128 replies to this topic

[Xandre Blackheart]

Depending on how accurately urban combat is modeled, it will reflect the standard axiom of modern tank warfare.

"Do not enter urban settings without infantry support."

Hopefully that means that scouts and lots of them will render a huge advantage over a column of assault mechs.

Although I admit I am wanting to try the iron rain tactic. Narc Beacon scouts + missle boats firing in ballistic arcs.... Don't know enough about weapon behavior yet to say if it will work.

[KageRyuu]

Rhinehart, on 21 March 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

I hate to cool the thunder but I have to say..

Urban Combat. The Right way to do it: Not at all.

According to the Ares Conventions fighting inside a city is against the widely accepted rules of warfare. Thus it shouldn't happen at all due to the excessive risk to civillian populations in city environments.

That being said anyone who is familiar with BT/MW Canon knows the rules often got thrown out the window. But since I style myself a Mechwarrior who believes in the Conventions as necesary rules to manage conflict within the Inner Sphere I would have to opt out of any battle that might likely result in excessive civillian casualties and that would most likely mean Urban Warfare. If opting out is not an option then I would have to base my tactics on a need to absolutely minimize possible civillian casualties and colateral damage. This would mean staying away from residential areas, schools, hospitals and other likely high population targets. I would carefully husband my fire to minimize incidental damage from misses. And at all times the objective would be to draw enemy mechs away from any areas where high civillian casualties could result from a battle.

There is no other way for me to approach Urban Combat and be true to the Mechwarrior Universe as I see my place in it. If that means a heavy disadvantage for myself and my allies, well so be it. To me, this might just be a game. But to my Avatar this is a fundamental principle of his character. If that means I never get to play on the Urban Map, oh well. But I would always, always, always seek an alternative location for a battle between fusion powered machines of destruction.

To willingly choose to fight in a populated city is the first step back to rampant barbarism.Many things I may be. A Barbarian is not one of them.

Actually that particular article reads as such:


Article V -- Urban Warfare Restrictions
No battle shall be waged in an urban area except under extreme circumstances. If the military objective of an assault lies in a city center, attacking troops must ensure that any hostile action taken causes the least possible amount of collateral damage. No attack may be made against any civilian target, for any reason. Civilian targets shall be deemed to include such life-supporting equipment such as water and air purifiers, agricultural assets, or any other item that enables a planet's population to continue their existence.

"except under extreme circumstances" permits Urban Warfare, so long as people don't go crazy.

Regardless, for your urban warfare needs might I recommend the Axman AXM-1N or his little brother the Hatchetman HCT-3F or 5S

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Axman
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hatchetman

Can't cause collateral damage if your lodging your hatchet in the other mech's cockpit.

[Logan Pryde]

The "right way" to handle city fighting? Jump up on top of a building in your 4 gun stormcrow and snipe all the unsuspecting infighters that are in the streets below you! Muahahahhahaaaaa!

[BerserX]

These are some great posts!

It'll be interesting to see which tactics work best in MWO.

[BerserX]

Jekrump, on 21 June 2012 - 05:01 PM, said:

where have you been? that game has upwards of 300 mechs now... mektek.net, get MTX, and download the game. there are still servers up and running too.

I have unfortunately been stuck in the world of slow internet. The extent of my online play is the occasional Halo 2 or Star Trek Online, whenever I am somewhere that offers high-speed internet. Within the next few weeks though, we will have DSL! Then, I will dig deeper into the online-play world.

It was a simple question out of technologically-forced ignorance.

[Gingerninja1997]

i dont care as long as it is blanced with people E.G people join in maches in a lv 15-0 then so forth

i dont care as long as it is blanced with people E.G people join in maches in a lv 15-0 then so forth

[Outrider01]

Only tactic you can expect in any situation is the dumb leading the whine. WoT has shown me, people are not smart....so while you managed to defeat a good portion of the enemy leading a push and your right there at the finish line with so much damage you are about to go up in flames....your dumb idiots are still sitting back on your side of the map at full health just dicking about in a bush, then you go up in flames and the same dumb idiots whining about fail teams when they get steam rolled (yet you were 95% done and about to win, if only they had bothered to help out).

[guardian wolf]

which is why our merc corps will train, drill, and train some more. We will learn the ins and outs of urban combat presented by this game, and become a single cohesive unit. We work and fight as a team, and will always be able to cover one another, this is always the best approach to an urban environment.

[Kumakichi]

Mentioning Clan mechs aside.... close ranged fighting is about focused fire and city fighting creates bottlenecks. One mech running around at top speed trying to zip in and out of streets is a bad idea. In a 12 mech drop your going to want lances to work in a coordinated fashion. And the lance that will have the most success is the lance that moves together and creates clear firing lanes. Work with each other, know each others tendancies (if thats possible) and no hero's please. Nodody likes it when someone in there drop has a big ego and runs off to try and get kills on his own. To me city fighting is the ultimate test of working together. Some people get it, others never will.

[Promptus]

Nuke them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[MWO Atari2600]

Garth wrote:
"For anyone who thinks city fighting is just 'waiting in ambush = win' wait'll you get outflanked by a Scout with ECM or something, see how that works out for you."

A Developer's strategy and 'wait n see' on urban / city fighting can only confirm there's city maps being tested and played for MWO launch.

Great news

Edited by MWO Atari2600, 27 June 2012 - 06:47 PM.

[Teralitha]

In summary - see them, shoot them, kill them.

[Incunabulum]

BerserX, on 19 March 2012 - 08:43 AM, said:

My personal style - best depicted in a real scenario - involves a fast heavy 'Mech, with some big AC's: running full-speed through the city (something around 96kph), strafing my enemies as I jig around buildings, and then disappearing into the metropolis. I take a Loki, with an LBXAC10, an LBXAC20, and three or so medium lasers. I can run in, hit my opponent, and disappear, before he can get turned around. My AC's provide a consistent firing rate (AC10, 4 seconds; AC20, 6 seconds), and my medium lasers can usually find the maimed spot necessary for the kill.

I'm hoping that there will me a skid mechanic in place - something from TT that has been missing in MW.

It makes high speed dashes in larger mechs unworkable but allows mechs like the Urbanmech to shine in their prefered element.

[Easily]

Incunabulum, on 28 June 2012 - 01:48 PM, said:

I'm hoping that there will me a skid mechanic in place - something from TT that has been missing in MW.

It makes high speed dashes in larger mechs unworkable but allows mechs like the Urbanmech to shine in their prefered element.

Didnt they mention in the snow-level reveal that heavier mechs have more momentum and less traction on the snow?
Perhaps we'll see something similar on other terrains too.

[Murku]

Wondering if the Battlemech TT skid had returned lead me to this topic, and lo and behold, I'm not alone in wondering!

The idea behind the skid (for the non TT crowd) was not so much a restriction on speed over concrete (or ferrocrete, or whatever) but more an issue with abrupt turns, a 35 ton Jenner doing over 100kph would really dig in to turn in the countryside but risks losing it's traction on a sheer surface.

Implementation of this rule would have a HUGE impact on a lot of the tactics mentioned here so far (mostly inspired by the MW games to date).

The whole reason we have crazy but lovable Mechs like the squat and slow Urbie is city fighting does not favor vanilla mech designs. Designs like the Panther would rule this battlefield, rather than our souped up Jenners and Cicadas.

As an aside, I think implimenting 'semi-melee' factors on the existing forms know to be featured (Charging and DFA) would round out that city-fighting feel. Mechs with hands should stand quicker after a knockdown and take less damage from a charge or building collision than those without. This could hold true all the way down the limb fuctionality ladder, Catapults and Jenners suffering more than Dragons and Centurions who suffer more than Commandos and Atlases. Otherwise having anything beyond an upper arm actuator is effectively a pointless nerf.

Edited by Murku, 07 July 2012 - 01:45 PM.

[Bodha]

This thread really makes me wish for my grasshopper!!!

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Grasshopper

Heavy that has decent speed and jump jets to boot. If brought into this game I can easily see this mech being good at several roles:
Anti-scouting (able to cover ground well to intercept scouts)
Flanker (brawlers always like having a flanker buddy)
Heavy scout (for those that try making heavy/assault only companies)

[Davoke]

When playing with my merc unit in MechWarrior4, I prefer Assaults that are dropped to lowest speed, with as many CQC weapons as possible, with one long range weapon(LRM15 or PPC, usually). I usually get a 1/1 KD in open fights at best, but i rock the city. I find the Atlas or Stalker are good street fighters, because in that one second you see the enemy, you can alpha them with more punch than they can take.

I'd still take a ThanatosXT over either any day though.

EDIT:If you use jump jets, I'm legging you before you touch the ground, so don't complain when come August 7.

Edited by Davoke, 07 July 2012 - 02:04 PM.

[Testien Surepath]

I found playing mechwarrior 4 that you can use running into buildings as an advantage to turn without going anywhere or changing your speed. Might faze some people out of a mech experience though.

[Skadi]

Step 1: Acquire mech mounted Longtoms
Step 2: Close in on target
Step 3:???
Step 4: Trololol

[Skyefox]

In a city, its all about electronic warfare. BAPs, ECMs, and TAG are required equipment. Enemies dug in around some buildings? Lase them for your Arrow IV equipped teammates way back and watch that cover turn into so much rubble. In a city, there's usually nowhere you get an opportunity to run full speed, mostly because those places are straight lines of sight that someone definitely has eyes on.

Mediums and heavies with a mix of short to medium range weapons are my favorite, with a couple long range support elements is the way to go, imho. Depending on how much you can actually destroy, I'd expect a few players to hollow out nice little cubbies in the blind side of buildings and just wait for a big dumb Atlas to waddle on down....