Author Topic: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)  (Read 164873 times)

DarkSpade

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1260 on: 31 May 2020, 20:21:40 »
Somewhere along the way, they gave mechs improved stability based on their weight.
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MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1261 on: 31 May 2020, 21:32:30 »
Makes sense, big mechs were too easy to knock over before.
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Mendrugo

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1262 on: 31 May 2020, 21:50:48 »
On my second playthrough, I took enough contracts to level up and convert my gear to mostly LRMs, then spotted with the Spider and rained down death from outside Grim Sibyl’s perimeter wall.

Then, I went around the entire Frontier, taking anti-Local Government contracts on every world.  By the time I hit Weldry to start the Restoration campaign, I had two Marauders with Gauss Rifles, an Archer, and a Banshee, elite pilots, and was adored by the Magistracy, the FWL, the CC, and the Pirates.  It made missions that had crushed me on the first playthrough (charging into Weldry ASAP) a pushover.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1263 on: 31 May 2020, 23:21:14 »
I’m having pretty much the same experience - big ticket missions that previously scared the hell out of me or left me battered are just cake walks because I’ve got far better equipment.
My only issue this time is how much I’ve pissed off the local pirates. No chance I’ll be able to access the black market as I keep taking anti piracy contracts


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Mendrugo

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1264 on: 31 May 2020, 23:31:45 »
On my first run, I took all contracts in every system.  Turns out, transit costs aren’t too burdensome, and the shop discounts from Pirate love more than compensate for being picky.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

MarauderD

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1265 on: 01 June 2020, 10:35:03 »
Somewhere along the way, they gave mechs improved stability based on their weight.

Yep, in the initial release, you would salvage more assaults and heavies than anything else because it was so easy to knock one over and injure the pilots.

Lights and mediums would die from all the damage, but heavies and assaults were sturdy enough to survive the knockdowns but their pilots would die.  Hence all the salvage.  Happily, HBS was smart enough to adjust the system based off the unintended consequence of assaults being easier to salvage than lights and mediums.

Colt Ward

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1266 on: 01 June 2020, 14:47:58 »
You’ve had more metal than me, dang

I just upgraded my pixie to a griffin 1n. I’m about to do the second liberation contract with a shadow hawk / griffin 1s / griffin 1n / centurion. Granted I have a pair of snub ppc+ and gunnery skills of 8-10 so I can usually effectively slag a heavy in two or three turns of concentrated fire.

All my units besides the CNT are 5/8/5 so I do a death circle where I can pound one side until the CT pops

To be fair, the campaign is a lot harder without the special gear and the glut of chassis you can buy now.  Look back earlier in this topic or the original one and you will see the recommendation to get max salvage b/c you could not buy replacement/upgrade mechs.  I am thinking of changing the settings to require 5 pieces to build a mech- I already have turned off that they come equipped.
Colt Ward
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1267 on: 01 June 2020, 15:27:03 »
To be fair, the campaign is a lot harder without the special gear and the glut of chassis you can buy now.  Look back earlier in this topic or the original one and you will see the recommendation to get max salvage b/c you could not buy replacement/upgrade mechs.  I am thinking of changing the settings to require 5 pieces to build a mech- I already have turned off that they come equipped.

Indeed.  I'm playing the campaign again (honorman) with no LosTech and 7 pieces of salvage per mech.  Really cranks up the difficulty.  I'm currently fielding a Centurion, Shad-H and Shad-D both configged as SRM bombers and punchbots, and a an Orion (OINK!) as my tank.  I have two more heavies that I just can't seem to land that 7th piece of salvage:  a Thud and a Rifleman.  Either one would make a good replacement for me Centurion. 

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1268 on: 01 June 2020, 19:27:11 »
To be fair, the campaign is a lot harder without the special gear and the glut of chassis you can buy now.  Look back earlier in this topic or the original one and you will see the recommendation to get max salvage b/c you could not buy replacement/upgrade mechs.  I am thinking of changing the settings to require 5 pieces to build a mech- I already have turned off that they come equipped.

yeah that was my assumption.  as soon as i saw the damage value on the snppc vs the other weapons i knew it was way out of place. also in the argo recovery mission when the one pirate comes out in the quickdraw and everyone is like "that's a big mech" - i had two 55 tonners and was like "uh guys settle down"
« Last Edit: 01 June 2020, 19:28:55 by Sartris »

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MarauderD

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1269 on: 02 June 2020, 13:25:56 »
yeah that was my assumption.  as soon as i saw the damage value on the snppc vs the other weapons i knew it was way out of place. also in the argo recovery mission when the one pirate comes out in the quickdraw and everyone is like "that's a big mech" - i had two 55 tonners and was like "uh guys settle down"

The real game breaker tech wise is a 5 ton Ultra-2 (The +++ version) that hits for 7 TT damage per hit that is easily boated.  I’m looking at you, MAD-3R.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1270 on: 02 June 2020, 13:30:56 »
what's wild to me is the effectiveness of the regular AC/5. five less damage than a ppc and only fifteen less than an AC/10.

which of course led me to see a hunchback 4G for the first time and exclaim "oh, how bad could it be, 75? nope. ow. owowowowow.

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Colt Ward

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1271 on: 02 June 2020, 14:09:15 »
BUT . . . without specialized pilots, your damage falls off on the ACs . . . its a neat mechanic sort of like MASC/SC/RHS and actually reminds me of MW3 where your ACs would ride up after firing.
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1272 on: 02 June 2020, 15:18:15 »
I've never noticed substantial penalties from repeatedly firing ACs.
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1273 on: 02 June 2020, 15:27:41 »
It may have stepped down . . . but I know someone in the first thread threw out the math- your 5th shot in a row at 90% probability of hitting then has a X% chance deducted for that b/c of repeated firing.  If you check . . . the bottom skill?  It has offsets for repeat AC firing.
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1274 on: 02 June 2020, 15:46:40 »
At the start of my most recent playthrough it looked like AC accuracy dropped by 5% with each repeated firing but it reset if you didn't fire for a turn. in the late game my pilots were good enough that either it didn't matter enough or I had the morale to throw a called shot at it.

I will add that an Annhilator with 5x uAC/5++ is absolutely brutal - 10 shots for 54 points each, plenty of ammo, and near-max armour.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1275 on: 02 June 2020, 16:17:53 »
i'm getting the impression that since you only ever get once lance and the stakes keep getting pushed higher and higher that i'm going to just end up with four bulky assaults, huh.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1276 on: 02 June 2020, 16:26:09 »
Not quite . . . I had a play through until the latest DLC- and I have not gone back to pick up the campaign- where I was trying to limit it to the SL Highlander, and a few heavies as the option . . . I had not reached the Star League mission yet, but was trying to build a Catapult to go with my Kintaro, Griffin and . . . Firestarter?

Might get back to it and try to get through the campaign with a Marauder, Kintaro (SRM Spam), Phoenix Hawk and some other medium as the core force.
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Euphonium

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1277 on: 02 June 2020, 18:11:39 »
i'm getting the impression that since you only ever get once lance and the stakes keep getting pushed higher and higher that i'm going to just end up with four bulky assaults, huh.

There is some of that, but I've also run into flashpoints where I'm limited to lights & mediums only, or a maximum dropweight of 200 tons or so, so I keep a lance of PXH, RVN, HBK, SHD around
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1278 on: 02 June 2020, 18:14:27 »
Yeah I’ve got two pixies a Jenner and a javelin F. Leftover paranoia about drop weights, timed missions, and escort assignments from the MC1 days

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1279 on: 02 June 2020, 21:30:50 »
So the refire penalty is based on the weapon specifically.
UACs naturally have a higher one, and larger autocannons have more of one than smaller ones do (I don't think a basic AC/2 even has a penalty, but not sure)

Really though, anything smaller than an AC/20 or UAC/10 you really don't notice.  it only really ever makes already marginal shots bad ones.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1280 on: 02 June 2020, 21:43:43 »
Sorry to change tact, guys - but anyone had any luck building a jumping Marauder?
I’ve captured two Mad bits and just saw a third on the market. My only issue is that, when I played through my Ironman career version, I ended up with a Marauder early on... and it was just ok.
Good for laying down the wall of PPC Fire, but I found it a bit... meh.

My current campaign CO is a “lancer” - lots of jumping and shooting multiple targets, etc.
So I was thinking I could re-jig the Marauder as a jumping cavalry Mech for him.
Any thoughts?


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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1281 on: 02 June 2020, 22:11:55 »
Large Lasers+++ maybe a UAC2 or 5 and Meds+++ with DHS would definitely free up enough tonnage.  You'd just loose the PPCs.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1282 on: 02 June 2020, 22:22:02 »
Marauder is sort of supposed to be meh- solid wall of firepower but with that command bonus.
Colt Ward
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1283 on: 02 June 2020, 22:50:56 »
Marauder is sort of supposed to be meh- solid wall of firepower but with that command bonus.

Getting that. Might wack in some ++PPCs and just go with it


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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1284 on: 02 June 2020, 23:00:13 »
Marauders are core for me - they serve as my scouts and assassins.  Once a pilot has Tactics 9, they get a 35% chance of pulling off called shots to the head.  I don’t use more than two, since the morale bar can only recharge so fast, but I’ve used those guys for innumerable Assault decapitations.

My ideal loadout is a MAD-2R with a Gauss Rifle and two ERML++ in each arm, along with max armor and jump jets.  If even two lasers connect, the target goes down and I get three salvage chunks.  A Heat Bank++ keeps them in action long enough to get the job done.

You can do the same thing, albeit less efficiently, with the 3R, using ML++ (extra damage version) and an AC/5 in the ballistic slot.  When I got those Marauders, I was able to immediately switch to max salvage for most missions, since I could guarantee a bountiful harvest of chassis chunks.
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Colt Ward

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1285 on: 03 June 2020, 00:10:32 »
The -2R exists in the game?
Colt Ward
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"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1286 on: 03 June 2020, 00:59:25 »
The -2R exists in the game?

I bought it whole at a Black Market, since I’d been careful to keep in the Pirates’ good graces.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1287 on: 03 June 2020, 10:45:19 »
The Mad-2R is in game, and extremely stronk due to its double heat sinks.  I'd say it just as strong as the game breaking MAD-3R, but with more lasers and less autocannons.

MAD-2R with 6 ER Mediums (the 35 damage ones) and an Ultra AC/2 (35 damage version gets 8 chances at headshot at 35%.  Also, excellent cooling.
MAD-3R with 4 ER Mediums and 3 Ultra AC/2 gets whopping 10 chances at headshot at 35%. 

I actually prefer the 3R.  Thing is, it really make you notice that HBS broke the Ultra AC's when they offer versions that are 2 tons lighter with 10 extra damage.  I also think the head shots should be toned down to 25% tops.

As it stands now, in my last career that I was really going for it, I got Legendary and almost Kerensky by having each of those Marauders in my lance.  I was headshotting entire lances in consecutive turns.  It was pretty brutal, game breaking, and honestly took the fun out of mech combat.  Especially when you could do it outside AC/20 range.  There was nothing I actually feared with that lance.

The result is now I'm replaying the original campaign with no advanced technology, and upped the pieces of mech to 7.  It slows down the process a great deal.  Sad note:  I found my namesake mech in game:  The Marauder 3D.  So I moved one PPC to the torso mount, and went with Larges over mediums and an additional ton of front side torso armor.  Thing is just too hot as is.  I did headshot a pesky Grasshopper, which was fun.   :thumbsup:
« Last Edit: 03 June 2020, 11:04:00 by MarauderD »

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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1288 on: 04 June 2020, 11:08:40 »
I have a Banshee 3E and a 3M in storage on my Dropship. Has anyone made a decent variant in the game? Right now they are there as an emergency cash source but I'd love to put another 95 ton hull to use but they just don't seem to be that good.
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Re: HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)
« Reply #1289 on: 04 June 2020, 11:17:45 »
Can you make a -3MC?
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."