84 replies to this topic

[Nahuris]

I tried... I really tried... I managed nearly 200 damage, and got 4 assists, and put enough hurt on an Atlas, that my buddy finished it with a medium laser...... but....

I tried an Awesome. My first attempt at piloting an assault (I love me my lights, and quick mediums) -- I am a TT player that LIKES the light mechs. I play with a local group, and own approximately 120 figs... over 40 are light, and I have an equal amount of mediums.....

But, after numerous comments about how lights are worthless, etc.... I tried a Cataphract.... not too bad... and then the Awesome.
First, this is the most poorly named mech I can possibly imagine (using the trials, because I need to build cash) ---- it WADDLES at crawl speed.... and once you are fighting, maneuver is NOT useful... you can't get out of your own way!!!! I couldn't even sidestep fast enough to get my ally out of my line of fire....... he stayed right there, in the middle of my HUD and I was too slow to maneuver to any location where I could shoot too.....

I respect you guys on the field..... but how do you handle the S-L-O-W waddle to combat....???

Nahuris

[Dukarriope]

That's why Assault 'mechs are supposed to traditionally go in front, but as you probably know by now, people don't actually do that.

That aside, the Awesome is easily the worst experience for a newbie to get into.

[Mr 144]

I spotted quite a few things wrong in your post...
1: Lights are VERY viable in this game...whoever told you they're worthless is just flat out wrong.
2: The Awesome is horibad, especially for a first assault (special exception for the 9M)
3: You said 'trial'...that's a ginormous problem in most mechs, with the awesome being legendary for it's craptastic trial mechs.

Don't get me wrong, I know Awesome Pilots who are very, very good with them...but their skill and playstyle overides the drawbacks of the chassis.

As far as how to deal with slow speed? Experience. The key is in positioning and knowing when and where to commit. This means map knowledge, and observed usual enemy tactics and behavior. A lot of assault pilots place a high commitment on farming 3 variants to get elite skills (speed tweak) and up the engine. Snail-paced slow is fine with at least a wingman, but solo dropping yer too often left stranded alone. There are a lot of atlas and stalker builds that hit 60kph...still slow, but not snail-paced. The Awesome 9M easily breaks 80kph in most builds, but is wayyyy out of the first timers price range to fully deck out.

Mr 144

[Tuku]

Its all up to play style, judging by your criticisms assaults are not for you. Stick to your lighter mechs and enjoy them

[CrushLibs]

good luck getting over 1,200 damage in a light :-)

I don't like the Atlas and kill them pretty easy with my Stalker in a 1v1 situation and the awesome sucks except the 9m.

My stalker isn't fast but does go 63 kph and since the maps are small I can cross them in a reasonable amount of time.

[Ramses2020]

I like assaults BECAUSE they are slow. Unlike a cicada, I have less to worry about twitch mechanics, and just focus on dealing damage to prime targets. Some people prefer lights because it involves split-second decisions, while others prefer assaults because it involves critically analyzing the field, and methodically choosing which targets to engage.

Some peope think quickly while processing little information, others think slowly while processing lots of information.

Edited by Ramses2020, 26 January 2013 - 10:34 PM.

[Vlad Ward]

Slow Assaults are awful, and frankly painful to play.

All of my Assault mechs move over 60kph.

The Awesome is also the weakest of the Assault mechs by a pretty large margin, barring a super-expensive, tweaked out 9M.

An STK-3F with 6ML, 4SRM6, 22 DHS, and a Standard 300 costs around 11,000,000 total according to smurfynet.

An AS7-D-DC rocking 2ML, 3SRM6, and an AC20 with a Standard 360, 14 DHS, and ECM costs closer to 16,000,000

Both of those Mechs go 63-65 with speed tweak.

Edited by Vlad Ward, 26 January 2013 - 10:36 PM.

[Nahuris]

I understand -- been playing since Closed Beta --- but I had never tried anything bigger than the Hunchback, and wanted something different.......
Also, as a light pilot, we are getting a lot of flack..... I deliberately stepped my Commando into a swarm of LRM's the other day to protect the back of a friendly Cataphract. It did just about finish me, but he was hurt enough from a previous strike, that I figured it would hurt him more... and the crowing of "how's it like to play without the lagshield" and similar erupted across the chat......

As a player in Washington, on a Cable Modem, I never got the lagshield, but I saw plenty of heavies and bigger that did......
I play a light mech to provide tactical speed to my side.... I can add my weapons to a friendly, and save him armor by hurting the opponent faster.... I can drop back and engage that SRM Cat to your rear, so that your weak juicy back can be pulled out of his sights, or I can step into some missiles, and buy time for the bigger mechs to win the battle....
None of this helps my personal stats, but last time I checked, this was a team game.

All I ask for is a bit of respect.... I respect you assault pilots ..... I KNOW I can't do it.... they're too slow for me. But, I will guard your back, and aid you to the best of my ability.

Nahuris

[ConnorSinclair]

Step 1.



Stop playing alone in the Pug ghetto


Random kids tend to be selfish, incompetent and unorganized. Playing with these idiots who leave atlases alone or split the moment they see a random commando run by as you walk into the enemy line.


Playing with these people is like trying to train with 100x gravity and you still won't see any increase in your own skill because of it. You'll only ever notice in a controlled enviroment with decent players, but that hardly ever happens.



Step 2.

[Wraith05]

Dukarriope, on 26 January 2013 - 10:22 PM, said:

That's why Assault 'mechs are supposed to traditionally go in front, but as you probably know by now, people don't actually do that.

That aside, the Awesome is easily the worst experience for a newbie to get into.

Charging in the front is usually a bad idea in MWO if you pilot an assault unless you have a good supporting team. And definitely not with an awesome, those are meant as support assault mechs. They should be 2nd line mechs not front line brawlers.

Best strategy I've found when piloting my atlas is to let the mediums and lights 'screen' for me and wade into the battle they start.

The main thing to remember with assault mechs is: Positioning is key.

You are too slow to get out of any engagement you get into so if you commit, realize it will be either you kill them or they kill you. There is no running away which is why team support is so important.

[Mr 144]

CrushLibs, on 26 January 2013 - 10:29 PM, said:

good luck getting over 1,200 damage in a light :-)

Extreme Damage =/= Success...nice for the E-peen and Screenshots, but that kinda damage is not the norm.

1200 is almost always either LRMs or blatant overkill. Theoretically, 280 damage is all you need to solo 8 players .

Mr 144

[Ramses2020]

ConnorSinclair, on 26 January 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

Pug ghetto bla bla bla

lolwut? What does pugging have to do with the roles of different types of mechs??

[Selfish]

ConnorSinclair, on 26 January 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

Random kids tend to be selfish, incompetent and unorganized.

Them's fighting words, Mister Sinclair. I won't have you speaking bad about Incompetent and Unorganized. They're good people!

[ConnorSinclair]

Ramses2020, on 26 January 2013 - 10:44 PM, said:

lolwut? What does pugging have to do with the roles of different types of mechs??

Because being in assaults makes you a target

And the MWO community are ignorant and incapable.

You become a shooting gallery against 4 mans.

[Daiichidoku]

9M

that is all

[Clay Pigeon]

Mechlab step one when buying an assault: buy the largest standard engine the mech can hold where the size is divisible by 25.

Step 2. Get doubles. doubles are mandatory.

step 3: use heat efficient weaponry.

[GalaxyBluestar]

sneakily

[Smudge]

ConnorSinclair, on 26 January 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

Playing with these people is like trying to train with 100x gravity and you still won't see any increase in your own skill

You will if your a super saiyan

[Gristle]

Lights are far from useless. Actually they are one of the most powerful units in MWO.

[BerryChunks]

Nahuris, on 26 January 2013 - 10:09 PM, said:

I tried... I really tried... I managed nearly 200 damage, and got 4 assists, and put enough hurt on an Atlas, that my buddy finished it with a medium laser...... but....

I tried an Awesome. My first attempt at piloting an assault (I love me my lights, and quick mediums) -- I am a TT player that LIKES the light mechs. I play with a local group, and own approximately 120 figs... over 40 are light, and I have an equal amount of mediums.....

But, after numerous comments about how lights are worthless, etc.... I tried a Cataphract.... not too bad... and then the Awesome.
First, this is the most poorly named mech I can possibly imagine (using the trials, because I need to build cash) ---- it WADDLES at crawl speed.... and once you are fighting, maneuver is NOT useful... you can't get out of your own way!!!! I couldn't even sidestep fast enough to get my ally out of my line of fire....... he stayed right there, in the middle of my HUD and I was too slow to maneuver to any location where I could shoot too.....

I respect you guys on the field..... but how do you handle the S-L-O-W waddle to combat....???

Nahuris

list lazily to the left (or right). torso twist to use armor all over the body. put more armor in front if you're actually going to be in the front.

You can't avoid shots. So hit them with more firepower than they hit you with.

Slow down to 30kph. You will turn faster and save heat. Going faster won't help avoid shots, unless you're running to cover.

Dont stand in the open unless it'll be to your advantage to have such a wide area to work with. Such a case is the flanking of your team having put the enemy's backs to you, for you to start blasting their rear armor off.

I could go on.

http://classics.mit....Tzu/artwar.html
fast find this: VII. Maneuvering