183 replies to this topic

[Protoculture]

MustrumRidcully, on 21 January 2013 - 06:47 AM, said:

At the minimum, ERLLs, MPLs and LPLs and PPCs must become more viable, I think. Without that, there is no reason to use the energy-heavy variants of the Awesome.

Mostly this. I run nothing but LL, ML, and rarely MPL. PPC is garbage unless you're in to that 1 shot-instant-shutdown Stalker stuff. I wasted a bunch of CBs testing different weapons. Ballistics are impossible to hit anything moving, everything thing else in energy is WAY too much heat or too little damage to seriously considering using.

I would say SRMs, AC's and Gauss are the best of the ballistics, unless you need to kill lights then SSRM too.


YMMV

[King Arthur IV]

Serapth, on 21 January 2013 - 07:08 AM, said:

The 'pracht moves like a medium? Maybe like a medium running stock, or stuck in the mud.

not in every sense of the word but it moves good. turns good, aims good, stop good, speeds up good. its not a cicada by any means.

[Ptom]

Skaroth, on 21 January 2013 - 07:09 AM, said:

Was running dual Awesomes last night 2 man. We did alright. There are certain situations where the Awesome excels. Ex:

Two LRM boats nuking our team (no ecm pug) from across the lake at Epsilon. We charged and closed the gap before they could launch more than two volleys, focus fired and they were dead in 30 seconds. The Awesome's (9M only) speed is its best weapon.

The Awesome is not over powered by any means but I runthe 9M with 3LL, 1 ML, 1 SRM 6, 2 SRM 4s, (67 fire power) and an XL 385. With speed tweek it runs 85.8 km/h. Heat management is decent, though you need to be careful.

Do you think all awesome variants deserve the high speed of the 9M to make it competitive with other assaults?

[Serapth]

One major advantage of the all energy Awesome was removed from the game.

RnR.

[John MatriX82]

Awesomes has been my kdr tomb when I needed to exp 2 further variants for eliting the 9M.. And it's the only mech of which I own only 1 variant, I usually keep 2 at least if not 3. So yes, it's sub-optimal compared to other mechs, be it Assaults or even vs a Cataphract.

However I enjoy using my 9M (with STD engine of course); it can be very deadly, but it's a matter of seconds to pick up the wrong fight or end up in a bad situation.

The trouble is that it requires much more attention and management than picking up any other of my mechs.

[King Arthur IV]

John MatriX82, on 21 January 2013 - 07:17 AM, said:

Awesomes has been my kdr tomb when I needed to exp 2 further variants for eliting the 9M.. And it's the only mech of which I own only 1 variant, I usually keep 2 at least if not 3. So yes, it's sub-optimal compared to other mechs, be it Assaults or even vs a Cataphract.

However I enjoy using my 9M (with STD engine of course); it can be very deadly, but it's a matter of seconds to pick up the wrong fight or end up in a bad situation.

The trouble is that it requires much more attention and management than picking up any other of my mechs.

yeh its one of those mech if your in a bad place you stuck, there no running from it or shooting your way out.

[Rotaugen]

About the only ones that I see are trials, except yesterday I saw a guy (I spectated after dying) who was simply, well, awesome in his Awesome. It wasn't the mech, it was the pilot. He always seemed to be at just the right spot, managed heat right to the line, and was a great shot.

[Serapth]

King Arthur IV, on 21 January 2013 - 07:22 AM, said:

yeh its one of those mech if your in a bad place you stuck, there no running from it or shooting your way out.

And those mechs are brutal if you PUG, as you are going to be in a bad place A LOT, one moment you could be with the bulk of the group, then everyone runs off in different directions, leaving you easy pickings. Frankly, this is the same problem LRM boats face too, in the land of PUG.

[Omega IV]

I run the Awesome almost all the time. I got 3 variants mastered, the 9M with over 60K excess xp on it waiting to be exchanged into GXP. I know it seems like a sissy assault mech but i've managed to kill a whooping amount of atlases, stalkers, cataphracts and hunchies 1 on 1 with them. It's my main ride, and it's simply put Awesome. Of course it is a big target out of the box, but with a little skill and correct fit it can really whoop ***. It's not impossible to knock out 700-1000dmg in a run, but the stat's i'm frequently seeing with my builds is dmg around ~500 win or lose. It's so much about your playstyle. Awesome is the wrong chassis to rush headlong into battle, but its the perfect heavy support for atlases and stalkers. The huge amount of torso twist and the 4 arm lasers in 8T (or was it 8V) give you pinpoint accurate large lasers / ppc's and a huge amount of agility.. My 9M moves at 85kph (XL 385), and turns and twists like a champ. It's so much fun.

Of course it's a target in the field, especially if it cant move. I myself also love to see a lonely awesome on the field, it's basically free XP. But oh how much fun have i had with the hunchies who came and thought to get me easy. =D

Bottom line, it's not the easiest mech to play, and furstrating without a big engine. But is it useless? Far from it. It's not the best mathematically, but it definately is the most fun mech i've had a chance to play.

-=Ω IV=-

[Skaroth]

Ptom, on 21 January 2013 - 07:15 AM, said:

Do you think all awesome variants deserve the high speed of the 9M to make it competitive with other assaults?

Yes.

I really don't like the fact there are certain mechs that only have one good variant. I realize they are trying to follow canon and all that but... well yea, much has been said on that topic... However, I also like to play the under dog mechs, Dragons, Awesomes, Cicadas (though I do run the ECM version... so not really under dog).

[b00zy]

I've been running an awesome now for a few days I have had some good games (700+ dmg 3-4 kills) but far more bad (200-300 dmg no kills), whats the problem with the awesome ? It's very hard to nail down but I can say I have never been insta killed as much in any mech then in the awesome I've gone from perfect condition to dead in 2 lrm volleys which I found odd, also I have never heard "centre torso critical" as much in my life as I have within the few days with this mech I'm guessing it's a hitbox issue but who knows all I can say is for being in a giant assualt mech you deffinitly don't feel very safe at all when you are in an awesome.

Edited by b00zy, 21 January 2013 - 07:41 AM.

[Mazzyplz]

like some people said before.
some guys like to play with the underdog.
i am aware it sucks, but i still play it because if i can win with it, means i'm doing something right.
(still want that ER ppc heat reduced though)

my 9m is great at long distances i can do 300-500 dmg a match always tri strike my ER PPC. it moves like crap only 57kmph
i have managed to kill a few atlases by shooting the head, but a stalker is impossible to kill with this build pretty much...
you can hope to disarm it maybe, hitting the cockpit is very difficult. when you can avoid being the target you can do well with it

i have that 9m mastered along with a 8r with 85 firepower, i can kill light mechs all day with SRM6, i have killed squads of ravens! ecm? no need for locks. somehow atlas will still kill you, not enough armor...
but you can kill stalkers with this build, in particular if you get their back... very much defensive though since chasing victims will end in your doom, can't chase down enemies like a srm cat

Edited by Mazzyplz, 21 January 2013 - 07:45 AM.

[John MatriX82]

King Arthur IV, on 21 January 2013 - 07:22 AM, said:

yeh its one of those mech if your in a bad place you stuck, there no running from it or shooting your way out.

Yep especially LRMs are more than kriptonyte for the Awesome. Alongside the Centurion and the Atlas, it's one of the best to teach you "arm tanking" tecniques. Until matchmaking will put you against a other awesomes or stalkers eventually, the "risk" of getting to the other side an Atlas accounted for you often is a problem.

Skaroth, on 21 January 2013 - 07:31 AM, said:

I really don't like the fact there are certain mechs that only have one good variant. I realize they are trying to follow canon and all that but... well yea, much has been said on that topic... However, I also like to play the under dog mechs, Dragons, Awesomes, Cicadas (though I do run the ECM version... so not really under dog).

Dragons aren't that underdog. The 3M is an underdog, any other light can wreck you down in no time, no matter the ECM.

I believe too that the other Awesome variants (besides 9M) could at least benefit of bigger engines.. or at least reach 300 rating, which could help addressing 1 more DHS within the engine, something you can't do with the 290 max rating.

[Aaron45]

Iam actually considering to buy an awsome cz it has great variants. SRm Lazer variant, super fast variant, Lazer hardpoint variant. MY friends doin well with them and i get pretty jealous when they kill 3-5 mechs each round. Its only a question bout Skills.

To those who say: hey the Awsome should at least be able to carry a 300 engine- my answer: Stalker cant even carry a 290 and ppl love it for any reason.

For others who say- Awsomes torso too large: HEy watch Dragon- Centurion Atlas- they dont have the smalles torso.

[RickySpanish]

Well OP, you're in luck! I'm saving up for one to stick 4 SRM 6's and a gaggle of pulse lasers on. It'll be primarily designed for wrecking mediums and lights, but once I'm done brutalizing your front line, I'll make my way up to you. So hold on son, I'll be coming for you soon

[QuantumButler]

It's hilarious you know.

in the fluff, the awesome is described as "one of the most feared battlemechs of all time".

in MWO it's a bad joke.

In TT, the stock awesome has enough heatsinks [SINGLES] to fire all 3 ppcs twice in a row, then fire 2 to cool down, fire 3 twice more, then fire 2, etc, and not over heat, assuming it doesn't get hit with flamers or inferno rockets.

Edited by QuantumButler, 21 January 2013 - 07:47 AM.

[The Amazing Atomic Spaniel]

As someone once said:

"We choose to drive Awesomes. We choose to drive Awesomes in this decade and do the other Awesome-related things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energy-boat skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

I have all Awesome variants mastered.

Also, if you have a high K/D ratio, you probably have me to thank.

Edited by RocketDog, 21 January 2013 - 07:47 AM.

[Serapth]

John MatriX82, on 21 January 2013 - 07:43 AM, said:

Dragons aren't that underdog. The 3M is an underdog, any other light can wreck you down in no time, no matter the ECM.

I believe too that the other Awesome variants (besides 9M) could at least benefit of bigger engines.. or at least reach 300 rating, which could help addressing 1 more DHS within the engine, something you can't do with the 290 max rating.

Some are, some aren't. The 5n is an awful Mech, horrible layouts. They just gimped some of the various Dragons with really bad hardpoint layouts, or space constraints.

That said, one variant ( I forget which, but it can mount 4xLL ) and Flame are very good mechs. Flame is the first hero mech i've purchased, and it's my go to c-bill earner. 4 Large Lasers, maximum armour and a top speed of 104km/h are a wickedly capable combination.

But ultimately the question is, as you mentioned, when piloting your mech, is giving the enemy a different mech in your weight category a mistake. With a few of the Dragons ( and all but one of the Awesomes apparently ), the answer is certainly yes. However, I know when piloting my Flame using this configuration, I normally account for at least one Assualt, and generally a heavy or two before going down... so in that case, certainly not.

Dragons get an unfair wrap because some of them are crap.

[Taizan]

Lusankya, on 21 January 2013 - 07:01 AM, said:

I see the Awesome every once and a while (every few matches) and the people driving them seem to like the mech quite a bit. For an assault mech it can be quite fast and maneuverable which is nice.

I did go for the Awesome and have made some complaint threads about it. To me it feels like a broken toy. That wooden horse with only three legs, that airplane model with only one wing - something like that. I like it for what it is but there are numerous other new or shiny mechs that will do the same "job" or easily best it.

Any "regular" HBK-SP nearly has the same mobility and firepower as an AWS-9M, lacking the armor of course, but instead also lacking the huge "truck like" appearance of the Awesome. They are pretty similar to a Dragon and Cicada imo, which are also transitional between two different weight classes. All of these mechs can be good, but they will always be compared to their superior "cousins" in their higher up weight class.

[The Amazing Atomic Spaniel]

QuantumButler, on 21 January 2013 - 07:45 AM, said:

in MWO it's a bad joke.

I think the problem is that it gets dropped into matches as an Assault, so the other team probably gets an Atlas or Stalker. When I drop in my own Awesome and see others next to me at start up, I inwardly groan because I know we are probably about to get flattened.

In MWO, an AWS is about as effective on the battlefield as a Catapult or Cataphract - certainly nothing like as destructive as any of the other assaults. If matches were tonnage limited, it would make more sense to take an AWS.

Having said that, the 8Q can be effective carrying 4LL and 3ML and a fast and agile (relative term) 9M can do 3PPC plus 3ML quite well.