20 replies to this topic

[Taron]

Well, only the Raven-3L is a good mech, the other Variants are mostly useless. Why? The 3L have it all: ECM, very nice Hardponts, one more Module - compared to that, all other Ravens are really crap.

There are still a lot of issues with balancing and mech designs.

[Hansh0tfirst]

The greatest advantage the 3L has is engine capacity. Sure ECM and two missile hardpoints are very, very nice too... but in a light, speed is life.

[bug3at3r]

Speed is the biggest issue, IMO. Without speed a light is useless.

[IG 88]

Hansh0tfirst, on 25 January 2013 - 09:08 AM, said:

The greatest advantage the 3L has is engine capacity. Sure ECM and two missile hardpoints are very, very nice too... but in a light, speed is life.

yes and the 3l can carry a biggest engine then the 2 other

[DrVulcan]

You have never used an ac20 raven, that thing is too fun.
After spending a lot of time building ravens, all can be built to be very fun, very good mechs, its just that the 3L is 'easy' to build into a good mech due to ecm. Take some more time with one of the mech builder programs out there that will list your dps/heat specifics, and remember, for lights, speed is life if you dont have ecm, however really anything over 120 is fine, and duck a lot. =)

Edited by DrVulcan, 25 January 2013 - 09:13 AM.

[Taron]

Yep - what can the other Ravens do? More ore less nothing.

In game, mostly the ECM versions of the lights are used, the others..., well you HAVE to use them for a while to skill up only the 3L. I case of the Raven, it it very hard, cause, as i said, only the 3L is really usefull.

[Hansh0tfirst]

DrVulcan, on 25 January 2013 - 09:12 AM, said:

You have never used an ac20 raven, that thing is too fun.
After spending a lot of time building ravens, all can be built to be very fun, very good mechs, its just that the 3L is 'easy' to build into a good mech due to ecm. Take some more time with one of the mech builder programs out there that will list your dps/heat specifics, and remember, for lights, speed is life if you dont have ecm, however really anything over 120 is fine, and duck a lot. =)

Heck, dual machine guns are fun. Not particularly effective, but FUN!

Still not sure why the 3L has the monopoly on higher rated engines... is it a TT thing? I mean honestly, if I can replace the very structure the mech's frame is based on, how hard can it be to cram a bigger engine in there??

[Mercules]

Hansh0tfirst, on 25 January 2013 - 01:18 PM, said:

Heck, dual machine guns are fun. Not particularly effective, but FUN!

Still not sure why the 3L has the monopoly on higher rated engines... is it a TT thing? I mean honestly, if I can replace the very structure the mech's frame is based on, how hard can it be to cram a bigger engine in there??

No, it is because Medium mechs were outrunning lights in MWO. Here is what happened. They discovered in Closed Beta that mechs moving faster than 140 KPH would create a great deal of lag for everyone in the match. So they capped speed. As there are several mediums that can approach that speed it meant they could run down light mechs and kill them easily as they had more armor and firepower. The same thing was happening with Awesomes cruising along at something like 89KPH carrying 7 lasers.

Hunchbacks were very popular as they were able to put in a large engine with lots of Heatsinks(they were even more tied to engine size before) and a ton of Small Lasers, get in someone's back, and cut them down. Why have a Cicada(or Lights) if the Hunback can excel at such play?

So they put a cap on engine speed based on the stock engine speed. You can only modify up or down so much from the stock. So if the Stock Variant has a larger engine than one of the others, it can put in a larger engine than they can and thus go faster.


I think it is a nice limitation that forces mechs to stay somewhat in their original design. For example, a Hunchback is supposed to be a slow Medium built to have a close range punch that would scare a Heavy. With the current system it is pretty much that with minor tweaks up in speed by some, but nothing making it a "larger Cicada".

[Adridos]

Hansh0tfirst, on 25 January 2013 - 01:18 PM, said:

Still not sure why the 3L has the monopoly on higher rated engines... is it a TT thing?

No, a lore thing.

2X is a Davion battle refit of Raven-1X, scrapping EW equipment because they couldn't reproduce it.
4X is another refit made for fighting, again scrapping the EW equipment for JJ and anti-infantry MGs.

After these experiments, the level 2 tech was found again and with the new tech (XL, ES, etc.), they managed to make an actually working EW boat in the form of 3L.

[Hansh0tfirst]

@Mercules

I think you misunderstood.

I wasn't asking why Hunchbacks/etc. can't cram bigger engines in there. I meant specifically why the RVN-2X/4X are limited to a 245-rated engine and not able to fit a 295, like the 3L.

They're still effectively the same frame/chassis, aren't they? Seems like a double whammy; they can't use ECM or fit a faster engine. And correct me if I'm mistaken, but doesn't the 2X/4X engine limit make them the slowest lights currently in the game?

[Eleshod]

I find the 4x quite versatile in it's build choice, I made a rooftop sniper build one involving JJ and a few potshotting PPC

[Mercules]

Hansh0tfirst, on 25 January 2013 - 01:37 PM, said:

@Mercules

I think you misunderstood.

I wasn't asking why Hunchbacks/etc. can't cram bigger engines in there. I meant specifically why the RVN-2X/4X are limited to a 245-rated engine and not able to fit a 295, like the 3L.

They're still effectively the same frame/chassis, aren't they? Seems like a double whammy; they can't use ECM or fit a faster engine. And correct me if I'm mistaken, but doesn't the 2X/4X engine limit make them the slowest lights currently in the game?

I understood perfectly and explained why the engines are limited by Stock build of the variant. RVN-2X's stock is slower than the RVN-3L's and ergo in MWO it can't mount the same engine.

To be really pedantic you should'nt be able to swap engines out the way we do at all, nor easily swap out weapons/equipment. There would be kits and some things would be okay to do in the field and some at mech manufacuring/repair plants. Custom mechs are rare and engine swaps even more so. Variants are the result of re-tooling a manufacturing line or a reto-fit for an older chassis with a "Stock" kit.


If we played with Stock Mechs we would be having very different arguments on the forums. I'm not certain if they would be better or worse than the current ones.

Edited by Mercules, 25 January 2013 - 02:11 PM.

[MoonUnitBeta]

I like my 2x more than my 3L. I do more damage SRM6+A and medium lazorz. Streaks are over rated. I go for the bigger mechs in the back and take them out. If that fails I split their team up by luring 2 or 3 around the map.

[Saxophonist]

Taron, on 25 January 2013 - 08:58 AM, said:

Well, only the Raven-3L is a good mech, the other Variants are mostly useless. Why? The 3L have it all: ECM, very nice Hardponts, one more Module - compared to that, all other Ravens are really crap.

There are still a lot of issues with balancing and mech designs.

It's SUPPOSED to be that way. 2X and 4X are PROTOTYPES, not production models. That's the 3L. Read up on the lore buddy.

[Hurthammer]

I dunno, the 2X and 3L seemed fine to me. I'm having a hard time finding a loadout on the 4X I like though. Been thinking of throwing an LB10 on it and run around shooting folks in the face hobo with a shotgun style... The grind can get old after a while..

[Vassago Rain]

It's now reduced to food for my atlas.

[Accused]

Why bother at all with different chassis if they're clearly inferior?

I could see the 3L being a top tier model to unlock, but we don't exactly unlock mechs in this game.

[JohnnyC]

I don't think I'll ever like the Raven due to the swarms of 3L ECM Streak builds that I've seen in far too many matches.

[Volume]

I kind of like my ghetto Hollander, thank you.

[Huntsman]

Eleshod, on 25 January 2013 - 01:43 PM, said:

I find the 4x quite versatile in it's build choice, I made a rooftop sniper build one involving JJ and a few potshotting PPC

It makes an excellent sniper for its weight, and while it has a few tactical advantages over a larger sniper, the reality is that with the game in no weight limit mode, overall the heavier the sniper, the better.