Jump to content

[Vid] Cicada - The Love Bug


10 replies to this topic

#1 BigJim

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,458 posts
  • LocationChesterfield, England

Posted 07 February 2013 - 02:00 AM

A short video treatise on my favourite mech in the game, the Cicada.

**2x Links, both uploaded at 900x720 res so be sure to use the little cog-icon to choose HD (and possibly fullscreen depending on the size of your monitor)**

**One is a mid-quality .FLV and the other H.264 at high quality (the difference is only really noticeable at fullscreen imo)**


** Mid Quality .FLV



** High Quality H.264



This project was originally going cover a lot of tactical detail, when & where to make flanking moves, the best ways to set up weapons-groups on different builds, more than the 3/4 builds I detail here, ECM management, etc..

I really wish I could have gone into much more detail - There is acres of more ground I wish I could have covered, but it would be an even larger project than I have time to put towards with a running time of a half-hour easily... :)

Also I wish I could have included a whole section on which battles to avoid with the footage of the 1v1's I lost and to detail the kinds of enemy Mechs you really want to avoid, but that's probably a whole other video there..



Many Cicadas were hurt during the production of this film, and no effort whatsoever was made to ensure their welfare.
Thanks to my WSB buds, Hunter, Roughneck, Burnsie and Ender for providing skilled 1v1 opponents.

#2 1453 R

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • Bridesmaid
  • 5,458 posts

Posted 07 February 2013 - 03:16 AM

Nice work. I'd be interested to see the extended version; not often you get people paying this kind of attention to underdog chassis like the Cicada.

Heh...I know that I, at least, hate 3Ms more than I hate Raven 3Ls. Stupid little bass tarps are much more likely to have an actual dangerous pilot in them, and I can't depend on Global Raven Hatred to automatically focus my team's fire on them, either. The Striker and ECM-Hunter variants just get me upset. Especially when they manage to stay so squarely behind my Flame's backplate. I mean, come on! A Fatlas is one thing, but I'm in a freakin' up-engined Dragon and those little so-and-sos can still outmaneuver me like I'm standing still >_>

Hm hm...which, come to think of it, means I need to find a way to bury this thread as fast as possible. I do not need more 'Love Bugs' trying to give me butt hugs :)

#3 Neverish

    Rookie

  • 1 posts

Posted 07 February 2013 - 03:38 AM

Thanks for this, I'm a big fan of the centurion, just finished grinding them and was after something a little different, was contemplating a cicada, now you have sold it to me :)

#4 Ilxuss

    Member

  • PipPip
  • Urban Commando
  • Urban Commando
  • 42 posts

Posted 07 February 2013 - 03:50 AM

Awesome vids, those make a person want to use a cicada. :)

#5 1453 R

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • Bridesmaid
  • 5,458 posts

Posted 07 February 2013 - 04:36 AM

Honestly? This video is making me weigh the pros and cons of postponing picking up my third Dragon long enough to grind some serious C-billage, pick up a 3M myself, and start riding the ECM douchetrain. For one, I used ECM and liked it just fine back in the day when all it did was cut sensor range, so I won't mind half so much as the 3L flock when ECM gets pounded back into being sensible :) And for two, I'm starting to wonder if, perhaps, offensively-minded Cicadas wouldn't do what I'm trying to do with those Dragons better than the Dragons would. Don't get me wrong, I love my Flame...but if I don't pick up a Cicada before I grab my last Dragon, it's definitely the very next thing on the list. That quad-pulsing 3M is awfully damn tempting.

#6 Kserin

    Member

  • Pip
  • 17 posts

Posted 07 February 2013 - 03:45 PM

Fun video. Might grab a Cicada soon, I like the playstyle!

#7 1453 R

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • Bridesmaid
  • 5,458 posts

Posted 28 March 2013 - 06:31 PM

NECROBUMP FOR GREAT JUSTICE.

...and because this is the thread that introduced me to my new favorite ride. The Killer configuration 3M is so ******* good. The 'Mech is fast enough to do a light 'Mech's job insofar as rapid flanking/basecap/counter-capping goes, but manages to carry significantly more firepower than most lights can manage and apply it at greater ranges, to boot. The hit-and-fade with ECM and large lasers at 300+ meters is, like, favorite-lesbian-fantasy good, and in close fights you can rip the backs out of heavier targets in seconds or menace lighter ones with that hefty beam armament. I have a Raven 3L now as well, and I've been finding that I still prefer my Cicada 3M most of the time now that I've had a chance to make a direct personal comparison.

The 2A is almost as good if somewhat harder to use without ECM. Also a bit harder to configure. Using a variant of the Hunter configuration on it right now because there's not honestly a ton else I can think to do with it. Still, surprisingly nasty little burst-fire sucker if nowhere near as flexible and silky-smooth as the 3M Killer.

I'd be interested to hear what you make of the X-5, BigJim. That little monster's almost edged out my 3M for favorite variant of the chassis a few times, and while the ECM and delicious laser armament have held the 3M up so far, I'm curious what the expert Cicada pilots think of the guy.

#8 Lord Psycho

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • Overlord
  • 177 posts

Posted 28 March 2013 - 06:35 PM

The Garth rides a Cicada..that was all that I ever needed to put the Cicada on my "must use to kill people with" list.

#9 BigJim

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,458 posts
  • LocationChesterfield, England

Posted 29 March 2013 - 02:06 AM

View PostLord Psycho, on 28 March 2013 - 06:35 PM, said:

The Garth rides a Cicada..that was all that I ever needed to put the Cicada on my "must use to kill people with" list.


Ayes.
I can't really say I was using that build before Garth, because for all I know he probably played it during internal testing, but I can say in all honesty that I played that build from the first day the mech was released to us.

But as streaks seemed to grow in power then a 3M became more of an asset to the team (in 8-mans & league play) as a vehicle to ensure ECM-dominance among the Lights.
Even if it took no weapons, 2x Ravens and a 3M would beat 2x Ravens, due to the fact the 2x alone would be unable to use their god-missiles (sorry I mean streaks), or at least only use them intermittently.

Among pilots all of equal skill, 2x Ravs & a 3M, or 2x 3Ms and a Rav would eat the 2x enemy Ravens alive.
Now that missiles are (i hope) back in their box, and are now a pressure weapon and not the be-all & end-all, then non-ECM scouts can finally emerge back into the daylight.



View Post1453 R, on 28 March 2013 - 06:31 PM, said:

NECROBUMP FOR GREAT JUSTICE.

...and because this is the thread that introduced me to my new favourite ride. The Killer configuration 3M is so ******* good.


I'm glad you like it mate. :o
My 'Cadas are actually named Lassie, Skippy & Flipper, but that probably wouldn't have made much sense in the vid. :)
That 3M build was originally built to try and emulate the 6x Med 2A, but as a side effect the extra range of the larges give it it's own tactical uses that no other scout can achive.

Those larges come into their own in maps like Frozen, or Forest, putting fire down on Ravens trying to take & hold the area around the broken ship, or on any map where it pays to put damage down on the scouts before they even reach their own firing range.

The 2A can out-damage other scouts with ease (inc the 6x Med-Jenner due to it's higher heat-ceiling), but has to fight within that same 270 radius as all the other scouts, whereas the 3M can put out the majority of it's firepower (18 of it's 28) out to double that range, and hell, even at like 800m, no scout can afford to be letting itself be hit for 9x damage with impunity.

I've been in many an 8-man where I've dislodged Ravens who think they can back-cap by getting into LoS and putting damage out to 600m.
Caustic, Frozen, River, all those maps have areas where you can fire down on a back-capper, and prevent him from capping while never getting within his range.. what's he gonna do? Come and fight you? Great, he's not capping. Sit & take the damage? Great, let him to that, weaken him, and then roll in & mop him up just before the bar caps-out.

Quote

I'd be interested to hear what you make of the X-5, BigJim. That little monster's almost edged out my 3M for favourite variant of the chassis a few times, and while the ECM and delicious laser armament have held the 3M up so far, I'm curious what the expert Cicada pilots think of the guy.


It's weird, bought it the night it came out and I want to like it so much..
As it is, I've been running the same build as the 3M, the 2x Lrg and 2x Medium setup on my X5, with the 1.5t saved from not having ECM spent on an extra heatsink, and bumping the flippy-arms armour up to 21pts each.

I know, the temptation is to run it with streaks, but imo you may as well run a raven, after all it has only 1x less laser hardpoint..

..but for some reason I can't get behind it quite as much as the 3M or the 2A, those two are certainly my go-to mechs right now.
My feeling is I've not quite nailed down the perfect build for that mech yet, I'm experimenting with 4x Med-Pulse but I feel it'll be a while before I'm qualified to really preach about that one bud. :)

Best of luck with the 'Cadas, they're wee beasties!

Edited by BigJim, 29 March 2013 - 02:09 AM.


#10 1453 R

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Bridesmaid
  • Bridesmaid
  • 5,458 posts

Posted 29 March 2013 - 07:18 AM

Hmm...interesting.

Heh, yeah, I didn't call them Hunter or Killer and such either. My 3M's named after my favorite/standby Armored Core from my other ​favorite giant robot slugfest game, and my 2A's been stuck with the moniker of Destroyerbug. X-5 got to keep its name - if it was good enough for Garth, it's good enough for me :P

As for said machine...I can't make myself not use the missile slots on that sucker. I feel like not using them basically turns the 'Mech into a derpy-hooves 2B with a C-bill bonus, but there's precisely three launchers that work in those hardpoints - the default SRM-2s, Streak 2s, or SRM-4s for people with somewhat better target retention. I've played mainly with the SRM-4s - tried the Streaks, came to mostly the same conclusion you did. They're great when they work, but the Raven is a better platform for Streakish light-hunting than the X-5 is. Thing is, had to drop down to 11 DHS to get those launchers in there, and while that works most of the time, it does get me into heat trouble on hotter maps/in big furballs when I burn the lasers a few times too often. Ironically, the bigger SRMs are the answer to the heat problems they induce...while ammunition lasts. Blrrgh.

What I wouldn't give for more tubes in those hardpoints...

Still, it did prove startlingly effective at ripping up larger targets before the Great Missile Hullaballoo. Haven't played it since missiles went up-n-down, should oughta go do that soon and see if the SRM nerf rendered those launchers as pointless as everyone says they are. Funny how everyone seems to equate "not ludicrously overdone" with "not worth bothering with anymore", eh?

#11 MadPanda

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The 1 Percent
  • 2,054 posts
  • LocationSearching for a game...

Posted 29 March 2013 - 08:11 AM

Weird beginning for the video. I think you could have cut that off and cut straight to the gameplay portion because that was the most interesting. Really nice piloting staying behind the atlas and all eventhough he made the mistake of trying to circle you out in the open while the smart move would have been to move next to the cliff and put your back into it. Nevertheless good piloting. I'm not sold on the cicada though. I feel it's quite boring with just bunch of medium lasers.





1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users