34 replies to this topic

[Goose Igaly]

So here's the deal. I'm running a K/D over 2.0. My main brawling buddy is rolling a 1.5ish. One of our members who usually runs a Cat with LRMs for support is running a dreadful 0.4 ish. He's a great team player and doesn't really care that his K/D is low and is more concerned about helping us burn our targets down. It's hard for any cat not toting balistics to snipe a kill from 2 Atlases at range.

So here's the delima: how to help him without getting ourselves destroyed. We've tried the two of us run out in our Atlases and mess some people up, tear armor away down to a red core, then scream bloody murder for our Cat buddy to get the kill as we kite the dude and hold his team mates at bay. Typically a light manages to run past and snipe the kill.

Now we're all cool with our stats. As brawlers, we expect to be high, and our LRM support expects to be pretty low, especially as he has only recently began modifying his loadout to allow for short range damage. But being able to help boost his K/D would certainly be nice. Anyone got any thoughts? Or is it a lost cause?

And please don't recommend another type mech. He likes his Cat and has no desire to change.

[Nauht]

If he doesn't care about his stats why are you?

It sounds like you've done all you can so it really is up to him to change specs and get in there.

[Nauht]

Actually that KDR running with 2 others is on the low side.

[Mr 144]

If he doesn't care, what's the problem? I wish stats had an 'assist' metric, but I just don't see the fascination with Stat obsession.

Mr 144

[Zyllos]

The best way to up his/her K/D is to protect him/her from dying.

While he/she might not get many kills, if he/she never dies, the K/D will go up.

[Rathe]

good question! Try this: Run a tag on both your guy's mech. That will give him faster lock and a tighter spread.

however, getting him a few more kills doesn't address the real issue: You guys are rushing up and brawling, and leaving him alone. and then he gets wrecked by some light. If he running an all LRM cat? He should consider a catzilla, which is 2 LRM 15 and 4 MPL, or even a hunch 4SP which can be a great LRM boat. 2 LRM10 and 4ML go a long way, and he'll be able to stay closer to the brawlers.

[Gristle]

It's not the Cat pilot who needs help. He seems to get that KD doesn't matter and that it's a team effort, not so much for the rest of his lance.

[Relic1701]

The only stat that matters is the Win/Loss....possibly average XP. If you are winning, you are doing something right.

[Grayzzur]

It's a pointless stat.Kills are just that lucky last shot from whomever was beating on the enemy Mech. Kill Assists are just as viable for C-Bills and XP, but don't show in your stats. Don't worry about your Lucky Last Shots per Deaths Ratio. Or your friend's.

[Soulscour]

KDR is a useless stat in this game

[Tarman]

The lost cause is trying to get your buddy to care about some stat metric when he's in it to win battles for the team. Sounds like he's doing his job and is cool with the rainmaking helping you guys kill, which is pretty much how LRM support functions. LRM isn't the gloryhound position, it's the "I softened them, now kick their burros" position.

[Sen]

"There is no I in team, but there is an I in pie. . . "

and you're so busy trying to get your proverbial fingers in the K/D pie that you've abandoned your lancemate to my Jenner's tender minstrations.

I thank you, *MY* K/D rises.

Maybe it's not your buddy that should be swapping mecha?

Or, in a slightly more constructive and less arrogant way: as others have said, if you're so concerned about it, hang back and protect your cat so he can do his job. Even if one of you runs tag and the other runs light interference for him it should help survivability. Ultimately, however, K/D is like Music theory. it's a way for one person to act all superior towards another. Put away such thoughts of glory, and focus on the goal.

[Rathe]

you guys are missing the point here. OP isn't saying 'game is all about stats, how do I help my buddies stats.' He's saying 'my missile boat friend dies without a kill every other game, how do I help him play better so he doesn't get discouraged and quit.'

[Goose Igaly]

thenightisdark, on 13 November 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

[REDACTED]

Ah,yes, I was expecting you. Glad you could make it. Here's a spare seat, have a sit down.

Rathe, on 13 November 2012 - 02:43 PM, said:

good question! Try this: Run a tag on both your guy's mech. That will give him faster lock and a tighter spread.

however, getting him a few more kills doesn't address the real issue: You guys are rushing up and brawling, and leaving him alone. and then he gets wrecked by some light. If he running an all LRM cat? He should consider a catzilla, which is 2 LRM 15 and 4 MPL, or even a hunch 4SP which can be a great LRM boat. 2 LRM10 and 4ML go a long way, and he'll be able to stay closer to the brawlers.

The Catzilla may be a build that he's been seeking. He has certainly been playing around with this setup to include SSRMs but hasn't been too impressed with them. Good point with the TAGs as well. We dropped those a week ago and have more or less forgotten about them.

Gristle, on 13 November 2012 - 02:44 PM, said:

It's not the Cat pilot who needs help. He seems to get that KD doesn't matter and that it's a team effort, not so much for the rest of his lance.

I would encourage you not to get the wrong idea. It doesn't matter to him in the manner that it doesn't bug him to have a low K/D. Of course, the stats are just for your personal enjoyment, but who doesn't like to see a decent number there? I'm all about removing the K/D in favor of assist count. We've discussed that among ourselves quite a bit.

Thanks to those of constructive feedback.

[Rathe]

the best thing about the catzilla is that it really shreds enemies at ~200m: I have a feeling your friend is sitting back at 800m and trying to indirect barrage the enemy.

[Dawg]

I'm sure he's puttiing out the damage and doing his part but you guys are just bogarting the/his kills Seriously, you dont have to have 3 kills per game to prove you did something for the team. Damage output speaks for its self imo.

[FerretGR]

Remove KD stat, PGI. it's the cause of disconnects and of stupid threads about how to help people improve their KD.

ETA: perhaps I should be a bit constructive. Your friend is doing fine. He doesn't care about his KD and his role as an LRM boat shouldn't lead to a particularly good one because he's the "can opener" and it's someone else's job to "empty the can".

Is he having fun? 'Nuff said.

Edited by FerretGR, 13 November 2012 - 03:11 PM.

[8CH Trooper]

The cat is a one dimensional weapons platform, if it's outfitted with lrm's some times you get kills other times all you get are assists. Before the last reset I had all of the cats and played with different load outs, the only real way for him to boost his k/d is to build a knife fighter, hang back a bit and administer the coupe de grace after you have softened them up.

Edited by 8CH Trooper, 13 November 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[Goose Igaly]

Rathe, on 13 November 2012 - 02:59 PM, said:

the best thing about the catzilla is that it really shreds enemies at ~200m: I have a feeling your friend is sitting back at 800m and trying to indirect barrage the enemy.

We're still working on our formations. We've got a few deployment modes, some involve him at distance, others have him stacked with us so we can give him AMS cover.

A thought. I know when Artemis first went live LRMs could arm at 180 meters. Prior to that I was always under the impression that LRMs armed outside of 280. Was that something to do with with LRM arc giving the missiles time to arm? Or can LRMs still arm at 180? I've dropped all LRMs from my builds as I prefer to just close the distance. At 180 our entire formation is still damage effective and can dish it like we're toe to toe.

[Rathe]

Goose Igaly, on 13 November 2012 - 03:12 PM, said:

We're still working on our formations. We've got a few deployment modes, some involve him at distance, others have him stacked with us so we can give him AMS cover.

A thought. I know when Artemis first went live LRMs could arm at 180 meters. Prior to that I was always under the impression that LRMs armed outside of 280. Was that something to do with with LRM arc giving the missiles time to arm? Or can LRMs still arm at 180? I've dropped all LRMs from my builds as I prefer to just close the distance. At 180 our entire formation is still damage effective and can dish it like we're toe to toe.

At one point in closed beta it was 280. It has been 180 for the duration of open beta however. LRMs arm at 180. The only problem with staying that close is that if the enemy gets mad he can jump inside range an harrass the LRM boat. That's why the MPLs are so important. Basically, your pal's LRMs will force the enemy to come so close that he gets shredded by the other 2 guys 'and' your friends 4 MPLs.