19 replies to this topic

[AceTimberwolf]

I'm not back for another hours but wanted first impressions of the 8 man. How are the teams filling out and are you having trouble finding matches? Is it easy to set up practice matches against yourselves? Bacon and I will probably join you gents later. Smoke some goons for us in the meantime!

Your Undying Hero
-Ace





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[Lord Ikka]

Haven't tried to match up yet, but the searching is quick. So far, the matches lean towards the heavier mechs.

[Suicidal Idiot]

Lord Ikka, on 04 December 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

So far, the matches lean towards the heavier mechs.

There's no tonnage balancing, so even if you take 8 commandoes, you could still encounter 8 Atlases.

Frankly, I'm VERY happy with the result, because I'm wanting to see the wolf pack tactics develop. I expect there really are going to be some surprising combinations.

[AceTimberwolf]

Even in heavier mechs are people just boating LRMs or taking some other form of boating? Yea with the lights we should be able to take the heavies. Gotta get some good Med pilots to keep them busy while we take care of business

[Kdogg788]

Boating LRMS? LRMs are lostech in 8 player games. If you want to win in 8 mans, boat ECMs and either rush under cover, or if you are convinced you have a heavier, slower team than the other guys, take up a defensive position cloaked up where you can concentrate fire on the approaches. The matches always come to an intense brawl because you can't locate (without IR for mechs in plain site) or target anyone over 200m away, so dictate where the brawl is and you win. Ballistics, lasers, and SRMs are weapons of choice. Boat streaks at your own risk and hope to run enough ECM counter to use them.

-k

[dal10]

House Liao has been doing pretty good. we lost one serious match and one for the lulz match out of the 10 I played last night. though we took down the team that beat us the very next match by killing all of them vs them capping us the previous round. the lulz match was all of us rushing in lights, they caught on to what we were doing before we could cap them...

Edited by dal10, 05 December 2012 - 09:45 AM.

[Kdogg788]

I played two and lost both last night. Match 1 we defended but our team was too light and had too many mediums and non ECM lights. They were able to bait some of us out and get the numbers on us. The second match we just lost the brawl. It could have gone either way but the second team was heavier overall than we were as well. We needed more tonnage and more than just a couple ECMs. That was our undoing. Next time bring much higher tonnage and minimum 4 to 5 ECMs.

-k

[Mason2501]

I've played over two dozen eight man matches. Yes it is a whole different game. As people get over the newest of ECM, and as PGI adds more Mechs with ECM, the matches and Mechs will change up.

One thing for sure, the easy days of near stillest Streak and LRM boats are done. Serious teamwork between Mechs with ECM & TAG are required for those weapons to be at all useful. So it is much easier to hop into a AC/Guass/Energy brawler builds for matches. Stick together and focus fire under the cover of ECM. Still as that made tougher as with all the ECM up, nobody can target. So just calling target Bravo doesn't work cause more then half the time the ECM is blocking lock ons. So firing lines and IDing with details in now required. IE "everyone target Bravo Red Atlas advancing at the arch."

Not to say Streaks or LRMs are complete useless. They are not a solo get kills weapon. It's much teamwork to be used. Weather that's a missile boat moving with two to three lights who then counter jam ECM, or every mech in the lance has TAG and LRM fights are 250m to 500m. ranges. Means instead of having barely moving loaded down missile boats that never cease firing. The mech will have to be better movers, with less rounds so those shots will have to count, and have some more used backup weapons. Oh no, those streak cats may have to use some SRM and pilot have some skill. Oh those SRM6 boats now back to being deadly!

So far I'm loving it. Tactics make a great reason to have many mechs, and many builds looking towards role lance warfare.
Also thank PGI for keeping 2-4 man groups with pugs. Those matches come faster less thinking, better for making cash and trying out builds, and working on pilot skills. Eight man groups mean you gotta bring your best mech, with best gear, skills, and work with the whole group for tactics and play style.

Edited by Mason2501, 05 December 2012 - 11:20 AM.

[solops]

How Are The 8 Man Turning Out?For me great! However Finding a solid 8 man group is like looking for a needle in a haystack however it wont stop me from trying though.

Edited by solops, 01 January 2013 - 07:06 AM.

[Rowin]

Current 8 man drops really shows how overpowered ECM is. Most teams we face have at least 5 mechs with ecm and any tactic besides brawling is useless.

-If you don't take a raven 3L light just go home you are a wast of tonnage
-Don't bother taking a medium as you will just be fodder for the 5+ atlas DDCs
-LRM's are very very limited in utility, no boating as everything turns into a brawl
-Expect to see 2 Raven 3L's at least 5 Atlas DDC's and token heavy (typically a SRM cat)

We still drop 8 mans 2-3 nights a week despite these issues but their is very little verity, tactic choices or utility if you are not in a ECM mech. I still have faith that things will get better but not until balance is restored.

[solops]

Rowin, on 01 January 2013 - 12:41 PM, said:

Current 8 man drops really shows how overpowered ECM is. Most teams we face have at least 5 mechs with ecm and any tactic besides brawling is useless.

-If you don't take a raven 3L light just go home you are a wast of tonnage
-Don't bother taking a medium as you will just be fodder for the 5+ atlas DDCs
-LRM's are very very limited in utility, no boating as everything turns into a brawl
-Expect to see 2 Raven 3L's at least 5 Atlas DDC's and token heavy (typically a SRM cat)

We still drop 8 mans 2-3 nights a week despite these issues but their is very little verity, tactic choices or utility if you are not in a ECM mech. I still have faith that things will get better but not until balance is restored.

Than we must use the imbalance to Defeat our enemies my Kurtian Brother.

[shotokan5]

solops, on 01 January 2013 - 04:46 PM, said:

Than we must use the imbalance to Defeat our enemies my Kurtian Brother.

Could not agree more. I was honored to be in many of those drops. I though some weight balance was enforced but perhaps that is down the line. We were out toned in most matches. It was like going in an Atlas show room. I hope that as more patches are put in place this is adjusted. This is also happening in 4 men and lady's drops. solops has covered everything covered.

[solops]

shotokan5, on 02 January 2013 - 05:42 AM, said:

Could not agree more. I was honored to be in many of those drops. I though some weight balance was enforced but perhaps that is down the line. We were out toned in most matches. It was like going in an Atlas show room. I hope that as more patches are put in place this is adjusted. This is also happening in 4 men and lady's drops. solops has covered everything covered.

Always a Honor Shotokan5 If you dont see me on the server its not that im not playing Im pugging so I can master all my mechs and get prepared for community warfare when they launch the loyalty points, Rank System so we can spend them to unlock the special canon units so its MWO Official and not 3rd Party again its been a pleasure dropping with you hope to see you in the future.

Edited by solops, 02 January 2013 - 08:10 AM.

[AceTimberwolf]

I think we just need to take 8 man's into our own hands same with 1v1. Get 3 plus groups going and either have tonnage limits or match weight class. We had recent luck not taking lights even had a lance of hunchis pretty fun

[Kdogg788]

We've done the same thing in a way where we specify the class limits to mirror RHOD tourney loadout requirements and then sync drop our 8 man groups to play against each other. We don't get the other team every time, it's like a 60-70% rate or something, but we can drop against one another rather reliably and practice different things. If you can get an 8 man together some nights, I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind if you hop onto our TS and ask for a few scrimmage games, especially on like Friday-Sunday nights when there are a lot of people on. Pop on by and see if the players who are on are down for some games.

-k

[AceTimberwolf]

Kdogg788, on 10 January 2013 - 07:08 AM, said:

We've done the same thing in a way where we specify the class limits to mirror RHOD tourney loadout requirements and then sync drop our 8 man groups to play against each other. We don't get the other team every time, it's like a 60-70% rate or something, but we can drop against one another rather reliably and practice different things. If you can get an 8 man together some nights, I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind if you hop onto our TS and ask for a few scrimmage games, especially on like Friday-Sunday nights when there are a lot of people on. Pop on by and see if the players who are on are down for some games.

-k

That's y u need more than 2 groups so that already the chance rises of playing someone following the current conditions.

[Rowin]

1st Ghosts is looking for other teams to practice against. Drop us a line if you would like to set up some matches!

[Prophetic]

Rowin, on 10 January 2013 - 10:18 AM, said:

1st Ghosts is looking for other teams to practice against. Drop us a line if you would like to set up some matches!

I will hop on your TS or send our head Diplo over. We hope to get some eight man practice tonight so maybe we can get something going.

[shotokan5]

another addition after playing last week which was fun. one problem was that it took 2 hours to play 4 matches. it is very cumbersom and difficult to set up and run the 8 man. This in its self is a strike against it. Its also hard to practice because of
all the itme involved as the system is now.

[AceTimberwolf]

shotokan5, on 27 January 2013 - 05:10 AM, said:

another addition after playing last week which was fun. one problem was that it took 2 hours to play 4 matches. it is very cumbersom and difficult to set up and run the 8 man. This in its self is a strike against it. Its also hard to practice because of
all the itme involved as the system is now.

Yea I'm just taking a break right now. Last Time we tried 8 man we got 0 matches in a couple of hours. No one online. Ashnod pulled me yesterday by accident was the first time I played in about a week and a half. Hopefully the full squad drops will have a better interface. (::cough:: like lobbies)