10293 replies to this topic

[Chryckan]

Digital_Angel, on 23 July 2016 - 04:26 PM, said:

I'm gonna second P4r4g0n's advice.

Just create a single person unit and merc for a while in Faction. Get a hang for the game mode and get a feel for some of the units you drop with. Some units merc around different factions every week or so, others are strict loyalist to a single faction, so take that into account as well if there is a specific faction that interests you (Clan vs IS or if there is 1 faction from lore that peeks your interest). That should also help you get a handle of what to look for in a unit that would be a good fit for you.

Will do that. Have to use trial mechs for heavier stuff since I've only got mediums and a few lights at the moment.

Is there a deck builder simulator similar to smurfy were you can try and mix and match mechs?

Also is there someway to edit your deck in game without joining an invasion queue?

[Tier5 Kerensky]

You can edit your deck when the invasion planet is open, you don't actually need to join the queue.

This is when you create your own solo-unit and take mercenary contact, prior to that you can't select any planet except without answering to the call to arms messages.

[Digital_Angel]

You won't know for sure the game mode in Faction or the Map until after both sides have a full drop ready.

The map will show on the screen in the last minute or so before a drop, but the pattern for maps is always the same. I don't have it memorized yet myself, but it is posted a few places on the forums if you want to look it up.

If your are attacking a planet, you will always either have Attack or Hold Territory. You can know for sure by seeing yourself assigned to a quadrant of the planet held by either red or blue. Also it will spell it out on the screen as well near the end.

If your side is defending the planet, you will either be Defending the base or trying to Recapture a base that has fallen. People new to Faction get confused on this a lot. They think Defending a planet always means they will be defending a base, and that is not true.

The criteria for winning a match is slightly different in all 4 modes, so pay attention to the win conditions for the match. When the match says attackers or defenders for win criteria, it means the side attacking or defending the BASE, not the planet. Again small things that confuse players new to Faction, but you get used to it quick if you just pay attention to the info the game gives you.

You may already know this, but just in case: When you are under contract for a clan, you can only use clan mechs. The same goes for IS only using IS mechs. As a Merc you can change contracts to different factions every 7 days, including bouncing back and forth from IS to Clan. Also under the new system, Mercs gain Reputation Points under the Mercenary tab, not under the faction they are under contract to. So if you do a bunch of drops to a faction and wonder why your Loyalty with that faction isn't going up, remember to look under the Mercenary tab at the very bottom.

[Tier5 Kerensky]

The mercenary contracts aren't really binding. You can disband your unit any time you want to, breaking the contract, create a new unit, and make another contract. There are no limits, prices or penalties.

[kyfire]

When can we expect to see new Trial mechs?

[S 0 L E N Y A]

kyfire, on 25 July 2016 - 10:44 AM, said:

When can we expect to see new Trial mechs?

They only change about once every three months. So probably in the fall.

[kyfire]

Boogie138, on 25 July 2016 - 11:42 AM, said:

They only change about once every three months. So probably in the fall.

So around Sept/Oct?

[cleghorn6]

The champion build submission is still open AFAIK. Once that closes we would see the new trials, I think?

[Audacious Aubergine]

What's going to happen with hero mech omnipods when those mechs come out for c-bills? Will the pods themselves be MC only?

[Doctor Dinosaur]

In short: Yes.

[Rogue Jedi]

Quote

The champion build submission is still open AFAIK. Once that closes we would see the new trials, I think?

Based on past experiance a few weeks after that closes we will get a poll to choose from the 3 most popular designs, then about a month after the poll closes the new trial Mechs will enter the rotation, so it will likely be september or October before those designs are ingame

[Vasili Kerensky]

I can;t find the answer to this anywhere, so I'm asking here. Are there consequences for fighting for another faction if you're a merc with a contract? I have no option to break contract or for the cost of doing so, like there was before. Now I just can't pick up another contract and there's no warning of consequences if I try to enter another faction's battle.

[p4r4g0n]

If you have an existing contract, the only way you can fight for another faction is by assisting in the defence of that other faction's planets. You will never receive an option to fight for a faction that is attacking your contracted faction.

As a mercenary, only your unit has the option to break a contract. Individual unit members can only change contract before the expiry of the contract by leaving the unit. Even then, IIRC there are some restrictions on when you can sign up for a new contract.

[Chryckan]

I'm not usually one to complain about balance issues but after playing a few games in faction play I have to ask; How OP is the Clan really?

I had my ER laser Rifleman out sniped by a EBJ with four medlasers (if I'm correct in that clan med lasers is yellow.)

I had a Nova leg a completely fresh heavy (max armour on it of course) in ten seconds with only four MGs and a six SPLAS. In return I hit it with at least four 45 points alphas but it still had yellow armour when it killed me.

And don't get me started on defending boreal, where the only thing you see of the enemy is laser beams coming from the direction of the gates but by the time you crossed the open area by the cannon half your CT armour is gone.

The only time I've been on a winning team against clan was when the IS mechs managed to close within 200 meters to brawl without getting hurt first (as getting hurt usually means stripped of armour) while facing a PUG that couldn't find its butt with both hands.
Pugs that doesn't Leeroy Jenkins tend to cream you, not matter how organized your own team is.

I mean you usually can tell if you gonna get creamed or not before the match even loaded.

I've never noticed that clan was this OP in quickplay but then IS and Clan are usually evenly mixed between teams and tbh a lot of the pilots in quickplay is unorganized numbskulls with a Rambo complex which makes fights, if not easier then different.

So is it just me that managed to have an unusual bad luck when it comes to my first impressions in faction play or is the Clan really that OP compared to IS?

[Zoeff]

Chryckan, on 31 July 2016 - 02:21 PM, said:

I'm not usually one to complain about balance issues but after playing a few games in faction play I have to ask; How OP is the Clan really?

I had my ER laser Rifleman out sniped by a EBJ with four medlasers (if I'm correct in that clan med lasers is yellow.)

I had a Nova leg a completely fresh heavy (max armour on it of course) in ten seconds with only four MGs and a six SPLAS. In return I hit it with at least four 45 points alphas but it still had yellow armour when it killed me.

And don't get me started on defending boreal, where the only thing you see of the enemy is laser beams coming from the direction of the gates but by the time you crossed the open area by the cannon half your CT armour is gone.

The only time I've been on a winning team against clan was when the IS mechs managed to close within 200 meters to brawl without getting hurt first (as getting hurt usually means stripped of armour) while facing a PUG that couldn't find its butt with both hands.
Pugs that doesn't Leeroy Jenkins tend to cream you, not matter how organized your own team is.

I mean you usually can tell if you gonna get creamed or not before the match even loaded.

I've never noticed that clan was this OP in quickplay but then IS and Clan are usually evenly mixed between teams and tbh a lot of the pilots in quickplay is unorganized numbskulls with a Rambo complex which makes fights, if not easier then different.

So is it just me that managed to have an unusual bad luck when it comes to my first impressions in faction play or is the Clan really that OP compared to IS?

Clans are slightly underpowered right now, though not by a large margin. At least that's been my impression lately. Although in quick play the Kodiak-3 still feels extremely powerful even after the UAC/10 nerf.

What clans do have is range, which you mentioned already. Although having said that, there's a number of IS mechs that have range quirks that bring it almost in line with clan mechs. Basically, for FP, IS is slightly better but only if you focus on the current IS meta.

[Tarzilman]

Is there a way to refresh all the mini pics of your mechs in the mechlab at once, instead of editing and saving them one by one?

Edited by Tarzilman, 31 July 2016 - 04:09 PM.

[Tier5 Kerensky]

Chryckan, on 31 July 2016 - 02:21 PM, said:

I'm not usually one to complain about balance issues but after playing a few games in faction play I have to ask; How OP is the Clan really?

I had my ER laser Rifleman out sniped by a EBJ with four medlasers (if I'm correct in that clan med lasers is yellow.)

I had a Nova leg a completely fresh heavy (max armour on it of course) in ten seconds with only four MGs and a six SPLAS. In return I hit it with at least four 45 points alphas but it still had yellow armour when it killed me.

And don't get me started on defending boreal, where the only thing you see of the enemy is laser beams coming from the direction of the gates but by the time you crossed the open area by the cannon half your CT armour is gone.

The only time I've been on a winning team against clan was when the IS mechs managed to close within 200 meters to brawl without getting hurt first (as getting hurt usually means stripped of armour) while facing a PUG that couldn't find its butt with both hands.
Pugs that doesn't Leeroy Jenkins tend to cream you, not matter how organized your own team is.

I mean you usually can tell if you gonna get creamed or not before the match even loaded.

I've never noticed that clan was this OP in quickplay but then IS and Clan are usually evenly mixed between teams and tbh a lot of the pilots in quickplay is unorganized numbskulls with a Rambo complex which makes fights, if not easier then different.

So is it just me that managed to have an unusual bad luck when it comes to my first impressions in faction play or is the Clan really that OP compared to IS?

When you get into faction play and without being part of a larger, better unit, most of the time you will fight with "random pugs" againts such good units.

If you have chosen to play with IS you will see these good clan units, if you've chosen clan, you will see similiar IS teams. It's not a matter of mechs, it's a matter of skill and experience of players.

In quick play you will not constanly fight againts better teams, in faction play you will, until you join a better unit which of course requires you to be good enough to get accepted.

[p4r4g0n]

Chryckan, on 31 July 2016 - 02:21 PM, said:

-snip-
So is it just me that managed to have an unusual bad luck when it comes to my first impressions in faction play or is the Clan really that OP compared to IS?

Clan weapons have longer duration, torso twisting helps. Trying to out trade a Clanner with lasers at range is usually a bad idea btw.

In the example you provided, you were facing weapons that had a shorter duration than yours. Clan ERML 7 damage, 405m optimal, Wep duration 1.15 secs, IS ERLL 9 damage, 675m optimal, Wep duration 1.25 secs. Did he/she have range modules? Did you?

Even if all things were equal or slightly in your favour, I would assume he managed to spread or dodge more of your damage than you did with his.

Clan SPLs do 6 damage. 6X6=36. Max armour on your heavy was 56? So 2 full volleys on the leg, ignoring MG damage would take off the armour completely. Once that happens, 4 MGs are going to happily go crit seeking. Third volley would take out your internal structure. Disarm Novas fast next time ... also sounds like you were fighting it alone if it could focus on you like that.

Boreal is somewhat favourable to Clan. IS teams lose when they play the map in a way that favours Clan strengths.

To minimize chances of running into a 12 man, drop in the Attack queue instead of the Defend queue.

Edited by p4r4g0n, 31 July 2016 - 07:25 PM.

[Jingseng]

IMHO, they balanced too much... where the clan equipment was meant to be better by leaps and bounds (due to dedicated research, funding, focus, etc.) this is in many cases no longer true in game. For example, clan er ppc and IS er ppc have essentially the same stats (with the exception of tonnage and slots by 1 ea.). The clan erppc are meant to have better range, and do 15 damage, rather than 10 (according to source material). In many ways, IS mechs are as (and in some cases more) customizable than clan mechs, due to how omnipods are implemented. And, in a related manner, quirks give IS mechs much dore durability... but similar quirks are not found on clan mechs... meaning their durabilities are a lot closer than they were meant to be.

But in any event, as noted, the differences are far more likely due to coordination, skill, and playing time (grinding out money for modules and customization), even if there wasn't a rough parity.

[Jingseng]

Regarding Modules:

1. If I get a module from pre order for a skill I do not have unlocked, what is the result? (what level module do I get, is the module now unlocked, at what level, etc.)

2. If i purchase/install a module and then subsequently raise the level of that module, what is the result? (If i purchase range 2/5 for 3million, and later raise it to 3/5, 5/5... what happens to the module I already bought? Nothing? Scaled?)

3. What does AMS overload actually do? (it says raise damage... but uh...) Does it apply to both IS and Clan ams?

Tyvm