112 replies to this topic

[Blood Rose]

Is it just me, or is there a notable tendency for Assault pilots to hang back and refuse to do their share of fighting? Im only asking after noticing this trend for several weeks, the match will be well under way, my mech and usually several other lighter mechs on my team will be badly damaged, having been fighting the enemy and doing our level best, but the Assaults are all almost pristine, with maybe 4% overall damage at the worst, and yet they will sit back and hide, refusing to take part in the fight.
Has anyone else noticed this?

[Bud Crue]

Sorry, but I read your post, then read your location description of "half a mile away in a Gausszilla" and thought immediately of the Hamlet line:

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

[JediPanther]

It's common for an assult to just pew pew and hardly move from a spot. But when there are no counters to laser spam since every mech can barf out 40-60 alphas just wait for some other fool to get into your 1200m range. Why move when your laser hits 1600m and lrms only go 900m?

[Blood Rose]

TBH I am wondering why I still play. Between the number of ******** cheaters, the incessant NASCAR GAGSGASGAS bull, and Assault pilots running like screaming girls from the slightest threat to their pristine paintjob and throwing mediums under the bus, not to mention the awful netcode and long wait times, the game is just getting unplayably bad.

[LordNothing]

if assaults hang back, its because they dont expect support from the team. and frankly thats fine so long as they find something to shoot at. its not their job to tank for you and your team is more likely to win if they can keep those behemoths alive and shooting.

i did notice a lot of hold back recently immediately following the posting of the january mech event. granted ive only played a hand full of games. people seem to play like crap when there is an event. had a game on forest colony classic, team got to the whole in the wall and parked it. i guess they waited for the enemy to come, and when they did come the line crumpled like jellybean car hit by a train. it kind of reminded me of early faction play. idk how this is supposed to get you a free dire whale faster. just. play. normal.

Edited by LordNothing, 15 January 2023 - 02:39 PM.

[Blood Rose]

Great. Except every single time, we lose, because the pristine assaults do almost no fighting, the rest of us do our best but cant fight an entire team when we are outnumbered 2 to 1, then they get curbstomped and cry.

[Haipyng]

There is quite a bit of assault sniper builds floating about, It can be frustrating when your against a team that is sticking together and you need your team to share armor, except your heaviest armor bearers are camping a hill in the rear raking in their points when you draw someone out with your armor.

• This is because the meta that has been curated is long range weapons. Assaults boat the most long range weapons.
  
• MWO's point system is all about dealing damage. You get a nice warm feeling for helping your team win (provide ECM/AMS, NARC, Tag) and get yelled at for winning a match in any way other than team deathmatch (win on caps, etc)

It's PUGs, what are you going to do? You get what you get.

[Pelletgunz]

In my assault experience when I or others move up and start getting shot at everyone runs away.
just sayin

[Haipyng]

LordNothing, on 15 January 2023 - 02:36 PM, said:

if assaults hang back, its because they dont expect support from the team. and frankly thats fine so long as they find something to shoot at. its not their job to tank for you and your team is more likely to win if they can keep those behemoths alive and shooting.

i did notice a lot of hold back recently immediately following the posting of the january mech event. granted ive only played a hand full of games. people seem to play like crap when there is an event. had a game on forest colony classic, team got to the whole in the wall and parked it. i guess they waited for the enemy to come, and when they did come the line crumpled like jellybean car hit by a train. it kind of reminded me of early faction play. idk how this is supposed to get you a free dire whale faster. just. play. normal.

Its a good point. How many times have teams run away from assaults in a race around the middle to be run over by the other team?

[Gilgamesh Hoi]

Blood Rose, on 15 January 2023 - 02:10 PM, said:

Is it just me, or is there a notable tendency for Assault pilots to hang back and refuse to do their share of fighting? Im only asking after noticing this trend for several weeks, the match will be well under way, my mech and usually several other lighter mechs on my team will be badly damaged, having been fighting the enemy and doing our level best, but the Assaults are all almost pristine, with maybe 4% overall damage at the worst, and yet they will sit back and hide, refusing to take part in the fight.
Has anyone else noticed this?

Interesting, a couple of thoughts:

- Cowardice? its a video game there is neither cowardice or bravery in play mate
- It takes assaults longer to get into combat, and they can mount more long range weapon platforms
- Many players would rather shoot at a heavy or a medium then a crazy fresh assault and catching a crazy shot back
- Its no player's job to share armor, its their job to win the match, be it destroying the other team, dominating, conquest, etc
- They are called assaults not bags of armor
- Worry less about what other pilots are doing and more about what you are doing

Find the best way that you can play the game that you enjoy, and don't focus on what others are doing that you don't like. In matches make suggestions, if they are good suggestions and offered in a good way people may take them and it will go well, if they don't do the best you can. Don't insult people in matches or in forums, with this player base you are never going to change anything insulting or telling people they are wrong, the moment you do people stop listening.

[The Captain Dead]

The game has always been sold as a team cooperation game, the assault mechs have more armor but play sniper and refuse tanker, it’s pretty abhorrent. I wonder what players do about the game if they don’t like to play cooperatively.

When I play an assault mech I make builds at medium range to precisely avoid that the other mechs take damage and guess what I win more often than to be at the bottom of the map by not knowing how to shoot at the opponents. I now play mainly medium mechs now to engage the fight when everyone is damaged in protection of assault mechs that can not play without the viewfinder at less than 100 meters.

Between the light mech players who like to commit suicide after a minute and the assault mech players who hide, the meta is pretty horrible.

[LordNothing]

tanking is just a useless strategy. the only time you should actively tank is if you lose your weapons and cannot shoot things. assault mechs can do more damage in less time than any other class. its actually better that the smaller mechs screen for the assaults. an assault can tank for a few seconds and then they are toast, and that's not enough time to do anything with. its just not an effective trade.

Edited by LordNothing, 15 January 2023 - 05:23 PM.

[bilagaana]

Not all assault pilots are timid and unskilled. But all timid and unskilled players are in assaults.

[Rondoe]

Pelletgunz, on 15 January 2023 - 03:58 PM, said:

In my assault experience when I or others move up and start getting shot at everyone runs away.
just sayin

Yes, this exactly. Happens to me all the time. I mainly play assualt mechs, built for brawling and midrange. Really dislike the sniper nest style of play. I don't hang back.

I can't count how many times I've waded into the fight and everyone around me runs off, leaving me to die in a glorious firefight, Or I move with my lance mates, slowly and they all run off leaving me to pray I make it to the line without some light mech sawing my legs off.

[sycocys]

Comms off. Play the game as though the other players are randomly generated ai. Sometimes you get good ai, sometimes you get the chicken-dance.

If you want something more reliable then you have to play in a group.

Edited by sycocys, 15 January 2023 - 05:47 PM.

[crazytimes]

"Why do the mechs at 25% of my speed not keep up with my nascar" thread- version 700. Now with extra salt.

Just focus on not being a potato and let other people drive how they want to.

[Heavy Money]

Blood Rose, on 15 January 2023 - 02:30 PM, said:

TBH I am wondering why I still play. Between the number of ******** cheaters, the incessant NASCAR GAGSGASGAS bull, and Assault pilots running like screaming girls from the slightest threat to their pristine paintjob and throwing mediums under the bus, not to mention the awful netcode and long wait times, the game is just getting unplayably bad.

Tbh I'd wager the problem is more likely that you are doing the old Leeroy Jenkins while your assaults are trying to position properly. Remember, it is not the job of assaults to come and push for you. Generally speaking, it is the job of faster mechs to work around slower mechs.

[PocketYoda]

Stop hanging back in a Gauzzila..

That said the modern meta of sniping does not favor Assault mechs design to brawl so they could be waiting for people to join in but no one does because they are all sniping like you say you are..

[Heavy Money]

The meta is not sniping or long range. The top QP loadouts are midrange things like laservomit and UAC Dakka. Sniping racks up high numbers vs uncoordinated teams is all.

[MrMadguy]

It's called "reversed balance". Lights and Mediums are the tankiest 'Mechs in this game, while Assaults usually have their STs two-shot, cuz they're easy targets due to low speed, huge size and being unable to torso-twist effectively. So, unfortunately, Assaults, that are expected to be tanks, have to have support role in this game.

Edited by MrMadguy, 15 January 2023 - 10:35 PM.