So I haven't played in a year, and since its rather hard to parse through the MWO forums, I've come here to request information. It appears many things have changed, though some unfortunate design decisions have remained. From what I can understand, after getting pounded by a rotatory autocannon 5 on my first game back, the timeline has advanced to at least 3062, but before 3069, since the clan mechs don't get it. Also, due to the lack of WoB mechs, the Jihad hasn't started yet. So this is what I want to know: What is the current state of the timeline? What tech has been added since December 2016? What major weapon re balances have occurred? Going in, have weapons overall been buffed or nerfed? What is the current state of factional game balance? Do IS mechs with loadout specific quirks still completely dominate equivalent clan mechs? What are the current "Meta" mechs on both sides? Specifically focusing on heavies and assaults. While I am loath to give PGI any more money, what Clan mech packages past the Kodiak (that fall within the heavy and assault class) are worth purchasing?(In terms of CW usability, ease of customization between variants, and hardpoints) What skill builds are commonly in use? For the few games since coming back, I have been speccing heavily into the offensive skill tree, followed by the bare minimum to get maxed speed tweak, and maxed cool run. What mech builds for CW/Pug Clan Heavies and Assaults are considered meta or standard? What is the current player population, and general consensus towards the state of the game? Has Papa Wiessmann given Hobo Gold a good spanking yet?
Here you go. We now have year 3057, three new clans engaged (Diamond Sharks, Nova Cats & Steel Vipers), Civil War tech was added; much of the stuff from MechWarrior 4 and not only, like Heavy PPC's, missing ER lasers (both for IS), Hvy lasers, Micro Laser, ATM's for Clans... Lot's of changes. Lasers were meant to be massively blunted, but now... I don't track the weapon balancing. Pretty much IS still loses against Clans. MG's according to what I know. Like I said, I'm not so much interested in weapon changes. In my opinion: Mad Cat MK II, Piranha (due to MG meta), perhaps Nova Cat. I'm mostly pumping towards firepower, defense and operations. Here IDK, others should tell. If I remember I didn't saw any meaningful changes, but due to lack of proper hardware to run game now I can't tell how is now. Look at 7.
1. We have new IS engines, the Light Fusion Engine! There are also is ERSL, ERML, and new Rotary Cannons, and New LBX2, 5, and 20. You can also fire 2x LBX20 without ghost heat, so take them instead of UAC20, or AC20 in pairs. Medium Range Missiles are also new, as well as one time use Rocket Launchers. Light Gauss, Light PPC, Snub-Nose PPC, and Heavy Gauss are also new for IS. I own 0 clan mechs, so talk to others about the clan weapons. You will likely encounter missile and laser spewing IS mechs. Beware anything with 2xLBX20. 2. Weapon balance is still in flux. Flamers actually generate more heat in your target than your mech. 3. Quirks and Defense skills mean that IS have a chance against Clan mechs. 4. Meta for Quick Play: no light's, just heavy's. 5. IMHO, wait for the Black Friday sale, you missed the Anniversary sale. 6. For the skill tree, Turning and Twisting are more important for me in my Heavy and Assault mechs than Speed Tweak. 7. NOT A CLANNER=ME 8. Thoughts on MWO: Battletech and MW5 are coming next year. 9. The last thing I heard about Hobo and Weiseman was the case is in Discovery. Nothing new since August 2017.
Here you go: 1. 3067. IS has Light Engines, Targeting Computers, MRMs, RACs, all missing LBX and UAC ratings, ER lasers. L/H gauss and PPC, snub-nose PPC. Clans got ATMs, Heavy Lasers and a bit of light-versions of stuff. Both got light/heavy machineguns and light machineguns crit so much they're considered QP meta. Check the FAQ on build titling which has been updated to include all tech. 2. Last patch they nerfed the performance of medium/small lasers which were too dps/ton efficient. As mentioned, Machine Guns (especially light machineguns) are really strong now as they tend to kick out all equipment within a second of sustained fire at an open component, mostly run by Mist Lynxes and Arctic Cheetahs, but IS can do a few too. Gauss+PPC share ghost heat now, so all the gauss+ppc builds have been reduced to PPC or Gauss only, mostly Gauss+Laservomit. 3. big boi competitive clans are still Clan. Structure/armor quirks of IS aren't strong enough in comparison, but can put up a decent fight using high-hardpoint laservomit builds like BAttlemasters with LPL and ERML. 4. Laservomit, laservomit with dual gauss if you're a mad cat MKii. Don't run Night Gyrs anymore. 5. Marauder IIC, Mad Cat MKII. Get both collectors before Nov 14 and you'll get a free Linebacker with Jumpjets. Linebackers are also really good, just as the good old Ebon Jaguars. Hellbringers finish the list with 2ERLL 4HML or 2HLL 4ERML builds. 6. IS: Survival Tree with a focus on quirks (armor quirks: go armor. structure quirks: go structure. Usually don't go both.), Mobility, bee-lining for Speed Tweak (the rest is kinda meh, but a decent investment if you have points left), Operations for Cool Run (to a lesser extent Heat Containment), but if you're investing in Firepower, Heat Gen often does the job better than either, but it costs relatively more points. Always put 1 point in Auxiliary for the extra consumable slot. Clan: Mobility stays good, Survival is dependent on the mech. Operations and Heat reduction are especially important with hotter clan weapons. Try to get range & laser duration to exploit your ERLL/range power over IS. 7. see 4. 8. The same: PGI makes mech packs, people want other content. PGI then decides to make other content, but overcomplicates it making no one interested in the new content (last example: Competitive Play, with a fuckton of rules so no one is interested trying to make a new team work). PGI goes back to mech packs, repeat. 9. Leonard French (youtube attorney) did some videos on this, but I think the lawsuit is currently on hold. Hope that helps.
Most of my playing is in tier 3. People piloting Timber Wolf, Marauder IIC, and Madcat MKII all seem to be doing well when I see them. I can't say I see a dominant IS chassis right now, but I tend to have lots of personal success when I bring RAC5/2, MRMs, and sometimes LRM boats regardless of chassis when piloting IS tech. The RAC2 is bad but it compliments the RAC5 and the two fit in lots of awkward IS arms. ATMs are very good so long as there isn't even one enemy AMS. I have noticed lurms have gotten more popular and seem strong enough (on maps they work in) to seriously consider having an AMS. Even with all their weaknesses I have had my own success with them in mechs that aren't even considered optimal LURM boats. I don't pay much attention to light mechs, but the ones I see doing well almost always have Machine Guns or Short Range missiles. New Light Engines allow IS mechs to get a small weight reduction for slots without the "one torso dead" side effect that XL engines suffer. Arty strikes have suddenly gotten better since the skill tree update, they seem to be dominating enough to bring two of them. As far as skill tree's go I tend to fill out the survivability tree, pickup some minor torso skills, pickup some improved Gyro's(adv zoom), and then fill up on useful firepower quirks. Arty's are good enough to consider going down the Aux tree to get two of them. I haven't noticed any specific energy weapons doing well. Nothing in the new PPC line functions well enough to justify it's differences from an ERPPC. The HPPC comes close just because handing out two of them is 30 damage. All of the clan heavy lasers seem too difficult to equip well because of slot consumption on large clan mechs and hardpoint availability making the smaller lasers too spammable to justify a heavy laser on lighter clan chassis. The only Lasers I really see do well are just extra vomit for Dual Gauss builds. As far as success in quick play. I have noticed I do well in clan mechs that have good range. This probably has a lot to do with quick play groups being a coin flip in anything resembling a push and also because my main Clan mech is a DWF and I'm usually too stationary to survive the initial push. On my IS mechs it seems like I can bring a couple RAC weapons and a large MRM and do good damage in anything and even if I'm the first mech in the fight. One last note, the ERLL, both clan (when boated with TC) and IS, seem to do well. I see decent ERLL builds show up from time to time and run them myself. But those builds are usually too campy for QP.
