27 replies to this topic

[VaudeVillain]

As someone who has played only Level 1 Tech all the way to Tier 2, I agree 3025 era tech would be more fun than Stock. With stock, there are very limited, viable builds. Granted, I limit my Mechs to 3025 era (ok, 3030 so I could have a Cicada and Cataphract) with standard BT engine tonnages (eg. 270, 320,400 for an 80 ton 'Mech) but it made the game challenging and more fun while embracing the Sucession wars/Clan invasion experience. There was even an Annihilator variant prior to 3025.

Some example builds

Awesome AWS-8Q - 2 x PPC, 5 x Md Lasers, 21 SHS, 240 Engine
Annihilator ANH-1A - 2 x AC/10, 4 x Md Lasers, 3 x MGs, Sm Laser, 11 SHS, 300 Engine
Warhammer WHM-6R - 2 x AC/20, 2 x Sm Lasers, 2 SHS, 210 Engine
Marauder MAD-3R - 4 x Med Lasers, AC/10, 2 x MG, 7 SHS, 300 Engine
Hunchback HBK-4J - 6 x Md Lasers, LRM-10, 10 SHS, 200 Engine
Hunchback HBK-4G - AC/20, 2 x Md Lasers, 4 SHS, 200 Engine
Firestarter FS9-H - 6 x Sm Lasers, 2 x MG, 1 SHS, 245 Engine

I usually reference the Master Unit List to find 'Mechs that are around 3025 but not Star League era.
http://www.masteruni...restarter-fs9-h

Edited by VaudeVillain, 07 June 2018 - 04:36 PM.

[El Bandito]

Champion of Khorne Lord of Blood, on 07 June 2018 - 01:41 PM, said:

This statement's pretty ironic considering that lasers aren't instant damage.

Lasers are instant damage. They are just not frontloaded.

[KoalaBrownie]

Brizna, on 06 June 2018 - 02:12 AM, said:

As per the title, stock mode is a terrible decision, FASA was famous for designing terrible mechs, 80 toners armed with 5 small lasers(*), mechs with AC20 and just 1 ton of ammo, mechs with almost no armor that died at the the first solid hit, mention any ******** decision to design mechs for MWO and some stock mode will have it, sometimes accompanied by several other crippling weakness, only a few mechs are lucky enough to avoid being crippled by one silly design decision or another and that all you will see in this tournament, I've counted 3 lights, 4 mediums, 4 heavies and 3 assaults as workable which after the new balance settles will be further reduced.

Stock mode worked for boardgame tournaments for years. MWO is different enough from the boardgame that drawing comparison to designs which aren't even in MWO is kinda- pointless? Like citing the charger as a bad design, when its not in MWO and is reliant on physical attacks which are likewise not in MWO doesn't have any bearing on a stock-mode MWO tournament.

[Kralizec242]

IIXxXII, on 06 June 2018 - 02:29 PM, said:

It could even the playing field due to literally no one in the competitive genre having experience utilizing stock mechs.

This is the kind of mentality I think bred the decision in the first place to have a stock world championship tournament. At the end of the day, Div A competitive players will be able to outperform a "beer leaguer" every day of the week; simply due to a more comprehensive understanding of the game, as well as raw mechanical ability.

You're not going to have a "beer league" team come out of left field and sweep the field because we can't customize robots. It's going to make that skill divide worse.

Edited by Kralizec242, 07 June 2018 - 05:51 PM.

[SilentScreamer]

IIXxXII, on 06 June 2018 - 10:55 PM, said:

I don't know how many good players are proficient with every weapon in the game. Some could rely heavily than others on meta builds and being able to customize loadouts.

Many stock mechs don't seem to boat weapons or have optimized loadouts. They often have mixed builds which are different from meta builds in terms of having weapons which are effective @ different ranges. Its possible that every team will have zero experience using stock mechs, which could mean they all start @ zero.

The varied loadouts on Stock mechs will be even harder to manage in the finals when they use PGI's gaming equipment. A keyboard and a 2-button mouse, no macros, no special controllers, etc. Just thinking of the Shadowhawk or Highlander. Jump jets, Autocannon, Medium lasers, SRMs and LRMs all on the same mech. And just those two mouse buttons and a keyboard....

In 2012 IGN called MWO "A Thinking Man's Shooter". With Stock builds replacing high alpha twitch builds, the description might actually be accurate again. http://www.ign.com/a...persons-shooter

I will watch, but I participated in the Stock mech matches before PGI even added the feature to private lobbies.

[FupDup]

SilentScreamer, on 07 June 2018 - 05:54 PM, said:

The varied loadouts on Stock mechs will be even harder to manage in the finals when they use PGI's gaming equipment. A keyboard and a 2-button mouse, no macros, no special controllers, etc. Just thinking of the Shadowhawk or Highlander. Jump jets, Autocannon, Medium lasers, SRMs and LRMs all on the same mech. And just those two mouse buttons and a keyboard....

In 2012 IGN called MWO "A Thinking Man's Shooter". With Stock builds replacing high alpha twitch builds, the description might actually be accurate again. http://www.ign.com/a...persons-shooter

I will watch, but I participated in the Stock mech matches before PGI even added the feature to private lobbies.

People are naturally going to gravitate towards the stock loadouts that were actually designed for a specific role (fewer different weapon types), rather than all of the wheel-of-fortune medley-build generalists.

Nobody's gonna use a Shadow Hawk in stock land. It's trash, with tissue armor and squirt gun firepower.

[LordNothing]

i kind of have the opposite pov as op. id like to see stock but allow newtech.

hell id like to see a stock mech event where everyone has to run stock for a weekend. id like to see what comes out on top.

Edited by LordNothing, 07 June 2018 - 06:44 PM.

[SilentScreamer]

FupDup, on 07 June 2018 - 06:41 PM, said:

People are naturally going to gravitate towards the stock loadouts that were actually designed for a specific role (fewer different weapon types), rather than all of the wheel-of-fortune medley-build generalists.

Nobody's gonna use a Shadow Hawk in stock land. It's trash, with tissue armor and squirt gun firepower.

I used the Shadowhawk as an example because it is a weapons management nightmare, not because I think it's going to be favored.