72 replies to this topic

[Major Derps]

I used to be happy piloting an atlas. But I've noticed a trend in most atlas pilots that is nothing short of embarrassing... They are waiting until the later stages of battle to show themselves. I can fight in 2 or 3 skirmishes, against every other 'mech, but I will not see an enemy atlas until every other 'mech (friendly and enemy) is about ready to tap out. Honestly, the best assault pilots are awesome pilots. They are...well, awesome, they are always the ones providing the support assaults were built for.

Edited by Smokey Mcpot, 21 January 2013 - 10:10 PM.

[Jacmac]

Thanks for the idea! I should start hanging back on my team, let them get beat up, then clean up on kills! I'll be rich soon! I never would have thought of this without the OPs post, so thanks again!

[Bobby Bolivia]

I typically use Atlases as well, and the only time I find myself last into battle is when my brilliant PUG team bolts off on their own because my tub only moves at 55kph. By the time I get their to offer an ECM bubble or give the enemy something to shoot at, a few are already dead and the rest are beat up pretty bad. Seriously though, I think you're putting too much thought into it. I have a few different Atlas builds and they're all built for different situations. Some are in your face, front line brawlers, and others are more effective in medium to long range combat.

Edited by Dixie Cup, 21 January 2013 - 10:17 PM.

[Zylo]

The worst have to be the stealth base capper DDC players that try to cap your base when they are the last player left and have done 0 damage and don't have a scratch on their mech.

At least it's easy to find them once they try to cap.

[Johnny Reb]

Heh, its the raven-3L pilots that need to be embarrassed! Hopefully knockdown will rectify this!

[GalaxyBluestar]

yes assaults don't do much assaulting, they should be supporting the heavies and mediums being in the middle ranks or up front unless sniping, now of course there's the brains out there going "wiat till their all distratced then i'll kill steal them all!" reminds me of this...



it's tactics but... underhanded to let your whole team be the fall guy.

Edited by GalaxyBluestar, 21 January 2013 - 10:25 PM.

[Rifter]

What do you expect when they are moving at 46kph and 80% of the mechs in game right now are lag lights moving at 130kph+.

Every time i play my atlas i try and get into the fight but moving at 46kph i have played games where i ran directly towards the enemy at max speed and by the time i got there it was mop up time and most of the work had already been done, nothing i can do about that i dont run LRM's i run brawler atlas builds..

Obviously this is only a issue in PUG games premade players have the tools/intelligence to communicate well enough to not have the lights run off ahead and i do much better in my atlas when running premades.

[Josef Nader]

If your Atlas only goes 46kph, you're doing something terribly, terribly wrong.

What people don't seem to understand is that piloting assaults is hard as ****. They can't wrap their heads around the fact that all that armor and firepower is completely vulnerable unless he's sitting pretty in a little nest made up of his teammates. So, they wander off by themselves, or boat LRMs, or try to base cap like they're a light mech and they die horrible, painful deaths.

Terrible assault pilots are the whole reason I started playing assaults. I just couldn't bear to spectate another Atlas sneaking around the outskirts of the map to try and snatch a base cap.

[Craftyman]

it doesnt help that every ***** pub DD-C thinks LRMs are a good idea on an atlas.

[Rifter]

Josef Nader, on 21 January 2013 - 10:29 PM, said:

If your Atlas only goes 46kph, you're doing something terribly, terribly wrong.

What people don't seem to understand is that piloting assaults is hard as ****. They can't wrap their heads around the fact that all that armor and firepower is completely vulnerable unless he's sitting pretty in a little nest made up of his teammates. So, they wander off by themselves, or boat LRMs, or try to base cap like they're a light mech and they die horrible, painful deaths.

Terrible assault pilots are the whole reason I started playing assaults. I just couldn't bear to spectate another Atlas sneaking around the outskirts of the map to try and snatch a base cap.

ok 51.6 with speedtweak, still too slow to matter.

[Biruke]

When I drive one of my D-DC's, I always try to persuade pugs to stick to me. I don't use LRM, only LL, SRM6x2 (or SSRM2x3) and the awesome AC-20. Alltogether this makes the day for the whole team. If you don't run away and kill my targets as I say - we survive and reap apart the opposing pug team.

[themoob]

The problem isn't just the Assault pilots, it's the people on the same team. The amount of times I've watched teams race off ahead of the assaults just to die horribly is ridiculous. They're slow, move with them.

[Biruke]

If I'm tired of brawling, I take my Stalker with LRM40 and 4 ML. Just stay back and try not to fail.

[5th Fedcom Rat]

GalaxyBluestar, on 21 January 2013 - 10:23 PM, said:

it's tactics but... underhanded to let your whole team be the fall guy.

A good number of the atlas pilots I run into aren't smart enough to know what the word tactics means. Maybe it's just the fact that their mech is slow and looks like an ogre that colours how I perceive them, but I never find myself thinking "darn, I was totally outwitted by that clever atlas pilot!"

[Homeless Bill]

Smokey Mcpot, on 21 January 2013 - 10:10 PM, said:

Honestly, the best assault pilots are awesome pilots. They are...well, awesome, they are always the ones providing the support assaults were built for.

Thanks for showing some love. We get no respect =P

[GalaxyBluestar]

5th Fedcom Rat, on 21 January 2013 - 10:51 PM, said:

A good number of the atlas pilots I run into aren't smart enough to know what the word tactics means. Maybe it's just the fact that their mech is slow and looks like an ogre that colours how I perceive them, but I never find myself thinking "darn, I was totally outwitted by that clever atlas pilot!"

i was kinda talking about anyone who hangs back for the win but... meh true.

and right on with homeless reply awesomes pilots don't get the respect they deserve for trying to perservre when most mechs outclass them in some way or another. it's really hard work!

Edited by GalaxyBluestar, 21 January 2013 - 10:58 PM.

[Biruke]

awesomes die too easy from LRMs. a very big flat target.

[Navid A1]

i've never piloted anything but atlases (couple awesomes in closed beta)

the things i realized are:
i'm a slow moving BIG target... i must plan ahead where i want to move and what situation i'm putting myself into, because if i screw up, there's no retreat or the team will pay the price... i must not be lured away from my position by a cored dragon or hunchi... i must distract targets form shooting on heavies and mediums in case the enemy is gaining on them... effective fire spread is key (you should know what target should go down first)

think of MW as a strategic game... if you move your biggest unit into the enemy lines first, they will try their best to ********* you and no distraction effort from your team we'll make them let go of the tasty prey. if pushing forward is the only way, it should be done in a broad line... if a broad line attack is not possible, open more than one front... from my experience, assaults do wonders in good flanking positions.

if you happen to drop with good pug players (who report the enemy or their own intentions) you're in heaven, just be ready to charge in the moment the enemy has turned it's torso the fire up on that dragon.
if the pugs on your team have no idea what a battlemech is then try to stick close to one or two heavies or mediums and watch his/their back (they will watch yours... be sure)...

these are the things that currently comes to my mind... and remember to always have a long range puncher on hand when you fit up your mech in the mechlab.

Edited by Navid A1, 21 January 2013 - 11:07 PM.

[Rift Hawk]

Smokey Mcpot, on 21 January 2013 - 10:10 PM, said:

I used to be happy piloting an atlas. But I've noticed a trend in most atlas pilots that is nothing short of embarrassing... They are waiting until the later stages of battle to show themselves. I can fight in 2 or 3 skirmishes, against every other 'mech, but I will not see an enemy atlas until every other 'mech (friendly and enemy) is about ready to tap out. Honestly, the best assault pilots are awesome pilots. They are...well, awesome, they are always the ones providing the support assaults were built for.

I've actually noticed this too. I don't think its a standard thing however. It seems like I was seeing the same premade do this over and over on the battles I got into with them. Same 3 guys in the match everytime on the same team. Could have been coincidence but I doubt it.

Edited by Imperial X, 21 January 2013 - 11:24 PM.

[Elder Thorn]

Smokey Mcpot, on 21 January 2013 - 10:10 PM, said:

I used to be happy piloting an atlas. But I've noticed a trend in most atlas pilots that is nothing short of embarrassing... They are waiting until the later stages of battle to show themselves. I can fight in 2 or 3 skirmishes, against every other 'mech, but I will not see an enemy atlas until every other 'mech (friendly and enemy) is about ready to tap out. Honestly, the best assault pilots are awesome pilots. They are...well, awesome, they are always the ones providing the support assaults were built for.

i know what you mean, and i feel similiar. I remember some guy posting a money farming loadout in the mech guides section and suggested exactly this strategy: spamming LRMs until you are the last one allive, the pick off the last enemy mechs that are shot to peaces allready.
I hate those people, too.