14 replies to this topic

[Clockworkprophet]

This is something I am quickly learning and think needs to be reinforced, this is a TEAM game. I think most gamer's come from FPS's where individuality is rewarded over the group, this is not one of those games. Not saying that you need to join a clan to win but you do have to play as a unit to get the most out of MWO. Allow me to share some things I have learned through the school of hard knocks.

1. Unless you are scouting, preferably in a light mech, don't just run blindly all alone towards the enemy. This is a quick way towards being the first one killed.

2. You are put into a lance (group of three other mechs, colored a nice shade of green on the minimap). Stay with them. Just being together nets you a bonus when the firing starts, not to mention the tactical value of not being alone.

3. Focus fire. The more mechs shooting at a target the faster it is taken out of the game.

4. If the entire team groups up, for the love of all that is holy, form a firing line not just a huddled mass. Nothing is more frustrating then not being able to shoot because someone is in front of you or shooting you in the back trying to reach the enemy. Also, running into other players does in fact cause damage to both of you!

5. Communicate. This is probably one of the biggest lessons. MWO has a built in voice chat (caps-lock key, works like a walkie talkie) no need to download anything extra. Not saying you have to do the play calling but let teammates know if something is up or just have a question. No one has time to read or write text when you are in the middle of a firefight.

Now mind you this is not even close to a complete list, just a very very basic one to help get you started. There are some really great topics that go into much better and finer details then my limited experience, I recommend you checking them out. Just remember, if you play as a team the rewards in exp,gxp, and c-bills will be much greater then playing the lone gunman.

Most important of all; remember this is a game. You are not losing real money, your life, no one is going to take your dog, etc., if you lose a match. Take a deep breath, exhale, learn from it and just have fun.

Edited by Clockworkprophet, 10 February 2016 - 04:31 PM.

[rolling thunder]

Number 4; yeah. Been there happily firing away when a team mate walks into the line of fire to shoot the enemy/steal the kill? Downside is causing damage to a team mate. I've stopped apologizing to them for their stupidity now!
5: communication. Reading some of the comments other players write & the abuse they are handing out to other players , I don't want to hear them as well. May be when I eventually end up in a team of trusted players i'll use comms.

[Clockworkprophet]

rolling thunder, on 11 February 2016 - 02:50 AM, said:

5: communication. Reading some of the comments other players write & the abuse they are handing out to other players , I don't want to hear them as well. May be when I eventually end up in a team of trusted players i'll use comms.

I can understand that. Unfortunately that occurs in the majority of online games. Personally, I have been slowly adding people to my friends list whom I have enjoyed playing with to hopefully gather up a good base of people to mech with.

Another thing I have run into of late is people wanting to use TeamSpeak when playing, which is fine if you are going to run a 12 man group or even for lace commands. Yet this does not work out if five of twelve people are on board and the rest are kept in the dark about strategy.

[Sandpit]

Clockworkprophet, on 11 February 2016 - 04:08 AM, said:

I can understand that. Unfortunately that occurs in the majority of online games. Personally, I have been slowly adding people to my friends list whom I have enjoyed playing with to hopefully gather up a good base of people to mech with.

Another thing I have run into of late is people wanting to use TeamSpeak when playing, which is fine if you are going to run a 12 man group or even for lace commands. Yet this does not work out if five of twelve people are on board and the rest are kept in the dark about strategy.

Most organized units will use in game voip even if they're on TS if they have teammates who are not.

If it's going to be a "rough" match based on the known players and groups on an enemy team, and we're in a decent sized group, we'll typically designate someone to pass on info to our teammates not on TS.

It tends to get a bit annoying using both at the same times (TS and in game voip) because you get an echo. We're typically on TS because we like to talk and hang out between drops more than anything else usually unless it's a CW group we're putting together.

I really encourage new players to check out some of the public TS servers out there. There's a lot of misconceptions on time investment needed, skill level requirements, strict rules regarding mechs, etc.

Using TS servers came out of necessity honestly. With no lobbies and no voip or even decent comm tools, it was impossible to interact with other players.

[InspectorG]

Clockworkprophet, on 10 February 2016 - 04:17 PM, said:

Most important of all; remember this is a game. You are not losing real money, your life, no one is going to take your dog, etc., if you lose a match. Take a deep breath, exhale, learn from it and just have fun.

Good advice.

But in Puglandia: never gonna happen, son of man.

Puglandia you ride the wave of mayhem alone. Every now and then, you see another Pug survivor, riding the wave with you. Nod of respect. Then you move on.

[Kimberm1911]

This is in fact a team game. Nice observation, you will now proceed to play better then half the player base.

Peace, and have fun.

[Wildstreak]

While teamwork does reward in certain ways, I think they should make it more obvious, easy way is to make some team based Achievements, things you cannot do on your own.

[thievingmagpi]

rolling thunder, on 11 February 2016 - 02:50 AM, said:

Number 4; yeah. Been there happily firing away when a team mate walks into the line of fire to shoot the enemy/steal the kill? Downside is causing damage to a team mate. I've stopped apologizing to them for their stupidity now!
5: communication. Reading some of the comments other players write & the abuse they are handing out to other players , I don't want to hear them as well. May be when I eventually end up in a team of trusted players i'll use comms.

Really wish there was a way to penalize players who *walk in front of you as you are shooting*

[bayoucowboy]

You have a great start on understanding the game. Another point that often gets lost is that the MWO player base is worldwide. There is a varied level of understanding English as a 2nd language. So don't get immediately tweaked when another pilot "isn't listening to you."

[Lord Folken]

Here's a good addition to the list: press "R" to lock on to an enemy. Takes no effort and is of considerable help to the rest of the team. I can't fully express the frustration I feel when I spectate a match I've been eliminated from only to find that no one is locking on to targets, making it easier for enemies to "sneak up" on teammates (you know, as sneaky as a 50+ ton mech can be).

Not accusing anyone of this, just wish this was more emphasized. I have taken to spending the lobby time telling teammates to have fun, stick together, and press R.

Edited by Lord Folken, 20 February 2016 - 11:05 PM.

[GenghisJr]

Wildstreak, on 14 February 2016 - 06:17 PM, said:

While teamwork does reward in certain ways, I think they should make it more obvious, easy way is to make some team based Achievements, things you cannot do on your own.

Does survive count? Thats usually something that cant be done on your own.

[Calvyr]

I wish people would begin to understand that comments like "Fail team" or "What bunch of scrubs" after you've been killed aren't helpful to your teammates. Perhaps offering some constructive strategy or gameplay suggestions will help to improve the skill level of the playerbase. At the very least, consider it from a self-serving angle; you'll likely end up on a team with these "scrubs" again at some point, and maybe they'll perform better if you've tried to help them, rather than berate them.

Also, if you have a strategy, let the rest of your team know, instead of whining that they didn't go along with your genius plan (which they were unaware of).

[thievingmagpi]

bayoucowboy, on 19 February 2016 - 02:07 PM, said:

You have a great start on understanding the game. Another point that often gets lost is that the MWO player base is worldwide. There is a varied level of understanding English as a 2nd language. So don't get immediately tweaked when another pilot "isn't listening to you."

ugh this

like it seems so elementary. press the damn button.

[Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky]

there is no "I" in team, but there is a "ME" in game

[Repasy Cooper]

Great post OP, despite being a rookie you sound like a veteran already. This list is definitely a good start for any new players entering the game. This game is labeled as an fps mmo, but I think it could be more accurately labeled as a fps moba. Though the single-life objective-style gameplay could draw some similarity to Counter-Strike, I think even more similarity could be drawn from LOL or DOTA, in that team coordination is the penultimate key to success. You simply cannot ride on the skills of others in this game in an even skill matchup, you have to contribute to teamplay or risk 'feeding' your opponents. Though your opponents don't get stronger when you feed them here, your allies most certainly get weaker, so the end result is the same.

I sometimes suggest new players to go play a round of DOTA before re-entering combat here, once in a while. It actually helps you get into the habit of thinking more like a unit hive-mind and less individualistically.