293 replies to this topic

[iHover]

Is it just my drops or has this game become nothing more than an LRM contest?
I played for four hours yesterday and most of the drops where nothing more than sitting back waiting for the missile boats to blow the other team away ( or for us to get blown away). The game now seems to be dominated by Assault missile boats packing three or four LRM launchers with enough double heat sinks and ammo to fire nonstop through out the match. These monsters piloted by unskilled players move to a single position and go from target to target raining wave after wave of missiles.
Even in the organized drops Ive been in play out like this. The LRM boats even lay waste to targets that are already being handled by brawlers.
The game just seems to be completely out of balance. IMHO LRMs need to be nerfed by at least 50% and their cost needs to be raised by the same amount.

[UnofficialOperator]

Well I was in a group which just did brawler rushes & just zerged through the map & we scattered the lrm boaters really efficiently. Depends on group setup and mentality I suppose.

Versus pugs which typically have no AMS & don't stick together, its really easy to burn them down with LRMs, so yeah it is kinda fotm.

[Acehilator]

L2usecover.

Even Caustic Valley has it.

[Asmosis]

whats the most popular trial mech? Awesome.

What does the Awesome have? dual LRM15's

theres your answer. Once the current trial mechs get swapped out for something that isnt LRM heavy, it'll die down somewhat. Lets make all the trial mechs laser boats next time so we can test the DHS "Fix".

[Accused]

No. The problem is deeper and more complicated than "nerf by 50%".

The LRM flight path needs to be tweaked so they don't fly at 90 degree angles. It also doesn't help that they fly through buildings and rocks. Not to mention that AMS is only slightly effective against them.

Edited by Accused, 04 November 2012 - 06:31 AM.

[Pat Kell]

part of the "problem" is that the awesome trial mech has 2 lrm 15 but they don't have much ammo so stay at long range for a bit and let them fire at you. When they do, duck behind cover and gggle while the missiles miss. They are still somewhat dangerous with 2 LL but are easily handled. LRM's are only a problem if you think you can run right up to the enemy without being shot at. Once you learn how to "dodge" LRM spammers, they become less of a problem and are easily defeated. Just us cover to advance to with your optimal range and then poke in and out of cover shooting them. You score hits while they rain down a firey death on the building/mountain in front of you.

[Joseph Mallan]

Well, Our unit drops with Me (2 LRM20), A Cat(2 LRM 15 or 6 LRM5) and a mix of everything else. Unless we decide to make you fight from the shade (once a week as far as I have seen).

If you pay attention to the Trail Mech (ie Base models) All mediums, heavies and assaults have a Missile version.

The teams that rush Missile boats have a good chance of winning if the team is min/maxed.

[tenderloving]

When they made it so every mech can have AMS, they borked things up by forcing a situation where the missiles have to be balanced around AMS.

If only certain chassis could take it, or if it took up a module slot like other equipment, then I believe we would have more reasonable missiles.

[GODzillaGSPB]

It feels like 9 of 10 deaths are caused by LRM rainstorm. They often go through cover at the edges of hills or buildings, too. And every trial mech has them. Plus it's the only weapon that does it's standard TT damage. SRMs should do more, but they actually do the same amount of damage per missile. But LRMs fire more missiles and when they hit, they all hit.

So yes. Currently the game is an LRM fest. And everyone who plays on a regular basis should notice that.

[Lyteros]

Sadly LRM is most FOTM right now, even more then gauss.

And the best part are the pathetic people that stand around the whole game without moving, just holding the LRM-SPAM-MOUSEBUTTON down and think they are uber skilled when they have a lot of kills and damage at the end of the match. And dont forget the smacktalk.
Yet they instantly start crying cheater when you're using cover to get under 150m and spank them...

Edited by Lyteros, 04 November 2012 - 06:51 AM.

[Nevrath]

There are many ways to avoid LRM fire.

You just have to look for them instead of screaming "OP!!!" at the forums. :X

[Silra]

LRM boat is one of the easiest ways to get accustomed to the game. You don't have to try to run around like a maniac, you can just try to pepper things from range while learning the maps and your buttons. It's a good way to start the game up and experienced players already know how to play against them anyway.
Not to mention AMS missing from the Trial Mechs makes it silly easy way to get lots of c-bills in a match.

That said, as people get better at the game in general, the LRMs will start to see less use. The maps are small enough that the LRM boats can easily be rushed (a lot of people don't have upgraded engines nor the Speed Tweak elite yet).

So give it time, there is no need to nerf something which the playerbase can deal with in rather short amount of time anyway. Atleast that's my opinion.

[All iN]

It's ridiculous how you deny that LRM spam has taken FOTM flag now... Every of you surely saw stupid lobbing matches, with no real chance on brawl fight or mid range one. Either you are clueless of what's happening or you are ones who lob LRM's.

Avoid it? yes of course there are ways to do it. Mech powerdown, damage distribution (although distributing 300 missiles is like choosing what lung you would like to be stabbed in), walls etc.
But team focused on lobbing LRM's will make it impossible for you - by grouping IN THE OPEN if they will se other team shorter on LRM's. So, anyone who leaves cover, approaches or tries to flank will get hundreds of missiles loobed at him.

One button weapons, with very little learning curve and autoguide... yeah surely they won't be abused. Just like lagshield, surely no one would go for that, eh?

Edited by All iN, 04 November 2012 - 07:10 AM.

[Mr Bosko]

Ive been running a fire support cat, and my Corp is currently rather LRM heavy. But it comes down to tactics. A good spotter can make an LRM boats day. A team that never locks on or cannot keep a lock makes the LRM boat about worthless. Remeber, this isn't call of duty or your typical shooter, this is more of a pilot simulation. Counter and counter-counter, you have to think and act with some tactical awareness.

What i have found if I am under heavy LRM fire is to find some cover and shut down. This drops the lock and alot of the missiles in flight will hit cover or miss entirely. Also, try to find spots around the map that completley block LRMs, such as under bridges or behind ridges. Also, AMS functions on all incoming missiles, not just ones coming at you. They fire at SRMs even. So if multiple people, close together, have AMS it will significantly reduce LRM fire.

[WildeKarde]

Well I played several games yesterday where I got hammered by LRM, even retreating behind a tall building (out of sight) didn't save me - the missile stil hit). The other issue was the groups split the lrms mechs apart into group of two or three's so if you rush one grp the other keep you targetted. Cover blocks direct fire weapons but doesn't seem to help against lrms so much.

I even saw the tactics of a single (or two) light mechs run past us (or through us maybe) which let us get locked by the lrm boats out of sight and just get hammered. By the time you can get close for most of your weapons you've taken serious damage.

AMS also seems to fire when your undercover at missiles - no idea what that is all about.

[wanderer]

Yep. LRMs can be defeated more than one way. Small numbers of LRM carriers can be rushed easily. Larger numbers you can often wear down simply by going to cover and pop-out sniping anything in LOS, then ducking back out of LOS to let the slow waves of missiles chew up rocks instead of armor.

But sitting out in the open like many a newbie does? Oh, how easy LRMs have it then. Which is what drives the popularity of the things.

[Daiichidoku]

PLEASE nerf the LRMS so OP can cry about new things instead

[Joseph Mallan]

Yes Missiles have become popular. I have been using them for...
...
...
Over a month and a half. But missiles alone will not win you every battle. It takes Scouts to find the targets at range, and brawlers to hold the targets at range and finish off the softening damage done by my missiles. Combat isn't one dimensional with only one layer of attack and defense.

1-2 Dedicated Fire support
1-2 Scouts/Cav Units
4 Workhorse units.

Jake, Report it when Missiles go through buildings and cover. That is a bug that needs attention and fixed. I should never kill you if you have cover and it is not my intent to kill you due to a bug/glitch. When I kill you I want it to be clean and earned.

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 04 November 2012 - 07:22 AM.

[Honelith]

LRMs and SRMs, all you need.

[Noth]

wanderer, on 04 November 2012 - 07:12 AM, said:

Yep. LRMs can be defeated more than one way. Small numbers of LRM carriers can be rushed easily. Larger numbers you can often wear down simply by going to cover and pop-out sniping anything in LOS, then ducking back out of LOS to let the slow waves of missiles chew up rocks instead of armor.

But sitting out in the open like many a newbie does? Oh, how easy LRMs have it then. Which is what drives the popularity of the things.

I rarely sit in the open, ye most of my deaths come directly or indirectly (chewing me up so bad I'm useless when I confront something other than a LRM mech. I pop me head out to snipe and I get arain of LRMs on my head. I move back into cover and powerdown, most the missiles still track to me and hit me. Missiles often go straight through cover and I've even seen them do 90 degree turns around corners.

I chase the light that is lighting up my team mates, he leads me into the open where I get torn to shreds my LRMs. If I don't chase into the open he gets near free reign to light up me and my team mates.

LRMs are simply OP at the moment. They take relatively little skill to use (seriously a guasscat takes more skill to use) and dictate the strategy of the battlefield. That is poor balance.