31 replies to this topic

[Vodage]

Oh, someone told you this game was free?

Alright. Let's get started.

Your First Account

1.) Don't get attached to the name on your first account. Attach it to some random e-mail address you made just for this game, and make it a name that you don't mind losing. Why? Because you will most likely waste your Cadet CB bonus on things you later realize you didn't want.

2.) Play a match in every trial mech. Do this to get an idea of how they handle. The ONLY things you should pay attention to while running a trial mech are its maneuveravility and survivability. Mech weapon loadouts can be changed, but most trial mechs are running near-full armor and near-max engine rating.

3.) Win a match in every trial mech, even the ones you don't like. This will help you get GXP bonuses which you can later use to unlock modules, assuming you don't make a wrong purchase and ruin your account.

4.) Pick ONE mech. Build it in the Smurfy mechlab (just google Smurfy, you'll find it), and look at the estimated CB cost. Remember that number, and use trial mechs until you have enough CB to build your ENTIRE loadout in one go. This is because mech stock loadouts are basically unplayable, and not worth using unless you're in a private match with others using stock mechs.

5.) Unlock all the Basic effeciencies for your one mech. USE MECH XP, NOT GXP. Though the game doesn't tell you this, your GXP gain rate is 10% of your mech XP gain rate. Save GXP for things that can only be purchased with it.

6.) Decide if you like the mech. If you don't, just log out and start over with a fresh account. Trying to modify something like engine rating or weapon systems will cost too much once your Cadet Bonus has worn off, and isn't worth your time.

Your First Mech

If you've made it this far, your Smurfy build must have worked to your liking. Great! You are absurdly lucky. You should probably buy lottery tickets instead of a clan pack. Anyway.

1.) Play Conquest or Assault, but never Skirmish. This is because Skirmish has the highest chance of keeping your mech stuck in "Deployed" mode after you die. Why? Because the last guy alive can hide and run down the timer. In the other two game modes, there is an alternate objective which ends the match before the timer runs out. Once you've got more than one mech, this is no longer a problem, as you can just leave the match and drop in your other mech, if you don't feel like waiting.

2.) Stay alive. Previously, you got a big bonus just for completing a match, and thus could "suicide farm" by rapidly dying and re-deploying in another mech. Now, your main CB income will be Kills, Assists, and Component Destruction (something that happens most often during a kill). Assist CB bonus is huge, but you must still be present in the match when the enemy mech dies to gain the assist bonus; doesn't matter if you're dead or alive as long as you haven't yet disconnected.

4.) Buy 2 more variants of your mech, and start leveling them. If you can, leave them in their stock loadouts, buy all the basic effeciencies, then sell them right back. This is incredibly hard to do. You will be tempted to start making loadouts on your variants, but it's not worth it in the long run, unless you plan on keeping that variant. When I say ONE mech I mean ONE mech, not one chassis. You should literally play on a single variant of a single mech if you want to minimize your grind.

5.) Finally, unlock all the "Elite" effeciencies for your first mech. This will apply an X2 multiplier to your basic effeciencies, which will put you on a level playing field with paying players.

---This entire process can be completed in a few days, if you stay focused and resist the temptation to waste currency changing your build. Remember, you are not dying because your build is bad. You are dying because your mech isn't leveled.---

Your Second Mech

1.) Repeat the process with another mech. This is CRUCIAL because it will allow you to farm the rest of your account more effeciently. As soon as you die, disconnect and queue for a match in your other mech. Do not swap engines back and forth. Buy two engines. You do not need to be present at the end of a match to gain currency from it.
^Edit: This suggestion is under some scrutiny, since I've learned you can gain assist bonuses while dead. If you don't like waiting around, though, and want to keep playing, this should work fine. You'd still get bonsues for the things you'd already earned in that match, you just can't gain any additional assists while dead IF you disconnect. Also, if your first mech has an XL engine, you can save Cbills by giving your second mech a Standard, assuming you've smurfy-crafted a build that works with one.

2.) Now that you've got 2 mechbays filled, the remaining 2 mechbays should be used to level your second mech, assuming you didn't keep a variant of your first.

3.) Prepare for a long grind on this one. Your cadet bonus is long gone, so planning in Smurfy will be a necessity.

Your Third/Fourth Mech

1.) This is where it gets really difficult. I would suggest opening a second account to try out the variant you want before you attempt to throw additional mechs on your main account. This is especially true for your Fourth, because To completely level a fourth mech on a free account, you must first buy the variants you don't want, level them, and sell them back, before finally buying the variant you do want. This is because you've only got a single mechbay left at this point.
_________________________________________________________________________

Protips


*Use TAG lasers, even on mechs without missle hardpoints. Got a spare energy hardpoint? Can't handle the heat of another laser? Throw a TAG on that bad boy! If you are TAGging an enemy, and they take missle damage, you get an assist bonus. This bonus applies right away (on damage, not kill) so long as the laser is still on the target when the enemy receives damage.

*Set a per-match CB goal for yourself. Mine is 100,000. On a free account, you need to play pretty well to acheive this. If you're an absolute all-star, you could set the goal higher. If you are earning less than 50,000 CB per match, imo you should just uninstall or pay, because the grind will take you too long.

*Unlock some basic colors with CB. Don't want to bust out the cash for a fancy camo pattern? No problem! By combining the basic colors, you can break up your figure a bit and put together a basic camouflage scheme for your mech. Imo very worth it, especially now that we have more ECM coverage in matches.

That's all for now

Edited by Vodage, 10 August 2014 - 11:19 PM.

[Alaskan Nobody]

On the whole good - if frequently more opinionated than strictly accurate
However this:

Vodage, on 19 June 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

Remember, you can't get assist bonuses while dead

Is not true.
More of my assists come after I have died than before.

[Pekiti]

As Shar said - you can get assist credit after you die, so long as you are still attending the match (spectating counts). This is easy to prove, too. Simply note how many Kill Assists, and Spotting Assists (etc) the screen shows when your mech is destroyed...then spectate until the end of the match and compare the results. I *never* leave a match early unless real life requires me to do so, or I had a complete fail match (died fast and early, without spotting or shooting anyone).

[Koniks]

Vodage, on 19 June 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

*Use the advanced sensor range module. Being able to target someone who can't target you is op. The module is cheap (relatively), and will allow you to get more "spot target" assist bonuses from farther away. You can also stack this with a Beagle Active Probe to acheive maximum possible sensor range. This would allow you to hold visual lock on a target beyond 1000m, the max range for LRMs.

Mostly good advice accept for what Shar notes above and this.

Being able to target mechs at the distances the Active Probe and the Adv. Sensor Range Module give you isn't especially useful. For the most part, if you can see it, you can shoot it. If you have weapons that can do effective damage past 750m (like ER Large Lasers, ERPPCs, or the Gauss Rifle, then Advanced Zoom is more useful).

You really only need those two if you plan on running LRMs as your primary weapon. In which case, the other module you want is Advanced Target Decay, which will help you keep targets locked while your volleys are en route.

Other modules you might consider instead for non-LRM loadouts:
Radar Deprivation--will instantly break missile lock when you get behind cover.

Advanced Seismic Sensor--useful if you run a mech that goes less than 100kph. When you stop, it will show any nearby enemy movement on your minimap.

Target Information Gathering--will speed up how quickly you acquire your target's paper doll. That can help you identify a weak spot to aim for faster.

Capture Accelerator--if you like playing Conquest or Assault, this will decrease the amount of time you have to spend on a cap. It stacks with other players' CA modules.

Weapon Range Modules--mostly ignore these unless you have every other module you could possibly want, no mechs to level up, and more GXP than you know what to do with.

[Vodage]

Thanks for the feedback. Didn't know that about assists-- but I still believe in sensor range module :-D

Additionally, sensor range allows you to see which components are damaged at a longer range (though there are slight visual cues to this as well)

Also, I would argue that AMS range is somewhat useful-- instead of heat being the tradeoff, you're more likely to run out of ammo since your AMS is more likely to shoot at missles not targeted at you. On the other hand, it would slightly increase the amount of missles shot down before they hit your mech.

Edited by Vodage, 19 June 2014 - 10:13 PM.

[Koniks]

Radar Deprivation is the superior anti-missile module. Especially since it's weight- and crit-less.

[Archie4Strings]

I would like to add a few things:

Now that MW:O is NOT a pay to win game, you should really consider to pay an amount of 10-15€/$ for premium time because it speeds up the farming of C-Bills pretty much!

MW:O is free to play. But cmon, think about it for a minute and face it. It will get boring after sometime if you dont pay any money for it. Farming of C-Bills is really slow. Especially if you dont have a Hero-Mech which gives you a 30%-C-Bill boost.
You will probably never have enough C-Bills to buy an assault mech, because it just takes really long! And doing this with just the 1 or 2 Mechs you have, you will deinstall the game faster than you think.

First i tried it without paying any money, than i payed a little for premium time, than again. Than i bought my first Hero, and now i already bought the Timberwolf ala Card. But:
All in all (there are always people who complain a lot,especially in competetive online games - balancing, and MWO is not that bad in it - i played a few others too) MWO is a great game. I play it now for 7 month (and in this time i played just MWO, no other game), so i can tell you, it is really fun and it is a really good game! (Btw, there were just 3 other games in my history of playing which i played for such a long time: Counterstrike, WoW and League of Legends)
So, why dont you spend a little money for it, just to get C-Bills faster, get that awesome new Mech you always wanted to have because it is the one which always kills you... etc...

Remember if you played probably WoW (how much money did you spend for that? around 10-15 bugs each month!) or when you bought probably GW 2 (which was 50 bugs...).

So, keeping the costs low is right, but playing it really without spending ANY money? You are gonna have a hard time, just because you will need to play soooooo many matches with the same Mech. That is not much fun at all after 2 weeks of playing (and probably failing because you are still fresh).

Just wanna say this. Yes it is free to play, but be prepared that it might get boring if you dont spend anything. It was the same for me. All in all i spend around 50€ so far, maybe a little more. but its ok, it is worth it for a game which i play almost at least 1-2 hours everday!

Edited by Archie4Strings, 19 June 2014 - 10:59 PM.

[Vodage]

That's off topic. This isn't a discussion of whether the game is P2W, or whether a player should put money into it. It's a guide for players who have decided not to.

[Roper Band]

OT: If you're reading this guide because you can't afford to purchase some in-game elements then it's time to get a (new/2nd) job.

This is a good guide for starting out though, I wasted a lot of CB and time when I first started.

Edited by Roper Band, 20 June 2014 - 06:48 AM.

[Tim East]

Another useful function of staying in matches until the end, you can witness and (hopefully) learn from other people's mistakes and successes. Or try and help your team by warning them of things you can see from the spectator screen, thus freeing up the person you're watching to just play. You should remember, if your team wins, you'll see a large increase in c-bills received. I'm pure f2p due to my current finances, but I nearly never leave a match early.

[Vodage]

Roper Band, on 20 June 2014 - 06:46 AM, said:

OT: If you're reading this guide because you can't afford to purchase some in-game elements then it's time to get a (new/2nd) job.

This is a good guide for starting out though, I wasted a lot of CB and time when I first started.

That is an incredibly inappropriate and insulting comment.
It is none of your damned business how I spend my money.

Tim East, on 20 June 2014 - 08:46 PM, said:

Another useful function of staying in matches until the end, you can witness and (hopefully) learn from other people's mistakes and successes. Or try and help your team by warning them of things you can see from the spectator screen, thus freeing up the person you're watching to just play. You should remember, if your team wins, you'll see a large increase in c-bills received. I'm pure f2p due to my current finances, but I nearly never leave a match early.

Hah! Never thought of that. I tab out and watch Netflix 'till the match completes, if I'm trying to wait. Otherwise, I disconnect immediately after death and drop in another mech

Edited by Vodage, 02 July 2014 - 08:49 PM.

[Davegt27]

[color=#222222]“3.) Win a match in every trial Mech, even the ones you don't like. This will help you get GXP bonuses which you can later use to unlock modules, assuming you don't make a wrong purchase and ruin your account.” [/color]

[color=#222222][/color]

[color=#222222]I am only understanding 80% of what you’re talking about, how does a wrong purchase ruin your account? I screwed up and bought a Jager now I don't want to buy anything else, also why if I bought a Jager for example even if I liked it would I want to buy 3 more jagers (this makes no sense to me) I actually have a ton of questions but I am trying to search them out before I ask[/color]

[Vodage]

You've got to read the whole post.

Making a wrong purchase ruins your account because you only get your cadet bonus once. Your cadet bonus is extra currency that you receive after your first 25 matches are completed.

I should actually bold the thing about leveling 'mechs, since it's very well-hidden ingame.

Basically, you've got these "skills", right? In your skill tree. There are effeciencies for your mechs. You are gaining XP which you need to place into those effeciencies. Once you get all of the "basic" effeciencies of THREE variants of a chassis, you unlock "elite" effeciencies. Unlocking all four "elite" effeciencies applies an X2 multiplier to your basic effeciencies.

So, from factory stock, you're now cooling off 15% faster, with a 20% increased heat threshold, you turn 20% faster, your torso moves 40% faster, your torso moves 40% farther horizontally, and your arms move 30% faster. There are a couple more I'm probably forgetting.

Keep in mind, that people can pay to "master" a mech right away, and get all their bonuses.

What this means, is that until you have gotten your mech mastered, experienced players are not beating you with experience; they are beating you with mech bonuses.

^Edited for political correctness

Edited by Vodage, 05 July 2014 - 10:57 AM.

[qki]

Hardly. The efficiencies don't make that much of a difference. They are good to have, and you should get them (by all means), but it doesn't mean you will get "beaten by money" until you unlock the elite/master skills.

[Vodage]

qki, on 05 July 2014 - 08:59 AM, said:

Hardly. The efficiencies don't make that much of a difference. They are good to have, and you should get them (by all means), but it doesn't mean you will get "beaten by money" until you unlock the elite/master skills.

Tell that to me next time you and a newbie are circling each other in identical mechs

[Tim East]

You can buy efficiencies? With RL money? Didn't realize that. I've been grinding them out the F2P way. Almost got my second crop of lights (Locusts) done.

[Ursh]

More of a guide for a beginner player, rather than a free to play, never gonna pay player.

Play for yourself, but don't be one of the cowards who refuses to engage unless none of the enemy are facing him. Learn that at some point in this game, you're going to need to shoot some mechs in the face. If you want to play a super fast light mech who just runs around shooting people in the back, please go play Hawken instead, as it's also free to play and will fit your twitchy COD playstyle much better.

If you enjoy the game, spend $15 one time and buy 10 mech bays. That way you'll be able to collect a more diverse array of chassis to suit your mood at any given time.

If you can't afford to pay $15 one time for this game, then how do you even afford a computer that can run it and the internet to connect with? The developers are on record saying the demographic for this game is 25-45 year old males with disposable income, although that certainly doesn't exclude women from playing. If you're able-bodied and at least 16, you can work a part time job.

[Tim East]

Lol, I won't say never going to pay, but I will say that the opportunity cost for paying fails to be worth it to me at the moment. I spent those 15 bucks so I could go to the local annual gaming convention and run tabletop Battletech. Plus I'd probably get a hero mech before I bought that many bays. Especially if they put out a Locust hero.

[The Dancing Joker]

I like the guide. It is exactly for what it is, a guide for free play. Free play does not exclude you from playing as a team either. Since TS3 can be hosted and used for free. Team play is where MWO really shines. 'Mechs can fall very fast under coordinated fire.

[Gremlich Johns]

I am glad that I am not as impatient as the majority of MWO players. I have yet to pay any money for anything beyond what I paid for Founder's, Phoenix and Sabre packages (I really wish I had not done the latter two, although I do enjoy the Thunderbolts). I still have my 20,000 Founder's MC and 103 mil c-bills (I don't play as often as most) with 48k GXP. Clan mechs not available for MC/C-bill purchase yet? I can wait a bit longer. I mostly pilot the HBK-4G(F), the Atlas D(F) and the Thunderbolts.