New to game, wanted to discuss Mech preferences.

[Todalio]

So I've only about 4 hours into the game, but I'm getting fascinated by it.

What I would like to discuss and encourage you to share with me is how the different robots "armament-pattern" or to make it easier what slots they let you uses changes the way you play.

I found a special liking for the arachnid-robot. Possibility of double laser gatling guns, going no reload if fully upgraded with 2 machines guns and 2 others, like double shotguns.
6 Great to decent armament, on a potentially super fast spiddy. Just love it.

With about a dozen tries, it has always been with this way of going about I lasted the longest.

Please share your thoughts or experiences!

[ManiacJim]

The Striker. Mainly because of the periodic screen wipe it provides.

[Todalio]

Could you explain to me how it actually happens? I've only read that it was over-estimated and somewhat random and|or almost pointless on higher difficulty.

[Outsider]

Court Martial? It's not random, it's on cool down.
Also it does high damage AND has huge knock back, so even if it doesn't kill mobs, it pushes them away from you.
It also breaks containers outside of your field of view.
It's far from pointless, it's very strong and more than makes up for lack of arm slots on Striker.

[Todalio]

Good to know, thanks!

[XcuteX]

I think Court Martial is Rule of Cool. It does a full screen wipe, though a few enemies can withstand the shot. It looks awesome when it happens. It has severe drawbacks though. It only fires once every 45 seconds at the moment. It only seems to hit about a screen length away, so you'll be swarmed again right after it fires. Most importantly, crystals dropped by enemies are very far away, meaning you have to walk around a bit to pick them up. At the end of Hyper mode, there's a characteristic clump of enemies that forms behind the bosses. It's too difficult to stay close enough to this clump to reliably nuke it.

[cac1qu3]

It only fires once every 45 seconds at the moment.

With the reactor modul you can decrease this time. But I think there should be a visual countdown on the weapon that you when it will shoot again.

the end of Hyper mode, there's a characteristic clump of enemies that forms behind the bosses. It's too difficult to stay close enough to this clump to reliably nuke it.

I used auto turrets from that. They can keep a small area "free" when u can turn around and they do enough damage that the end fight is fast over.

[Tempestus_L'Cie]

For farming currency go striker and desert. Its a great start.
However, in current build if you want to really go end-game then you need Lazarus cuz of 4 back slots that can be evolved.

[Sidewaysvision]

Arachnid is good for progression if you don't have the armory heavily upgraded, since a lot of your weapon power will be from level ups and it levels up faster than other mechs. Lazarus and Titus are the endgame mechs; Lazarus has four back slots, and Titus has effectively six passive slots.

[BlastedRemnants]

I use Titus with dual Pulse, dual Lasers, and usually one Tesla and pretty much any other Evo weapon. Put two magnets and two speed boosts, add a damage booster and you're off to the races :D

[XcuteX]

Originally posted by Sidewaysvision:

Arachnid is good for progression if you don't have the armory heavily upgraded, since a lot of your weapon power will be from level ups and it levels up faster than other mechs. Lazarus and Titus are the endgame mechs; Lazarus has four back slots, and Titus has effectively six passive slots.

Arachmech is the only viable endgame mech. The increased crystal income gives you ~5-10 more levels, equivalent of 1100-2200 extra points. No other mech can compensate for that advantage, even with a very similar build.

[cac1qu3]

Originally posted by XcuteX:

Arachmech is the only viable endgame mech.

I am betting against ;-)

Look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGPMmy2bSPE

The increased crystal income gives you ~5-10 more levels, equivalent of 1100-2200 extra points.

How you calculate this? You get 120 caverium each level when caverium processor is max.

[kknd]

For what it's worth, here is my experience:

The starter mech actually has the longest legs, because of its 4 back weapon slots and those being the only ones with an evolution form.

The tank's plethora of shoulder mounts is neat, but because it's so slow and has almost no internal slots it falls off for me. Worst is the single back weapon mount, which basically cripples it's top end firepower for lack of EVO's.

Spider mech does have 2 back slots and 2 shoulder, but we can't run 4 of any given weapon on it. (Which is too bad, because 4 maxed out pulse might actually punch holes like one would expect it to.) If we get the ability to replace our starter weapon or pick one to start with, that could change.

There is something to be said for the sheer mobility of the 'speed on level up' mech, with or without servos as an internal. Optimal is likely not taking servos and relying on the built in speed to compensate for it to take more firepower. But the falloff of it's starter pulse weapon (and it's disgustingly poor unleveled preformance) is a serius drawback.

Still, if I just want to farm Caverium, going to desert with it is my go to option.

The Titus (they of the court martial) has serius issues with hole punching ability since you are stuck with machinegun as your only arm weapon and only 2 shoulder mounts. I do love having all the internals to work with, but again the limited back weapon mounts hurt.

There's a lot of room for expansion of mechanics to change this, if all weapon types had an EVO form to potentially get, the starter Lazarus wouldn't be the logical best option by default. Any mech with limited internals space leads to this rough situation where I don't feel like I have the space for a magnet, but the magnet is a gigantic help.

For what it's worth, I like that some mechs have built in critical chance, being able to reach 80% critical chance on the Titus at the cost of 1 slot is sweet.

Right now, any build I favor is going to be for the lazarus, because 4 back mounts is just too great a top end to ignore. I've tried several things and for my money, right now, the highest power possible is 4x Widowmakers, since they have solid overall damage and can punch holes some of the time. (They just suffer horribly from obsessively targeting waller mobs and wasting fire on them.) Thor isn't bad at general clean up, but I really wish the drones were more capable, sure specters read as doing tons of damage on the end game screen, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

Biggest two things that would change all this and improve the game would be EVO forms for shoulder and arm weapons, and letting us at least replace if not outright pick our starter gun. Being able to take 4 pulse's on Spider or shotgun to start with the speed mech would open up more options I would enjoy.

[XcuteX]

Originally posted by cac1qu3:

Originally posted by XcuteX:

Arachmech is the only viable endgame mech.

I am betting against ;-)

Look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGPMmy2bSPE

The increased crystal income gives you ~5-10 more levels, equivalent of 1100-2200 extra points.

How you calculate this? You get 120 caverium each level when caverium processor is max.

Why do you, umm, bet against my claim? I've given the level difference as an example. What does the Titus have to compete with that level difference? I don't think it's possible to hit my Grasslands score with the Titus, in any configuration, in the current build of the game.

Second: 5 levels = 500 points (for the levels) + 600 points (for the Caverium) = 1100 points. Similar math for 10 levels => 2200 points.

[Todalio]

As of now I've had fun with Lazarus with either 4 cosmic guardians or 4 siege cannons (Siege cannons is a bit random and less effective, but quite fun). I'm wondering about 4 tesla upgraded to Thor.
Haven't tried orbital bombardment yet.

So how does the EVO weapons compares?
Cosmic guardian seems like the most boasted about. Siege cannons, not bad but not greatest.
I forgot the name, but the green toxic sludge seems mostly good with the Doser and Tombstone.

Edit: I seem to understand that if solely for farming, Arachmech in the desert would be best.

[cac1qu3]

Originally posted by XcuteX:

Why do you, umm, bet against my claim?

'cause I like the competition ;-)

I don't think it's possible to hit my Grasslands score with the Titus, in any configuration, in the current build of the game.

I gave your idea a deeper look and you are right. Also without completely finishing and optimizing the mech seems Arachmech since alpha 13.1 be the state of the art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VKO9ZEyMuo

Any improvements suggestions?