127 replies to this topic

[BLOOD WOLF]

Name Value MechWarrior Credits 894 Kills / Death 285 / 238 C-Bills 4,490,884 Experience Points 312,083 Wins / Losses 184 / 132 Kill / Death Ratio 1.20 Accumulative C-Bills Per Match 106,933.42 Avg. XP Per Match 987.60

[Amsro]

BLOOD WOLF, on 22 April 2014 - 12:49 PM, said:

no more Assault family reunions on the map.

That is less of a problem then newbs and veterans being piled into one match. The Elo buckets should help, we'll see.

[Creovex]

Just to make you feel better I had 4x 0-12 matches yesterday. You know what made me smile??? I averaged about 6 component and 4 spotting per match. I know we beat the hell out of them each time but they just didn't pop. Do I think we were out played or it was unfair? Not when I watched from spectator mode how almost all their mechs were missing limbs and looked like they had been through the grinder it validated my point to that the 0-12 was just another meaningless statistic but nowhere reflective of the carnage that really occurred and how close it really was.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Creovex, on 22 April 2014 - 04:07 PM, said:

it validated my point to that the 0-12 was just another meaningless statistic but nowhere reflective of the carnage that really occurred and how close it really was.

Nice to know I am not the only one experiencing those matches.

Hope you have your flame shield up though, the usual crowd already have their response to that programmed in and running.

[Amsro]

Creovex, on 22 April 2014 - 04:07 PM, said:

0-12 was just another meaningless statistic but nowhere reflective of the carnage that really occurred and how close it really was.

Shar Wolf, on 22 April 2014 - 04:37 PM, said:

Nice to know I am not the only one experiencing those matches.

Hope you have your flame shield up though, the usual crowd already have their response to that programmed in and running.

Since you have your flame suits on!

But on a serious note, going into a match and not getting a kill is EXTREMELY rare for me, if the enemy team is missing arms and limbs and nearly dead either one of 2 things happened;

The enemy is great and managed to torso twist and mitigate damage.

or

The allies suck at aiming and just mash the closest component while endlessly circling the mech with no variance in speed nor the awareness to shoot weakened areas.

I see lots of both. As well I do understand that once a couple on a team die the dominos tend to keep falling, hence the stomp. Perks of playing in PGI's phone booth maps!

[Alaskan Nobody]

Amsro, on 23 April 2014 - 06:37 AM, said:

Since you have your flame suits on!

But on a serious note, going into a match and not getting a kill is EXTREMELY rare for me, if the enemy team is missing arms and limbs and nearly dead either one of 2 things happened;

I usually have at least 3-4 assists, if not kills, but lately I have been one of the prime targets
(being a recognized name is not always fun and games)

Hard to get kills when you are the first one dead!
(has actually made my Dragons one of my better mechs - gotta play real cautious in those anyways)

[Mecheart]

OP, I as well am new--been in game for three months. First, do not give up. Second, from one new guy to another, you need to find a role on the battlefield, perfect it, and put it to deadly use. First couple of months in game I experimented with all mech weight classes, purchased several different mechs, ran them, sold them and bought more. Now at the end of this process (for now), I've begun to perfect two roles on the MWO battlefield--roles I am getting decent at--but more importantly, enjoy playing.

Once you too have found the role you enjoy playing most, the next thing to consider (among many aspects) is that being active at all times during a match can greatly aid your team in winning. In my opinion, being active includes (again, among many other variables) shooting enemy mechs in strategic parts of their anatomy (as opposed to "spray and pray"), choosing the most effective position within the friendly line, and repositioning as needed fluidly, using terrain, maintaining situational awareness--and, making kills/doing as much damage as possible.

Again, in my opinion, killing the enemy is a really big deal. I've noticed a pattern lately where even if the pug team I'm on is shaky, if I finish off just one or two of the enemy, it can make a world of difference (make it a closer score). Something I've learned is to rove within the second line always looking for enemy mechs that are damaged, stragglers, or those engaged and thereby distracted by other friendlies. When I discover such an enemy mech, I make every effort to reach and kill it.

Lastly, the roles I am enjoying are "finisher/light hunter" in elited Kintaros, and sniper/skirmisher in Dragons. Seems like if you find and dedicate yourself to a role or two, such could heighten you enjoyment of the game. A final thought, no matter the role you choose, nor the build of your mech, many times will arise when you must fill in other roles as battles evolve.

[unFearing]

Part of what you must understand (no you're not in trouble) is that the way matchmaker works is based on the W/L ratio of the pilots to calculate their ELO. While I suppose the players in your ELO must not be as great as in the higher levels, there remains the fact that ELO is for each weight class. If I cream the enemy for 20 games straight in a full meta build, then take out a joke build in another assault to play, Matchmaker thinks, because of my "skill" (calculated by W/L), that I'll do equally as well in a mech of the same weight class despite the different loadout. There is an undoubtedly vast void waiting for Role Warefare, and while I don't completely understand it, there will always be Brawler assaults and Sniper assaults. Matchmaker never knows what I'm taking, because it would have to somehow reasonably conclude based on my weaponry that I'm a Brawler or Sniper, and I'm certain PGI does not want to deal with determining what type of mech a person is piloting and having an individual ELO for each Role weight class.

You may have an Alpha lance premade on your team, but while they have a higher W/L average, you always have to be cautious of assuming anything about their skill level. The only thing you can always assume is that that you must always fight for yourself. Save a teammate, inform the team of what's happening, stick to the group, but the moment you are under fire, you need to torso twist and shield yourself, get behind cover, fire on the main threat (determining what this is will come with time), and live to fight another day or fight to live for a few seconds more. More often than not, the alpha lance premade is actually a group of 3-4 friends who want to play together for fun, which is exactly what this game is about. Of course, this encompasses running joke builds or trying out new strategies. You can't know what Alpha lance is up to until it's too late or if they are nice enough to inform you. Even if they have all Assaults, regardless of weight class, all you CAN assume is that the enemy team will score higher damage due to the nature of Assaults taking longer to die. Your friendly assaults might be pro and dominate, or be pro and not dominate because the pugs weren't helping, or be not pro and fail, or be not pro and succeed. It's almost impossible to have matchmaker know why a team wins or loses a game, because a lot of this game circulates around group mentality and coincidence. If enough of the group follows Alpha lance, then usually you win because of numbers - or do you? Perhaps alpha lance really was good... or maybe that 2 Man in Bravo or solo player in Charlie were the ones who knew how to take advantage of a charge (note: this does not mean necessarily mean leading the charge).

All in all, as much of a team game this is, and as much as PGI will or won't do to help improve that with VOIP and support weaponry balance, you really only have yourself to count on. Yes, I am going to tell you to find people to play with, and I am going to say you should befriend the strangers who seem to do well. Don't just see one person do 700+ dmg and friend them right away, because it might have just been a lucky game for them, or they were really good. At least consider watching them perform in a few more games before friending them, especially if you die early and they are on your team so you can spectate them. Striking up a conversation or throwing in a few compliments will be sure to put yourself on their radar, and when you feel comfortable with seeing them on your team or miserable when they are on the opposing team, then you know they are at least half decent, for your ELO bracket (the irony that I suggest using that for you to go off of heh). Playing with a pilot who consistently performs well (not necessarily just in the numbers game) will help you learn how to better utilize your mechs. From the skilled, you learn where to be in a Light, Medium, Heavy, or Assault, based on the nature of your mechs ability to move and lay down fire, and learn where to be in a Sniper, Brawler, Harasser, or Scout (Similar yet dissimilar at the same time). Yes, theoretically, all mechs can fill all roles, it's just that an XL400 or even STD400 Battlemaster or Banshee is not as effective as one geared towards utilizing that tonnage for weaponry / specializing in the weight class' forte.

So just know that: Matchmaker will never be perfect, 3/3/3/3 will at least tone down the maximum offensive potential (your DDC lance SHOULD have been able to waltz into the enemy.. if they walked together over a distance of sub 500 meters, but I'm fairly certain they all died alone or had bad builds or utilized them poorly or just died an unlucky death), joke builds will always surface from the bad players and good players, play for yourself - have an eye on your team, but fight and move in a manner that allows you the best strategic or firing position, and remember that this game is about fun for yourself. But you've got to find your own niche role and maximize your potential in that by playing with familiar faces, so when the opportunity occurs in a match, you'll be ready to hold your own or turn the tide.

Best of luck to you, pilot.