178 replies to this topic

[Derrek Weston]

Right now, the game reminds me of how the game was within its first year or two of release, in that the light mechs are ruining games. Swarm tactics by small, fast moving, mechs are extremely difficult to deal with and are very forgiving for the light mech due to how game mechanics work (who needs lots of hit points when you can dodge most incoming damage). It is also no a very fun gameplay for those on the receiving side of it. Why would someone subject themselves to being someone else's game content when they have little chance of countering attacks from these nimble mechs?

If this is the kind of gameplay you want MWO to be devs, the disregard the post and carry on. However, I'm pretty certain it ill not lure many new players into the fold and will cause players like myself to just go find fun in another game. If this is not the kind of gameplay you are aiming for then do something about it already. Inaction is having the same effect as the above scenario.

Just my 2 cents

[John Bronco]

Yes, lights are the least played class because they are completely OP, checks out.

[GottFaust]

Derrek Weston, on 18 May 2019 - 07:23 AM, said:

Right now, the game reminds me of how the game was within its first year or two of release, in that the light mechs are ruining games. Swarm tactics by small, fast moving, mechs are extremely difficult to deal with and are very forgiving for the light mech due to how game mechanics work (who needs lots of hit points when you can dodge most incoming damage). It is also no a very fun gameplay for those on the receiving side of it. Why would someone subject themselves to being someone else's game content when they have little chance of countering attacks from these nimble mechs?

If this is the kind of gameplay you want MWO to be devs, the disregard the post and carry on. However, I'm pretty certain it ill not lure many new players into the fold and will cause players like myself to just go find fun in another game. If this is not the kind of gameplay you are aiming for then do something about it already. Inaction is having the same effect as the above scenario.

Just my 2 cents

There are plenty of mechs and builds that are extremely good at killing lights as well as fighting on the front lines. I actually WANT lights to try and swarm me on my 4LB10X CP-S for example. It almost always results in a dead light swarm. I postulate to you this: if you're having problems with lights change up your builds and playstyle to counter them. No need to go full-streaks, but maybe grab a LB or HG instead of an UAC and throw a couple of points into the mobility tree for some added aim/turn agility on your less agile mechs. This won't hurt your front line performance much, if at all, and will make fighting lights much easier.

[Roland09]

Derrek Weston, on 18 May 2019 - 07:23 AM, said:

Right now, the game reminds me of how the game was within its first year or two of release, in that the light mechs are ruining games. Swarm tactics by small, fast moving, mechs are extremely difficult to deal with and are very forgiving for the light mech due to how game mechanics work (who needs lots of hit points when you can dodge most incoming damage). It is also no a very fun gameplay for those on the receiving side of it. Why would someone subject themselves to being someone else's game content when they have little chance of countering attacks from these nimble mechs?

If this is the kind of gameplay you want MWO to be devs, the disregard the post and carry on. However, I'm pretty certain it ill not lure many new players into the fold and will cause players like myself to just go find fun in another game. If this is not the kind of gameplay you are aiming for then do something about it already. Inaction is having the same effect as the above scenario.

Just my 2 cents

How can you be swarmed when you are part of a swarm of the same size / member count?

[Battlemaster56]

Derrek Weston, on 18 May 2019 - 07:23 AM, said:

Right now, the game reminds me of how the game was within its first year or two of release, in that the light mechs are ruining games. Swarm tactics by small, fast moving, mechs are extremely difficult to deal with and are very forgiving for the light mech due to how game mechanics work (who needs lots of hit points when you can dodge most incoming damage). It is also no a very fun gameplay for those on the receiving side of it. Why would someone subject themselves to being someone else's game content when they have little chance of countering attacks from these nimble mechs?

If this is the kind of gameplay you want MWO to be devs, the disregard the post and carry on. However, I'm pretty certain it ill not lure many new players into the fold and will cause players like myself to just go find fun in another game. If this is not the kind of gameplay you are aiming for then do something about it already. Inaction is having the same effect as the above scenario.

Just my 2 cents

To sum this up for everyone:

[Orville Righteous]

Whenever getting killed by lights has me down, I try to play lights and realize they're hard to play. Lights are definitely the hardest for me to play by far. A good game in a light feels like a great accomplishment. One mistake and my Locust is toast, my Grinner is more forgiving but not as forgiving as me making a mistake in a Heavy.

Also, if light mechs have you down, play a Streak boat. Lights hate those things.

[Alstren]

Lights are the least played class, Require the most skill to play, and have a dedicated weapon system to killing them.

YUP SURE SOUNDS OP TO ME!

Seriously tho lights aren't overpowered its just since they are harder to play the pilots who know how to use them are generally more skilled.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

"I personally have difficulty dealing with this 'Mech and/or tactic" does not equate to a game-wide balance issue. Your time would be better spent applying some of the numerous counters and counter-tactics available to you.

Sometimes you get swarmed. Sometimes you also walk out into a firing line and get obliterated. I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't consider making a thread about a row of heavies taking your face off in one volley. They're both examples of you being overwhelmed by the enemy team's coordination, but one bothers you more than the other- even though you actually had a higher chance of surviving the swarm. Very few light tactics can kill you before you're able to react; the problem is that many players just don't react fast enough. Any time you see someone claiming that a light killed them before they could even respond, it's more than likely because they only started reacting when they were already almost dead. Situational awareness solves 90% of problems dealing with lights, because just seeing them coming in the first place makes them far less likely to carry off their attack successfully.

So, lesson #1 is to treat the threat as a threat. If you act like food, you will be food. Don't ignore one or especially several lights just because they're lights. If it has guns, it can kill you, so if a light gives you its full attention- assuming you aren't already engaging another target- return the favor. Work the problem. Worst case scenario, you still die... but the more likely outcome is that the light retreats, or you kill it. A heavy or assault whose pilot maintains situational awareness, and responds with intent and purpose instead of panic, is not a very inviting target.

Use the command wheel. Just marking an incoming enemy on the minimap draws attention to it. The more attention your teammates pay to your situation, the higher your chances of not being dead.

Use VoIP. Call it out. "3 lights in G8! Need help!" See how easy that was? Again, the more attention you can get your teammates to pay, the less dead you will end up being.

Use UAVs. Consumables are an annoying cbill sink, but nothing you do or say will grab more attention faster than splashing an entire light swarm on the minimap for the whole team to see.

Now that we've spent the first second or so of the encounter alerting the team, we can fight. You should already be twisting defensively to spread damage, if you are not able to immediately get your crosshairs over an enemy to kill them. Move towards your teammates, if they aren't coming to you, or else move to the nearest hard cover and put your back against it.

Don't try to chase after a light running faster than your twist rate; that is a losing proposition. Instead, place your crosshairs where you know they're going to be and wait for them to run into your shot. Turn and twist against the direction the enemy is circling you in, when possible, because that will throw off their attempts to stay behind you.

Use different weapons, if you simply can't get to a point where things work out for you. If you are carrying weapons with a minimum range and the lights are under-running you, then swap them out. If you can't reliably land shots on-target, then try streaks (remember: lights are the only weight class that has a hard counter). If you can hit the light, but have trouble holding a laser burn on target, then switch to pulse lasers. Some builds and weapons just aren't going to work, and that is normal. Either work to manage your vulnerabilities, or eliminate them by changing your builds.

Aim low, but not too low. Shoot for the crotch/hip area- that will give you the best chance of either legging the light to slow it down for the kill, or killing it directly via the CT. Shooting at the upper torso can backfire if the light can spread damage well (like the Wolfhound), and shooting for the lower legs results in a lot of your damage missing even when well-aimed. Go for the easiest shot instead, and punch 'em in the nads.

[Y E O N N E]

You know what also isn't fun? Getting insta-gibbed by a wad of lock-on, fire-and-forget Streaks. Or getting insta-gibbed by that ERPPC ****. Or Gauss shot. Or pulse volley.

Not seeing anything worthy of taking action on in the OP.

[Jman5]

Can you guys imagine what these forums would be like if Lights were balanced so they were no longer the worst performing weight class in the game?

Edited by Jman5, 18 May 2019 - 08:58 AM.

[Y E O N N E]

It would probably destroy the game, tbqh. A Firestarter with current Locust agility and some armor would be glorious.

[FupDup]

There's definitely a lot of light mech imbalance right now, like a number of lights being imbalanced in the direction of being total garbo.

[RickySpanish]

1. Buy a Pakhet.
2. Equip 4 SSRM 6s.
3. ???
4. Profit.

[JediPanther]

Come back and call light mechs a problem when you get and post a video of yourself achieving ace of spades in the is jenner F in qp with an xl engine. I did it with the lct-1e. Infact use the lct-1e as you're have more mobility and armor than the jenner f.

[JediPanther]

Orville Righteous, on 18 May 2019 - 08:28 AM, said:

Whenever getting killed by lights has me down, I try to play lights and realize they're hard to play. Lights are definitely the hardest for me to play by far. A good game in a light feels like a great accomplishment. One mistake and my Locust is toast, my Grinner is more forgiving but not as forgiving as me making a mistake in a Heavy.

Also, if light mechs have you down, play a Streak boat. Lights hate those things.

Indeed light either flat out run away or die from streak boats. I sure do in any of my OP lights. I have won a few duels against them but that was due to lucky terrain differences in height than mech chassis. Streak boats are the number one counter to lights. The second and thrid you can figure out on your own. We light pilots need some tactical advantage besides ecm-stealth for the ner-er pilots.

Us pre-ecm light pilots still have to keep a few of our tactics viable since pgi still nerfs mechs like the jenners as OP.

[Ilfi]

Imagine unironically believing that Light Mechs are the best class in the current meta.

[Y E O N N E]

Ilfi, on 18 May 2019 - 02:29 PM, said:

Imagine unironically believing that Light Mechs are the best class in the current meta.

I doubt you are actually aware what the current meta is.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

The only time lights were ever the best class in any meta in the entire history of the MW franchise was just after CW first released when you could genrush with JJ lights. That's it. The end.

[FupDup]

WrathOfDeadguy, on 18 May 2019 - 03:07 PM, said:

The only time lights were ever the best class in any meta in the entire history of the MW franchise was just after CW first released when you could genrush with JJ lights. That's it. The end.

We could also count the closed beta Craven 3L meta.

[Lykaon]

Derrek Weston, on 18 May 2019 - 07:23 AM, said:

Right now, the game reminds me of how the game was within its first year or two of release, in that the light mechs are ruining games. Swarm tactics by small, fast moving, mechs are extremely difficult to deal with and are very forgiving for the light mech due to how game mechanics work (who needs lots of hit points when you can dodge most incoming damage). It is also no a very fun gameplay for those on the receiving side of it. Why would someone subject themselves to being someone else's game content when they have little chance of countering attacks from these nimble mechs?

If this is the kind of gameplay you want MWO to be devs, the disregard the post and carry on. However, I'm pretty certain it ill not lure many new players into the fold and will cause players like myself to just go find fun in another game. If this is not the kind of gameplay you are aiming for then do something about it already. Inaction is having the same effect as the above scenario.

Just my 2 cents

If you are fighting 2+ light mechs you will loose frequently but honestly if you are fighting 2+ of any mech you will lose frequently. So a "swarm" of lights by all accounts should take out any other singular mech most of the time.

The group has so many advantages to tip the balance into their favor. They present multiple targets,they can have multiple angles of attack,they have independent heat thresholds etc.

So my question is do you feel that swarms of assault mechs are unbalanced? or when you lose to a pair of Madcat MKIIs it's ok but loosing to a pair of light mechs is not?

Don't get so hung up on the "math" of tonnage and focus on the simple fact that 2 vs 1 is inherently an unfair fight in MWo.


That being said what can be done to protect yourself from light swarms.

one: do not become isolated from your team.
two: use communication to alert your team of light mechs that are attempting to backstab you or a team member.
three: pack a UAV and deploy it when you know light mechs are in your area. I have won 2 v 1 fights because I had a UAV up.
four: do not become isolated from your team ( makes the list twice because this is the first and foremost means of avoiding getting light mech swarmed)

Edited by Lykaon, 18 May 2019 - 03:12 PM.