35 replies to this topic

[Alkabides]

Perhaps there are some configs/loadouts I’m not seeing but 2018 rewards seem very, VERY underwhelming compared to 2017. I’m still playing the loyalty mechs from last year (r-68L a mech playboi!)..uncertain I can say the same regarding this year’s mechs a year later. I love riflemen ... Dao Breaker one of my favorites... but we just had a rifleman in the Solaris 7 pack and this loyalty one has 3 less energy hard points. That seems like a downgrade that will never make it out of garage. At any rate, again maybe I’m wrong but I’m certainly not stoked on these rewards. I qualify for most this year but I’m not seeing an incentive to pick up anouther collectors pack to be eligible for 1 more loyalty assault and the ultimate rewards. Thoughts?

[FupDup]

Javelin: Good choice
Rifleman: Okay
Warhammer: Okay but boring

Night Gyr: Okay (boring but okay)
Marauder IIC: Pointless

For the Rifleman they should've went with the 7M, which has ECM and likely some Gauss quirks (because stock LGR x2).

Edited by FupDup, 28 August 2018 - 02:47 PM.

[Bud Crue]

I don't know about "weak sauce" but I for one am less impressed with the mechs, but digging the Solid Gold Dancers circa 1979 paint jobs. If I still cared to grind new mechs I might be enticed to make some purchases just to get the Marauder IIC.

I think you are wrong in regard to that Rifleman. That thing is gonna be a nice poptart. The Warhammer will eliminate the few instances of folks still feeling the need to bring an 0XP into faction decks for the ECM. The Marauder? Compare to the other IIC with Jump Jets. This loyalty mechs is a zillion times better with 7 energy hard points. instead of 2M and 5E. TheJavlin gets 6 machine guns and that might be fun.

[FupDup]

Bud Crue, on 28 August 2018 - 02:41 PM, said:

I don't know about "weak sauce" but I for one am less impressed with the mechs, but digging the Solid Gold Dancers circa 1979 paint jobs. If I still cared to grind new mechs I might be enticed to make some purchases just to get the Marauder IIC.

I think you are wrong in regard to that Rifleman. That thing is gonna be a nice poptart. The Warhammer will eliminate the few instances of folks still feeling the need to bring an 0XP into faction decks for the ECM. The Marauder? Compare to the other IIC with Jump Jets. This loyalty mechs is a zillion times better with 7 energy hard points. instead of 2M and 5E. TheJavlin gets 6 machine guns and that might be fun.

Oh that Rifleman's got JJs? I completely glossed over that while skimming the loadout specs. Okay, then I guess it's not pointless anymore. Still woulda preferred the RFL-7M tho.

I also missed the Warhammer's ECM...damn my skimming game is off today.

The Marauder is definitely still pointless though because you're not going to lift very far off the ground with assault JJs and its hardpoints are just slightly less numerous than the standard MAD-IIC while being mostly distributed into the lower mounted arms.

Edited by FupDup, 28 August 2018 - 02:48 PM.

[Bud Crue]

FupDup, on 28 August 2018 - 02:43 PM, said:

Oh that Rifleman's got JJs? I completely glossed over that while skimming the loadout specs. Okay, then I guess it's not pointless anymore. Still woulda preferred the RFL-7M tho.

I also missed the Warhammer's ECM...damn my skimming game is off today.

The Marauder is definitely still pointless though because you're not going to lift very far off the ground with assault JJs and its hardpoints are just slightly less numerous than the IIC-1 while being mostly distributed into the lower mounted arms.

Agreed in regard to the MAD, but still 7E is better than the current one with JJ (I don't even know the designation because I have barely played the one I have) and besides I'd only buy it for the paint job. Needs a disco ball CP item for sure. And a new "stayin alive" warhorn.

[Big Tin Man]

That Whammy is going to be a staple in FP. ECM + lazor vomit is a good chassis? YES PLEASE.

Example: LFE330, 18DHS, ECM + 6ML + MRM30. 75 kph and a 60 pt alpha that can hide.

TC2 is the ECM
https://mwo.smurfy-n...041bd2fd24914dd

[SuperMCDad]

Love me my Javelins. One with 6 machine guns.....YES PLEASE!

[LordNothing]

the only one i really like is the javelin, and i already qualify for that (i gave pgi $7 for mc this year to buy mechbays and that made me feel dirty, used, and dejected).

Edited by LordNothing, 28 August 2018 - 03:41 PM.

[LordNothing]

Big Tin Man, on 28 August 2018 - 03:00 PM, said:

That Whammy is going to be a staple in FP. ECM + lazor vomit is a good chassis? YES PLEASE.

Example: LFE330, 18DHS, ECM + 6ML + MRM30. 75 kph and a 60 pt alpha that can hide.

TC2 is the ECM
https://mwo.smurfy-n...041bd2fd24914dd

spheroids needed an equivalent to the helby, and this certainly fits the bill. but im not going to give pgi that much money to get it a few months early. i might get the gyr if pgi comes out with a clan pack i like in the next month, or a $15 clan light pack or standalone clan heros.

Edited by LordNothing, 28 August 2018 - 03:45 PM.

[MischiefSC]

This will be the first year I haven't gotten all the rewards. I think I'm only getting one, like a participation reward or something.

Not that I ever cared; I bought stuff because I wanted it or because I was really happy with what PGI had done. I just haven't felt like that in a while. Apparently for about a year. The mechs that come out are all very mediocre - not that I'm asking for OP, just... special? Interesting? Exciting? Different? The Piranha was straight power creep and the only reason it's not OP AF is because lights are UP AF, so the Piranha comes out moderately strong.

The 'balance toward clumsy mediocrity' approach has left me a bit soured. Make mechs more maneuverable in general. Quit trying to 'balance the field between good and bad players'. We already have a system for that, it's called getting good. Quit trying to nerf teamwork and good choices in the mech bay.

Based on averages from the scoreboard player skill (average W/L, KDR, damage) has DECLINED.

Playing poorly and making bad choices needs punished by game design or people act like it's a license to just be stupid. Twisting is not OP. Nor is a very maneuverable and small light mech. I can appreciate the need to bring big alphas back down; average alpha size has grown over 50% with Clan and newtech. Doing that by making every mech and weapon slower, clumsier, slower shooting, longer burning is bad and not fun.

Give me more fun back and I'll give PGI more money.

[Nightbird]

Warhammer, I'm sad that there's so few torso lasers when the hellbringer can do ECM and 6 points in the center.

[The6thMessenger]

Lol that MAD-IIC, pathetic.

Dire-Wolf C would have been much better, ECM CT and Missile Arms.

[B O O M E R A N G]

I have not looked into the loadouts or anything but I'll take some rewards ! Woo

[FLG 01]

I would have preferred an ECM-Marauder (-9S or -9M) instead of a Warhammer, but it is not weak sauce. I really missed JJ on my Rifleman, the MG-boating Javelin is fine, and even the ECM-Warhammer should do its job well. The ECM-Nightgyr may be a bit uninspired but it is an ok variation. The only one I am really disappointed with is the Marauder IIC but I don't qualify anyway...

I actually think this year's reward Mechs are much better than last years, certainly if you play mostly IS.

[DjPush]

Aren't they gifts? What's weak sauce about free mechs and mech bays?

Can't please some people I guess.

[FLG 01]

DjPush, on 28 August 2018 - 04:26 PM, said:

Aren't they gifts? What's weak sauce about free mechs and mech bays?

TANSTAAFL.

They are incentives to buy more Mech packs, especially collector editions. And that's fine, I am ok with capitalism (especially as I grew up in a communist regime). But's let's not pretend it is a gift because PGI loves us all so much.

They are businessmen and this is part of their business plan. If I benefit from that: cool. If not: well, too bad, no sales. I mean if they gave me a MAD-9S I'd order a collector pack right now.

Edited by FLG 01, 28 August 2018 - 04:32 PM.

[panzer1b]

Well i didnt expect many game changers (PGI got alot of flak last time they tried to release arguably P2W mechs), but at least some of them are interesting.

The javelin isnt really that new of an idea (ahem flea), but it gives IS something else that can bring the minimum lethal MG combo. Ive found that you need 6 regular MGs to be a major threat coupled with something else to open armor (you can hurt things with under 6, but 6 is where your firepower actually starts to show against open components/backsides).

Rifleman is meh, nothing original (why not give it a missile or 2 just for variety), and unless its ultra-quirked which is doubtful, its utterly pointless outside of that rather nice camo scheme (which seems to be about the only truly cool thing with these mechs).

Warhammer, plain inferior to all the other models except the missile one. At least it has ECM, but even that wont help a mech with subpar hardpoints that much (most of them on wide and low arms). I mean you can run ECM, otherwise, i dont see the point.

Night Gyr isnt quite that bad, since its an omni and gets ECM. Given its a terrible mech that gets focused alot nowadays (at least whenever i see them), ECM might help bring some life back to it, but i still doubt itll make or break the chassis which moves slow and has the agility of a dead cat inside a beached whale.

MAD-2C is trash, just trash. JJs havent been useful on assaults since ages (and to get anything out of em you need like 3-4, and thats 6-8 tons of offensive capability gone, something no assault can afford to throw away), and its hardpoint layout plain sucks compared to the normal variants. No high mounted lasers/ballistics will force it to fully expose, and while you CAN make it work, i just cant justify it over the other variants unless it gets a huge mobility stat increase (if it gets like +50% or so accel/decell/turn it might be a niche but useful assault variant, if not, its just gonna be a waste of time to run). That and it cant even bring the truly scary loadouts like the 2 LPL + 6 MPL, 2 ERLL/HLL + 6 ERML, nor even the really fun but situational triple dakka builds.

[Armored Yokai]

FupDup, on 28 August 2018 - 02:32 PM, said:

Javelin: Good choice
Rifleman: Okay
(because stock LGR x2).

1200M LGR

[Khobai]

Night Gyr with ECM isnt too bad. Especially since the ECM is in a good location that wont interfere with its weapons. Youll pretty much see every Night Gyr with ECM once the loyalty omnipods are available to everyone.

Giving every Night Gyr ECM was apparently a compromise to not fixing its agility. Id prefer having the agility restored but obviously that wasnt going to happen. PGI seems terrified of Night Gyrs having normal agility...

The Night Gyr is the only loyalty mech I actually want because it actually adds something to Night Gyrs they didnt have before.

Edited by Khobai, 28 August 2018 - 05:21 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

FupDup, on 28 August 2018 - 02:32 PM, said:

Javelin: Good choice
Rifleman: Okay
Warhammer: Okay but boring

Night Gyr: Okay (boring but okay)
Marauder IIC: Pointless

For the Rifleman they should've went with the 7M, which has ECM and likely some Gauss quirks (because stock LGR x2).

So ECM Warhammer/Night Gyr is boring... but an ECM Rifleman would be interesting? Because we need to reinforce more sniping or something? Not looking to argue, kind of curious what makes it a more interesting choice. (Don't really have much care between the 7M or 8D myself, could find some use for either I suppose).

*edit* Never mind, saw your other post.

Not going to run out t buy anything extra for any of them. Won't deny stealth sniper RFL might actually live a little longer. But Bouncy RFL might be fun. IDK.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 28 August 2018 - 05:19 PM.