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Post by S1E1 on Mar 15, 2023 15:12:11 GMT -5
It's early, but I figured it'd be good to get this thread going so we can pool our thoughts and observations in one place. Overall, I think no one should really make any radical upgrade/acquisition decisions for a couple of weeks, until a new meta, or metas depending on game mode (5v5, FFA and CPC which supposedly is joining tournament at some point right?). And I am sure my thoughts on what works best are going to shift in that time. But still, some initial reactions:
1) Panther is king. Well maybe not the be-all-end-all mech, but with all the insta-killing, the invulnerable fence is becoming critical.
2) Which makes me wonder about Aegis becoming meta. I don't have one and I find the bubble dynamics weird, so I am going to hold off and see how people evolve playing it, but invincibility is ascendant.
3) Bastion is pretty likely to become meta, but we all guessed that already...
4) Stalker still works as meta with the damage and the heal, but maybe less for FFA where it's all ducks-in-a-barrel
5) I'm less sure about Redeemer. Mine is only 6.2 but it feels a lot squishier now. Redeemer relies on dodging and that is a lot harder dynamic with the weapon boost and jumped up AI. Another possibility is that DL Redeemers overtakes EMRs as the meta build as it doesn't require line of sight. (Helix 12s could be the most venomous build).
6) Railguns seem like they are back. Also having three 32EN mechs might be vital, as EMR16, DL16 and RG16 all seem like meta weapon combos. Guardian is actually holding its own better that I expected (especially with all the Bastions). My guess is Gatecrasher will be best for heavy mech #3 as Onyx seems meh.
7) Gold reload implants are priority. Frankly I have three maxed gold DL Reload implants and I am still going nuts at how long it takes.
Main thing is that given this update favors weapon damage so heavily over mechs, maybe hold off on mech upgrades altogether. The devs have stated they plan to roll out better versions of everything, so it might be beat to just focus on weapons, pilots, and hoarding A-Coins for a while.
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Post by Koalabear on Mar 16, 2023 8:32:17 GMT -5
It might be my imagination but it feels like the GB16 - they finally fixed the infinite ammo BTW - seems to be doing damage faster. I had one on my Redeemer for a bit earlier in the week to get some of the beam weapon achievements and it was rocking in CPC. This was pre-update though. I tried it on Ares with a TL6 as the side arm in FFA and promptly got smashed so maybe I'm wrong. On the flip side, in FFA, GB armed AI mechs seem to drain my HP really fast but that could just be lag and the fact that the system doesn't seem to be showing damage in real time (like how often you get killed and then they show a DL mech as your killer and you're like WTH).
I'm thinking that the meta will shift to all 32EN Attacker mechs. The only 24EN builds we will see in top hangars will be DL12 Stalker and AT12 Surge/Stalker/Orion/etc.
As for me, I'm determined to finish off my Tengu cause running around in a Tengu with SG8 is so dang fun! After that, I think I will pause my Redeemer and maybe shift to Gatecrasher so that in CPC games, I maintain 3 32EN builds, ie EM16, RG16 and DL16, plus 2 Scouts: SG8 Tengu and AT12 Surge. I'll of course swap out with KS somewhere depending on mood and tasks. The KS still rocks RM12, switching out with JR12 when I finally get that cloned.
Surge will become the great equalizer as it is technically attainable with in-game resources and Bastion is just stupid OP crap that I refuse to get. Had a chance earlier this week to pick it up for the low low price of $20 but I didn't go for it.
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Post by salvia on Mar 17, 2023 15:20:15 GMT -5
I can only echo what has been said above ☝
1. Since it's all about grade to the detriment of class, prioritise Legendary mechs and weapons. Two notable exceptions being capacity-augmenting Stalker (Rare) and armour-diminishing Orion (Epic).
This also means waiting for an upcoming Legendary close quarters weapon, in order to replace the enfeebled Shotguns.
Meanwhile, investing in AT (12 preferably) should remain worthile.
2. Since the gameplay is now all about firepower, prioritise 16 energy weapons.
The offer the flexibility of being mated with lesser versions (typically 8 and 12), whilst also being clonable to a combined 32 energy for maximum power.
3. As a result the oversized HP boost given to Legendary mechs, Legendary pilots are more important than ever.
I never felt the need to replace Epic-grade Fei with her Legendary counterpart, but now my mortars - whilst still viable - don't bite as much against tanks. Boar is now on my to-obtain list.
4. Let's not lose sight of the future CPC Tournament mode.
Fast mechs will remain all-important at the beginning of battles, which call for Surge and to a lesser extent Killshot.
Tanks and especially Aegis will get a renewed interest to defend control points.
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Post by S1E1 on Mar 17, 2023 15:50:40 GMT -5
I have to say, DL12 Stalker still tops my go-to mech list. To such an extent that on today's FFA map (Atlas Foyer) it overtook Panther EMR16 as my mech of choice, particularly at my favorite sniping spot (the long balcony at the back wall). The fact that I started choosing Stalker over Panther for that spot still kinda amazes me, but it got the results.
I've heard commentary saying Stalker is a glass cannon now, but with weapons boosted as much as they are, what mech isn't? Basically everything is dying instantly but Stalker is the glass cannon that heals and that means it is lasting a lot longer for me than many of my heavier mechs. Also it has just enough speed to dodge and reposition to avoid fire. And finally it is one heck of a cannon. Admittedly I have Stephania completely maxed with both the gold Stalker Predator Damage and DL Reload implants. But still, it can mow down AI like wheat in a field. Which clears the field and makes it a lot easier to avoid getting shot. Still a mech of choice for 5v5, CPC and now FFA.
This definitely makes me wonder about Orion, which I'd heard even more negative predictions about before the update. It doesn't have the heal which is the most important ability, but it has the speed and even more powerful damage boosting ability, so I am going to eye it quite carefully. Interesting to hear salvia is talking about it as well.
On the flip side, while DL12s are truly potent on a Stalker, I am less sure about them on other mechs. I actually have three DL pilots (Stephania, Neymar MVP, and Rosa) all pretty much maxed out along with DL 8, 12s,.and 16s all at R6.5/6. Of course Stephania is the most powerful and on my Stalker pretty much all the time, so that might skew my perceptions. But after the update hit, I ended up changing from running 2 or 3 DL24 setups to just having DL12 Stalker and DL16 Guardian. That was early in when things were crazier. I'll have to revisit other setups soon to see what's truly what. It also might be that DL12 setups will still work on some mechs like Orion and Redeemer more than what I was running.
Also I think AT12s are officially dead for Stalker. It can pop it's head out but it needs cover, so DLs, RM, guided weapons. Not sure about EMR12s.
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Post by reconnecting on Mar 18, 2023 15:13:19 GMT -5
Some personal observations of the upgrades:
Panther is still very good with ems or railguns.
Max Ares with dl12s still owns most reds except ems which its shield blocks Once.
Surge still very good with missile racks. I can't get the hang of ATs somehow.
Bastion at four stars does well with Javs. The new cpc maps don't seem mortar friendly.
The bots are outrageously high powered now it seems to me. They have All weapons at Max and all new max Mechs. My best hangar has about 7700 though, so maybe that's one reason why? This needs to be pulled back 10 or 20% imho.
Bastion blueprints are practically nonexistent except by acoins.
There are a lot more tasks and events now, which I kind of enjoy. They have taken the place of tournament for me.
Still playing daily so that hasn't changed much. ;-)
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Post by salvia on Mar 18, 2023 17:55:31 GMT -5
Surge still very good with missile racks. I can't get the hang of ATs somehow. Could you specify what makes it difficult the ATs ? And that difficulty only came after the update, right ? |
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Post by OU812? on Mar 18, 2023 20:12:16 GMT -5
Some personal observations of the upgrades: Panther is still very good with ems or railguns. Max Ares with dl12s still owns most reds except ems which its shield blocks Once. Surge still very good with missile racks. I can't get the hang of ATs somehow. Bastion at four stars does well with Javs. The new cpc maps don't seem mortar friendly. The bots are outrageously high powered now it seems to me. They have All weapons at Max and all new max Mechs. My best hangar has about 7700 though, so maybe that's one reason why? This needs to be pulled back 10 or 20% imho. Bastion blueprints are practically nonexistent except by acoins. There are a lot more tasks and events now, which I kind of enjoy. They have taken the place of tournament for me. Still playing daily so that hasn't changed much. ;-) My thoughts: Initial thoughts a few days ago were knee jerk reactions. Now I have experience to make informed opinions. Neverr been the biggest Panther fan. Now it’s my most effective bot and I’m warming up to it. Glad to hear your thoughts on Ares. Maybe I should have held off on Bastion. Part of me wants to follow through on maxing the god of war. I’m tired of the one shot kill meta. Can’t hide enough and do any damage. I’v meched out of a lot of matches today at the 2:30/3:00 mark. Matchmaking has given me the most human opponents today that I’ve ever had playing Mech Arena. Not many matches without. Lose if a players SP is more than me, win if their SP is less than me. Usually. Hope today’s trend is just Plarium studying MM. Hard to read on Stalker. I took out a max Stefania and put the epic pilot on so Stefania could give my Shadow new life. The reality of Plarium’s changes is making me rethink that plan. Shadow is squishier than ever.😩 Not confident how willing I am to use cash to bring joy back to my hanger. 🤔 |
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Post by salvia on Mar 18, 2023 20:23:42 GMT -5
Also and in connection with reconnecting's remark, today I realised that Ares might also be viable as an EM rifle carrier, as part of an el cheapo hangar. The change in damage distribution that's part of this update, means that his shield can now protect him from frontal one-shots from EM rifles. Which in turn provides him with a second strike capability, affording him the chance to kill his opponent before being shot by the guy's second EM12/16. Again this isn't an ideal configuration, but it could be a way to recycle this mech before, or instead of, shelling 8000 A-Coins in a dedicated Legendary mech. |
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Post by reconnecting on Mar 18, 2023 21:23:40 GMT -5
Surge still very good with missile racks. I can't get the hang of ATs somehow. Could you specify what makes it difficult the ATs ? And that difficulty only came after the update, right ? No I've always had trouble using ATs. I end up with two sparklers instead of weapons. And I use range implants. I'm not sure why this is so other than I don't like close range except with missile racks. |
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Post by salvia on Mar 18, 2023 21:48:41 GMT -5
No I've always had trouble using ATs. I end up with two sparklers instead of weapons. And I use range implants. I'm not sure why this is so other than I don't like close range except with missile racks. Oh ok. Well normally if the enemy is stunned, you have time to properly position you mech so that the AT is facing him, and can properly discharge its current. MR is indeed less fussy when it comes to releasing its ammo. |
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Post by A.c.r.u.x. on Mar 19, 2023 13:17:13 GMT -5
AI alone is almost making me flip my hanger upside down..
I'm curious what the progress path rework ends up being and how things become available. Still nonsense IMO that 99% of new stuff in the last year is only achieved by luck or purchase.
I'm still sitting on a crazy amount of resources trying to figure out how things settle out before using. 11m credits, 18k ac, 3k silver, 450 gold, unknown inbox
The zero cost to redo implants with pilots for now is nice trying to figure out what works best for me in redoing builds.
This update so far has been a mess for me
I've seen some crazy good redeemer players lately.
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Post by OU812? on Mar 19, 2023 20:56:44 GMT -5
Well, I used the messaging support feature to communicate my thoughts about the M+WGU to Plarium. I was respectful and shared with them how much I’ve enjoyed their game. But I also let them know that playing this weekend was an exercise in frustration. I started off by explaining that my hanger runs out of bots routinely at the 2:30 mark of matches. That’s not fun, it’s frustrating.
I shared that I think the game now has a damage problem. The weapons are now too powerful for the hp of mechs , the exception being the maxed out tanks. And even then…..
I also pointed out that many players were getting frustrated with the OP nature of EMRs before the update. Now AI hangers contain EMRs, not to mention railguns, mortars, graviton beams. My worry is that the player as will just get frustrated and move on.
I asked that they do some serious thinking about how the player base is taking these changes.
Not sure if this will make much of a difference, but I’d like to encourage you to communicate with Plarium. Even if you disagree with me. Maybe someone has better ideas or would be more effective at communicating with Plarium.
Have a good one.
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Post by salvia on Mar 20, 2023 4:08:19 GMT -5
AI alone is almost making me flip my hanger upside down.. I welcomed the challenge when they tested it pre-v.2.25 update, but now it is clear it's mostly part of Plarium's plan to force players' hangars into obsolescence. I'm curious what the progress path rework ends up being and how things become available. Still nonsense IMO that 99% of new stuff in the last year is only achieved by luck or purchase. Plarium will have had to adjust their business model. Right now they prolly rely on cheap monetary offers (<10€ transactions) on mechs and weapons, with resource upgrades along the way. But now if they transition to a non-paywalled model, they'll have to make harder to upgrade mechs organically. I'm still sitting on a crazy amount of resources trying to figure out how things settle out before using. 11m credits, 18k ac, 3k silver, 450 gold, unknown inbox I'm sitting on a similar stockpile, and being less advanced in the game than most here, I've decided to avoid using my A-coins it until Plarium releases the paywalled mechs and weapons. Gold/silver crates will be opened when there's the new CQC pilot Neev or interesting implants (I really need that Legendary Ability Duration in hopes of salvaging my Zephyr...). |
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Post by Koalabear on Mar 20, 2023 8:15:06 GMT -5
So, a couple of new thoughts...
I actually don't mind the crazy AI anymore. They are making me a better player and making me realize how much I had taken their previous stupidity for granted. They now play like humans, ducking in and out of cover and one shot killing me. I actually started to do better against humans! The exception is in 2v2 or TDM where humans will still just wait you out and pop goes the weasel.
I did end up giving up on maxing my Tengu for now and will spend my acoins elsewhere. If I ever collect enough blueprints to max him, I will but until then, I'll be focusing my resources elsewhere.
SG8 Shadow is actually viable in certain situations and it is FUN! Actually got on the podium a few times last night when playing with my clan against full human teams. Humans just can't/don't react as fast as AI. I also have the gold stealth speed implant which I used to use a lot but have now moved to MVP Neymar and I will be re-upgrading that as much as possible. That plus MVP Neymar's sprint should make the Shadow even faster and sneakier.
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