11 replies to this topic

[Ruben Faust]

I'm a light pilot at heart, and that has changed the way I was looking at many of the changes in this test. So I'd like to run down some of the things that will change the game for lights.

Firstly are the things that are just too heavy for us to use, HGR, Heavy PPC, the ultra 10, and 20, RAC5 and to a lesser extent the RAC2, they may give people more options to fire at lights, but I don't feel it will matter very much. I can see a king crab accidentally one shotting me with a UAC20 on drop, but hey that's a fluke. Really good pilots may be able to hit a small fast moving mech with a HGR or fat PPC, but its hard enough that it wont matter that much.

Now for the Clan lasers. Getting the Micro ER and pulse variant is going to help some of the Clan lights, and will also give much more easily fit backup weapons for heavier boats. LURMers may actually run some back up weapons (woe is me). Heavy med lasers could be put on some of the more hardpoint starved Clan lights, to increase their alpha, such as the medic fox. Options open up for Clan lights, so I'm a fan of the new clan lasers.

The IS get ER versions of the small and med lasers. More range for more heat, good trade off for some of them. Not much more on these.

IS also get LPPC and the Snubby. Now these are rather interesting, also the sound of them firing is amazing. The Stub nose allows great drive by potential, and is a blast to use. The light one can be fit on some mechs, in order to harass red Doritos like no ones business, though not very powerful per shot (light pilots are likely used to not doing good DMG per hit).
These things are fantastic additions to the IS arsenal.

The Clan ATM launchers seem to not matter that much to light mechs, just a new reason to go radar derp. The MRM launchers likewise won't matter to us unless we decide to run them for assault missile enemas. SRM launchers are better at this. The MRM shoot to a static spot, and lights don't stop moving, so no big hits there.

The rocket launchers opened up some new build ideas, such as a SNPPC and some one shot rockets. Though most people seem to be very unhappy with the fact that it can negatively affect scouting, which it can, I don't see a person trading one for one if they manage to get a clean shot, and not die to a team beforehand, damaging game-play that badly. That said people may go for lights instead of their heavy mechs for kills/kmdd events, I'd like to see it.

The stealth armor is going to be interesting, that last light alive with ECM and a PPC is going to have a fun time trying to stay away from people, and get shots off. It shouldn't work with back stabbing very well, due to the ECM alerting the potential target of their intentions.

The machine guns are kind of odd, on one hand they could be great, HMG inside spit range, and the LMG screaming "HERE I AM, LOOK THIS WAY!". I do feel that they are not powerful enough due to the fact that, for the weight, they do nowhere near as much as some of the lasers in the game. Why use a HMG when, you could use an ERSL and an extra DHS? I am hoping they make it to where they are good enough to make people look at the armor distribution between front and back and think "should I front load my armor and leave myself open to MG lights, or should I add more protection back there at the expense of my front armor?" as of right now its not even a thought, just front load it. I'm hoping that that 100 ton god of death that put 6 armor in the back should feel the burn of his Achilles heel. In order for the death god to feel the negatives of his front loaded armor, the team of 12 needs to let a person do it, without being blown to hell. Its hard to not be blown to hell when the alpha of some mechs can kill you twice over... through the front of your CT. So let the risk be worth the reward, if that mech, that weighs less than the weapons the god of death is carrying, manages to pass through the hail of fire raining down, without being spotted and called out, that pilot should be able to kill the hellstorm spewing being of pure calamity.

So that is what I'm thinking of the new tech available in the PTS right now, If anyone has any other thoughts, please make them known below.


Edited for having shammed the Snubby...

Edited by Ruben Faust, 01 July 2017 - 11:18 AM.

[Monkey Lover]

I think atms are going to be a lot more dangerous to lights than radar derp counter. Most people are not running lights in the testing ground but the few who did when I was testing them lost most of their legs in 1 alpha.

Lights are going to have to start using dual ams to survive for the first few months until people get bored of them.

[Y E O N N E]

I think the MG class are fine where they are. The HMG absolutely savages open components and isn't shabby at blowing through armor if it needs to; the ACH and MLX are both coming out with new pods in August (?) that allow them to boat 8x ballistics. The HMG alone would offer 11.2 DPS with no heat...that's brutal.

I don't think the SN-PPC or LPPC are actually that useful to Lights except for the lulz; it's just more efficient to bring ERMLs or even LPL.

ERSL combos really well with MPL; use on a LCT-3M to get a nice and quick 24-point poke out to ~230 meters. It's awesome.

ERML is a little too hot to use more than 5 on Lights, IMHO. You just lose too much DPS. I'd actually rather just take cMPL for this bracket; more damage for less heat and a small loss in range for fast 'Mechs. Shorter, go for standard isML.

[Ruben Faust]

I personally feel that a spider with a Snubby and 4 HMG will be a great contender. The center mounted SNPPC is 10 dmg, most people use less in the rear, then instant structure DMG with the HMGs. It could blow the AC20 from an atlas in record time.

I may just love the sounds too much though.



Edited due to improper vernacular.

Edited by Ruben Faust, 01 July 2017 - 11:17 AM.

[Y E O N N E]

Ruben Faust, on 01 July 2017 - 11:11 AM, said:

I personally feel that a spider with a stubby and 4 HMG will be a great contender. The center mounted SNPPC is 10 dmg, most people use less in the rear, then instant structure DMG with the HMGs. It could blow the AC20 from an atlas in record time.

I may just love the sounds too much though.

It is pretty decent. Bows3r was using one on PTS the other day pretty effectively, though it seemed like the ammo ran out too quickly. An ERLL and HMG would offer greater longevity and overall capability.

Also, it's a Snubby, not a Stubby.

[Rusharn]

Monkey Lover, on 01 July 2017 - 10:47 AM, said:

I think atms are going to be a lot more dangerous to lights than radar derp counter. Most people are not running lights in the testing ground but the few who did when I was testing them lost most of their legs in 1 alpha.

Lights are going to have to start using dual ams to survive for the first few months until people get bored of them.

If you are in a fast IS light or medium the ATM's are no big deal. Their poor tracking and low velocity make them pretty bad at attack any mech that is moving 110kph or faster. The low engine capped IS lights, and the slower clan light mechs would be the most effected but if you're one those you should be sticking close to the rest of your team, and one AMS with overload or two LAMS pretty much shuts down any number of ATMs. If you're fast and run a fully skilled ECM it's not even something to worry about. I don't think I've ever been hit with an ATM in my Pirates Bane or Arctic Cheetah.

[NiuqOteen]

The range on HMG's seems a bit low. perhaps a huge falloff they already have a large spread.
Rocket launchers need to somehow be a DPS weapon not an alpha weapon.
Heavy Lasers need something to give them a place on those hardpoint light mechs. I think a bit more range or falloff.
Atm's fired at anything slightly above you feel like they prioritize legs.
ATM's vs anything 35 - 45 tons moving less than 100kph in the open is where they can be nasty. Just like streaks

The huge winners in the new tech Light PPC and the IS ER med. Low weight option to provide enough range that you can contribute from outside brawl range.

[o0cipher0o]

NiuqOteen, on 02 July 2017 - 12:57 PM, said:

Rocket launchers need to somehow be a DPS weapon not an alpha weapon.

Pretty hard to turn a one-shot weapon into a DPS focused weapon...

Edited by o0cipher0o, 02 July 2017 - 01:54 PM.

[zeves]

OK thing to note
STEALTH ARMOR removes friend or foe indicators so friendly fire will happen.

[Angel of Annihilation]

zeves, on 02 July 2017 - 02:12 PM, said:

OK thing to note
STEALTH ARMOR removes friend or foe indicators so friendly fire will happen.

You know I wonder how PGI is going to deal with this because you shouldn't be held responsible for a team kill or team damage if you can't actually tell if a mech is a friend or foe.

[chucklesMuch]

HMG are fun; when you are in range... and you carry enough ammo... they be very hungry

[Doctor Dinosaur]

o0cipher0o, on 02 July 2017 - 01:53 PM, said:

Pretty hard to turn a one-shot weapon into a DPS focused weapon...

Ghost heat starting with 2 launchers. Or make it like gauss, only let fire X launchers at once.