49 replies to this topic

[Meraple]

SectionZ, on April 16 2014 - 06:09 AM, said:

Meraple, on April 16 2014 - 02:14 AM, said:

SectionZ, on April 15 2014 - 04:17 PM, said:

But any A or B class primarily about in your face combat, you are so much worse off without the Air Compressor unless you have other needs for those three internal slots.

Lolno.
Air Compressor actually gives you a handicap when using it, if the enemy is experienced at dealing with AC users.

It CONSUMES FUEL when DODGING, thus giving you even less fuel then before.


It's only effective against people who don't know how to counter it.

Fortunately for me, it seems the people who know how to "counter" it seem to be in short supply compared to those who don't. While the amount of fuel the Air Compressor takes is incredibly tiny and is only a problem if you are trying to kill multiple people all by yourself while staying in the air.

You're going to actually say how to counter it, right_  Or is it just a vague 'get good'_ and the secret is to not guess wrong which direction I will dodge, and be able to recorrect your aim and snap off an explosive within the 1 second I can dodge back out of the way again_  If there was some easy hard counter then I wouldn't be having such an easier time with compared to without.

I mean sure, we got players who can apparently get five dominations at once with scout and no air compressor lurking around here.  But for the most part "Do I need something more than air compressor on this Mech, Y/N_" is the only reason not to have one aside from not wanting to spend the HC (see also, my cheapskate tendencies with my HC).

A brawler might live, but a Vanguard or Assault more often explodes before I touch the ground.  Two air dodges helps a lot, three is easily doable but often times excessive except for that last moment or to hurl yourself behind cover if they didn't die.

EDIT: In hindsight, in and out of game it seems a lot of the counter "arguments" to my pointing out I've had a much easier time on my Zerker now that I use air compressor is basically "Only Idiots have trouble with/Need X"... Which does not bode well for a lot of the playerbase if true.

If some person is using Air Compressor and is flying, just stay around the corner.
When he runs out of fuel, get him while he's vulnerable.
That's 1 way, although there are alot of ways to make reliance on Air Compressor ultimately futile.

The Air Compressor throws most people's aim off ALOT.
Why_
Because it's unexpected.

Even though the Air Compressor has been in play for a while, people still don't expect air dodging.


By the way, it IS possible, when you've guessed the wrong direction, to snap to the other side and throw a TOW in the face.
You simply have to be fast.

Thing is, sometimes it's best to not guess beforehand at all, and just track them while dodging their fire.


EDIT: a good counter against flying units is to get under/behind them. A simple strategy, so I edited it in.

Edited by Meraple, April 16 2014 - 06:22 AM.

[TheVulong]

Answering the OP: I don't use it and i don't respect people that do. Alongside with SMC, AC is the cheapest junk ATM.

Edited by TheVulong, April 16 2014 - 06:56 AM.

[Aregon]

TheVulong, on April 16 2014 - 06:54 AM, said:

Answering the OP: I don't use it and i don't respect people that do. Alongside with SMC, AC is the cheapest junk ATM.

Thanks for that you satanist.

[craftydus]

My latest smurf on the predator and the two sniper classes I would not typically run an air compressor.
I bought my first one on a tech a couple weeks ago, and would miss it otherwise on it now.
Have since added it to my gren and incin and wonder if I've passed the point where I'd really not use one, for the fun factor alone.
I'm not addicted



My other alts have no air compressors in their complete garages.

[Meraple]

Aregon, on April 16 2014 - 07:10 AM, said:

TheVulong, on April 16 2014 - 06:54 AM, said:

Answering the OP: I don't use it and i don't respect people that do. Alongside with SMC, AC is the cheapest junk ATM.

Thanks for that you satanist.

Air Compressor users are #%#*$%$# !

[Gabbahead]

By the way, has anyone seen scout flies after a boost_
In the end of this small video...

Berserkers are s#!t bricks!
Scout and Raider (under ability of course )after boost are most powerfull on air mechas in the game.
Somebody tell me - is this a bug or feature_

[SectionZ]

Gabbahead, on April 16 2014 - 08:15 AM, said:

By the way, has anyone seen scout flies after a boost_
In the end of this small video...

Berserkers are s#!t bricks!
Scout and Raider (under ability of course )after boost are most powerfull on air mechas in the game.
Somebody tell me - is this a bug or feature_

No, see, those guys the Berserker killed in that video were just bad at Hawken, obviously.  They should have used more Corner Play and Cover (Cover was right there guys, no excuse that the Berserker was using cover too) and been simply more fast.  Then they could get seven dominations at once without the air compressor.

Hmm, come to think of it, seeing how when people you dominate teamswitch to your team stay dominated, I guess it is theoretically possible to have seven dominations at once.

In all seriousness though, while the Air Compressor does seriously make your life easier on a lot of Mechs, it's not AS broken as the more extreme in the other direction people make it out.  But taking the middle road means you don't get to tell people they are WRONG in the internet as decisively as black and white "This is completely broken" or "Nah man only people bad at videogames have trouble with it or use it".

Edited by SectionZ, April 16 2014 - 08:31 AM.

[nepacaka]

Early I put "it" on my Heat-Rockteer, because without "it" rockteer with Heat unplayable against high-skill players for me (despite the fact that the Heat-Rockteer a little bit unplayable at all now)
I played a little bit ... in this build, but ... I can not. I deleted "it" from my rockteer.
danm...I better play on brawler, and throw some flak in someone face...

[Skitzo1d]

First off gonna start off by saying my input on this topic might be limited (only 23 hours gameplay, most all on the scout).  That being said I think it will vary on the usefullness of Ac which will depend on which mech your in obviously.  I currently have it on my scout cause i thought i would be a game changer, as I had a hard time dealing with flyers earlier on (I since learned how to counter them better).  So i got it with my scout.  But be vary vary weary about using it all the time cause in all honesty if you dodge with the zig zag method specially with a scout being so fast you are way harder to hit then a dodging air compressor user.  Also like a previous poster mentioned air flyers are easy to deal with if they are within short range a quick boost forward and you will be under them where they cannot hit you and are either forced to land (which most do) or try to circle strafe in the air to get a bead on you again which gives you time to 180 and get in a couple shots if they get a bead on you again boost under them again by now they are out of fuel.  I still have the AC on my scout as no money for anythign else anyways but i find its usefullness in certain situations (getting over turreted c mechs faster by turning to the side away from them and dodging in the air over them to get to the back of them, also on side dodging to get up on ledges / behind cover or as previous poster said getting off jump pads faster. But mechs such as the zerker i would tend to think it would be more useful since they would be in the air a lot more.

two final things on dodging.  1.) like I said earlier, the zig zag method is so much harder to hit for competent shooters vs air dodgers, and 2.) an interesting strat i found if you want to use air dodging, which also boost the longivity of air dodging, is to do it "box style" fly up dodge land dodge back the other way fly up again, if you time the altitude of your flights up right, the drop will be almost perfect for a continous dodge back without much of a pause inbetween each dodge, but giving you .5 to .75 seconds of refuel time on each drop giving you essentially more fuel to keep doing it.

Just my two thoughts but be warned as ive previously stated only got 23 hours or so gametime with only 1700mmr and mostly all on one mech so very limited in observations.

[MegaManX]

TheVulong, on April 16 2014 - 06:54 AM, said:

Answering the OP: I don't use it and i don't respect people that do. Alongside with SMC, AC is the cheapest junk ATM.

Righto!

Anyways, I have been playing the scout to prove that is IMBA (still haven't made a full decision yet, but so far it is not looking good for the scout). I threw on an air compressor on my scout and honestly, I hardly ever use it. Perhaps its because I have mostly been playing B and C classes mostly that I have gotten used to being effective with out it. I don't use it often enough to justify wasting 3 slots for it, and when I do use it, it just feels gimmicky. It's a psychology tactic, not really a strategic tactic to use an air compressor. When i face up against other A classes with air compressor, I have played enough to know how to counter them.

Personally I find it rather useless. That is of course my opinion, everyone else has different prefrences and skill sets. Hell maybe their is a pro air compressor user out there. I haven't met one person yet who has given me problems using air compressor against me.

One last thing, please don't put air compressor on C class mechs. You are still a huge target. It doesn't matter if you dodge in the air, once you land you are still fuzzy bunnied.

[thelonelychild]

The only mech I find it worthwhile on is the rockteer and thats just to dodge a tow or two when someone fires it at me when im hovering to get shots over the top of my teams heads

[Rokka]

Rei, on April 13 2014 - 01:01 PM, said:

The biggest advantage air compressor gives is that you can land earlier and change your trajectory from jump pads, (pretty huge on those maps tbh). A lot of other advantages are mostly from people's inexperience to deal with them. The other advantage is that it makes weapons that can't detonated mid-air (also non-hitscan) really hard to hit on said enemy.

I find myself being in huge disadvantage as lower pilot lvl player when I face people with their mechs equipped with Air Compressor. Mainly issue lying in close quaters combats. Limited turnrate of mech combined with ability to dash on X-axis while flying in Y-axis allows anyone with air compressor out-maneuver myself. This usually results death to me as I can't turn my mech roughly 90 degrees in reasonable time and 180 spin is too much (I would have to turn 90 degrees anyway).
Maneuvers shouldn't be limited by making them unlocks, I know myself being fully capable to combat against many other pilots but since I am forced to lose especially on situations where I like to play and excel the most simply kills fun from me. I wish honestly wish these maneuvers are soon re-looked at.

[McBonY]

I use Air compressor on A's (excluding Tech, I had AC on it, but changed to Replenisher). On B's and C's i can live without it.

[TTU_Phoenix]

MegaManX, on April 16 2014 - 11:36 AM, said:

I don't use it often enough to justify wasting 3 slots for it, and when I do use it, it just feels gimmicky. It's a psychology tactic, not really a strategic tactic to use an air compressor.

I think that's one of the big things about it.  It's unexpected and surprising for someone who doesn't know you have it, giving you a second or two before they catch up, and inexperienced players have trouble countering it.  With practice, it gets easier to deal with, since the way an ACed mech moves is no longer as surprising.

[BaoWolf]

I have one on the Berserker that's it..

[Battlesbreak]

What air compressor_ I nuke everything what stands before me if I want so... And I take damage what I see is necessary to take... *as Infiltrator and Scout appears behind* They are excellent without that cheap component... Thou there are several much more useful internals two rocketeers appears to battlefield... "All that matters is the skill of pilot and this requirements for more sustained fight"

[Knat]

I use it on fast mechs, like the Scout and the Infiltrator. I don't use it on my G2 as it mostly stays on the ground.

[SoldierHobbes11]

I use it on everything. From my berserker to my brawler. I've managed to pull off some pretty fancy stunts around people's heads in As and some Bs. I personally find it the most useful in escaping. Even in a C class, I've managed to escape using the air dodge to suddenly change direction when they don't expect me to. Works really well on jump pads. I've lost quite a few chasers because I used my air dodge to cancel the jump pad boost and fall back to the ground while my pursuer is forced to endure the whole ride. Leaves them vulnerable and gives me a few extra moments to get away. I may not always use it, but most of the time I've found it only to be an advantage.

[SoldierHobbes11]

reVelske, on April 15 2014 - 01:04 PM, said:

Some of us find air combat to be gimmicky and to put it crudely: fuzzy bunny retarded.

Besides, real man ground dodges and learns to aim without the aid of altitude advantage.

Are you a real enough man to not use Air Compressor_

You can't dodge in the air effectively if you can't effectively dodge on the ground first. I stay on the ground mostly, myself. But I still run with the compressor for those times I need to fly over my enemy's cover or fight someone on a platform above me to remove their height advantage.

Don't let your pride get in the way of your judgement. I dislike air combat, but I'm not gonna ignore it's effectiveness simply because my head is too far up my ass. The only kind of air combat I find ridiculous is bunny hopping mechs. It's looks ridiculous and is damn easy to counter. They can't dodge while hopping around, eating their lettuce and berries.

[reVelske]

I have a strong biased opinion against air combat mainly because of a high latency of 200ms (multiple axis to manual latency compensate when aiming at airborne target), so my head is so far up my ass it's nigh impossible to dislodge it, hence, fuzzy bunny air combat.

COME AT ME BRO LET'S SLIDE AROUND AND PEWPEW EACH OTHER HEY WAIT WHERE YOU GOING STOP FLOATING AROUND YOU fuzzy bunny FAIRIE GET BACK DOWN HERE AND LET ME SHOOT YOU GOD DAMMIT WHY IS MY DVULCAN MISSING WHY AFRICA WHY *expires*

Edited by reVelske, April 23 2014 - 06:08 AM.