29 replies to this topic

[Kommisar]

Give it a week or two for people to adjust, save up some C-Bills and you will find that over half the player base will be running an ECM equipped mech. I'm already looking to sell my Atlas RS to pick up the DDC just for the ECM.

I could be wrong. But the advantages of having ECM are to great to ignore or go without. And, with the ability to cancel with another ECM, you create the incentive to mount up as many as you can on a team.

No LRM fire
No Streaks
No enemy lock-on
No Tag / NARC (okay... not a big deal, these were very weak)
Can't see where you are damaged.

All for, what, two tons? It's a must have item.

[Amoun Amenti]

I play an LRM Catapult. Have done since early in the closed beta. I've played them through the good times and the bad times. I've always stuck with them. With the introduction of ECM though I think I'm going to to finally throw the towel in and move to a brawler of some sort. I know ECM is new and all, and that tactis will be developed to counter it, but right now I feel like playing an LRM boat makes me a liabilty. Not only that, I now feel that I am TOTALLY dependent on my team mates. If they don't knock out the ECM one way or the other I'm pretty much a waste of space. I don't mind being partially dependent on team members in order to perfom a job (it is a tactical team game after all), but now I feel like I have no control whatsoever. That just isn't fun for me. That's the real problem as I see it.

I'm sure if you don't play a role that is totally dependent on missle locks, ECM is a great thing for you. For those of us who rely entirely on missle locks (and I am not refering to cheesey streakcats), ECM has had a huge negative effect on the fun experienced in the game.

That's my 2 c-bills anyways.

Edited by Amoun Amenti, 04 December 2012 - 03:05 PM.

[Dukov Nook]

Jakob Knight, on 04 December 2012 - 01:24 PM, said:

It kills competative play by eliminating any form of combat but sniping and brawling. Fire support mechs are now removed from the game, and the Streak missile systems, LRM systems, BAP systems, Artemis IV systems, and NARC systems are now removed from the game. In addition, team play may now be abandoned, as there is no point planning on recon mechs as they can no longer perform their tasks and players should build their mech with the expectation that they will be fighting on their own.

Iin short, welcome to Counterstrike Warrior Online. Enjoy your new game.

I'm not sure which game your playing, but the matches I just played (all 8x8 PM) had lots of ECM, each countering the other. I did just fine in my LRM cat and got about the same kills/damage as normal as correct ECM counters were being used. ECM is all about gear, and is countered just as easily, by gear. Once those are in play, it comes down to killing the other guy(s) with ECM before they kill yours.

[Ghogiel]

I killed an A1 without it firing a single shot.

I was most pleased

[Mack1]

I expect this game to get easier and easier over the months as the constant flow of skill less moaners join in the game.

It's awful that so many good games end totally ruined because of a handful of cry babies that can't cope with being killed now and then.

I have had hundreds of matches and see no reason at all to destroy Missiles or gauss cannons and this patch has done both.

It's the beginning of the end here I think.

[Tcheekin]

I think the lack of match making is what makes ECM feel so over powered at the moment. All those supporting have money, mechs and experience. They can aim, they run TS and have a deep understanding of the game as well as common tactics per map. Those against (generalization, not everyone) are less so on all aspects ... in most cases, PUGs or new players (many won't ever even see these forums). When you put a group of new players, read Trial Mechs, up against even one ECM toting group (experienced in how to utilize) its a wholesale slaughter ... even worse than what we had before ... because anything with missiles is now powerless. Granted some of this is because they lack the skill, understanding, tactics, etc to get around this tech BUT that's the nature of new players. A new player coming in right now (thank God its Beta, right?) will find it less fun than a dark night in a prison cell with Bubba and Clyde if they use anything with rockets. Once we have an aggregated match maker, ECM will no longer be an "OP" item simply because those that use it, and those that counter it, will be in the same match ... granted you could say this about several weapons but I think ECM brings this point to the surface more than any other previous tech.

Several have mentioned some good points in regards to changing tactics ... yes .. that was insanely apparent this morning with my first matches ... our whole eight man premade was slaughtered three matches in a row. We had to go sell mechs and get some ECM in our group as well as re-weaponize what we currently owned ... all the while losing CRs left and right to matches. The least expensive, most effective tactic? Remove all our rockets ... direct LOS weapons only ... we began winning at that point. That being said, I would like to think there are ways to make the LRMs effective still but despite several of the commonly stated tactic changes listed above, nothing really worked for us ... lasers and ballistics (with SRMs) was about it. Especially against ECM Atlas/Cataphract teams ... brutal. I'm sure my lack of amazing twitch skill had a factor in not performing well So I am hopeful to learn more over the next week as the hubbub dies down and the tactics set in place.

I think my only real concerns with ECM are currently:

• Impact on new player view
  
• Polarizing team builds/mech builds to a few accepted setups (can you say WoW?)
  
• Dust collecting on certain weapons/types due to "flow of water" tactics (takes the easiest path to solve/counter an issue)

[BoerInBeton]

Well, running SRM6s from here on out and hoping for the best in my A1. It may be just me but there's a distinct disconnect between using ECM to stop guided missiles and the effort it takes to overcome it. To stop missiles...run an ECM mech, stick together. To make missiles worth it, you need teamwork, your own ECM suite, TAGs, rangekeeping...
Seems like a no brainer to just say screw it and leave the 'tubes at home.

[Ghogiel]

GabrielKnight, on 04 December 2012 - 03:43 PM, said:

Well, running SRM6s from here on out and hoping for the best in my A1.

>mfw raid bosses cry about now finding more success with SRM6s. hoping for the the best.

[Bobzilla]

I don't know what running in a PM is like as I only solo. I do know what its like to watch my team run into their deaths tho.
I can not imagine using any lock-on weapons anymore as it is very rare to be in a pug and have players use teamwork of any kind, unless your lucky enough to be joined up with a 4 man PM. I will have to get an ECM as I cannot chase around a pug teamate that has one and who will no doubt be doing silly things.
So ECM will not totaly render lock-ons useless in PMs, but it will in pugs and force every solo'er to equip one or be the missile magnet trying to chase his teamates around.
I think it's great for added tatical teamwork play, but it just won't happen in pugs. PM's have become even stronger vs pugs.

[JadeRaven]

Bobzilla, on 04 December 2012 - 04:55 PM, said:

I don't know what running in a PM is like as I only solo. I do know what its like to watch my team run into their deaths tho.
I can not imagine using any lock-on weapons anymore as it is very rare to be in a pug and have players use teamwork of any kind, unless your lucky enough to be joined up with a 4 man PM. I will have to get an ECM as I cannot chase around a pug teamate that has one and who will no doubt be doing silly things.
So ECM will not totaly render lock-ons useless in PMs, but it will in pugs and force every solo'er to equip one or be the missile magnet trying to chase his teamates around.
I think it's great for added tatical teamwork play, but it just won't happen in pugs. PM's have become even stronger vs pugs.

I feel like pugs will be less organized and thus will not utilize ECM to it's fullest giving LRM boats more opportunities to lock on and LRM targets.