11 replies to this topic

[Undercover Brother]

I know this has been said a million times, but it's well worth repeating to new players.

This is NOT "Call of Duty". This is NOT "Battlefield". There aren't any respawns.

You CAN'T JUST RUSH IN.

Rushing in, especially by yourself, will only end with you dead, and your team angry.
We WANT new players to come in, and learn the game, and ENJOY it. You can't do that if you're dead within 2 minutes of starting a match. It's easy to tell which ones of you don't listen to this simple advice. You're the biggest complainers on the forums. You WANT to have fun, but you feel like everyone is out to "get you" and you have a huge target on you. Unfortunately, you own actions in the field MAKE you a target.

If you want to learn, and you want to survive, FOLLOW YOUR TEAM. If you're new, and you find yourself rushing off with just 2 other mechs, then you are with the WRONG teammates. Thy are likely just as green as you.

If you want to really learn, stay close to an Assault mech (and PLEASE don't grab an Assault yourself), and cover his/her ass. Covering Assaults (take AMS) teaches you how to deal with the peskiest of enemies. They will come try to tear up your buddy's rear torso, so you need to be glue to that big fat ass. Honestly, even stock training mechs can cover Atlas asses. If you get good at covering Assault asses, then you're ready to branch out a bit.

Now that you have some confidence, start playing with your loadouts. "Boating", or taking a ton of 1 type of weapon, may net you kills, but covering all ranges with a variety of weapons will teach you better control. That, and you wont find yourself in Canyon with only ranged weapons, or on Alpine with only SRMs. Try heading off in groups. Learn to FLANK. Effective flanking can cause chaos in the enemy lines, or maybe even allow you to steamroll enemies. The "rolling death-ball", where your whole team travels together,is only really effective if you're on comms which, being new, you most likely aren't on. Learn how different tactics work against different Mech types, and on different maps.

Now, you're ready to really play...Right? Well... Have you played around a bit on Smurfy? Use the Smurfy Mechlab to save quite a bit of C-bills playing around. Once you've got something built that you think you can play with, take it for a spin in the simulator. These mechs are static, and are all stock builds, but playing with your weapons killing these (and doing some recon on the maps), you can learn how different weapons effect different places on different mechs. For instance, the hitboxes on Awesomes make them especially susceptible to PPCs and Gauss Rifles. Catapults, Stalkers, and Cataphracts are EASILY taken down with LRMs. Atlases and Banshees are easiest to hurt when you're in a light mech, so close that the pilot can't even see you. Mechs that I recommend for new players are Shadowhawks,Thunderbolts, Hunchbacks, Centurions, and MAYBE a Victor (or the Clan Summoners or Novas). If you think you'll like being a speed-freak light pilot, the Raven (and the Clan Kit Fox) are the most forgiving (although the Kit Fox plays more like a medium mech).

NOW, you're ready to play. Come join the rest of us. We NEED you in the fight.

[Sadist Cain]

Agreed on all parts except for the murder balls tactic.
Tis well and truly a dead ideal and pugs suffer because of it these days, the only thing worse than it is the guy who dies after doing 75 damage "because" a scout separated from the pack to... scout

STAY WITH YOUR LANCE

3 groups of four within a few hundred metres of each other is miles more effective than a single blob of twelve.
everyone is much more able to reposition if under fire.
Easier as a newb to coordinate with your lance.
Flanking & supporting fire can actually happen.
Murderballs are stupid and will always chase the rabbit, nothing more fun than surrounding them after they believe two mechs must be the whole of the other team.
it's far easier to spot and recognise when a lancemate is in trouble.

Be a part of the green machine, not another smurf

Edited by Sadist Cain, 19 September 2014 - 11:09 PM.

[Ertur]

Well, you can do well in a Leeeeeeeeeeroy rush, but only if there's 11 other people with you shooting the same targets.
That's actually pretty effective.
When it works.
Less so otherwise.

[dragnier1]

An opinion that might differ greatly from the rest:

Good decision making.

[Redshift2k5]

dragnier1, on 20 September 2014 - 05:18 AM, said:

An opinion that might differ greatly from the rest:

Good decision making.

Truly new players will lack the information to make an informed decision. They are better off sticking to a bigger teammate until they are more comfortable with the game and their own performance.

Being too cautious is just as bad as being too brazen, but at least being too cautious gives you time to look and learn and hopefully not get blown up in 30 seconds and ragequit forever,

Edited by Redshift2k5, 20 September 2014 - 07:58 AM.

[Koniving]

Oh look a penny!


Patience is a virtue. Huddling is life, but... life comes at a cost when the huddle is too bunched up. Usually the lives of others. In this case, a Cicada wasn't moving so the Battlemaster was stuck, under heavy fire. The Cicada was too short to be shot at and not paying attention.

Welcome to the club. Staying close. Good. Too close, not good.

That said... If you know what you're doing (though chances are if you're reading this then you probably don't just yet), it's very possible to solo it up and do really good even in a group queue.

Spoiler

In this match I used a Victor with 3 streaks, 2 ML, 1 LBX and 1 AC/5. The build is designed for thermal indurance. Just enough speed to get by, minimal jumpjets. It works quite well. My team mate was able to catch up as I got to the last 3. I was afraid if I waited that I would be spotted and lose the element of surprise.


The notion here was to get behind the enemy force that was engaging mine. Quite easy I might add, all their attention was on the group of my allies that stayed together, practically pinning them down to the point that neither side could actually function.
From there, I unloaded on an Atlas first. Immediately moved on to fight a Timber Wolf that was supporting the Atlas. Then a Nova. Next up was an AC/40 Jagermech that nearly killed me. After that was a panicking Jagermech with Gauss Rifles and 4 medium lasers.



Similar examples.
Heavy Metal versus assaults, heavies and mediums.
Heavy Metal versus heavies, mediums and lights.

As said above me though. Better to be too cautious than too brazen. Still, neither is terribly good. Try to keep about 100 meters minimum (they need room to move) and maybe no more than 500 meters between yourself and other mechs in your lance.

Edited by Koniving, 20 September 2014 - 08:00 AM.

[Sadist Cain]

Koniving, on 20 September 2014 - 07:58 AM, said:

Oh look a penny!


Patience is a virtue. Huddling is life, but... life comes at a cost when the huddle is too bunched up. Usually the lives of others. In this case, a Cicada wasn't moving so the Battlemaster was stuck, under heavy fire. The Cicada was too short to be shot at and not paying attention.

Welcome to the club. Staying close. Good. Too close, not good.

That said... If you know what you're doing (though chances are if you're reading this then you probably don't just yet), it's very possible to solo it up and do really good even in a group queue.

Spoiler

In this match I used a Victor with 3 streaks, 2 ML, 1 LBX and 1 AC/5. The build is designed for thermal indurance. Just enough speed to get by, minimal jumpjets. It works quite well. My team mate was able to catch up as I got to the last 3. I was afraid if I waited that I would be spotted and lose the element of surprise.


The notion here was to get behind the enemy force that was engaging mine. Quite easy I might add, all their attention was on the group of my allies that stayed together, practically pinning them down to the point that neither side could actually function.
From there, I unloaded on an Atlas first. Immediately moved on to fight a Timber Wolf that was supporting the Atlas. Then a Nova. Next up was an AC/40 Jagermech that nearly killed me. After that was a panicking Jagermech with Gauss Rifles and 4 medium lasers.



Similar examples.
Heavy Metal versus assaults, heavies and mediums.
Heavy Metal versus heavies, mediums and lights.

As said above me though. Better to be too cautious than too brazen. Still, neither is terribly good. Try to keep about 100 meters minimum (they need room to move) and maybe no more than 500 meters between yourself and other mechs in your lance.

Spoken so very truly.

I still giggle when I'm in a game on caustic where people cluster up on a side of the volcano caldera and you're able to go the opposite way almost everytime to meet 12 'mechs with their backs to you, it's beautiful... and crushing when you're lance wasn't good enough to take heed of the idea of having a poke and aren't there with you...

One must confess, when I find myself in that kind of situation I can't help myself and the brazen comes out I'm happy taking one or two with me and going down in a ball of flame. At least that one or two may actually realise the err of the blob next time and people will use the maps more openly.

Hell if there happened to be a lance prepared for a flank that'd be a helluva thing.

Edited by Sadist Cain, 20 September 2014 - 10:04 AM.

[RazorbeastFXK3]

Ahyup.. patience, planning and preparedness.

Patience: Not just rushing into the thick of battle without having reinforcements. So many times I've seen the command come over the text channel "EVERYONE RUSH THE BASE!" then the lone ranger dies and cries out "WHY DIDN'T ANYONE FOLLOW ME? YOU LOSERS!" 'cause they believe their word is dripping with gold and everyone wants a piece of the action when the rest of the team has other ideas of winning the match..

Planning: Having a good (if not decent at least) idea of what over half the team wants to do and following suit. One too many times I'll see someone call out "I HAS LRMS LOCK TARGETS!!!" only to witness them park right next to the doorway to where the enemies may be instead of holding back at about 500m so they can effectively use their launchers without getting poptarted.

Preparedness: Know what you have in your team and don't leave your assaults behind to get picked off from the rear. (I've been guilty of doing that but I've also been on the receiving end running 65kph, being left behind only to get taken out by a flanking enemy lance). Keep in mind that your missiles don't work like lasers do so if they say they only go 270m they will self-detonate upon reaching 270m travel.

And please.. as Koniving mentioned earlier.. don't park right ontop of your mates 'cause if they need to retreat from danger and you're blocking them, they'll start humping you which causes damage to your mech and theirs, they might get killed in the process or they may just lose their cool and start blasting away at you.

[Sadist Cain]

RazorbeastFXK3, on 20 September 2014 - 10:36 AM, said:

Ahyup.. patience, planning and preparedness.

Patience: Not just rushing into the thick of battle without having reinforcements. So many times I've seen the command come over the text channel "EVERYONE RUSH THE BASE!" then the lone ranger dies and cries out "WHY DIDN'T ANYONE FOLLOW ME? YOU LOSERS!" 'cause they believe their word is dripping with gold and everyone wants a piece of the action when the rest of the team has other ideas of winning the match..

Planning: Having a good (if not decent at least) idea of what over half the team wants to do and following suit. One too many times I'll see someone call out "I HAS LRMS LOCK TARGETS!!!" only to witness them park right next to the doorway to where the enemies may be instead of holding back at about 500m so they can effectively use their launchers without getting poptarted.

Preparedness: Know what you have in your team and don't leave your assaults behind to get picked off from the rear. (I've been guilty of doing that but I've also been on the receiving end running 65kph, being left behind only to get taken out by a flanking enemy lance). Keep in mind that your missiles don't work like lasers do so if they say they only go 270m they will self-detonate upon reaching 270m travel.

And please.. as Koniving mentioned earlier.. don't park right ontop of your mates 'cause if they need to retreat from danger and you're blocking them, they'll start humping you which causes damage to your mech and theirs, they might get killed in the process or they may just lose their cool and start blasting away at you.

hehehe Cultural difference in acronyms are always a giggle...

Prior
Preparation &
Planning
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

That's how we do it in the UK

[Ertur]

Stateside,too.

[L Y N X]

Sadist Cain, on 19 September 2014 - 11:05 PM, said:

Agreed on all parts except for the murder balls tactic.
Tis well and truly a dead ideal and pugs suffer because of it these days, the only thing worse than it is the guy who dies after doing 75 damage "because" a scout separated from the pack to... scout

STAY WITH YOUR LANCE

3 groups of four within a few hundred metres of each other is miles more effective than a single blob of twelve.
everyone is much more able to reposition if under fire.
Easier as a newb to coordinate with your lance.
Flanking & supporting fire can actually happen.
Murderballs are stupid and will always chase the rabbit, nothing more fun than surrounding them after they believe two mechs must be the whole of the other team.
it's far easier to spot and recognise when a lancemate is in trouble.

Be a part of the green machine, not another smurf

QFT... When you blob up like a school of fish you are simply asking to be surrounded and chewed up. Try instead to group up and form a firing line perpendicular to the threat. If you can do that then begin work the flanks of that firing line if you are in a quick mech or a low profile mech.

Edited by 7ynx, 20 September 2014 - 12:27 PM.

[JigglyMoobs]

Ertur, on 19 September 2014 - 11:10 PM, said:

Well, you can do well in a Leeeeeeeeeeroy rush, but only if there's 11 other people with you shooting the same targets.
That's actually pretty effective.
When it works.

As a certain NGNG host was reminded of a while back:

http://www.twitch.tv/ngngtv/c/4637118

That was a funny stream day.

Edited by JigglyMoobs, 20 September 2014 - 04:08 PM.