12 replies to this topic

[billyyank]

I've been trying to skill up my Wolfhound GR with stealth armor, and I've noticed something strange. When I activate stealth mode, I lose all enemy mechs on my radar. Very rarely can actually target an enemy, and only when I'm looking directly at the mech. It's as if all the enemy mechs are in stealth mode. I don't recall this occurring in the past. Is this a new effect or a bug?

[Lugin]

That's the way it's supposed to behave.

While Stealth armor is active, the user is affected as though under enemy ECM.

That said, in lore, while the stealth is active, the ECM would not generate its "bubble."

Edited by Lugin, 27 December 2018 - 11:18 AM.

[Spheroid]

The Mark I. eyeball is the most effective sensor available and is unaffected by ECM.

[billyyank]

If that is how it's supposed to work, then what good is it? Without information on enemy positions, I have no idea where I'm suppose to position myself. The next corner I turn into could have five enemy mechs waiting for me, but I won't know it until I'm totally exposed. In fact, I've been running into ambushes all day long for that very reason. Without enemy location information, I can't flank because I don't know where to flank. If this is how stealth is supposed to work, then not only is it useless, it's also pointless.

[Ilfi]

You can turn it on and off.

[Daggett]

billyyank, on 27 December 2018 - 12:13 PM, said:

If that is how it's supposed to work, then what good is it? Without information on enemy positions, I have no idea where I'm suppose to position myself. The next corner I turn into could have five enemy mechs waiting for me, but I won't know it until I'm totally exposed. In fact, I've been running into ambushes all day long for that very reason. Without enemy location information, I can't flank because I don't know where to flank. If this is how stealth is supposed to work, then not only is it useless, it's also pointless.

It's only a matter of experience and map-knowledge. If you want to flank with any mech regardless of stealth you should equip seismic sensor nodes. With those you can virtually "see" around corners without exposing yourself.

You are also in much higher danger if you scout counter-clockwise because then you will run into the enemy nascar. So if you go clockwise (or even straight on some maps) you usually should land in their backs without them seeing you. If you have luck, your team is smart enough to not start a nascar by following you. But if they do, it usually helps to tell 'em via voip that you are stealthed and need to be alone.

You can also equip stuff that extends your sensor range like BAP and the respective skill nodes. Some stealth-capable mechs like the Javelin also feature sensor-range quirks. But with practice you can do fine without those at some point.

Edited by Daggett, 27 December 2018 - 12:56 PM.

[Koniving]

Get their positions, stealth when you are near them.

[Lykaon]

billyyank, on 27 December 2018 - 11:15 AM, said:

I've been trying to skill up my Wolfhound GR with stealth armor, and I've noticed something strange. When I activate stealth mode, I lose all enemy mechs on my radar. Very rarely can actually target an enemy, and only when I'm looking directly at the mech. It's as if all the enemy mechs are in stealth mode. I don't recall this occurring in the past. Is this a new effect or a bug?

That little gem is one of the few semi realistic stealth features in this game.

If your mech was "cloaked" from sensors this would mean that most detectable emissions would be subdued. This would include heat and radiation emissions...like the types of radio waves utilized in active sensors. So if you mech was using stealth but still using it's active sensors (that use radar) your mech would be detected by those sensor emissions and thus negate any stealth.

I always found it odd that ECM on a mech made it undetectable except visually. The type of ECM used in MWo is an active disruption system. This functions by basically shouting gibberish very loudly across various electromagnetic frequencies in an attempt to disrupt enemy sensors. The end result is the enemy only knows that there is something being very very "loud" and pretty much where it is. The enemy however can not detect what it is or if it's alone.

This means that active ECM should let everyone know where the ECM source is coming from but not what it is or if there are any other targets within the disrupted area provided by the ECM.

[billyyank]

I actually haven't tried using stealth for some time because it was too hot. But then PGI recently revamped it and made the heat easier to work with. Earlier today I watched a new YouTube video by Baradul; he put stealth armor on his WLF-GR and played really well with it. Check out the video if you haven't seen it. Anyway, I decided to give it another try, so I removed the BAP and Mk I TC from my GR and put in stealth armor. It's barely broken in, so I have a long way to go before it's completely skilled. I honestly do not remember losing enemy information when stealth mode was activated, so it seems like a new effect to me. But like I said, I haven't used stealth armor for some time, so I may have forgotten about it.

I'm questioning the usefulness of stealth mode now. Seismic sensors could help with locating the enemy, but they only give approximate locations over a minimum distance and only when you're standing still. Without stealth armor on my GR I can give it an ECM, a BAP, and a Mk 1 TC. I think that sensor package may be worth more than stealth armor. I know for a fact that it's easier to work with.

I've seen stealth work in the game before, so I won't groan when I see another player with it. but it may not work so well for me.

Spheroid, on 27 December 2018 - 11:34 AM, said:

The Mark I. eyeball is the most effective sensor available and is unaffected by ECM.

I agree, the Mk 1 Eyeball is the most powerful sensor in the game, especially when used in conjunction with a second Mk 1 Eyeball. They even work outside of the game too, for all kinds of situations.

[Maddermax]

It’s been that way as long as I’ve been playing (since April). Stealth is meant to be a double edged sword, though since the heat changes to stealth in the last patch, it’s way better now than ever before - and it was worth it before.

The things to remeber and keeping out of stealth on the approach to keep sensors going, then going into stealth when detection by enemies is a possibility. It’s a trap to just use it all the time, because even with the changes, you lose enough heat dissipation to nerf your own damage out put if you use it constantly. Assess the situation, get in, do some damage, get out, stealth off to cool down and reassess the situation. You have to think on your feet to make sure you aren’t trapped, and try to keep note of where enemies are heading before you activate stealth.

You also have to remember that you cannot share targeting data with friends if in stealth. So turn it off, use your normal ECM cover to stay hidden while you lock and mark targets, and turn it on when you’re ready to go in close.

[Xetelian]

billyyank, on 27 December 2018 - 05:51 PM, said:

I'm questioning the usefulness of stealth mode now. Seismic sensors could help with locating the enemy, but they only give approximate locations over a minimum distance and only when you're standing still. Without stealth armor on my GR I can give it an ECM, a BAP, and a Mk 1 TC. I think that sensor package may be worth more than stealth armor. I know for a fact that it's easier to work with.

You put a TC1 and a BAP and ECM on a WLF GR? You could lose the BAP and the TC1 and take more DHS and LFF or a bigger engine. When jamming enemy ECM either BAP or ECM but not both as one overrides the other.


Build your mechs for sneaky stealth shenanigans with as much dissipation as possible. Build ALL your mechs for firepower unless you have a group or there is an LRM event and NARC is useful. Otherwise Fire power + Speed + Armor > Sensors.

[The Blood God]

the whole point is sensory deprobation no locks for any one

[MrXanthios]

apparently in 3000something they haven't invented passive radars yet.