26 replies to this topic

[luckyhobbit]

It seems that the latest patch has seen a steep decline in the number of light mechs in every game - they seem a lot easier to hit now, after the latest patch i seem to be hitting what i'm aiming at, including those quick little buggers that seem to now be lacking their infamous "lag-shield"
Hooray i thought - lots of good scraps between big mechs, more like the game should be....
However, i'm noticing one particular drawback...
The light mechs that are around now seem to be scared stiff of what they were supposed to be doing all along...
Scouting.
I am now in a lot of games where everyone moves along in a big huddle, and quite often the opposition all do the same, and we TOTALLY MISS EACH OTHER!
You arrive at the enemy base on assault without encountering the enemy. i dont really want to end the game without bloodshed so turn back, only to have the opposition capping anyway.
Can we please have a game-mode without capture points? Just kill the opposition?
The game seems far, far, far better now - but getting quite a few games where no-one actually gets to fight!
PS keep up the good work, the games gettting better!
PPS looking forward to the counter ECM equipment on the way...

[Kargarok]

I see complaints like this alot. I say the current system is fine. People just need to adjust their tactics accordingly. We either need to learn how to defend better knowing that one of the teams is likely going to huddle enmass and move forward. OR we need to make sure the fast mechs know that it's their job to go stop/slow the cap as the slower Assaults get back to base.

This well be really reall tough to do if they all stomped together but if you want a fight one of the two needs to happen with the current metagame.

[Flapdrol]

Scouting was removed from pug play with the introduction of ecm, might as well get used to it because it's not coming back anytime soon.

Edited by Flapdrol, 30 January 2013 - 06:25 AM.

[Xendojo]

Flapdrol, on 30 January 2013 - 06:25 AM, said:

Scouting was removed from pug play with the introduction of ecm, might as well get used to it because it's not coming back anytime soon.

I beg to differ sir.

I still play and love my ravens, and i do enjoy actually being a scout. But i will say that i too have noticed more and more that i will be the only light in the match when i take my ravens out.

It's what i(and others)expected to happen with the removal of lag-shield. The people who were just playing lights because they were OP are now moving to other weight classes. I bet the Quality of light pilots that you see now will improve. I have noticed this myself, the lights that i do see in battle are a force to be reckoned with. Not because they are unkillable, but because they are piloted by skilled pilots.

[Fuzzyhead]

the biggest problems of that scouting thing is the ECM, it gives (stacked) so a big advantage in the team, and the most ecms have the light mechs, so they keep at the bulk of the mechs, that will not change till we get a other counter for ECM and Tag against ECM, may a BAP would do that turn but iam not a dev.

[Flapdrol]

Xendojo, on 30 January 2013 - 06:40 AM, said:

I beg to differ sir.

I still play and love my ravens, and i do enjoy actually being a scout. But i will say that i too have noticed more and more that i will be the only light in the match when i take my ravens out.

It's what i(and others)expected to happen with the removal of lag-shield. The people who were just playing lights because they were OP are now moving to other weight classes. I bet the Quality of light pilots that you see now will improve. I have noticed this myself, the lights that i do see in battle are a force to be reckoned with. Not because they are unkillable, but because they are piloted by skilled pilots.

If you scout the enemy your team wont know because you cant lock them under their ecm umbrella. if there's another light coming for you do you actually take the time to type their location?

[Kargarok]

Personally I see this more of an issue of the lack of RnR. Since no one needs to repair their big assaults anymore, many people bring them with impunity. No matter how badly it gets destroyed there it is magically fresh and ready to go next match. If we had to pay for every damage point taken and every round of ammo shot, we'd probably be seeing more lights as they are cheaper to run.

Then of course there is the streaks. The light mech's bane. No matter what if you encounter a streak boat in a light, you have to run, unless you are packing your own streaks. (if you can) These are primarily what have put my own lights into the back mechbay, only to be dusted off on rare occasions.

[Xendojo]

Flapdrol, on 30 January 2013 - 07:27 AM, said:

If you scout the enemy your team wont know because you cant lock them under their ecm umbrella. if there's another light coming for you do you actually take the time to type their location?

Yes i do actually, i will point myself in a good direction(usually at my team) gun the throttle and type while running.

But i will NOT correct typo's

EDIT: I'm usually doing it right, and playing peek-a-boo from cover to scout. And typing while i'm back in cover.

Edited by Xendojo, 30 January 2013 - 07:36 AM.

[Nash]

There will be other game modes coming but it will take some time.

At the answers of 'Ask The Devs 30' are more info about it but I will give you a quote

Quote

Q: In the offical trailer you show an Atlas making a "hot drop". Are there any plans for a game mode where one side defends and the other side makes a hot drop? Maybe for when a unit makes it's frist drop on a contested planet when community warfare is implmented?
A: Yes, we are exploring asymmetrical gameplay modes.

Q: Any plans for a Solaris VII map or maps? It will let you guys make a Free-For-ALL game mode. Pilots could even place wagers on the outcome or even a manditory buy in to create the winners purse.
A: Long term (year or more out ) yes.

[Xendojo]

Nash, on 30 January 2013 - 07:37 AM, said:

There will be other game modes coming but it will take some time.

At the answers of 'Ask The Devs 30' are more info about it but I will give you a quote

Huh? Is this to say that scouting will be more relevant when other game modes are implemented?

[Fuzzyhead]

dont think so...

[Accused]

There are certainly less scouts out. Which means I have a much easier time killing the opposing scout then back to killing the rest of the team. It's not like most people know how to shoot anyway.

I have two styles of play.

Scouting - make a quick run for the enemy position and report with red flashing triangles or manually type their position. I also include a quick summary of the types and direction of their force. When done I return to group and prepare to harass, re-scout, etc.

Light Escort - I'll move along with the main group to provide an ecm umbrella. This doubles our chances in case an enemy light finds us. If there is an ecm atlas around he can keep it up while I jam. Once the light is out I return to group and keep umbrella up.

[ohtochooseaname]

I run a 3L with 2x SSRM2's, 2 SL's and a TAG. I also have a BAP and an AMS. My general preference is to run it as a spotter...I find the flanking units, TAG them, and help kill them while death from above rains down. My targeting priority is any light ECM's first, then anything on the periphery with clear lines of fire from my team-mates. I only PUG, so, I have to ask at the beginning whether anyone has any significant LRM loadout to make sure it's worth it to go scouting. If not, then I stick with the group until I "SQUIRREL!" and run off after a light to take down. These things are the ultimate light killers, though there are far fewer than there used to be.

I must admit, however, that at like 1 am PST, most everyone has a 150 ms ping or higher, so the Raven still has a significant lag shield. Otherwise, I've been noticing that Gaussapults and 'phracts are taking me out much faster than they used to. I just like the fact that I can now take out a 2D or 3L in my 3M in a circle strafe.

[ICEFANG13]

Usually none, and all we see are raven-3Ls. I want to play my Jenner, but while other light mechs are easy to hit now, before and after net fixes, I always found Raven-3Ls hardest to hit. Its still not worth bringing.

Did anyone else notice a huge increase in Streakcats too? There isn't enough ECM/LRMs anymore to stop them often.

[Inveramsay]

ICEFANG13, on 31 January 2013 - 09:53 AM, said:

Did anyone else notice a huge increase in Streakcats too? There isn't enough ECM/LRMs anymore to stop them often.

Less ecm ravens around so they can wreak havoc again as they please. I can't say I see that many of them around though, I probably see more SRM cats.

As a primarily light player I can certainly tell the difference with the new net code as I die a lot more and much quicker. For me it hasn't made the game any worse, more challenging but that isn't a bad thing. I still usually get 2-4 kills in a match with a 3L but my Jenny D isn't getting much love. At least for me I felt that if I didn't branch out into other weight classes the game got pretty stale so I've done cats and now on to hunchies. I can only imagine it is the same for more people. New players don't seem to go for lights either but seem to cluster to heavies or possibly mediums. I also imagine that lots of people who used to play lights didn't like the loss of easy mode that the lag shield offered (though I certainly don't think the lag shield was nearly as big as some seem to try to make out)

[Strengar]

Xendojo, on 30 January 2013 - 06:40 AM, said:

I beg to differ sir.

I still play and love my ravens, and i do enjoy actually being a scout. But i will say that i too have noticed more and more that i will be the only light in the match when i take my ravens out.

It's what i(and others)expected to happen with the removal of lag-shield. The people who were just playing lights because they were OP are now moving to other weight classes. I bet the Quality of light pilots that you see now will improve. I have noticed this myself, the lights that i do see in battle are a force to be reckoned with. Not because they are unkillable, but because they are piloted by skilled pilots.

Xendojo,

I agree with you here. I started seeing the better light pilots being the ones who are left running around.
The day the patch came out I drop in 2 matches and within minutes I had my raven's fourth point of contact handed to me.
I just laughed and said "Ok it's time to play for real" and stopped playing "I'm little invicible Thor" and started using the mech the way it's supposed to be. I still get kills just have to be better at it.

As much as I hate to admit it I'm starting to like that annoying little spider. <hangs his head and hopes his running mates don't read the post>

[Big Bad Wulf]

Flapdrol, on 30 January 2013 - 06:25 AM, said:

Scouting was removed from pug play with the introduction of ecm, might as well get used to it because it's not coming back anytime soon.

You are very funny!!! How can you remove something which did not exist in the first place... PUG's don't scout (scout - being locating and reporting the enemy disposistion to your teammates so they can act accordingly) on their own rarely coordinate their movements, on rare occation that they do it is because they are teamed up with either a 2, 3 or 4 man group, and this would most of the time be "they are all in E5!" again rarely do you see someone actually giving vital and relevant information that you expect from a scout.

I have done over 2000 drops and I yet have to see this happen.

Edited by Marcus Wulf, 31 January 2013 - 02:49 PM.

[ohtochooseaname]

Shadow8125, on 31 January 2013 - 02:21 PM, said:

Xendojo,

I agree with you here. I started seeing the better light pilots being the ones who are left running around.
The day the patch came out I drop in 2 matches and within minutes I had my raven's fourth point of contact handed to me.
I just laughed and said "Ok it's time to play for real" and stopped playing "I'm little invicible Thor" and started using the mech the way it's supposed to be. I still get kills just have to be better at it.

As much as I hate to admit it I'm starting to like that annoying little spider. <hangs his head and hopes his running mates don't read the post>

Sometimes, I get used to playing in the middle of the night with a bunch of high ping players (I played probably 8 games last night, didn't die once, and averaged 3-4 kills per game). When I then go back to prime time, I get my *** handed to me until I remember I'm not invincible anymore, and am up against people on TS and grouping together. Lag seems more to be on your end instead of a combination of your lag and their lag.

[Big Bad Wulf]

ICEFANG13, on 31 January 2013 - 09:53 AM, said:

Usually none, and all we see are raven-3Ls. I want to play my Jenner, but while other light mechs are easy to hit now, before and after net fixes, I always found Raven-3Ls hardest to hit. Its still not worth bringing.

Did anyone else notice a huge increase in Streakcats too? There isn't enough ECM/LRMs anymore to stop them often.

Funny comming from a person who complains about ECM... but yes I have to agree with you there has been a significant decrease in ECM carrying mechs.

I tell you ECM is just a fad, otherwise it is just too tideous to use up to a point that it becomes a disadvantage because if the other team knows how to do a picket line they know you are near and because we have been playing the same map over and over again it is not difficult to predict where the push is going to be.

[ICEFANG13]

Oh I don't care, SSRMcats are terrible and always have been, packing similar power to a Medium Laser Jenner-F, or even a Jenner-D with 2 SSRM and 4 Medium Lasers, Splatapults are much much worse, but they are much more common.

ECM a fad? Are you saying that you have ever seen a mech that could have ECM not have ECM? ECM is not a mech, it will never be a fad unless it was nerfed to less than balanced. Mechs that can use ECM will continue to use it. Its benefits far outweigh 1.5 tons and 2 slots.