be reduced.

So my adivise to Bandito is: don't buy the crab, It's a bad mech, it not fun in higher tiers and it's going even to be worse after new skill system. If you however are a masochist and want to thank PGI for their bad *** IS nerf skill system, you should even buy the crab with MC.

Edited by xe N on, 04 March 2017 - 02:08 AM.