289 replies to this topic

[Mancu]

How hard is it to stand back from a Streakcat and shoot him in the ears? Common sense says don't close with them and they can't hurt you.

[Tarball]

Well i don't pretend to be a good player, I'm probably a poor pilot but I am considering making a streak cat after losing 5 matches in a row on my lunch break to mostly streak cats and or UAC5 mechs or double/tripple AC2s. I think the big deal with the streaks and fast firing AC's are the chain fire BLUR/Screen shake. I couldn't even spectate the games after i died because the BLUR get stuck on the screen. If the Blur/Shake/Smoke were toned down it might make it tollerable. As it stands i'm going to have to make one if I want to get wins, because once the screen shake/blur/smoke gets you it's game over. Can't target crap at that point and i'm toast.

[Hakkukakt]

on the same time ... that's the job a cat need to do or other thing that mount AC or SRM/LRM/SSRM ... shake the target then the allies can shoot down him ....

and if the target is so stupid to rest on the same ground from a streakcat ... that's the problem from the target and not from the streakcat ....

when i go on a SC, i normaly go back on covert, alert my team and then charge him with the help of other => SC dead

when i pilot a SC, i'm normaly with other heavy/medium/assault people for protect her from light or be a nuissance on other big mech ... and this people protect me from the other charging me ^^

that's the job of a SC, and he do it well if he is well played ... that's all

Edited by Hakkukakt, 21 November 2012 - 12:48 PM.

[TruePoindexter]

Tarball, on 21 November 2012 - 12:40 PM, said:

Well i don't pretend to be a good player, I'm probably a poor pilot but I am considering making a streak cat after losing 5 matches in a row on my lunch break to mostly streak cats and or UAC5 mechs or double/tripple AC2s. I think the big deal with the streaks and fast firing AC's are the chain fire BLUR/Screen shake. I couldn't even spectate the games after i died because the BLUR get stuck on the screen. If the Blur/Shake/Smoke were toned down it might make it tollerable. As it stands i'm going to have to make one if I want to get wins, because once the screen shake/blur/smoke gets you it's game over. Can't target crap at that point and i'm toast.

If you're getting ruined by them why not try one? I myself alternate now between AC and PPC mechs. I haven't ran a Streak Cat since CB but the way you pilot one hasn't changed. Try them out and learn what their weaknesses are then you know what to do when fighting one.

[JokerVictor]

Tarball, on 21 November 2012 - 12:40 PM, said:

Well i don't pretend to be a good player, I'm probably a poor pilot but I am considering making a streak cat after losing 5 matches in a row on my lunch break to mostly streak cats and or UAC5 mechs or double/tripple AC2s. I think the big deal with the streaks and fast firing AC's are the chain fire BLUR/Screen shake. I couldn't even spectate the games after i died because the BLUR get stuck on the screen. If the Blur/Shake/Smoke were toned down it might make it tollerable. As it stands i'm going to have to make one if I want to get wins, because once the screen shake/blur/smoke gets you it's game over. Can't target crap at that point and i'm toast.

This is what I'm talking about about ruining the damn game.

Quote

As it stands i'm going to have to make one if I want to get wins

That in particular. They are EVERYWHERE now, and they are cheap to build... so everyone that is less than stellar at the game is practically encouraged to build one.

[Kaijin]

Oinkage, on 21 November 2012 - 12:24 PM, said:

JokerVictor, SSRM cats can be beaten. They have some specific weaknesses. Specifically, you can power down and they cannot shoot you at all unless they mount standard SRM as well. Additionally, they are on the Catapult chassis which is very easy to head shot. Also, their weapon pods are all on their arms in huge boxes. Shoot them off... Currently, the spread of damage across armor is much better than all hits on CT. I do not currently own an A1, but I have used it in the past. I find them too easy to disarm or disable to consider in a serious match environment.

I'm a cat fancier, so of course I have all 4. The A1 however is usually the one sitting stripped in the mech bay for some of the reasons you've mentioned.

As to defeating Streak Cats, it's really very simple. Don't close with them. Stay out at 300m+ and shoot them to bits. Some say aim for the pods, but since they're probably fully armored at 40, you may do better by concentrating on one leg. Though the legs are better armored than the pods, Streak Cat pilots love to jump around, and most don't bother using their jets for anything but going up, so they're taking leg armor damage every time they land. A legged Streak Cat is a dead Streak Cat. They're slow, and once they've lost the one leg, they're reluctant to hop on the remaining one.

I'd like to use this thread to make a general announcement. The game is made more interesting by the fact that there are some mech builds that can kill you quite efficiently if you don't engage your brain before engaging them. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that there are weapons systems in the game that take no skill to use. Skill is required to overcome them, and that is enough. I see all these players complaining about 'no-skill' weapons. They're hypocrites. If they're so skilled, then they should be able to defeat these 'no-skill' builds quite easily. (edit): Or at least consider these 'no-skill' weapons a challenge to be overcome rather than something to QQ about on the boards.

Edited by Kaijin, 21 November 2012 - 01:16 PM.

[John Norad]

The problem is that current game mechanics make Streak SRMs viable.
They always hit and they produce little heat. At the moment this outweighs inferior damage and range, which it clearly shouldn't.

But the reason is not that the SSRM is too good. The reasons, from my point of view, are:
- Bad Netcode, making the 'always hit' a huge plus
- Small maps with lots of cover and close quarters, making short range weapons highly viable
- Inefficient heat sinks, making heat/dmg efficient weapons and low heat weapons very popular

Implement some big maps with large open areas, improve the netcode/hit detection and tweak the heat system, and SSRMs will just be a backup weapon.

[JokerVictor]

Kaijin, on 21 November 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

I'm a cat fancier, so of course I have all 4. The A1 however is usually the one sitting stripped in the mech bay for some of the reasons you've mentioned.

As to defeating Streak Cats, it's really very simple. Don't close with them. Stay out at 300m+ and shoot them to bits. Some say aim for the pods, but since they're probably fully armored at 40, you may do better by concentrating on one leg. Though the legs are better armored than the pods, Streak Cat pilots love to jump around, and most don't bother using their jets for anything but going up, so they're taking leg armor damage every time they land. A legged Streak Cat is a dead Streak Cat. They're slow, and once they've lost the one leg, they're reluctant to hop on the remaining one.

I'd like to use this thread to make a general announcement. The game is made more interesting by the fact that there are some mech builds that can kill you quite efficiently if you don't engage your brain before engaging them. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that there are weapons systems in the game that take no skill to use. Skill is required to overcome them, and that is enough.

Do you play in pugs very often? I do. Skill is absolutely required to kill them, and that is sorely lacking 80% of the time. Particularly when you go up against a team of cheeseballs rolling 4 of them specifically to stomp pugs. It's being exploited. Can I kill them one on one? Sure, not that difficult. As a mass unit tactic however, it's worse than a team of gausscats, because at least the gaussapults require some skill to use effectively.

[Kaijin]

JokerVictor, on 21 November 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

Do you play in pugs very often? I do. Skill is absolutely required to kill them, and that is sorely lacking 80% of the time. Particularly when you go up against a team of cheeseballs rolling 4 of them specifically to stomp pugs. It's being exploited. Can I kill them one on one? Sure, not that difficult. As a mass unit tactic however, it's worse than a team of gausscats, because at least the gaussapults require some skill to use effectively.

I split my time between PUGs and Unit drops. Either way, though I've seen more of them this patch than last, I haven't had much of a problem dealing with them unless I run into one alone and I'm in a Jenner. But that's what they're there for. Jenners. Fortunately, there aren't many cheeseball premades. I expect you're encountering more chesseball PUGs than anything. Premades more and more are coalescing into House or Merc Units who are attempting to sync-drop with each other and against other premade Units.Units, seeing the value of combined arms of various weapon ranges are rarely all dropping with the same mech (except Steiner scout lances of course).

[Kronos Hopeslayer]

270+ meters is your friend. Most Streak cats will also be weak in the legs, so pop one off and enjoy your streak cat pinata.

[Tarball]

The damage output isn't my main concern, it's the blur/shake effect from the weapon. If it were toned down a bit then i think i could target them and get some return fire on target. As it stands now I cant even see what's on my screen due to the blur and screen shake. Worst part is after I die and want to spectate the remainder of the match i can't see anything cause the streak damage blur effect is stuck on my screen!

[Agent 0 Fortune]

Streaks have a couple of glaring issues.

1. They still hit CT most of the time. They should spread like a standard SRM volley and deliver 2.5 dam per missle to different locatoins on the target mech, rather than 6 x 5.0 damage to the CT every 3.5 seconds. (Supposedly damage has been spread, but that is not tbeen my experience on the receiving end).
2. They are not subject to AMS (supposedly they are, but I think that is just a catapult firing beyond 270m and the missile self destructing)
3. A single 2.5 dam missile does as much knockback as an AC20, if the AC20 did scaled knockback it would send an Atlas flying 30 meters downfield on its ***.

[Wicksman]

Streakcats are just dumbing down the game...... it takes zero skill to use one. Mind you thats all its really become recently

Autoaiming rockets that always hit the CT when you know your game has ridiculous lag issues is completely pointless.

[random51]

Like every other online game you have people whining about easily countered tactics that they're too lazy/stupid to counter.

If you're a scout and you find a streakcat, run away and signal his position to your team. If you're not fast enough to run away from a streakcat you shouldn't be a scout in the first place.

If you're not a scout then simply focus fire while prioritizing his shoulders. The streak is quickly neutered and then quickly dead.

If you have to engage one solo then stay out of his range and pick him to pieces with your longer range weaponry. If you're in a mech incapable of this you shouldn't be running off by yourself in the first place, should you?

[Tarball]

random51, on 21 November 2012 - 02:11 PM, said:

Like every other online game you have people whining about easily countered tactics that they're too lazy/stupid to counter.

If you're a scout and you find a streakcat, run away and signal his position to your team. If you're not fast enough to run away from a streakcat you shouldn't be a scout in the first place.

If you're not a scout then simply focus fire while prioritizing his shoulders. The streak is quickly neutered and then quickly dead.

If you have to engage one solo then stay out of his range and pick him to pieces with your longer range weaponry. If you're in a mech incapable of this you shouldn't be running off by yourself in the first place, should you?

I'd love to try all your suggestions but i can't see my screen due to the blur and shake. Otherwise i'd happily give your suggestions a try.

[Dagger6T6]

I'm building a full on StreakCat for tonight and I'm naming it...

[Clay Pigeon]

Streaks explode at 270m. MLs do damage out to 540. Use your brains and weaken the ears first.

[w0rm]

Undead Bane, on 21 November 2012 - 12:33 PM, said:

I will just leave it here

I lold

[Walk]

JokerVictor, on 21 November 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

Because they weren't bad enough, they got buffed. After 4 games in a row of facing at least 3 of them on the enemy team... I'm getting incredibly ******* sick of this. For god's sake PGI, stop encouraging this FOTM mech design.

Perhaps you could actually code the streaks to behave like they should, instead of being a ridiculous lock-on weapon that never misses. What's the point of taking any other close range weapons? What's this going to be like when you put Strk 4's & 6's in? They also happen to be the only weapon that's not effected by the terribad netcode, which basically guarantees them a victory if they get close to you. Seriously, change this, it's ruining the damn game (among other things).

your piloting skills. you must hone them

[Shade Cido]

Ive just built a Streak Cat, and also ran one in CB, as my fav mech is the Catapult.

Personally don't think they are OP, I was capping and there was a Hunchback AFK....6 Volleys at his rear and his armor was only down to 50%....somehow that doesnt seem OP to me,

I believe alot of the whinging is from Light Mech pilots as the newly buffed streaks can now negate the speed and lag shield of the lights...especially since collisions were removed, they have had it quite easy, especially when engaging heavier mechs.

I believe the Streak Cat is a niche support mech (like most Catapult builds), and I find it excels in the support of the Heavy/Assault mechs, protecting them from marauding lights. When going against heavier mechs, the Streaks just can't do the damage to make a great brawler - and as noted above, are extremely vunerable if enaged at range, however against light mechs sporting XL engines and minimum armor they are lethal, especially with support from other mechs that can make up for their shortcomings.

IMHO if you engage a Streak Cat in a 140kph Jenner at ranges of less than 270m.....you deserve to die. I think alot of Light pilots have become used to being almost invunerable, and the buffed Streaks is a bit of a shock for them.

PS And a bit of advice to Lights engaging Streaks....dont bother powering down to break lock anymore, most intelligent Streak Cat pilots will have fitted BAP to negate this.

Edited by Shade Cido, 21 November 2012 - 02:56 PM.