17 replies to this topic

[PhilTKaswahl]

Do you guys have any builds that you found had slots and weight left over and the armor was already maxed out, so you decided to fill it with a weapon or non-heat sink piece of equipment you weren't originally plannning to take?

Right now my current favorite 'Mech is a 2 ERLL + 3 ML Dao Breaker that I play as a hit and run poker. The 3 MLs used to be MPLs, but I switched because I preferred the better cooldown sync with the ERLLs and lower heat gen of the former over the rate of fire and higher damage of the latter. That left me with three tons of unused weight, and since the armor and engines were already maxed out and the free slots were too disparate over different components to shove in another double heat sink, I decided to use the previously unused ballistic hardpoints for 3 LMGs and a ton and a half of ammo for latter game crit seeking of exposed components and distracting enemy lights. I've found that I like the addition, and it also makes the asymmetrical 'Mech look a little less so.

[Jonathan8883]

My HGN-IIC Keeper carries a Light Tag on one arm to fill out the last 0.5 tons. It's sometimes good for a few extra c-bills.

[Lykaon]

Jonathan8883, on 01 February 2019 - 05:04 AM, said:

My HGN-IIC Keeper carries a Light Tag on one arm to fill out the last 0.5 tons. It's sometimes good for a few extra c-bills.

I have been thinking about getting the Keeper. How are you liking yours?

My thoughts are building off a pair of LB20X a quartet of SRM4s and a solo ER-lrg laser for some long range early game offense.

325XL,15 DHS and a pair of jumpjets to round it out.

[rook]

Targeting computer
BAP
or, if it's 3 Tons, the command consule is an option.

[Verilligo]

Lykaon, on 01 February 2019 - 07:44 AM, said:

I have been thinking about getting the Keeper. How are you liking yours?

My thoughts are building off a pair of LB20X a quartet of SRM4s and a solo ER-lrg laser for some long range early game offense.

325XL,15 DHS and a pair of jumpjets to round it out.

Skip the ERLL, it won't help you in a meaningful way. Keeper plays great with a Scorch build of 2 LBX20, 4 ASRM6, or you can sub out the SRMs for 18-24 ATMs. You might be able to pull off 2 GR and 3 ATM9, too, which would give you both mid and close range firepower in an effective manner.

[Angel of Annihilation]

All the damn time. Sometimes I find myself with as much as 10 tons left. I mean I tried to make my Huntsman into a Energy Boat using MPLs and there just is never enough critical space left over to fill up all the tonnage and this is after adding in BAP and a Advanced Targeting computer in this areas that only have 1 slot available. This is one of the reasons why many people have mentioned that they wish Omnimechs weren't stuck with having fixed structure, armor, jump jets and often times DHS. It is and excessively harsh restriction.

On the other hand what would be nice is if PGI would allow you to under-ton the mech to get an extra boost in speed and maybe agility. For example It would be really nice to be able to shave 5-10 tons of a Direwolf build to bring down its total tonnage to 90-95 tons allowing it a top speed of 51.1 kph or 54 kph respective to the tonnage reduction. I don't think it would make any of the mechs you might want to do this on, OP either.

[Koniving]

I've launched a few times with mechs that are around 10 times light... but aside from one case, most were completely on accident (Have one mech selected, think of just looking at a mech and absentmindedly click the button to launch without realizing that made me change mechs). Whoops, 90 ton Atlas.

That one case, though, Lordred has a video on. I made a joke build for a bit of fun with an AC/5, AC/2, LRM-(10 or 20?) and SRM-6, each with 1 or 2 tons of ammo. (Despite the chatter, there's only Lordred and myself in this match and Lordred muted himself). The other voices talk about a conquest, I'm in an assault. HSR was funny at the time, in side by side videos taken by two users, one can clearly hit but the other player would see blatant misses).

[LordNothing]

i usually just shove a targeting computer or bap into those holes. theres also rocket launchers i suppose. moar ammo! case for said ammo. or when in doubt, go with the humble heat sink.

Edited by LordNothing, 01 February 2019 - 03:06 PM.

[Prototelis]

Extra slots; pointless to fill with good loadout
Extra tons; Probably a bad loadout if you have more than a ton free, especially if you ran out of slots. There are niche cases I'm sure.

One ton, one slot; add a TC1, if using auto aim add bap

Edited by Prototelis, 01 February 2019 - 03:08 PM.

[Angel of Annihilation]

Here is a prime example of the issues. Pulse Laser Night Gyr

NTG-PRIME

Build works great if you like the whole Laser Vomit thing but you end up 5 tons short due to no slots. What should happen if you run the build 5 tons short is that the mech gets flagged as a 70 ton mech instead of a 75 ton because that is what it is if you don't mount 5 tons of equipment and because it is now a 70 ton mech, the run should be upped to 69.4 kph that a 300 size engine would move a 70 ton mech. That would be a boost of 4.6 kph which while nice, would hardly be game breaking and at least make it so that if your build select did come up short on tonnage, at least you got something in return for it.

[FupDup]

The new Clan Light Active Probe is pretty underrated for this purpose, if you don't have any ammo-based weapons to add half-tons of ammo for.

Angel of Annihilation, on 01 February 2019 - 04:26 PM, said:

Here is a prime example of the issues. Pulse Laser Night Gyr

NTG-PRIME

Build works great if you like the whole Laser Vomit thing but you end up 5 tons short due to no slots. What should happen if you run the build 5 tons short is that the mech gets flagged as a 70 ton mech instead of a 75 ton because that is what it is if you don't mount 5 tons of equipment and because it is now a 70 ton mech, the run should be upped to 69.4 kph that a 300 size engine would move a 70 ton mech. That would be a boost of 4.6 kph which while nice, would hardly be game breaking and at least make it so that if your build select did come up short on tonnage, at least you got something in return for it.

There actually is a 70-ton Clan heavy that can mount the exact same payload without having wasted tonnage. It's called the Nova Cat.

Letting under-tonned mechs behave as if they were actually lower tonnage mechs kind of detracts from the point of having lower tonnage mechs even existing in the first place.

[Prototelis]

Angel of Annihilation, on 01 February 2019 - 04:26 PM, said:

Here is a prime example of the issues. Pulse Laser Night Gyr

NTG-PRIME

Thats a really good example of a bad build. Night gyr is too sluggish and its jump jets are too anemic to make use of that. Leaving 5 tons on the table is generally a bad idea.

[Vxheous]

Prototelis, on 01 February 2019 - 10:22 PM, said:

Thats a really good example of a bad build. Night gyr is too sluggish and its jump jets are too anemic to make use of that. Leaving 5 tons on the table is generally a bad idea.

Completely agree, Night Gyr's are heavy weapons platforms, they sacrifice speed to mount high tonnage weapons (like double gauss, or mass ballistics). Throwing a pure laser build that would be done on a 81kph timberwolf/ebon Jag on a 64kph Night Gyr is asking for trouble.

Angel of Annihilation, on 01 February 2019 - 01:47 PM, said:

All the damn time. Sometimes I find myself with as much as 10 tons left. I mean I tried to make my Huntsman into a Energy Boat using MPLs and there just is never enough critical space left over to fill up all the tonnage and this is after adding in BAP and a Advanced Targeting computer in this areas that only have 1 slot available. This is one of the reasons why many people have mentioned that they wish Omnimechs weren't stuck with having fixed structure, armor, jump jets and often times DHS. It is and excessively harsh restriction.

On the other hand what would be nice is if PGI would allow you to under-ton the mech to get an extra boost in speed and maybe agility. For example It would be really nice to be able to shave 5-10 tons of a Direwolf build to bring down its total tonnage to 90-95 tons allowing it a top speed of 51.1 kph or 54 kph respective to the tonnage reduction. I don't think it would make any of the mechs you might want to do this on, OP either.

Umm, I fill out tonnage for a 7xMPL boat on a Huntman just fine, learn to mechlab. First link is more asymmetric, 2nd link has one extra heatsink (yes you can absorb the ghost heat from one extra MPL):
HMN-PRIME

HMN-PRIME

Edited by Vxheous, 02 February 2019 - 12:19 AM.

[PhilTKaswahl]

FupDup, on 01 February 2019 - 05:39 PM, said:

The new Clan Light Active Probe is pretty underrated for this purpose, if you don't have any ammo-based weapons to add half-tons of ammo for.

Did that except with Light TAG for a TBR-A energy build earlier today that borrowed the right torso of another variant for its jump jets. Said borrowed torso had an energy hard point and a slot and half ton over.

Farmed some assist points from someone with an ATM-24 Mad Dog that ended up in two successive drops with me and kept following me around using me as a spotter and meat—er, metal—shield.

Edited by PhilTKaswahl, 02 February 2019 - 12:51 AM.

[El Bandito]

Clanners have it easy. If there is a 0.5 ton weight and 1 slot leftover they can always take a CLAP.

PhilTKaswahl, on 02 February 2019 - 12:40 AM, said:

Did that except with Light TAG for a TBR-A energy build earlier today that borrowed the right torso of another variant for its jump jets. Said borrowed torso had an energy hard point and a slot and half ton over.

TAGs tend to paint you as a prime target. Which is why I take CLAP instead.

Edited by El Bandito, 02 February 2019 - 12:54 AM.

[PhilTKaswahl]

El Bandito, on 02 February 2019 - 12:52 AM, said:

Clanners have it easy. If there is a 0.5 ton weight and 1 slot leftover they can always take a CLAP.



TAGs tend to paint you as a prime target. Which is why I take CLAP instead.

Probably will switch to it as well. Decided on L-TAG because Bravo or Charlie lances usually end up with someone or two using lockon missiles, so thought I'd farm assist points.

Edited by PhilTKaswahl, 02 February 2019 - 01:01 AM.

[El Bandito]

PhilTKaswahl, on 02 February 2019 - 01:00 AM, said:

Probably will switch to it as well. Decided on L-TAG because Bravo or Charlie lances usually end up with someone or two using lockon missiles, so thought I'd farm assist points.

With Active Probes you can farm Spotting bonuses and ECM cancellation bonuses.

Edited by El Bandito, 02 February 2019 - 01:25 AM.

[Hauptmann Keg Steiner]

Verilligo, on 01 February 2019 - 12:21 PM, said:

Skip the ERLL, it won't help you in a meaningful way. Keeper plays great with a Scorch build of 2 LBX20, 4 ASRM6, or you can sub out the SRMs for 18-24 ATMs. You might be able to pull off 2 GR and 3 ATM9, too, which would give you both mid and close range firepower in an effective manner.

I really wish I could make the Scorch build work on it, it always seemed too toasty for it on top of being super wide compared to an actual Scorch. 3ATM9s and 2 UAC5s (with a single LRM to distract AMS) works... ok? Gauss might be more worth it.