De La Fresniere, on 20 February 2013 - 02:59 PM, said:
If you're in a trial mech, you've got more issues than I can help you with. Trials should only be put into matches against other trials.
Also, it's almost impossible to brawl right now. A lot of the maps just don't allow it, and those that do usually have those ridiculous SRM cheesepults because SRM boating still hasn't been balanced. It's a shame because brawling is by far the best part of MWO; much more subtle and intellectually stimulating than any other type of combat. Keeping everyone's position in mind, deciding who to go after and which section to focus first, keeping potential exits and/or cover locations in mind and updating them as mechs move around, concentrating on twisting at the right moments to redirect damage to less damaged sections... that's the good stuff.
Anyway, screw this, I've got some work to do on my house and I could be playing a bunch of good games right now... internet arguing is really not something I should be wasting time on.
Did you even read what I was hinting at, or stop right at trial mech? The stock Centurion has a good, well balanced weapon load out. Maybe a few changes in engine size, upgrades (DHS or Endo seen as the game lets you)... but overall, the weapons are good. My point is, the weapons on that stock mech are balanced. It can hurt you no matter what range you are in. Yet, as soon as people see it, they load up on SRM6's, Med lasers and etc, because the maps are so small.
I have a Dragon set up just like a Centurion. A stock Centurion. People have told me I should replace my LRMs for SRMs for max damage. I haven't. Why? Because with LRMs I can damage you even if you are far away. I have a Stalker with 4 LRM5s and 6 med lasers. Most people tell me I'm a waste and should remove some lasers for more LRMs or dump the LRMs for Large Lasers. Yet, I'm a deadly opponent in that mech, even at range. Why? Because I followed the same principals used for the creation of the stock mech designs. Updated with the better lost tech available to me of course.
My point was, should I be hindered because you can choose your long range mech because you see a long range map coming up, where as my mech is designed to work at any range? But, if you focus on brawling, you can out brawl me. You focus at range, you can out range me. But, if I go to close in, and you have nothing but range, I still can have the advantage. If I keep my distance on your all brawler, I can have an advantage.
You are also talking about, what? One map? Is that one scary map so much that you might have to change your build just a little to add on some kind of long range weapon on your brawler? Us long range weapons users have been forced to brawl on every map so far. Is it bad that we who prefer a little range combat (LRM or sniping) get a little map that we can do well on for once? Is it too bad that boating builds (which people have been railing on LRM boats for so long, and laughing at them when they only boat LRMs) have a weakness? I think it's about time that short range focused builds are getting laughed at for a change. We've been telling you short range boats what you have been telling pure LRM boats all along, get some diversity into your build so you aren't eaten outside your range band.
Bleary, on 20 February 2013 - 03:00 PM, said:
The same way that LRM boats have always had to mix up their loadouts with mediums and SRMs so they can defend themselves when they are inevitably drawn into a brawl. If they have managed it all this time, you can do it too.
I think you said my point for me very nicely. We LRM and Sniper builds have had to place some close range weapons at the expense of our long range style, maybe you close range pilots should take a hint and do the same. Take some long range fire to offset your close range weapons. You might be amazed what a single LRM5 rack is capable of, if you tried it. If nothing else, hearing the "Incoming Missile" will get people moving. They don't know if it's 5 LRMs, or 50 LRMs coming in...
Orgasmo, on 20 February 2013 - 04:14 PM, said:
Customization is one of the major selling points of MWO, otherwise the mechbay would be useless. Why not stick with stock mechs if you do not modify your mech to your playstyle? Contrary to the lore, nearly everyone in this game rolls with endo and DHS upgrade, being lighter and cooler. You don't think that's also cheese?
You would not fight the same way in a jungle as you would in a desert. In fact, you don't even need to let players pick maps, instead just let them know ahead in advance. They can pick from the 4 pre-selected ones prior to the match start.
Cammo is one thing, mech selection is different. If you wanted to change something like Cammo selection before a match, I could support that. Changing your whole mech load out for the match... would break the game. No one would bring in short range weapons to the long range maps. No one would bring in long range weapons to the short range maps. Splatcats and Brawling Atlases would still flood the field, and no one would get any diversity of builds. We'd see the same mechs flood certain maps, while other maps would see other same mechs flood them. Diverse builds (like the ones we see as cannon and stock designs) would be obsolete. Why mix SRMs and Large Lasers anymore? Why bring PPCs and some SRMs for close range? Why take weapons for multiple range bands at all? Just boat all that you can for the range band best suited for the map, and go with it.
If you could select mechs knowing what map you where going on to (or select maps to work with your mechs, either way) it would be disastrous to mech builds. The boating people are complaining about now would be even worse. Even going outside lore base thought here, it would actually promote more boating than we already have. People would design high heat for max damage for the snow maps. Long range, low heat for Caustic. Brawler mechs for City (and maybe Forest colony as well), and probably reuse the long range low heat mech for Alpine (or bring a focused sniper mech).
If things are left as they are now, people who want to be competitive on all maps with a single mech will have to consider not maxing in one section, but instead have some weapon to do some damage at any range, run fairly cool even for Caustic, and have enough close range weapons for the cities. If you change it to the suggested "bring a designed mech of your choosing to this random map", you will see the above specialized mechs only. The Devs, and us loyal players from MW2, TT, and readers of the novels, are wanting to see the game move towards more diverse builds, similar in effect to the classic mech load outs we see. (Be thankful us lore people haven't pushed for the mechlab to be removed. Mechlab is a blessing, yet also something that would rarely happen in lore. I like the mechlab, even if it results in some builds that probably would never be seen in Battletech. Mechlab is good, but it does lead to a lot of OP builds. As a friend of mine says in a usually joking manner, "Mechlab is OP." )
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