207 replies to this topic

[Lightfoot]

T Hawk, on 11 November 2012 - 05:58 AM, said:

Streaks are better this way than before, you can't troll with your easymode lock-ons anymore now you complain. How about you spent some time learning to aim properly?

Ignoring the CPLT-A1 which might be a few too many missile hardpoints.

SSRMs are part of Battletech. They do a couple of things very well, but on the scale of OP-ness they are very low, more of an annoyance or trick-move. Even a Light 'mech has the option of moving to a different target if they get over-matched. I can't tell you how many times I was circle-strafed to destruction in an assault or even a medium 'mech by a Light 'mech. But I am not complaining, it's part of balance and so are SSRMs.

Before any changes to SSRMs it took about 60 seconds to defeat a heavy or assault with SSRMs and a laser-heavy loadout. It takes 4 seconds for 2xGauss to take out the CT of a mech and a single shot for 2xAC20s. Why are Ballistics ignored, but some weak short range tracking missiles the kings of terror? Just Missile Paranoia. I have seen the same thing in every MechWarrior game too. "You cheated! You killed me with SSRMs before I could kill you with my 2 Ultra AC20's! waaaahhhh!"

Edited by Lightfoot, 11 November 2012 - 08:24 AM.

[Skyfaller]

Lightfoot, on 11 November 2012 - 01:34 AM, said:

I am running a medium 'mech with 2 or 3 SSRM 2s.

Instance 1:

I am fighting a faster Commando who is circle-strafing at around 120 kph. I fire off 20-30 salvos of 3xSSRM 2. About 3 minutes. The Commando takes only light damage and after 3 minutes of this runs off.

Instance 2:

I am fighting a Jenner who is not moving because it is trying to capture the base. It takes 15 salvos of 3x SSRM 2s while stationary. Shows only light armor damage. Base captured.

Basically SSRM 2s are like LRM 2s now. That can't be what you intended for them to do.

[SUG] Make SSRMs aimable. So you need a lock, then you aim them where you want them to go. If you don't aim them and just fire with a lock, then they do area damage.

SSRM's are a joke now for a couple of reasons:

1- The netcode is FUBAR. As you have noticed, you can fire and hit a moving mech a LOT with SSRM's and they barely take damage. It is not because the damage is being spread out... heck, medium lasers which do the same damage do have their damage registered and you see the target's armor weaken...not so with SSRM's. It is something to do with the target's being in movement that messes up the damage.

It seems like the SSRM missile damage is zeroed out because the missile has a slight delay in its explosion and the mech that gets hit 'runs away' from the explosion's blast. LRM's do not have this issue since they come from above and hit downward...SRM's DO have this issue.

The only way to get the SSRM to hit reliably is to fire them on a much bigger, heavier, slower mech or to hit the mech on its face as it comes towards you. Any side or rear aspect shot just gets its damage zeroed out by this bug.


2- The spread-out of the SSRM's have made them into a REALLY stupid version of the SRM launchers. SSRMs force you to wait to have a lock and then you need to keep the lock... for what is essentially, the benefit of having the missile fire in the direction of the target initially and then spread out just like an SRM. Since the SSRM's do significantly less damage this just makes them mostly useless.

[CrazyCatDaddy]

Imo SSRM`are fine until SRM4 and 6 are intruduced. Right now im always top scorer with my 2xssrm medlaser Raven in xp and damage done. If they wouldnt miss, then scouts would be helpless. Its practically impossible to lose lock against even the fastest lights. (my speed is 121)

But once srm4+6 enter the field, ssrm will need a serious rebalance

Edited by ngl, 11 November 2012 - 08:32 AM.

[Lightfoot]

ngl, on 11 November 2012 - 08:25 AM, said:

Imo SSRM`are fine until SRM4 and 6 are intruduced. Right now im always top scorer with my 2xssrm medlaser Raven in xp and damage done. If they wouldnt miss, then scouts would be helpless. Its practically impossible to lose lock against even the fastest Ravens. (my speed is 121)

But once srm4+6 enter the field, ssrm will need a serious rebalance

Yes, at that time they could look at spread of the various SSRM types. SSRM2's could spread too, but obviously not by much, there are only two missiles. Maybe one always hits the CT with LOS to it and the second has a 50/50 chance. The idea of having them all miss defeats the reason to use SSRM 2s at all.

Edited by Lightfoot, 11 November 2012 - 08:35 AM.

[BigJim]

I think they're fine now.

Builds that use streaks as backup weapons don't suffer, because they're only there to keep scouts honest - the only ones that suffer are those who boat streaks (A1, C4 and triple-streak trollmando) and so what about them?

I use streaks in several of my builds (not boated) and haven't noticed any degradation in my firepower - sure, I've seen the odd one here & there fly off, but I like that, it looks kinda cool and if you're playing a half-way sensible build, losing 2.5pts of damage every now & again isn't the end of the world.

[Lightfoot]

@ Big Jim,

No they are not ok now for whatever the reason, bug maybe. Have you used SSRMs since the hot fix patch? What you get is the two examples in my original post. No reason to post examples of what they don't do to Heavies and Assaults. Same thing, only more so.

I think what you are seeing is the damage done by your other weapons. I carry a Gauss Rifle or Lasers with my SSRM builds. But once that Gauss Rifle gets shot off, no more kills, and only trivial damage being done. 3xSSRM 2.

Edited by Lightfoot, 11 November 2012 - 08:46 AM.

[JagdpantherX]

Theres a reasons SSRM 2's dont deal massive damage. They are extremely easy to lock on with and weigh almost nothing.

BTW my main mech is a 3x SSRM 2 Comamndo with a tag. My missiles seem to hit most of the time.

[pesco]

I outfitted a Cat with 4 Streak SRM2s last night and it makes the game pretty easy. I'd say it's perfectly fine, actually, a requirement for a no-skill weapon to do little damage. In fact, I do feel the horrible screen shake still needs to be tuned down considerably.

Aiming, well, I'd like to be able to guide regular SRMs first.

[Sybreed]

They aren't too weak IMO. I just got 5 kills in my Centurion sporting 3 SSRM2

[G4M3R]

It's fine the way it is now. If you want to do more damage per game use SRM6+Artemis instead. SSRM is more for light mech hunting.

[ackstorm]

I gave up on SSRMs after the last patch. I hit more targets with SRM6's now, which is pretty sad.

[Lege]

They haven't been working right, but they did get nerfed.
Streak is suppose to mean they either fire and hit or they don't hit and aren't fired.
Somehow that got changed into lockon is automatic hit, which isn't right.
They aren't the strongest weapon and never should be, but how they are now isn't right either.
There should be some aiming involved, not just lock on and get automatic hits with them.
Basically you need to have some aiming with them, then it does some check to see if where your aiming is a hit or not.
If you wouldn't hit, then they don't fire saving you heat and ammo.
If it is a hit, then they should be what they were before. They actually hit, not this crazy spread they have now.

[Corvus Antaka]

none of the missiles should be flying past targets. however, ssrms are in a good place otherwise now.

[BlackAce]

I'm in favour of them hitting multiple locations, but jeez, since Tuesday at least half my shots are flying off in random directions and not even hitting a target.

Not very Streak like!

[FireDog]

The Streakcat was nerfed so bad it's pretty much useless. Having ACTIVE RADAR homing missiles that miss so bad is a joke. Without the missile's ability to track to off center targets the Cat's torso twist really does not target the small lights fast enough. But really that last patch was a extremely bad joke. I have taken shots at stationary Atlases with a streakcat at almost point blank range and had entire salvos miss. I know streaks needed adjusting down a bit but something is definitely broke with them. I think if you have a good lock on a slow moving/closing/opening target they should track to the same aim point. A faster, crossing target would spread their damage some but NOT Miss! That is why they cost so much!

[Knyght]

My thoughts:

SSRMs, like in TT and lore, should hit 100% of the time if locked on and nothing gets in the way. As far as I know, this is how it's supposed to be, and the odd behaviour we have now is a bug.

Anyone who thinks they should be hammering on CT every hit is, frankly, dead wrong. It's a skill-based game, sure, however aiming isn't the only skill. Would you rather it was how it was before, where if you were locked on and facing anywhere near the general direction it hits CT every time? That's hardly skill-based. As in TT they should do damage in semi-random locations based on the facing of the other mech relative to where your missiles are fired from.

However, I do think that they are slightly underpowered now. SSRMs are a short-range weapon. Since you need to get reasonably close, the action is more frantic and the relative movement of nearby mechs is greater the closer they are. Because of this, it is often very difficult to get a lock with the lock-on time as long as it currently is. It is far too easy to have a Jenner dance around you and evade SSRM lock. If this were only the case for heavies and assaults, that'd be fine. But it is too hard to track even if you're in a light mech yourself. Having a weapon that should have a great place as a light mech killer, this seems wrong to me. I think that something like a one third reduction in lock-on time would make SSRMs capable, but not ridiculous.

Edited by Knyght, 11 November 2012 - 09:03 PM.

[Lightfoot]

Sybreed, on 11 November 2012 - 10:59 AM, said:

They aren't too weak IMO. I just got 5 kills in my Centurion sporting 3 SSRM2

I have that same set-up on one 'mech, but it's not the SSRMs that are getting the kills. If you had only 3 SSRM2 you would be getting no kills. Or at least that is my experience. The Gauss Rifle gets shot off very quickly so it is common for my CN9-A to have only the SSRM2s, and they do nothing. I could fire them for three minutes at most 'mechs including Lights and they would do only minor damage.

[Tornado Dash]

I actually don't have any problems with the SSRM2. I noticed that if you are at an angle greater than 60 degrees the streaks are more apt to miss at range. I run a centurion with 3x SSRM2 and chain fire them ,and they tend to hit the target more often than firing at once. I think they made it now that when firing multiple launchers at the same time, the consecutive volleys suffer a penalty to their homing capabilities because they don't get as much time to lock onto the target as the first volley. At least that's how I view it.

[Skyfaller]

SSRM's should all hit one spot in the mech. Make that spot be random.

Currently using SSRM is worse than using a SRM2 .. its .5 lighter but you end up having to wait for a lock. The damage is the same, spread is the same...and the SRM2 at least can benefit from Artemis and TAG.

Alternatively, make SSRM's behave like LRM's in their flight path. Fire UP and slam down hitting random parts of the mech.

[CoffiNail]

Not reading through 11 pages. Just want to mention that I had a commando standing still... I fired off SSRM2 and they missed!! Plunged right in to the water, and I had my crosshairs over him. I switched out for SRMs at that point.