[FEEDBACK] Patch Notes Discussion Thread - March 18, 2014

While i agree to some extent to you idea. I think we both know this game neither have the players or interest in something like that. :/

 

Yesterday was a strange experience but I noticed one thing quickly (beyond the sky being black with LRM's!) that LRM boaters are the worst trash talkers in the game. Literally taunting everyone without LRM's through the match as if they were doing something incredible or special.

Made me wonder if they were covering for an inadequacy with their LRM 60 Stalkers.

Anyway, on to the actual results. I played 14 mostly pug matches last night in my Oxide and 4 banshee's that are all being levelled. Only one was closer than 12-4 though two were quite fun. In 3 of our battles I got our companies only kill.... I remember commenting to someone on Comstar NA how hard I'd had to work to get even a single kill in each case. How I've come down in the world after a brace of 6's and a 7 on Monday!

Levelling a new mech is now vicious as you're so immobile without xp upgrades.

Long range ballistics still work nicely but only if you can instantly get back into heavy cover.

Short range brawlers are really hard work now.

Lights are a nightmare now with narc for heavies but conversely ridiculously easy prey for LRM's if someone keeps them locked.

Being in sight at all is now a death sentence for good or bad.

HPG is now odd as if you control the top you've already won due to the LRM cover and spotting advantage.

AMS seemed ineffective unless everyone had it but if Narced did help a bit as you desperately clung to cover.

On the amusing side - every battle last night was lost by the team with most victors..... The combination of light hunter packs and LRM's turned out to be really bad for the new non agile mechs.

Still taking a deep breath this morning I started throwing idea's on our unit's forums – I prefer to be positive than negative so a good old problem solving exercise is in order! I am however dreading reworking every one of my (as of last night) 100 mechs to fit in AMS so hoping they tweak it back down a bit speed wise. In the mean time I'll just double mechs each day then switch to poptarts or "something else" to bring hell to the LRMer's.

PS: If Russ ever gets on at GDC make sure to demonstrate LRMaggedon to him so he gets the message.

 

i like the lrm buff, even though currently 0 of my mechs use them. Now the lrm are good weapons for their weigth. They are now realy dangerous weapons to every slow mech, that prefers high firepower over speed. So maybe instead of just assault and cataphract spams we maybe can see some faster mechs too, like mediums or even dragons, because they are still able to strike and get cover before the lrms hit (atleast i did 10 matches with my dragon and had no real problems doing it). So in my view the lrm buff is great and i like it, gives those slow high firepower mechs something to fear. Atleast these are the experiences i gathered as a PUG only player don't know how it works out in 12vs12 premade matches.

 

Possibly its the battles but yesterday on the Canyon map my Oxide blundered into 3 lights and instead of a rapid destruction none of those lights (I'm counting the ECM Cicada as a light!) walked away. Needless to say it was almost entirely the 3 LRM batteries over the ridge because my BAP overode their single ECM. Its also a lesson in ALWAYS using the R key. I of course died as Cicada exploded with a pitiful 120 or so damage but lots of spotting/overiding bonuses.

That was a long rambling way of saying - the second your dragon gets narced and locked you'll be dead until then be happy you're a low priority target.

 

Well if you use your speed to get behind cover you can be narced and have hundreds lrm flying your way they still hit the object you put in between you and the lrm boats. It is not that lrms do more damage or work in another way now, just the time you have to take appropriate cover is reduced. I mean even enemy stalkers give cover for lrms if you hug them nicely

 

General impression: LRM Warrior Online.

LRM is OP now. Games are mostly LRM swarming.
AMS changes, does not help much against LRM, but does have an impact to SRM shots. IOW, an unwanted SRM nerf.
The Victor/Highlander nerf is a bit overboard, but have to play more to be sure.
The extra keybind for zoom is GREAT!
Does anyone have the list of unlockables?
Seem to be some more tweaks on UI 2.0 which is good.

 

Good thing that I never bought a Victor, But I do have a few Highlanders that will be put in the back of the shed.

 

Here is your new Meta build
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=50&l=3a5a7e2ff91b44385becf08129c3ace16ad66539
I would totally consider building something like this if I had the C-bills lying around to buy the 5S.
With the 10 tube arms, your lrm 20's become 2 10's, so you can chain fire 5 straight 10 round lrms for constant new extra fast lrm rain or a quick 30 followed by a quick 20, and your double AMS is a nice counter to other lrm boats.

Its funny to me I have never been a big LRM Boat player, but a couple weeks ago I decided to go double LRM 20's with artemis on my stalker 3H. I couldn't believe how easy it was to rack up 600-800 damage. So then I decided to retrofit my Jager A with a pair of LRM 15's + Artemis. Same results, very very good. So for them to get a buff really makes me scratch my head.

 

Same. I have stood by, even with my gripes, through "questionable" times in MWO. This was my breaking point. This was the first time I just shut down and was so angry that I didn't even want to play anymore. There is nothing fun for me about this game as long as the current Patch is in effect. Just a whole lotta, "Nope."

Pretty heartbreaking as a gamer to see your favorite passtime thrown to the ground and trampled over and over to mask a flaw, instead of dealing with it directly.

 

I'm still playing. And pulling in almost 1000 damage games in my Banshee, which doesn't have a single LRM on it. I'm just using this time as practice on using cover and the ability to know when to move. This has all been solo as well.

Sure, I had some rough times in the beginning. I've also had some bad games during, even pulling a big fat zero when I thought I could make a sneaking flank in my Misery which failed due to a hidden ECM spotter. Still though, it's not all that bad and I'm positive that in a four man we'd handle them fairly easily.

MWO has just turned the worm. It's not about poptarts anymore, we dealt with them for months, we have a new meta to deal with now. Adapt.

 

Have you been taking notes from LoL and are now trying to implement them into MW:O? That sounds suspiciously like LoL's Teambuilder that they were trying a few days ago lol

 

• Poptarts had to aim. Not simply lock-on and sit back.
• Poptarts did not shake me so constantly that I cannot even see to brawl another mech one-on-one. (Brawling is now gone)
• Poptarts had to show themselves to fire, making it easy to hit them back and focus them down - LRM boats sit behind cover and blanket the sun

My biggest gripe after playing last night is that with how many LRMs are constantly raining down, there is no longer a game for other weapon systems. I'm sure in a week or two it will calm down and not so many people will be spamming, however, in every game I played last night, I counted a minimum of 5 LRM boats per team and up to 8! You cannot brawl with 100+ missiles incoming. The best I could do is sit back and fire long range ballistics or ERLL from behind cover. Even then, it was just hiding 90% of the match so the LRMs didn't instagib me.

Moreover, the "adapt" and load AMS argument only makes me laugh. AMS may take out 10-15 inbound missiles, but, the other 90-120 still hit. It may have just been the dozen matches that I ran last night, but, I was counting each mech at the end of matches and honestly never witnessed less than 5 LRM boats in any of those matches. My AMS was running dry within half of every match with TWO tons of AMS ammo. I've never had that happen before with one ton...

Flanking? Nope, hundreds of missiles incoming as soon as you're spotted. Charging? Nope. Hundreds of missiles AND the direct fire from those of us still stupid enough to think we can bring guns to an artillery fight. Only option was become a spotter for LRMs, CARRY LRMs or sit behind cover and use your direct-fire rarely from behind your rock - never able to reposition. Ugh.

As I said, it may have just been my own bad luck to drop with so many Spammers. However, 5-8 Boats truly does kill the game.

I'll wait a week and see how it is when things calm down, however, the games last night with 250+ missiles airborne as soon as anyone came out of cover were not fun for me at all. I love the close engagements and brawls. I do not want to have to cower behind cover to survive for 15 minutes.

 

Chatt I know you have chops. I also know the first few games a frustrating and feel like there is no hope. There is though. The LRM boats have weaknesses, just like everything else. You essentially have to use cover, shed your locks behind cover, then hit them before they re-lock again. They cannot lock on you if they cannot see you. If someone can see you, and is sharing locks. Kill him, or make him not see you.

LRM's are certainly pretty boss now, but it's not to over the top. I played my LRM boat just to get some stat tracking. I showed an increase of about 10% in hits from pre-patch. It's more, sure, but it's not game breaking. That being said I was competent with LRMs before the speed increase, so I don't give two poops if the do drop it back.

Play or don't play, it's your call. If it's not fun for you then don't. It is doable to not be a LRM boat though in a LRM world.



I don't even have AMS on this build....

 

Well, I was very frustrated because it was also the first night of getting my sister-in-law to finally play the game. Left a pretty sour taste in her mouth.

I was able to have some decent rounds (600-700 damage, 3 kills) last night, even with the Spammers. I just don't like that they changed the meta so that you HAVE to hide all the time and wait for someone to not be able to lock onto you. I don't like that repositioning/flanking is so terribly risky now and brawling is near impossible. I can deal with Poptarts trying to blast me as I move - I can lay covering fire, use terrain cover, evasive strafing and movement speed to my advantage. However, if all it takes is one enemy to spot me then 5-6 of his buddies that I cannot even see to drop hundreds of missiles on me?? No. I cannot lay cover fire to make them duck from poptarting because they are still behind a ridge, firing tracking missiles that are locked on because ONE person exposed themselves to get a lock. Brawling? A joke...

Sorry. I'm getting worked up again. I am trying not to. I want to not hate the game.

Last night was very upsetting. It really pushed the meta from at least having skill to aim and a counterable powerhouse (Jump Snipers) to a meta of highly powered builds, cowering behind a ridgeline and clicking the "win" button every time they lock-on.

No aiming. No need to have any skill for fighting. No twisting to spread damage as you're face-to-face with another player. Just wait and click.

I'll try again tonight with some Merc Corps-mates so I will have a more productive unit to cohesively counter the enemy. We'll see if I can get out of this funk. Like I said, I do not want to be so begrudged.

 

My wife gave up on the game midway through the poptard phase.... It was about the fourth time she was obliterated just as she was breaking cover... Her exact (censored) words were "F#CK! This is Fu$&%ng stupid.... I'm not doing this anymore." I hope that doesn't happen with your sister in law.

I haven't played since the patch. After reading a bit on here, I'm not sure I want to. I've never really been a fan of LRM's. I used them when I first started playing the game, but grew bored with it.
I really have to wonder if the Devs actually play the game before they release a patch, or just release what they think everyone wants, and then react to the uproar caused by it.
I really don't understand why they continue to release unfinished halfassed patches with meaningless updates and tweaks that persist in making the game a more buggy, empty and unenjoyable experience....

Anyway, I have to go beat up a tennis ball for a couple hours Cheers guys!

 

I totally agree with you on this point. LRM are easy mode for new people, and brutal for new people to know how to counter. At least with poptarts in the latest rendition you had to have some skill. For LRMs there is a difference between real skill and a newb firing, the problem a newb firing can still kill you if there are 6 of them. And no new player will know how to effectively counter them. I don't suggest MWO to new people right now.

 

Solidarity, Brother Chatt. Don't listen to these easy lies the LRM Devils are whispering in your ear. Their position is untenable. It ruins the game. It squeezes every bit of fun out of it, and it caters to the lowest common denominator all under the guise of 'different is good.' It thinks that by moving away from 6 poptarts to a team to 6 lrm mechs to a team that this is somehow more preferable. Pitting one moronic situation against another is not a solid defense.

The difference in being, you still have to AIM in a poptart. In an lrm mech, you just go with the herd and a press button while saying it's skillful to get in and maintain the 'proper position' on the map (like that isn't true for ANY mech). You also have the cooldown time to run away. There is no cooldown with chainfired lrm50-60's; especially in groups. Also, there is no serious screenshake by poptarts. LRMs not only cockpit shake, they also blind you with the explosions. Lastly, you can SEE the poptarts and take appropriate actions against them. LRM Spam just blots out the sun and with the change in trajectory many months ago, there isn't THAT much cover in most maps that doesn't just constitute as complete hiding.

I especially like those players that defend LRMS not being op WHEN THEY THEMSELVES STICK NEXT TO 2 DDCs THE WHOLE GAME and say 'what's the problem? I don't get hit by many lrms. My obvious instaneous dodging skills are leet." Morons.

 

The only way to solve this is for everyone to donate lots of money and then I will buy Paul from PGI and put strings on him; he will dance to our tune yet!!!!

 

Or... whitemail... hear: I mean... yeah