35 replies to this topic

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Ken Harkin, on 13 May 2019 - 01:26 PM, said:

For my LRM mechs I have BAP, TC, and sometimes Targeting Laser.

And why is that? For that meager sensor range boost?

[justcallme A S H]

Flyby215, on 13 May 2019 - 08:07 PM, said:

Point 1: Now that's mastermind level thinking right there. I just figure the more mechs people see on their minimap the more situational awareness is improved. Never even thought about how there might be better ways to manipulate PUGs
2-3. Agreed.
4. This is probably why I get beat up so badly squaring off against top level players but then get high scores myself when no one else is around
5. I've never been able to get this to work! Is there a trick to landing a strike on the UAV? I thought if I just line up on it like I'm going to hit with a laser or something but it doesn't drop on the UAV...

1. I have seen this too many times. UAV goes up - entire team KNOWS where enemy is, begins to rotate even faster. Couldn't be any dumber if you tried, but MWO players, they try.

5. Just put reticule over it - click strike. Sometimes it will smoke on the strike and sometimes it will smoke on the ground under the strike. Seems inconsistent in how it works/applys either way it will work provided the enemies are still under it - which on certain maps/spots you can be 150% certain they will be... Other maps less of a chance.

[ShiverMeRivets]

UAVs are for brawlers. I don’t drop them for the team, I drop them for myself- I want to come out of cover already locked and with full paperdoll info on the enemy, so I know which piece of him to aim for. Any use the team get out of my UAV is cherries on top.

UAVs are also a good thing to drop when you are a heavy/assult being harassed by little light shi.. ahmm.. mechs.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

UAVs are valuable if the team knows what to do with the intel they provide.

in short, this means an arty is more useful in QP every single time.


this usually happens:
1) *invests 40k and throws up a UAV*
2) "team, look at the map. they're strong on the right, weak on the left, attack"
3) *team still hides in fear of ~anything~
4) 2min later, *team still hides in fear of ~anything~ (minus 2-3 corpses)
5) saltlevel rises and you're thinking of investing the next 40k into an arty to team-blue.

so... no thx. I'll invest half of that, avoid to rise my salt-level further, and do dmg to team red.

[CFC Conky]

Greetings from the depths of Tier 3.

Up until the recent coolshot sale, I never bought any consumables. I have earned a number of them during various events, but I rarely use them unless there is an event, i.e. uav spotting, and then only if it will net me more consumables than I have to spend.

Personally, I prefer to run without consumables (at least in solo qp) and rarely use override, preferring to manage my heat through fire discipline and positioning. I know, I know, I'm fighting with one hand tied behind my back, and my stats show it, but that's how I've rolled so far. That said, during the last sale I did a Costco run on coolshots, and have to admit, they are pretty useful although I will try to use them sparingly. I find UAV effectiveness very team dependent. As for strikes, I'm still pretty clumsy with them. In the end, I save most of my consumables for the times I drop into fp.

The spring/summer of 2017 was a time of very spirited debates regarding lrms, with the conventional wisdom leaning towards hard counters like terrain and radar dep, not ams, as the most effective solution to them back then, so that's what I did. Today I run ams in perhaps 15% of my mechs, and usually, the first skill tree nodes I put in new rides are the ones giving me 60% radar dep.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

Edited by CFC Conky, 14 May 2019 - 09:01 AM.

[Acersecomic]

While I don't understand why people don't field more AMS, I do know why they don't bring UAVs.
C-BILLS. 40.000 is so much to spend on something that most likely won't have much effect.

[HenryFA]

Aidan Crenshaw, on 13 May 2019 - 09:26 PM, said:

And why is that? For that meager sensor range boost?

For me
Targeting time boost, projectile speed boost and crit chance are all nice to have if you got a TC

Projectile speed to make my missiles go through AMS, as well as reducing opfor's reaction time.

Targeting time boost is always nice, if opfor's brawler/skirmisher decide to push you, doing pinpoint damage with your back up lasers to parts that are critted(if there's any) can save your butt.

Right now, my go to LRM Boat is my Mad Dog: LRM30A, 5T Ammo, BAP, TC2, 4HML,TAG, 14DHS

[VonBruinwald]

HenryFA, on 14 May 2019 - 12:36 PM, said:

For me
Targeting time boost, projectile speed boost and crit chance are all nice to have if you got a TC

Projectile speed to make my missiles go through AMS, as well as reducing opfor's reaction time.

Targeting time boost is always nice, if opfor's brawler/skirmisher decide to push you, doing pinpoint damage with your back up lasers to parts that are critted(if there's any) can save your butt.

Right now, my go to LRM Boat is my Mad Dog: LRM30A, 5T Ammo, BAP, TC2, 4HML,TAG, 14DHS

Bearer of bad news buddy, Targetting computer doesn't affect the lurms velocity or crits, AC's and PPC's only.

If you're running lurms and a TC3 switch to a Command Console instead. Better bonuses to your sensors although you'll lose the range and crit. bonuses to your lasers. Nevermind, you rolling clantech.

Edited by VonBruinwald, 14 May 2019 - 01:08 PM.

[HenryFA]

VonBruinwald, on 14 May 2019 - 01:06 PM, said:

Bearer of bad news buddy, Targetting computer doesn't affect the lurms velocity or crits, AC's and PPC's only.

If you're running lurms and a TC3 switch to a Command Console instead. Better bonuses to your sensors although you'll lose the range and crit. bonuses to your lasers. Nevermind, you rolling clantech.

Oh damn... How about ATMS?

[VonBruinwald]

HenryFA, on 14 May 2019 - 01:25 PM, said:

Oh damn... How about ATMS?

Nope, the only way any missiles benefit is through the sensor range boost if they're lock on, and targeting time if they're not.

[HenryFA]

VonBruinwald, on 14 May 2019 - 01:28 PM, said:

Nope, the only way any missiles benefit is through the sensor range boost if they're lock on, and targeting time if they're not.

Wow, thanks a lot

Edited by HenryFA, 14 May 2019 - 01:33 PM.

[Saber Avalon]

You've got enough answers about UAVs.

The AMS thing is also a case of not having a hardpoint for it, specifically with Omni-mechs. There's usually only one, or two if you're lucky, omni-pods that have an AMS hard point and it's often sub-optimal compared to alternative omni-pods. In many cases you have extremely gimp your build to fit an AMS on Omni-mechs. Thus, people don't have them.

[Khobai]

yeah but clans get mechs like the nova and kitfox with triple AMS to make up for it.

thats one of the only good applications of asymmetrical balance in the game. that IS has sparsely dispersed AMS while clans have concentrated/centralized AMS.

its easier for IS to cover their whole team with AMS. while mechs like the kitfox have to constantly move around to provide the AMS coverage where its needed. Unfortunately the kitfox has lost some of its relevance thanks to LRMs repeatedly being nerfed. Also AMS being way too strong has noticeably reduced missile usage across the board.

I do think IS mechs should carry AMS whenever possible though. Simply because ATMs can wreck your !@#$ even with AMS. But its much worse without AMS.

As for UAVs I personally dont use them. Theyre way too easy to shoot down. They give away your position. And they just dont do enough compared to strikes. Strikes are quite frankly a much better use of a consumable slot. Although im still of the opinion that consumables are toxic and should be removed from the game completely (and replaced with analogous equipment that actually costs tonnage/crit slots instead).

Edited by Khobai, 14 May 2019 - 04:48 PM.

[Sable]

I've always tried to squeeze AMS on mechs when possible, some builds just squeak by a little better without them.

As for UAVs i rarely take them unless i'm specifically in a light mech geared towards support or scouting. The reason is that after reaching tier 1 and running into competitive groups far more often UAVs would literally be shot down in 3 seconds. Everyone at that level is very sharp and observant. If you pop it too far out their keen eyes spot it right away, and If missiles start raining down they know instinctively to look towards the sky for a UAV. I got tired of blowing 80k per match for 3 seconds of information. Sometimes it's enough to win a match but far more often it's just a waste. I always go airstrike + coolshot because those directly benefit me with faster cooling and the team with damage or area denial. A well placed airstrike has even netted me kills frequently in faction warfare.

[FupDup]

If my mech is one of the rare ones that doesn't generate much heat, then I pack a UAV. Otherwise it's Coolant Flush in like 99% of situations.

[Taffer]

I never liked the idea of consumables, so I just plain don't use them. Even with 100s of millions of cbills, I refuse to use them. Probably have a ton of them stacked up from rewards too.