What's going to follow this is five, unvarnished, not-hand-picked matches, all run in the same mech, in this case, the GRF-1E (hero - Sparky). The goal here is to show, without any sort of picking and choosing, how matches run from the time you hit the play button until the time the credits roll. Sometimes, i'm going to do well - and sometimes I round the corner into the face of the assault lance.
My voice is awful, and I won't subject you to it. Rather, I'm going to put some commentary on each video here, just to point out some highlights, a few good ideas... and every time I make a terrible mistake as well.
Why me? I'm an average pilot (or maybe a little above? maybe? Y'all tell me!) who is hoping to start dissecting what happens in a fight and, maybe - just maybe - offer something to players hoping to get a little more out of their solo queue time. How can you make a difference? How can you maximize your contributions, especially in the solo queue?
More importantly - how does it all go wrong?
Anyway - i hope this series is helpful to you. Let me know if it is - if it's useful, I may do more!
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The mech in this series is the GRF-1E - the "Sparky" hero mech, a Griffon. The build for this mech is here: SPARKY
It is fully levelled, with all efficiencies unlocked.
Modules?
- Radar Deprivation
- Shock Absorbance
- Imp. Artillery Strike
- Cool Shot 9
- Med. Laser Range 5
- Med. Laser Cooldown 5
3:12 - Match Starts
4:17 - My first move on this map is to take my mech - which is usually on an edge - and move to the farthest lance of friendly mechs. This does two things: in a PUG, my lance tends to follow me, which bunches everyone together, and it usually means I'm running for the assault lance, which means that they'll be fully supported for the initial advance.
4:45 - After linking up with the assaults, I use the GRF's crazy jump to get to the high ground, and see what I can spot for our LRM boats. At this point, given my position, I'm already thinking I want to sweep along the right side, but without knowing where the enemy lances will be, it's suicide. Generally, though, they'll move to D4. I'm hoping to sort out where they'll put their firing line.
5:14 - I sweep to the right. I haven't seen much, but the assaults have hit the ramp; this will support them.
5:38 - I notice a lonely, lagging Atlas out of the corner of my eye. It's a good target... except that this is Assault, and he's still under turret coverage. However, I start considering a line on him.
5:50 - The point isn't actually to hit a target, but to put big green laser pointers aiming at it. This mech isn't visible to the rest of the team; if anyone's paying attention, they'll note something is that way.
6:05 - There are lots of mechs behind me, and not a lot of support. now I'm rejoining the team, looking for a better strike angle. Our turrets take fire - this generally means not that the enemy is pushing the base, but, rather, they've spread out and their advance elements are poking at us.
6:17 - My radar dep module saves me damage. I cross through the mesa looking for a place to engage the enemy's advance elements.
6:24 - My team finds a lonely stormcrow - I jump down to help, but don't do much. I realize that that Atlas has probably moved out of turret cover, and their team is strung out. I go see if I can sneak up on him.
7:00 - I run into a timberwolf. We skirmish. nobody wins anything - but he pulls back /away/ from his team.
7:10 - My atlas finds me, I start taking LRM fire. I skirmish with him, get into cover.
7:28 - I circle behind him, and start taking LRM fire from turrets. I'm too light to go toe to to with him /and/ a turret, so I drop my Arty strike, hit him once or twice, and run. An enemy clanner targets LRMS.
7:35 - I am again saved by my radar dep module.
7:48 - Still can't get an angle - head for the other front, near our base. Somewhere in here I see a red dorito for a hunchback, and angle to engage. my AMS helps out friendlies by wiping missiles.
8:11 - I realize that that Hunchback is in a protected spot, and my minimap (terrible in this resolution) shows that he's actually pursuing someone. I head for him to try to help.
8:38 - I save the battered Adder; I can't really claim the kill, but speed was good here.
8:41 - I link up with the Adder, and we push into the enemy lances from our position. I take the high road.
8:58 - With our lances now taking the hill, we encounter the enemy in force. However, they're strung out in a line; the adder and I start poking them at range. (note that between mech quirks and the range extender, the 1E's medium laser range is nearly 600m!) I play peekaboo on the mountain edge for a bit.
9:40 - The enemy splits, and its time to get stuck in. Here we go!
10:00 - Time to flank - using JJ, head for the hill to come in from an unexpected angle. Oh, look - it's my Atlas!
... don't ask me about the UAV shot. I don't know.
10:39 - The stalker's got a bead on me. Time to go poke him.
11:00 -- Oo. his shoulders are open!
11:22 - I'm proud of this moment: he knows where I am, and he outguns me. I wait, he fires his big weapons at another target, which means a great moment to pop out and smack him.
11:31 - ... and he's got an XL engine! Get oriented now on the last enemies; they've got to be near the base.
11:50 - Friendly targets are shooting downrange, but nobody's targetting anything. I dont' know where he is, only that there's a target there. Worse, I don't know /what/ he is, or where he's damaged. Bad teammates. Bad bad teammates.
12:00 - I see him, but can't get a target, and now my CT is open. This ain't working. Change angles to take on a turret, open things up a bit, but there's not much point.
12:20 - I focus on the turret blocking the way, but the TBR pops out and puts me into the danger zone. On the flip side - I know where he is! Into cover and time to flank.
13:09 - Moved in on the last mech, and eat a friendly-fire gauss shot to the back. Ouch.
Win! 445 Dmg, 3 kills, 7 assists. 132k cbills (without premium), 1045xp. Spent 40k on consumables this match.
Edited by JonahGrimm, 13 November 2014 - 07:12 AM.