57 replies to this topic

[stuh42l]

So I am new to MWO but have been engrossed in the BT universe since my mother bought me the box set decades ago. Therefore I know the general roles, stratagies and whatnot for the tt game but obviously things are different for MWO. I need some advice on where to go and what to grind for after day one.

First I will describe my playstyle and what I find fun.

I enjoy skirmishing roles. I like being the first to recon the enemy for my team. I like getting the first barrage off on an enemy and then disappearing quickly to continually flex to other parts of the battlefield. I never want to "fight fair" but rather always be flanking or sniping and the withdrawing as soon as guns turn my way. I like to scouct around and ambush slow wounded targets. I like playing light tanks in WoT even at max tier.

So i spent my cadet cash on a raven 3l. I like it but i assumed it would have a faster engine and the engine i want costs as much as the mech did. I feel too slow and im comparing this to my playing of the trial firestarter which I love. Also i want jj.

I also have loved the phoenix and wolverine mechs since I was 8 and would love playing with the wolverine since there doesnt appear to be a Phoenix. As it stands I only have about 1 mil cbills and at most can play for an hour a night. Should I grind for the raven engine? Would a wolverine fit my playstyle? Mediums as fast as lights have always been my go-to in battletech games.

I have also been toying with the idea of making a new account to better spend my initial cash if I screwed up too badly.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[muskrat]

Salute Stuh421
I would use this build while you grind:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0d584c5a5c2f0c2

2 firing tic's
tic 1 - Large Laser
tic 2 - med laser'

Stay with your team and provide ECM cover, shoot what they shoot

I am hearing you do not like the Raven, So use the grind for a mech of choice.
Use Smurfy's to test out builds on mechs you would prefer to use.
Check Shadow Hawks, Wolverines, Griffins, all good for the play style you mention
my preference is the Shadow Hawks, great all around mech's because of the various builds you can use them for.

If you decide to redue the Raven, grind for Endo Steel first, it will give you extra tonnage that you can use for WPN's
Second, Double Heat sinks, this will cool you better, Then go for The XLEngine, -- Hint here, use Smurfy's to find a
Mech that comes standard with the XL engine, to do this select the mech then check "standard load out" you can
pick up an extra mech with the XL for just a tad more than the engine itself

Example: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...1356189066aaf1c

or : http://mwo.smurfy-ne...58d9470ca3c66bd



Stay in touch, ask questions the community is here to help you

if you would like I can send you build example's for mechs that you think you would like, I tend to be an in your face brawler.

Edit: WELCOME TO MWO

Bow
Muskrat

Edited by muskrat, 24 November 2014 - 12:53 PM.

[xeromynd]

If you've got the money to invest a tiny bit into this game (which is keeping Battletech alive imo) I'd highly recommend you look into picking up either the Ember, Sparky, or the Gray Death, seems like all are mechs you would enjoy. They give a 30% CBill boost per match when playing them, which makes the grind much easier. MC (the in-game currency) will most likely be on sale Black Friday, which is a perfect time to pick up one of these hero mechs. A stretch though: the Timberwolf might be a good mech also if you like decently fast hit-and-run mechs.

Stuff you'll probably like:
-Jenners (Pack on the lasers and JJ)
-Cicada (A medium that wants to be a light)
-Firestarters (Very popular, packs a punch, lasers and JJ, or quad MGs)
-Ice Ferret (Clan medium, more $$$ but wicked fast for a medium)
-Wolverine (Well because you said so)
-Centurions (Also popular choice, decently fast, good shielding potential, and packs a punch)
-Timberwolf (Clan heavy, currently the best mech in the game, fast for a heavy, packs a whallop)


If you step back and look at the scope of how long you think you might play this game, starting a new account might be a bit more of a hassle than it's worth. If you end up loving the game and playing a lot, it won't make that big of a difference how you spent your cadet bonus or not. You already have GXP and MXP that you've earned on this account, and by now the matchmaker has probably learned your ELO (supposedly) That was my thought process at least, back when I considered doing the same thing starting out, after I'd purchased a very weak and under-armored Jagermech.

Edited by xeromynd, 24 November 2014 - 12:47 PM.

[MadLibrarian]

In the beginning I think the most important thing is to get something cheap enough and effective enough that you can grind decent cbills while you learn. The 3L is a really popular sniper mech, and you can have plenty of success this way, even early. Toss ECM and 2LL on it then just make sure you get a hit on every enemy you can.

First match of the day will get you double xp, so try and play that match especially well. With the new rewards, you get bonuses for staying near heavies and assaults and also the surviving members of your lance. You can stack up hit and run and flanking bonuses if your trying. In the beginning these will help a lot.

In general it seems more important to get 3 variants of a mech so you can elite at least one of them quickly. In the beginning the effect of modules and engines are insignificant compared to getting your skill tree completed. This will increase the mech's abilities greatly once doubled. Once you get 3 variants to basic, pick the one you like, probably the 3L in this case, and then start grinding xp and c-bills for the engine or maybe your next mech. This way you'll get good results as soon as you can, without much waste.

I don't think you've necessarily screwed your account yet, but starting a new account with something you like better can always be done. Be glad you didn't try an assault first, as they are way too expensive to be practical for new accounts. Shadowhawks and Jagermechs make pretty good starters. I'm sure others will have different opinions though. Another option might be Trebuchet's because they are pretty flexible with their loadouts, there's one for everything, and in general they are fast, xl friendly, and some have JJs too. Also, the hero is awesome, so if you like them, the tbt-lg can help you gain cbills faster.

[stuh42l]

Thanks so far guys. I had looked at some of the hero mechs since they seemed a good way to grind but wisdom that i read was to wait for a sale, plus i didn't see a wolverine hero. I don't mind putting a little into this game but chafe a bit at using real money too by things that are acquired without it. So hero's seem like a good idea.

I should reiterate. I would love the raven of it was close3to the firestarter trial speed. As out is now it's40. kph slower. I have es, dhs, and ff in it already with 2 erll or 3med and 2ssrm2 load outs to try.

Would jumping to a fast medium be better for my fun to time ratio out would getting a faster enginengine that i could use in the medium later be better?


As far as the general learning curve i essential absorbed bullets for my first 20 matches. I got an lrm spam kill testing out the catapult. Now at40 matches in i average about 0.8 kills and 4 assists with 150 to 200 damage in the firestarter. Almost all the kills are me picking of wounded survivors. In the raven i provide the ecm bubble And when the lines crash i flip the ecm counter mode to help our team. I think i could do so much more if i could go a bit faster.

[The Trumpet of Gabriel]

The raven runs the same speed as the firestarter with the same engine. I know it's expensive, but the xl295(max engine for FS and RVN) is usually the best way to go for both chassis. If you own the firestarter you can share it's engine with your raven. Also if you want to get the most out of any mech you will want 3 of each chassis so you can unlock the elite and mastery skills. If you want to go even faster there's always the commando and locust, but I personally wouldn't recommend them to a new player.

[stuh42l]

So the trial firestarter has that 295? I think it's like 4million. Would that engine be an upgrade to the wolverine if it can even mount the engine? I am not clear on the engine mounting rules in mwo. In the tt there are only3 to 6 engine sizes most tonnages could muster.

[Alaskan Nobody]

stuh42l, on 24 November 2014 - 01:56 PM, said:

So the trial firestarter has that 295? I think it's like 4million. Would that engine be an upgrade to the wolverine if it can even mount the engine? I am not clear on the engine mounting rules in mwo. In the tt there are only3 to 6 engine sizes most tonnages could muster.

In TT engines were based on the weight of the mech (so a 50 tonner could have the 50, 100, 150, 200, and so on, while a 75 tonner would have the 75, 150, 225, 300, and so on)

In this game, every mech can mount the lowest engine size (100 grade currently) up to another size based on their stock engine and their weight. (with some tweaks to help keep things balanced)

Smurfy lists off what engines each mech can mount (might have to scroll down past the list of whats on sale)

[Revorn]

Well, the Wolvenine can fitt in an XL 295 well. You should be able to go around 96 K/ph /with Speedtweak, with that Engine.

Wolverines can go upt to an XL 360 wich gives them an Speed of 116 K/ph /with Speedtweak.

The Wolverines can be piloted they way you describe, Build in a Gauss or ER-Largelaser and you have the Range and can play the Harass and Dodge Game

But not the, "iam the first who Spots and Fire".Because, even with max speed your Way slower then any IS-Ligth. As a Medium you will mostly try to avoid, being the First in Enemy Sigth. Being an Secondline Mech and be missjudged for your Firepower, is Part of your Medium-Mech Surviving Techniques.

Per your description, i guess your are better with an Ligth Mech. But a Wolverine can be an rewarding Mech for you as well.

One Thing to Mention, having the main or only Weapons, fitted into the rigth Arm is playable, but as soon, as you reach an ELO Level, where PPL start to aim for an Arm and being able to hitt it, it can become pretty hard .

Edited by Revorn, 24 November 2014 - 03:16 PM.

[3xnihilo]

If you are ok spending some real money I would recommend the firestarter mastery pack. Gets you the ember the champion firestarter and I think the H variant with the mechbays (and maybe a little premium time?). The champion comes with the xl295 that would make your raven what you want. Also one of the cbill variant shadowhawks comes with an xl275 which would be decent for the raven as well. But I am not sure a shadowhawk is a great fit for your described play style.

Edited by 3xnihilo, 24 November 2014 - 03:10 PM.

[Nick Makiaveli]

Since no one else has mentioned it (that I saw) I would like to say there is nothing wrong with starting a new account. No rule against it, and many people do once they get a feel for the game or decide they want to go another route.

Also nothing says you have to abandon this acct in favor that one. Start a new one, buy a medium and see what happens...you can either come back to this one, or even start another one.

I know what its' like to have limited play time, you measure it in days/weeks rather than hours played or matches played. But if you are like the rest of us and play for years, getting off to a good start is worth a retry or two.

[Ryokens leap]

Hey OP, are you aware of the skill tree? There are 3 levels of efficiency that are unlocked with the xp u gain in game. Three variants of the same chassis are required to max out efficiency. Most notable is the Speed Tweak and double basics that really make the chassis shine. I only mention this because i see so many new players with a single type of many different chassis that are unmastered and under performing. Try out trial mechs until u choose one that fits ur play style and work towards buying 2 more ( a hero variant is a good choice) and level them up. In ur case 2 more Ravens are needed. GLHF.

Edited by Ryokens leap, 24 November 2014 - 05:27 PM.

[Gauvan]

Welcome.

The trial mechs are 'Champion' mechs and come fully kitted out with the best gear. The mechs you buy for C-Bills are usually under equipped out of the store and will need an investment to be competitive. This is particularly the case with light mechs--you can count on spending about 10 million per light mech before it’s fully configured. Now you can still play with them but they will be somewhat hindered to start with.

All mechs basically require double heat sinks. You should go ahead and add 1.5 million to the C-Bill price when budgeting for mechs. On some mechs, such as assaults, that might be the only upgrade other than weapons you will want. Of course assaults are more expensive so you are back at 10 million per mech. Mediums and Heavies can actually end up cheaper than lights and if there is a medium or heavy you like that would be where I’d suggest you start--you can get the three you need to skill up the chassis more cheaply and start earning C-Bills.

Now, what I’ve said above is just for IS mechs. Clan mechs are very expensive in C-Bills but basically come fully kitted out.

So as a new player I’d agree that spending plenty of time in trial mechs is a pretty good idea while you save up for your first three mechs. The XP you earn on trials will be saved if you ever buy a copy of that mech.

While you are just getting started, you may want to consider the Mastery packs available in the store for real world money. They are a little pricey but come with a Hero, a Champion and a regular version of the mech and 30 days of premium time and some cockpit stuff if that’s your thing, all at a 50% discount. You can earn a lot of that with C-Bills but if you are looking to bootstrap yourself they might be a good idea. In years past PGI has run a discount on MC over the holidays and I think there is some kind of Karma Koin based discount as well if you search the forums.

[stuh42l]

Thanks for the tips guys I really appreciate them. I was aware there are skills but not much beyond their existence.

Tbh I love light mech play so far. The firestarter i seem to do better with than the jenner in trials So off course that Its what i like. I picked the raven to buy due to the ecm thinking lack of jj was worth the middle protection.

The Raven being stuck below 100 kph makes it feel like a medium and i feel too exposed so i need that engine. I hadn't thought of the firestarter mastery pack. Is that just 3 mechs and the bay space? With skills are you saying that i can get basic skills in the mech but nothing higher till i collect them all? Are the universal skills capped the same way?

Sorry for so many questions. This community is about200 x better than the wot one. I pretty much wuit that game due to stat mongers acting like spoiled5year olds. I've made some HORRIBLE mistakes in my first 40 games and haven't been chided once so it shows both in game and out.

To be honest the wolverine is a desire for me due mostly to the nostalgia of having always been stuck with him in my childhood days. Jumping his little plastic butt in a hill to fire away worth the puny ac5at my friends warhammer. ;-)

If i had. her i would want to play the skulk around and ambush enemies already engaged in a fight and hopefully also carry a gun for range. Just enough speed to bug out if i chose a poor engagement and just enough toughness to survive light brawls with wounded and crippled heavies. I also enjoy covering flanks for the main effort and out flanking the enemy at their own game if we pull ahead.

I have seen a disparate range of opinions on the wolverine on the forums so i wanted to know if that would support my intended style.

Again sorry for the questions but this game looks like a long trek up the mountains and i don't want to take too many wrong turns.

[Molossian Dog]

stuh42l, on 24 November 2014 - 12:09 PM, said:

...I have also been toying with the idea of making a new account to better spend my initial cash if I screwed up too badly.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Do that. It might sound harsh, but the grind is awful for a new player.

Also get used that the roles of Mechs you know from the TT are completely different in this game.

Random example: The Awesome is about the most squishy of all assault Mechs. Sad, I know. Very sad. But that´s how it is.

[LT. HARDCASE]

stuh42l, on 24 November 2014 - 04:21 PM, said:

Thanks for the tips guys I really appreciate them. I was aware there are skills but not much beyond their existence.

Tbh I love light mech play so far. The firestarter i seem to do better with than the jenner in trials So off course that Its what i like. I picked the raven to buy due to the ecm thinking lack of jj was worth the middle protection.

The Raven being stuck below 100 kph makes it feel like a medium and i feel too exposed so i need that engine. I hadn't thought of the firestarter mastery pack. Is that just 3 mechs and the bay space? With skills are you saying that i can get basic skills in the mech but nothing higher till i collect them all? Are the universal skills capped the same way?
turns.

Here is how skills work, the first time through:

You always have to fully Basic three mechs of the same chassis to unlock Elites.
Then you have to Elite all three to unlock the Master slot.
Once you've fully unlocked Elites on three chassis of the same weight class, you now only have to Basic three mechs of the same chassis to unlock Master for that chassis. Meaning, you could just basic 3, sell the two you don't want, then you can take the 1 you kept all the way through Elite and Master.

About XLs, yeah they cost a ton, which is why you usually try to buy one you can use on all three mechs.

If you go mediums, the Shadowhawk 5M, Griffin 3M, and Wolverine 7K all come with the XL275, which you can then use on every other medium you buy, until you can afford the bigger XLs.

[InspectorG]

I would recommend starting a new account(i did when i started) and using the Firestarter series. They make good flankers/skirmishers.
Raven 3L is a good sniper but sniping in MWO, in the average users hands, is far from optimal. The only units who can frequently one-shot-kill are the heavier/slower ones.

With light mechs in MWO, they start with stock Battletech engines, which are 'fast' for tabletop but are slow for on online fps.
Thus lights tend to be more expensive after the needed upgrades(xl engine and endo and double heat sinks in all)

As far as the

They are one-trick-ponies...though some of those tricks are VERY fun.
I run the Wubverine, i can get 500+ damage games regularly. But...
Lose that arm and you are useless. You need to be very cognizant about positioning and angling away from enemies shooting your Right Hand of God. You really want to hang with the assaults and support them, because they will generally be targeted before you...
The SRM brawler Wolverine is likely the best one. Havent tried the AC5 one yet.

[3xnihilo]

OP just because it sounds like you like to pilot lights (my favorite class) I am going to disagree with a couple people whom I really respect. Don't start a new account unless you really feel like his initial grind is more than you can bear. My reason is if you take up lights you will end up with the raven 3l eventually. Plus if you ever take the plunge to commandos the xl 210 you now have is a great engine for them. If I were in your shoes I would grind out for the xl295 it will make a world of difference for you. Just keep running trials if the raven is too hard. Or buy the firestarter mastery pack. (If you start down the road with Firestarters you will end up wih an ember eventually). But to back track there is nothing wrong with new accounts so take me with a grain of salt

[Revorn]

Your welcome with all your Questions, even our Forumtrolls, wich can sometimes be a bit rough in the General Section, have an Heart of Gold, and jumping in, if someone wants some Tipps.


The 2 Ac5 Wulvie, has a nice Rate of Fire. Every Ac 2 would like to have that one, if you fire in Chain-Mode In Fact its an fast-fire AC10 with an decent Range. But...

the Ammunition is a bit low, oki you can go lower Engine, and no Jumpjets for more Ammo. It can perform well, if you know the one Arm all Out Game.

I think the Wolvie can support your Playstyle, as you described it in the later Post, Well its a Medium-Mech and needs some Training, But after that, it can do its Job.

[JC Daxion]

If i were you... and you think you will like ravens,, grind out a new mech, that has an XL engine.. While many people say, get the 295, I find an XL-280 is a perfect fit in a raven.. combined with a pair of ML's and pair of SRM4's for a hard hitting lance support mech, light hunter.

Revorn, on 24 November 2014 - 05:49 PM, said:

I think the Wolvie can support your Playstyle, as you described it in the later Post, Well its a Medium-Mech and needs some Training, But after that, it can do its Job.

I have to agree.. Getting wolverines is a great way to go... and that XL-275 will help you grind your ravens very nicely.

that said any one of the 55 ton mediums.. wolverine, shadow hawk, or griffin.. One of the variants has an XL-275, which will work in all the ravens, and work in many other builds.. It is a highly flexible engine, far more than the 280, which will only give you an extra couple KPH, and then you would need to get an XL-275 or 260, to make leveling your other 2 ravens to unlock elites bare-able.

Doing it this way, you now will have a great 55 ton medium, which will go a long way to helping you understand the game, and give you another mech, and style to play.. Basically it is win/win for you.. Granted grinding another 8m will take a bit.. So don't be afraid to use some trials to break up the monotony. Personally i had to take a break from grinding ravens, while i earned enough money to get an XL-260 for my 4X build.. I use the XL-275 in my 2X. the only 2 XL's i had at the time were the 280, and 300.. So i ground money for both a Jager DD, and a wolverine 7K (which just happened to end up my favorite wolverine) And honestly the 7K plays a bit like an LRM 2X, a bit slower, a bit more firepower and armor, but has JJ"s too. Very fun, yet similar mechs in that set up as both i run LRM15 in them

3xnihilo, on 24 November 2014 - 05:46 PM, said:

Plus if you ever take the plunge to commandos the xl 210 you now have is a great engine for them. I

Arg... Don't remind me.. I thought i never would use the XL-210 and sold it.. Now i am totally into buying commando's and need to re-buy the engine! At least that XL only costs a few mill, but still, would of been great to have the engine sitting in my Mech bay for that day..

So great advice!

Edited by JC Daxion, 24 November 2014 - 06:03 PM.