83 replies to this topic

[JadeLight]

I have delved deeply into Light mechs this last month and have been interested in the for a while. One thing I never understand is that no matter what light mech I choose, I am told I should be staying with the fatties and defending them from enemy lights. This is not EVERY game but it will happen every once in a while. Is this due to salty assaults who are caught out of position complaining or should EVERY light be responsible for keeping the fatties safe? This problem has been increased by the amount of promo's and release of the Blood Asp so there were frequently only 1 or 2 lights in a game.

In my opinion, a Locust or Piranha for example, can get 1 shot or easily crippled by some lights such as the Jenner IIC or other SRM carriers and will most certainly lose in a 1v1 against tankier light mechs with decent skill. I believe these skirmisher/assassin mechs should focus on what they do best. What is the wider communities opinion?

Also, I believe that generally speaking, mediums are the best defense vs enemy lights.

Edited by JadeLight, 30 May 2018 - 12:21 AM.

[JadeLight]

Having my mech crippled because I have to fight a stalemate or losing fight against lights designed for the role, is less effective and helpful then continuing the flank and engaging targets of more value and less risk.

[Ted Theodore Logan]

Properly played in solo QP, Lights should do a quick scout of known opfor hotspots and then endeavor to flank and kill/harass enemy assaults. Babysitting fatties is just some fantasy cooked up by terribads to cover their inability to aim. Go watch the streams of actual high tier light pilots and see how much babysitting they do. The simple fact is a large portion of the playerbase who main assaults think they should be able to act as a turret and have zero situational awareness and farm damage cuz muh 100 tonnes. These players are a hindrance, and as a smart light pilot you are carrying their dead weight by doing the jobs they are unwilling to do, aka being aggressive.

[BurningDesire]

if your running a fast light flank, if your in a fire support light stay with the fatties.
9/10 the fatties dont help you anyway when they get flanked and ignore the light coming in to give them a back rub.

[FrostyBurn]

Depends on the team composition. If you have a streakcrow on the team then there is no use but the fatties needs some protection against the lights. So it might fall on the lights on your team as I said depending om what else kind of mechs you have and how many lights you have. Also of course on the map. Maybe not as much on polar but more on Solaris where there is more cover.

[JudauAshta]

yes you have to babysit fatties, otherwise you auto-lose your assaults and will probably lose the game.

in my light, i usually wolf pack with other lights and we go hunt down lone assaults for an ez kill

[Ted Theodore Logan]

JudauAshta, on 30 May 2018 - 12:58 AM, said:

yes you have to babysit fatties, otherwise you auto-lose your assaults and will probably lose the game.

in my light, i usually wolf pack with other lights and we go hunt down lone assaults for an ez kill

https://en.wikipedia...i/Contradiction

[JadeLight]

I appreciate the responses. I have, in fact, noticed the best light pilots prefer the aggressive role. I always try to keep an eye out for assaults pretending they are superheroes and try to herd them back into formation. If you want me to go out vs a SRM 2D in a locust while the enemy main force is on its way, you got another thing coming.

I can't tell if Judau's post is satire or not. I hate sticking together with other lights, they draw attention.

[Ted Theodore Logan]

JadeLight, on 30 May 2018 - 01:06 AM, said:

I appreciate the responses. I have, in fact, noticed the best light pilots prefer the aggressive role. I always try to keep an eye out for assaults pretending they are superheroes and try to herd them back into formation. If you want me to go out vs a SRM 2D in a locust while the enemy main force is on its way, you got another thing coming.

I can't tell if Judau's post is satire or not. I hate sticking together with other lights, they draw attention.

[JadeLight]

BurningDesire, on 30 May 2018 - 12:48 AM, said:

if your running a fast light flank, if your in a fire support light stay with the fatties.
9/10 the fatties dont help you anyway when they get flanked and ignore the light coming in to give them a back rub.

It is interesting how many times I've died reinforcing someone against a light and then they leave me to deal with it and then we both die (usually i'm at a massive role disadvantage). I really think people don't understand what lights are capable of. I was told I shouldn't be driving a locust if i cant kill enemy SRM boats.

[Weeny Machine]

Of course heavies and assaults want you to stay with them. So they can tunnel-vision and lolaplha while you get crippled because you do not use your biggest (actually your only) asset: your ability to re-position quickly

And if things go wrong, the light gets no backup in return from the fatty and is thrown to the wolves


After dying I saw several heavies and assaults sniping and lolaphaing on distant targets while their teammate 100m away had a light mech on his rear. It must be so hard to train your weapons on the imminent thread

Edited by Bush Hopper, 30 May 2018 - 01:19 AM.

[Old dirty B]

JadeLight, on 30 May 2018 - 12:20 AM, said:

I have delved deeply into Light mechs this last month and have been interested in the for a while. One thing I never understand is that no matter what light mech I choose, I am told I should be staying with the fatties and defending them from enemy lights. This is not EVERY game but it will happen every once in a while. Is this due to salty assaults who are caught out of position complaining or should EVERY light be responsible for keeping the fatties safe? This problem has been increased by the amount of promo's and release of the Blood Asp so there were frequently only 1 or 2 lights in a game.

In my opinion, a Locust or Piranha for example, can get 1 shot or easily crippled by some lights such as the Jenner IIC or other SRM carriers and will most certainly lose in a 1v1 against tankier light mechs with decent skill. I believe these skirmisher/assassin mechs should focus on what they do best. What is the wider communities opinion?

Also, I believe that generally speaking, mediums are the best defense vs enemy lights.

Lets start with nobody tells you what to do, especially not when playing a light! Not even for caps and so on, you have the least survivability so you should be in control at all times over what you do and what not.

The speed and size advantage, the lower profile of the mech, allows you to take the initiative and be in control when and where and what you engage. Mobility is a key and that should be used, it wil allow you to extend like no other and be very aggressive to exploit weaknesses and mistakes.

In general avoid attention as attention gets you shot (and you cannot take much of that) and as soon a target shows its weakspot, turns his back you bite him... If you do get attention you bail out, unless its one target, then you ambush and take care of him. If you get more attention you dissapear - untill they turn around - then you kite, juke and bite the guy in the back.

At all times, you want to be in control and have the initiative - as soon as you loose that, you should dissapear and regain control!

Edited by Old dirty B, 30 May 2018 - 01:15 AM.

[JudauAshta]

Ted Theodore Logan, on 30 May 2018 - 01:01 AM, said:

https://en.wikipedia...i/Contradiction

congrats you can use google and wikipedia

i was giving example of what i do in lights and why it works cause opposing lights are not doing their job probably.

[Ted Theodore Logan]

JudauAshta, on 30 May 2018 - 01:14 AM, said:

congrats you can use google and wikipedia

i was giving example of what i do in lights and why it works cause opposing lights are not doing their job probably.

You're a Founder with a W/L of 0.90, and 50% of the few games you play in assaults.

[JadeLight]

JudauAshta, on 30 May 2018 - 01:14 AM, said:

congrats you can use google and wikipedia

i was giving example of what i do in lights and why it works cause opposing lights are not doing their job probably.

Right... If the enemy lights weren't doing their job by keeping you (a light) away, then weren't you not doing your job either? Hence the contradiction. Besides, MWO strategy thrives on winning by superior odds. "Defeat in detail" if you will. Why would you attack a similarly armored opponent. Even if you survive, you will be massively crippled and the impact on the game will be minimal.

Edited by JadeLight, 30 May 2018 - 01:28 AM.

[JudauAshta]

JadeLight, on 30 May 2018 - 01:27 AM, said:

Right... If the enemy lights weren't doing their job by keeping you (a light) away, then weren't you not doing your job either? Hence the contradiction. Besides, MWO strategy thrives on winning by superior odds. "Defeat in detail" if you will. Why would you attack a similarly armored opponent. Even if you survive, you will be massively crippled and the impact on the game will be minimal.

who said they are going after your assaults. it's irrelevant what they doing if they can't be flexible enough to go back.
lights are weak and kinda garbage right now you have to rely on heavier mechs to carry most of the time.

good players know what rotation are. oh my assault are being flanked, hmm do i continue pushing or do i go back.

Ted Theodore Logan, on 30 May 2018 - 01:18 AM, said:

You're a Founder with a W/L of 0.90, and 50% of the few games you play in assaults.

my winrate was a lot worse before. its been getting better mr skill
i hear pro mwo team are trying to recruit you

Edited by JudauAshta, 30 May 2018 - 01:35 AM.

[Besh]

I do not subscribe to the notion of there being a defined Role for the entire Class of Light 'Mechs that works on any Map/Gamemode . There are NARC Ravens, harassing and backstabbing Commandos and Locusts, brutally effective "!Yolo!" MGVomit Piranhas, PPC Panthers...etcetcetcetc .

In addition to the role(s) the individual Chassis' tend to fullfill best ( which actually can even vary dep. Loadout), there is - as has been mentioned above - Team composition, and ofc Pilot Skill . Plus the actual flow of the Match .

You will find a lot of older threads/posts on these Forums detailling how Light 1v1 fights - while possibly being superfun and demanding - can actually be detrimental to your Team's success . Mostly because the winner may end up severly crippled to the point of effectively being out of the Match .

Imho, the best thing you can do is to learn your 'Mech, learn the style its lends itself to most, then - based on your capabilities, situational awareness and matchflow - do what you are ABLE to do best in the way that best contributes to your Team'S success in a given Match .

Whatever that turns out to be...is entirely up to you .

Edited by Besh, 30 May 2018 - 01:40 AM.

[Old dirty B]

JadeLight, on 30 May 2018 - 01:27 AM, said:

Why would you attack a similarly armored opponent. Even if you survive, you will be massively crippled and the impact on the game will be minimal.

If you have the initiative in that engagement and can fight that other light while being in control you can easily dispose it. But if that you loose that initiative and you become entangled both will probably be severly damaged. It can be a lot of fun, such a dogfight, but you might not be much worth for the remainder of the game...

[Besh]

Old dirty B, on 30 May 2018 - 01:36 AM, said:

If you have the initiative in that engagement and can fight that other light while being in control you can easily dispose it. But if that you loose that initiative and you become entangled both will probably be severly damaged. It can be a lot of fun, such a dogfight, but you might not be much worth for the remainder of the game...

Nope . That is a WAY too generalized answer . You simply can not discuss the capabilities of the entire LightClass in broad sweeps....cos they are WAY too varied .

Edited by Besh, 30 May 2018 - 01:38 AM.

[Ruccus]

JadeLight, on 30 May 2018 - 12:20 AM, said:

I have delved deeply into Light mechs this last month and have been interested in the for a while. One thing I never understand is that no matter what light mech I choose, I am told I should be staying with the fatties and defending them from enemy lights. This is not EVERY game but it will happen every once in a while. Is this due to salty assaults who are caught out of position complaining or should EVERY light be responsible for keeping the fatties safe? This problem has been increased by the amount of promo's and release of the Blood Asp so there were frequently only 1 or 2 lights in a game.

In my opinion, a Locust or Piranha for example, can get 1 shot or easily crippled by some lights such as the Jenner IIC or other SRM carriers and will most certainly lose in a 1v1 against tankier light mechs with decent skill. I believe these skirmisher/assassin mechs should focus on what they do best. What is the wider communities opinion?

Also, I believe that generally speaking, mediums are the best defense vs enemy lights.

I don't know who's trying to get their team's light mechs to stay with the assaults, but that's not the job of the light mechs. Protecting assault mechs from lights is a critical job for the 80 to 90kph medium mechs. Their job is to bring enough support firepower for when the assaults go up against the enemy front line and be quick and agile enough to quickly get into a good firing position as well as target and destroy light mechs that come to harass the assault mechs.

You can make light mech anti-light hunters, but they'll be encountering the enemy light mechs out in the field, not amongst the feet of the team's assault mechs.