44 replies to this topic

[Elizander]

Bosko89Buha, on 15 December 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

Yeah, everything so far helped greatly, thanks!

Ohmwrecker is this thread? http://mwomercs.com/...s-excel-inside/

Yup. You can see each weapon DPS there. Some weapons might have low alpha strike value but good DPS if you can position and aim properly.

[Bosko89Buha]

I never used alpha so far, I'm just trying to get my aim better and my manuevering more fluid. That being said, since I opened this thread, I have one problem not regarding this topic. So I'm currently in a slowish light mech, only 81kph, and my armor is, as I said already, at 238. And I have lots of problems fighting other light mechs. Is it the speed thing or am I just not good enough yet? Few matches ago I had 3 kills in a match, so I am getting better, but those lights get me way too often.

[knight-of-ni]

The short answer is yes, it's your speed.

The Raven was designed as a recon battlemech. It was not intended to fight other light mechs according to Battletech lore. It can with modifications, however.

Really the question you need to ask yourself is what role do you want to play?

You can keep the engine you have, but knowing this you should fall back to your group if other lights approach. I've seen a rare few Raven's with bigger weapons, like a PPC, that take on a sniper role. That could be interesting.

You can take the other path and upgrade the engine in your Raven to a fast XL and also get two SSRM's. That will make you much more effective against other light mechs, if that is the role you want to pursue.

[Bosko89Buha]

I decided to get the RVN-3L next, only need 1.5M CB more. And eventualy the last Raven also, so I can get elite efficiencies. At first I thought I would want a bigger mech, when I couldn't afford my own, I mostly used heavy trial one. I liked that one more than the medium, cause I didn't like LRMs (I don't like boating - if that's what that expression means), and I loved PPC and ACs on the heavy one (that's why I put AC/2 on my RVN-4X). And I didn't do so good with the heavy mech, I was terrible with the assault mech, and I didn't use light trial mech very much cause I sucked at coordinating my legs and torso. Now I actually like my 4X, as I said, I'm getting better, I rarely have less than 150-200 dmg per match, and 4-5 kill assists. I kill often now, take down components on a regular basis, and I finish most of my matches alive (unless I end up in a crappy team, with no communication whatsoever, and I end up in 1v1 with a light mech, or dragged into a fight with 1 of my teammates against 2-3 bigger mechs with 1 light mech which always ends up killing me). So my plan is to get a 3L next, have medium lasers on it, with 2 SSRMs. And then try to make my 4X a sniper, I like that idea (and it has 1 missile hardpoint, so I can't have 2 SSRMs on it). For the last Raven I really don't know what I'll do with it, I'll have to see, but I'll probably use it just to get higher efficiencies, and then sell it and buy a bigger mech. And for my 4th mech, I'll probably try to make a slightly faster med or heavy mech that could whitstand a medium ranged combat, deal a nice amount of damage, and take off to a comfortable distance quckly if I get outnumbered by stronger mechs. I don't know really, that's the idea so far, I like being the guy who circles the battlefield and gets his shots on a number of bigger targets, helping the bigger mechs and making the kill here and there, I like being a pest

That's the plan so far, but it could change, I really don't mind wasting CB in this game to try different loadouts, cause I enjoy both, matches and optimizing my mech for things I'd like to achieve.

[New Day]

Get rid of FF and never use it. EE is always superior.

Edited by NamesAreStupid, 16 December 2012 - 09:32 AM.

[Bosko89Buha]

And what are those? Ferro-fibrous and EE-something or?

[Smeghead87]

FF is ferro fibrous armour, by EE im assuming he means endo steel internal structure.

They are both upgrades in the upgrade tab.

Endo steel makes your internal structure (mech skeleton) weigh less, so you have more tons to use, but it takes up 14 critical slots on your mech so you have less critical space to use. It's generally a good upgrade to get on lighter mechs.

Ferro fibrous makes your armour slightly stronger and weigh less, but it also takes up critical slots in your mech. However it doesn't free up as much weight as endo steel, and it's very expensive to repair after each game so most people avoid it.

[Bosko89Buha]

Oh, ok. But some guys already recommended I lose the Ferro-fibrous, so I did, and I have Endo-steel. Only, one thing I realized, without FF my max armor points were around 220, or so, I don't remember exactly. Then I bought FF and got them up to 238. Then, after I was told all this, I changed back to standard armor, and it says standard in mech info, but my points are still at 238. Is this a bug, or am I just missing a point here?

[Smeghead87]

The FF upgrade gives you more weight to play with so you can usually fit more armor points on your mech with that upgrade, but the benefits of it don't really outweigh the downsides. The 4X comes with 224 points of standard armor when you buy it so you must have added some when you got the FF upgrade.

As a light mech, speed is more important than armor, especially with the bugged hit detection currently in the game. But it's really up to you how much armor you want on your mech.

[knight-of-ni]

To put it another way, a 35 ton mech can have a maximum of 238 points of armor regardless of the type of armor it has.
Many battlemechs do not have the maximum amount of armor on them when you first purchase them.

[Bosko89Buha]

Oh, so I probably was able to get more armor points cause FF freed up some wight after I put it in, and after I went back to standard armor, I could leave those points at max cause I altered some weapons and stuff, so it had enough room to carry those points. Ok, I understand now.

[Ewigan]

When you pilot lights USUALLY your best armor is speed, so not taking one of the biggest engines in that thing normally looks like a bad decision. Especially in a raven with those HUGE legs that everyone and their mother will shoot off of ya.
Otherwise, if your playstyle tells you to outfit it with tons and tons of weapons and completely stay with your pack to help ya out it might not be THAT neccessary.

I would actually suggest to try out a big fat XL engine, and instead of taking your medium lasers try to fit in medium pulse.
They help you a LOT on doing your damage when you are a new player, and once you got a hang of aiming you can always go back to regular lasers.
Sadly pulse lasers always are heavier and do more heat, so if they do not fit you would have to throw something out.

[Bosko89Buha]

Yeah, that's what I did in my must successful matches - stayed with bigger mechs, ran around and shot everything in sight, and I got a decent amount of kills that way, but not really much damage, rarely above 150-200. I just bought a RVN-3L, so I'll turn 4X into a sniper with one PPC, 2 MGs, and maybe one small laser, so I have something to shoot if I get in close combat. That'll be just for fun, and if i'll work - then great.

For the 3L, obviously it has an ECM, so what's the main task for me with that mech? Staying with a bigger group, or running ahead trying to scramble opponent's missiles...? Right now it has 2 medium lasers, 1 SRM6, 1 NARC and 1 TAG, and I was thinking maybe heat-proofing it as much as I can, get 3 medium lasers (or 3 medium pulse lasers) and 2 SSRM2s.

[Pariah Devalis]

An ECM equipped 3L can do a couple things without altering from a baseline config. The one I use is:

295 XL. 3 MedLas, 2 SSRM2 with only one ton of ammo. ECM as well. I took Endo, double heat sinks, AND ferro fibrous upgrades. Honestly, even if the mech is wrecked and you loose, you still earn a profit. The small weight saving can make it easier to squeeze in one more weapon, heat sink, or better engine then you otherwise could. As I do not play for the c-bills, having a fun machine that at least breaks even at the end of the game is enough for me.

Moving around 140 kph and masked by the ECM can either let you safely spot for your team or position yourself to cloak them with enough firepower to pick off enemy lights or harass the big mechs. It basically gets the best of all worlds: speed, firepower, and a hefty amount of armor to boot. Never mind the stealth from ECM and the good looks of the RVN.

I would tailor what role you fill in any given game entirely on the composition of your team and how they are playing.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 17 December 2012 - 10:54 AM.

[Smeghead87]

3 medium lasers and 2 SSRM's seems to be the most popular build at the moment.

The ECM atlas is usually best for staying with the larger group, so you might find it more beneficial to go harrass the enemy. Or you could follow your teams larger mechs and hunt the enemy light mechs that try to attack their rear.

[Bosko89Buha]

Pariah Devalis, on 17 December 2012 - 10:44 AM, said:

An ECM equipped 3L can do a couple things without altering from a baseline config. The one I use is:

295 XL. 3 MedLas, 2 SSRM2 with only one ton of ammo. ECM as well.

Moving around 140 kph and masked by the ECM can either let you safely spot for your team or position yourself to cloak them with enough firepower to pick off enemy lights or harass the big mechs. It basically gets the best of all worlds: speed, firepower, and a hefty amount of armor to boot. Never mind the stealth from ECM and the good looks of the RVN.

I would tailor what role you fill in any given game entirely on the composition of your team and how they are playing.

So TAG classifies as one missile hardpoint, right? If I understand correctly, when I acquire a target with my TAG, my teammates can shoot their LRM and SRM more accurately? If so, I don't think I'll get rid of it, I like that role, spotting and acquiring targets, then when we take down 2-3 of their bigger mechs, I go in and bug the bigger ones, or take on the lights. But for the beginning of the fight, I just stay close to the biggest group. 3 lasers, yeah, I'll do that ASAP, but I need to think about getting rid of TAG.

EDIT: Uhm... I just checked... I have 2MLs, 1 SRM6 and a TAG, and I can't put in another missile or energy weapon, cause it says limit reached. I didn't move anything from the stock loadout apart from the NARC, I got rid of that. So can you tell me what's using up my hardpoints here?

And yeah, Ravens are the most sexy

EDIT 2: I'm an *****, TAG is energy... but I don't understand what is using my 2nd missile hardpoint.

Smeghead87, on 17 December 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

3 medium lasers and 2 SSRM's seems to be the most popular build at the moment.

The ECM atlas is usually best for staying with the larger group, so you might find it more beneficial to go harrass the enemy. Or you could follow your teams larger mechs and hunt the enemy light mechs that try to attack their rear.

As I wrote in this comment already, I'm having second thoughts about the loadout. And the Atlas... meh, I don't really like them. Maybe when I get tired of lights and want something completely different... that might happen after getting all 3 Ravens and getting all of their efficiencies, but not for now.

Edited by Bosko89Buha, 17 December 2012 - 11:06 AM.

[Pariah Devalis]

TAG takes up an energy slot. As for the issue with space, an SRM6 takes up three tons. SSRM2 take up 1.5. If you drop the srm6 you have the tonnage for the twin streak launchers.

One small quirk with the raven is that any missile system you place in the NARC arm will fire one missile at a time because it only has one missile tube. Yes, it is hilarious to load an lrm 20 in the arm and spend ten seconds shooting one weapon. XD Some people like sticking an srm4 or 6 in the narc arm and using it like a missile autocannon. So that is an option too.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 17 December 2012 - 11:07 AM.

[Bosko89Buha]

I'm 6 tons underweight, so I don't think that's the issue. When I click on the, let's say SSRM2 in the "store", it is red, and in the info bar it says "Type: limit reached".

And now that happens when I click on NARC also.

Oh... does Ferro-fibrous armor give me more harpoints? Cause I switched to standard to be able to get Endo-steel structure.

[Pariah Devalis]

Did you remove the NARC? It counts as a missile. The arm can only carry one missile system and the right torso can carry another. Also SSRM ammo is not the same as SRM ammo.

[Bosko89Buha]

Oooooh! I didn't even notice so far that hardpoints are distributed among mech parts. My limit is reached on the RT, NARC was on the LA. OK, silly me. so, switching the SRM6 to my LA and using it as an AC, and putting a SSRM2 in my RT could be a good idea?