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By Noobs, For Noobs...


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#1 The Mecha Streisand

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 10:01 AM

Despite having had a good turn at tabletop BTech, and having played most of the good FPS games of the last decade or so, I consider myself a complete and total nooblet at MWO so far. Nonetheless, I'm also of the opinion that I (and, for that matter, many others like me) have some fair insights to offer the Day One wet-behind-the-ears fellow nooblet. And perhaps my fellow noobs, ripening on the vine as I type, may find themselves compelled to offer their own advice in reply...

First, WE ARE NOOB! Get over it. I don't care what game, even if another MW title, you've played in the past. This is not those games. This is MWO. It IS different. You WILL get pwned in the face repeatedly for a while. If your pride can't handle that, then cry. It's alright, sweetheart. No, really. Cry. A lot. Get pwned. It's how we learn NOT to be nooblets.

EVERYONE out there knows your mech better than you do. This might SEEM like a bad thing, but remember that when they're killing you they're also showing you how to kill someone else's mech of the same type. Pay attention to HOW you get pwned, and you can take it out on the next nooblet.

EVERYONE out there knows NOOBs better than you do. Like any other game, this one has a learning curve, and we're at the shallow end, sharks circling, water wings deflated, hating life and wondering why we didn't just stick to CounterStrike. Pay CLOSE attention to the first and last shot landed on you in every match. These tell more about your tactics than all those in between. How did your enemy land that first shot? Hell, how'd he SEE you in your OD Green Commando? Aren't you CAMO? Figure out how you got spotted. Then DON'T make that mistake again, and make the other guys fall into YOUR sights the same way. And the last shot--where'd it land? How many sharks were circling when it hit? Did you have backup? (Did you get TK'd?) Figure it out. Then DON'T get in that particular pickle again, but rather BECOME THE SHARK.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS! Normal human field-of-view is roughly 200 degrees wide by 40 degrees high, give or take a little, although full visual acuity is only realized in the middle 1/5 or less of that. Nonetheless, this CAN NOT be approximated by your widescreen monitor. Sorry. You wasted some real $$$ on that one. Nonetheless, MW (like many FPS games) attempts to approximate that, and other aspects of situational awareness, by giving your mech SENSORS and C3I (Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence) sharing with your teammates. USE THAT! Before you take your first shot, you should have this figured out. There's little out there as embarrassing as lining up a great AC/2 shot, only to find out that you shot a hillside, 500m on the OTHER side of which was your target's cockpit. Guess what? YOU JUST ANNOUNCED YOUR POSITION TO EVERYONE (except your fellow nooblets, but we'll get to that). The 'B' button is your pal.

Communicate! Like real military units around the globe, information is key to making informed, wise decisions in combat. Likely, more information isn't helping us nooblets so much. OUR information, though, can help the aces save our butts. At the least, it can help ensure that we spend the next 5-8 minutes spectating our team's WIN (more C-Bills, baby!). Share information. Announce to your team ('y', not 't', you silly nooblets) where you're heading out of the spawn, what you intend to accomplish (spotting, base run, seek/destroy, etc.). They can carve it in your tombstone back on your homeworld. Seriously, though, learn to use the battlemap and call out enemy positions over team chat quickly. Did you just go off solo in the water on the Forest Colony map, and spot SIX freaking Atlases coming straight at you? Yeah, your team may want to know that. Likely, the tunnel on the other side of the map is clear, and those Jenners can make a run for the enemy base.

Speaking of spectating... DO NOT simply disconnect from a match when you die (and you WILL die a lot). Stick around. Spectate through your teammates' cockpits. See what they see, and learn from their decision making. Chances are, the last hot stick left on your team will be someone who has been pwning guys/gals like us for quite a while. Their tactics can be your tactics. LEARN, sweetie, learn!

Field artillery IS the King of Battle. That is, those LRM boats who like to stick to the rear echelon and rain missiles down from behind cover? Yeah, they need SPOTTERS. Cool thing about that? You don't have to fire a single shot to soften up a target. If you've got an L-Cat in the team, become that dude's spotter. It's the best starting job for a nooblet. Spot, lock, and maintain. Get on that 'r' button as soon as you have a decent line of sight, and CALL IT OUT ('y', not 't', silly noobs). Then watch and giggle ridiculously as those missiles rain down on your opponent's parade from afar.

Or BE THE CAT! You'll learn the difference between cover and concealment quickly. Because as soon as someone spots the LRM boat, the artillery duel is on. And if you're a nooblet like I THINK you are, then you WILL lose that duel. And THEN you'll learn to find firing positions that offer you both concealment AND cover, from which you can still send volleys of LRM Hell downrange.

Gee, the ATLAS is NOT so cool. Yeah, 100 tons of armor and badassery sounds like just the way to get into the game and grind up some kill XP. The thing is, you've got to be a bit INSANE in the first place to fly the BIGGEST TARGET on the map. Biggest, I might add, AND SLOWEST. It's all fun and games until you get cored by a mech of less than half your size. Assault mechs are NOT solo skirmishers. On the other hand, if you're running around in a trial Cicada, you can teach yourself this lesson by going and picking on the big guy. Assuming you can get behind him before he melts your face right off. (And remember to leave your teammates a good line for your headstone.)

HEAT! You'll see. You can't just run around unloading everything you've got constantly. Like real world weapons, they CAN maintain a certain rate of fire, but not for very long. In this case, rather than warp a machinegun barrel, they'll just shut your mech down. This is an invitation to get pwned in the nostrils. Really. It's like sending a nice gold-embossed card with chocolate and flowers. NOTHING draws fire like a shut-down mech. NOTHING. Learn to manage your heat. Or just pre-pay the undertaker and select your burial plot ahead of time. Your call, really.

People ARE counting on you. While the stakes are not life & death, per se, your teammates WILL need fire support. They WILL need spotting. They WILL need that pilot in the light mech to HAUL A$$ back to base and clear out the enemy standing in it. So the most important thing we can learn is to be TEAM PLAYERS. That doesn't mean subjugating yourself to the will of your teammates every time, all the time, but by knowing what they can/should expect of a pilot in your chosen mech, you can take initiative and move with a sense of purpose.

Finally, crawl-walk-run. First thing you MUST learn is your controls. Figure out how to set up your weapon groupings to manage your heat, your ranges, and so on. Matching up a small pulse laser with your LRM rack is ridiculous. It's a VERY close range skirmisher ONLY. Learn to maneuver your mech. Not just to start walking, torso always centered, and plow headlong into the fray. That torso should almost NEVER be centered. If you don't see what you're looking for, turn your torso until you find it. Learn to stop and turn quickly. Learn to back up. Learn who's faster than you and who's slower than you. Once you've got all that, AND all the team player stuff, AND you can manage it all fluidly, only THAN are you maybe ready to start striking out on your own without an experienced Cent or Hunchie within arm's reach.

Now, GO NOOB SOMETHING!

#2 Grizley

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 11:07 AM

I disagree with a fair amount of that, but there are some good points.

The best is watch how you get killed, the follow up on that is figure out a way it won't work next time. Early on the cause of death is usually something fairly simple like "Caught in open" "5v1 fight" "Ignored Jenner".

I would add, find someone and follow them. Ideally someone not in a trial mech. You can see what they do and even if they're a complete noob then at least when you run into enemies then it's a 5v2 fight not a 5v1 fight.

I suggest starting with a medium, or maybe a heavy. Lights are not good to learn in because one good volley or shutting down with enemies around and you're toast. Assaults are not good because you can't survive on your own and even worse if you're in an assault then the enemy also gets an assault. LRM boats are also not good learning. Yeah, you will get better numbers for a bit, but you're not really learning much at all.

#3 nungunz

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 11:08 AM

Bumped for great justice!

#4 The Mecha Streisand

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 11:48 AM

Break out your fangs, nooblets! Time to nom the teething ring that is MechWarriorOnline...

So, I made reference earlier to sharks circling. Стань акулами! Or something like that.

This is actually an apt analogy. Watch when a heavy or assault mech wades into the fray, amidst a host of faster mechs. You'll notice something peculiar--the smaller mechs start circling it, like sharks. There are a couple of very good tactical reasons for this.

1.) Back fat is nothing next to belly fat. That's right, regardless of what you saw at people-of-WalMat, there's always less fat to chew through on the back side. If I can kill ANY mech by killing its engine, then the sooner I get TO that engine, the better. There's a LOT less armor on the back torso of any mech than on the front. Ah, the proverbial soft spot! So, if a mech can circle its opponent faster than that opponent can turn, then the opponent is about to go on a radical armor-weight loss program. So, take the easy path to your first kill (no, dead sticks don't REALLY count, even if your stats reflect them). Get BEHIND, and circle like a shark...

2.) Moving targets are a ***** to hit. Save for the occasional SSRM, you're relatively safe when locked in the dogs-sniffing-one-another dance of the duel. That is, as long as you've got your opponent outclassed in speed. At any rate, his buddies would be foolish to fire into that circle from afar--they may well damage HIM instead of YOU, and TKs are NOT cool. So, keep moving. Circle your prey, and do it up close. You're harder for HIM/HER to hit (yeah, guys, there actually ARE female players--check your hormones), and you put his buddies in a quandary. If you're REALLY good, you can even draw one or two of his pals out of engaging the remainder of YOUR team to help out YOUR target. Sometimes, seconds DO count in this game, and that distraction may well mean the difference between victory and defeat. (You get paid more for a win, even if you don't survive, than for a defeat. It's all about the C-Bills...)

3.) Be the SHARKS, not the CHUM! That is, figure out how to defend against the same tactic. How do you avoid getting circled by the ace MechWarrior in the 130kph Jenner? What do you do if he DOES get to circling you? First, DO NOT run back to Mommy. Remember that thing about BACK FLAB? Yeah, same goes for you, KrispyKreme. Dude will quit circling, start following, and cut a nice rump roast off your a$$. Shark fin soup, anyone? But you can MANAGE the circle. Even a figure-eight pattern. Swing the circle wider toward friendlies, and narrower on the non-friendly side. By doing so, you stretch the engagement toward your teammates, who have a deep financial interest in your survival. This also requires you to heed the above advice about SITUATIONAL AWARENESS! Know where the friendlies ARE, and know how to stretch your circle back to them. ALSO, if you've got an LRM boat in support, then do NOT 'r' lock the circling opponent. No, SSRMs will likely NOT hit him at close range anyhow. And you don't want to draw LRMs down on your OWN head by spotting the guy right next to you. Until your shark is cut into filets by your teammates, keep your head on straight and focus on MANEUVER! Remember BattleTech lore, when many battles were won without a single shot fired, solely by virtue of skillful maneuver. Think Chess, but with large mechanical sharks with friggin' laser beams attached to their heads. (Or ill-tempered sea bass. Whatev's.)

4.) Know when and how to break contact. This deserves a little explanation...
a.) You're in contact when actually exchanging fires (indirect via spotting doesn't count) with an opposing force's unit(s).
b.) Movement TO contact, movement FROM contact, and actions IN contact, are three whole different categories of contact. Three PHASES, if you will.
c.) Phase I: Movement TO contact. Analyze the terrain, and identify a route to contact that will provide you the most cover, and concealment if cover fails, on your route. This may seem to complicate the route. STAY PATIENT. Even if you come under indirect LRM fire. Why do you need that cover? TO BREAK SPOT while moving TO contact. Remember, we're not IN contact yet. Use the cover to mask your movement, break spotters' observation, and redirect/reroute. Even in beta, the best routes to contact from each base have already been thoroughly explored by other pilots (who are no longer nooblets like us, I might add). Observe. You'll see it quickly enough.
d.) Phase II: CONTACT. Do NOT take poorly-aimed shots. Every shot (other than MGs) causes you to build HEAT, which is a naughty four-letter word. Also, it will kill you. And your fancy paint job. If you don't have the shot, don't TAKE the shot. MANEUVER for an appropriate shot. While in contact, remember that there are up to eight (8) opponents out there. You may only be firing at one. There may, therefore, be seven more ATLASES bearing down upon you at any time. Stay aware of the situation as it develops, for it IS fluid. Know where friendlies are, and where enemies are, and how that matches with terrain features. If at all possible, PICK your shots. That is, if the opposing mech is about to lose a leg, then shoot for that leg. Don't waste time trying to plink it in the noodle when you can leg it and walk away. As this is NOT a one-shot-one-kill shooter, spray-'n'-pray is NOT a good option here. So look at your enemy's status (in the top-right corner of your HUD), and pick out spots with the least (or NO) armor, and aim (CAREFULLY) for those. If you need help, CALL FOR HELP. If you DON'T, then let your teammates know so they can move on to more important matters.
e.) Phase III: Breaking Contact. This is tough. You're likely to be pursued if you just run off. Instead, if you need to break out and move on, Use the circle-stretching technique above and get to a significant cover-providing terrain feature. Once you're able to get behind it, make your break. Remember to dogleg (zig-zag, w/e) as you RUN LIKE HELP. And move from cover-to-cover. Even pull a crazy Ivan (rolling 360-degree circle) to clear your own six. MOST IMPORTANT: Relay your status to the team. If there's a leader worth a spit, he/she will want to know, and may have a new objective for you to pursue. Remember, don't just turn and run. The enemy will slice right through your soft back plates. You need the right opportunity to break contact. This may, in turn, be a consideration for you as you gain some experience. Before transitioning from Phase I to Phase II, have a plan for Phase III. And as the situation develops, continue to adjust the plan.


Whatever you do, remember that you are not the only shark in the tank. You've got teammates. Maybe 7 of them. Make yourself available to them, and get them involved when YOU need help. The last thing you want to do (as has actually happened to me in my long 5 days of play) is to get caught in the open, face-to-face with three assault mechs and a Jenner, in a slower-than-it-should-be Raven, and realize that the other mechs on your side are all the way across the map from you. ALL of them. That is a LONELY feeling, and one very sore way to die. BE SHARKS, my fellow nooblets, be sharks...

#5 The Mecha Streisand

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 11:59 AM

View PostGrizley, on 12 November 2012 - 11:07 AM, said:

I disagree with a fair amount of that, but there are some good points.

The best is watch how you get killed, the follow up on that is figure out a way it won't work next time. Early on the cause of death is usually something fairly simple like "Caught in open" "5v1 fight" "Ignored Jenner".

I would add, find someone and follow them. Ideally someone not in a trial mech. You can see what they do and even if they're a complete noob then at least when you run into enemies then it's a 5v2 fight not a 5v1 fight.

I suggest starting with a medium, or maybe a heavy. Lights are not good to learn in because one good volley or shutting down with enemies around and you're toast. Assaults are not good because you can't survive on your own and even worse if you're in an assault then the enemy also gets an assault. LRM boats are also not good learning. Yeah, you will get better numbers for a bit, but you're not really learning much at all.


Points taken.

My thing about the LCats is about figuring out the logistics of fire support. I should probably explain that better. I'm not a fan of LCats myself, but it is good to understand the concept of LRM flight time, and the need to maintain a good lock before calling fires in on your target. No better way than to spend a few matches as the LCat pilot who fires off ALL of his missiles and gets NO damage from it. THEN, go a' spottin' and remember what it was like to be the LCat pilot who wasted all those LRMs...

And I TOTALLY agree about following. Same as with spectating. Learn from the masters what works and what doesn't. Yup, thanks for the input!

#6 MagicHamsta

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 12:32 PM

Noob Power ^(o.O)^

#7 Boulangerie

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Posted 18 July 2015 - 01:00 PM

This is a pretty old thread.

I am currently bored at work and hit that button up there. You know the one; it says "Last Page."

I browsed a minute, then saw this thread. It only ever got 5 replies, but still contains some really good advice for the starting MWO player, along with a humorous slant.

The only bit that isn't quite as true as when it was written is the bit about LRM support being King of the battlefield. That status is now owned by the dual heat sink.

In other words, here's some good advice for new players, and remember that this game has always, and will always be hard for new players. Don't worry, we've all been there, and we're here to help you get through it and into combat!

#8 B L O O D W I T C H

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Posted 18 July 2015 - 01:51 PM

Obvious tip is obvious: If you shot someone in the back instead in the front, he is less likely to return fire.

#9 InspectorG

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Posted 18 July 2015 - 02:16 PM

View Post30plusRAbbi, on 12 November 2012 - 10:01 AM, said:


Field artillery IS the King of Battle. That is, those LRM boats who like to stick to the rear echelon and rain missiles down from behind cover? Yeah, they need SPOTTERS. Cool thing about that? You don't have to fire a single shot to soften up a target. If you've got an L-Cat in the team, become that dude's spotter. It's the best starting job for a nooblet. Spot, lock, and maintain. Get on that 'r' button as soon as you have a decent line of sight, and CALL IT OUT ('y', not 't', silly noobs). Then watch and giggle ridiculously as those missiles rain down on your opponent's parade from afar.




Good advice except for this^

LRMs in MWO are at best 'noobtubes' that really only work vs other noobs.

PINPOINT FRONT LOADED TEAM FOCUSED FIRE IS THE KING. Go watch comps play, calling targets and moving as one.
ANY MECH will fall getting focused down by any other 2-3 mechs in pretty short order.

It is a game of numbers: the first team to a 3 mech advantage can usually snowball and ROLL the other team.
Every enemy you kill results in less return fire and fewer targets for teammates to fire upon = win.

This is where the 2-3 decent players on your team look for the opportunity in the battleline/blob to push and get the drop on the enemy trying to collapse a flank or something...its very 'organic' and random in a Pug. Needless to say it does not always happen.

***You also have to get good at trades. Expose yourself to eat as much damage as you dish out is a bad trade. Look for 'Free Trades'. Peek-a-Boo essentially...and DONT let it devolve into camping.
Camping = no momentum and you are really hoping the other team is worse than yours.***

Now...about them LuRMs...
On paper they seem a good weapon. You can hit the enemy without really getting hit in return. Good.
But...
It really doesnt work that way.

Compare the stages in a time sequence to hit an enemy:

Laser-sight regardless of lock, hold reticle, instant damage over time.

Dakka/PPC- sight regardless of lock, aim reticle/lead reticle, instant front loaded damage.

LRM- need a lock, launch missiles, FLIGHT TIME, hit for VERY SPREAD DAMAGE .
Flight Time allows the enemy to seek cover negating ALL damage, SPREAD DAMAGE means the damage is not focused on a cored component/MAIN WEAPON requiring MORE damage to cripple an opponent.
LOCKS REQUIRED- this means LOS break removes lock and ECM hardcounters it(currently)
LRM boats beg for locks and get viewed as cowards who wont put their armor up for the team...Dat Pug Life as they say.

Screen shake? Doesnt bother veterans, they know its cosmetic.

So for LRMs to REALLY work, you need a few boats and a couple spotters for a GROUP drop.
Problem is, it only has a chance to work on a select few maps.
Bigger problem is for each boat and scout, the enemy will have DIRECT DAMAGE dealers. Soon as your LRM boats are exposed to fire, they become useless because at that point your battle line fell and the damage flight time and spread cant keep enemies at bay.

Best LRM case in current meta:
You use a HBK-J, Treb-M(?), Adder, Warhawk...you know the MOBILE LRM boats.
AND YOU SIT WITH THE BRAWL POPPING LRMs 200-400m away from the action always moving and getting angles...has a learning curve. TAG is a must might wanna buy a Target Retention module.

Good Luck!

#10 JonahGrimm

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Posted 21 July 2015 - 11:32 AM

.......

I don't even what?

View PostInspectorG, on 18 July 2015 - 02:16 PM, said:



Good advice except for this^

LRMs in MWO are at best 'noobtubes' that really only work vs other noobs.


Not exactly true. I believe that LRM "boating" is never a good idea, simply because of the lost potential of the boat. However, LRMs, like every other weapon in the game, have their place.

I love LRM-5 and 10 racks for harrassment fire. LRM-10s are especially good at about the 200m mark in a skirmish. All LRMs have psychological effects, ranging from the "Incoming missiles" banner to the loud banging, crashing, and shake that occurs when they hit (and all the flame if you hit near the cockpit, esp. with Clan racks). There's also something to be said for flinging missiles into a fight as you approach.

Mechs are very limited if you 'boat' things, though. Boating LRMs is, yes, an exceedingly limited tactic - but a rack or two for fire support? That's a thing of beauty.

Quote

PINPOINT FRONT LOADED TEAM FOCUSED FIRE IS THE KING. Go watch comps play, calling targets and moving as one.
ANY MECH will fall getting focused down by any other 2-3 mechs in pretty short order.


That's very true, but the world is very different for a newbie in a PUG. They aren't hearing fire calls, they're not coordinated with a team, and they're not going to really care what the 12mans are doing. In fact, for those of us that are firmly in the PUG life? I enjoy seeing nominal 12-manners show up in the solo queue.

They're usually very crunchy. :)

The point? For a new player, playing what you like, and what you use well? That'll help with the early scores. Try every gun, see what works and see how they behave. As your skills improve, go back and try them again - don't discount anything just because someone says 'this gun is awful'.

Me? I prefer LPL to PPCs. People think I'm crazy for it, but I'm better at using the former, I like how people ignore its damage, and it fits my poking style. I miss a lot with PPCs - just not firm in my skillset.

(however, my newbie friends? Don't be afraid to run something you're bad at to get the mad skills at using it. I'm using PPCs now simply because they really are good on Griffons, and I'm discovering I can learn to aim, yo. :) You can too!)

Quote

It is a game of numbers: the first team to a 3 mech advantage can usually snowball and ROLL the other team.
Every enemy you kill results in less return fire and fewer targets for teammates to fire upon = win.

This is where the 2-3 decent players on your team look for the opportunity in the battleline/blob to push and get the drop on the enemy trying to collapse a flank or something...its very 'organic' and random in a Pug. Needless to say it does not always happen.


Very true. Be willing to lose - but always try to figure out /why/. Where did the PUG go wrong? What happened? Why did it all fall to pieces when it started out well?

Quote

***You also have to get good at trades. Expose yourself to eat as much damage as you dish out is a bad trade. Look for 'Free Trades'. Peek-a-Boo essentially...and DONT let it devolve into camping.
Camping = no momentum and you are really hoping the other team is worse than yours.***


Total agreement - with the admonition that one of the hardest skills to learn is to know when to push, and to know when to push even when you don't get support.

Play more - and don't be afraid. :) You need to learn how to take damage as well as give it - but you should never take without giving at least some in return. Ideally? You'll give out all the presents and nobody gives you any.

Quote

Now...about them LuRMs...
On paper they seem a good weapon. You can hit the enemy without really getting hit in return. Good.
But...
It really doesnt work that way.


Yup. It doesn't. The best use of an LRM is a) in the band between 180m and 300m, and B) when you can see your target. Everything else is psychological warfare, a thing that breaks up enemy lines and irritates your opponent.

However, don't underestimate that psychological effect.

Quote

Compare the stages in a time sequence to hit an enemy:

Laser-sight regardless of lock, hold reticle, instant damage over time.

Dakka/PPC- sight regardless of lock, aim reticle/lead reticle, instant front loaded damage.


Both are true. Add in: Lasers don't tend to spike the 'damage' effect in an opponent's mech all that much, often causing them to underestimate the effect of the attack. LPLs are wonderful for this, as the target (if they don't see the beam) often won't realize just how hard they've been hit.

Also, veterans know the sounds of weapons. Firing six ML sounds a lot like firing one, and there's no visual difference in the cockpit if they can't see the beams.

OTOH, if you're not good at holding your reticle on a particular part of a mech, lasers often lose a lot of their punch as they spread damage over multiple sections.


ACs and PPCs are often /overestimated/ due to their theatric effects when they hit you. PPC blast sounds, AC 'plinks' and 'booms', and the screen shake? They force you to notice you've been hit - and while veterans can ignore much of the screen shake, it doesn't change the fact that you're announcing that you're serious about hitting them in a way they can't ignore.

(and, seriously - don't discount screen shake. If your target's moving, and your screen is shaking? It's /really/ hard not to spread your damage.)


Quote

LRM- need a lock, launch missiles, FLIGHT TIME, hit for VERY SPREAD DAMAGE .
Flight Time allows the enemy to seek cover negating ALL damage, SPREAD DAMAGE means the damage is not focused on a cored component/MAIN WEAPON requiring MORE damage to cripple an opponent.
LOCKS REQUIRED- this means LOS break removes lock and ECM hardcounters it(currently)
LRM boats beg for locks and get viewed as cowards who wont put their armor up for the team...Dat Pug Life as they say.


Here's where we disagree:

- LRMs do /not/ require a lock, and good players can dumbfire them gleefully at stationary targets for startling effectiveness. however, yes, they're a lot better when they /are/ locked.

- Flight time is a factor - but you're also engaging on approach and retreat, hitting targets behind cover or forcing enemies into cover. There are times when long flight time is good (when you really just want them to see the warning) and when it's bad (when you need the damage).

To minimize the second, use them closer.

- Spread damage? Okay, yes - that's true. However, two things mitigate this:

1) Shorten your flight time, get tighter clusters of missiles. Use your missiles at 180M, and you'll only hit two or three locations with that nasty spray. 800M? you'll hit the whole mech.

2) Get Artemis. Artemis, when used against mechs you can see, 'tightens' the cluster dramatically. Since the best LRM users use missiles when their targets are visible, artemis can earn its cost back very quickly.


There's also another point: every missile that hits an open location has an /individual/ chance of causing a crit. Think of an LRM salvo as a giant, long-range shotgun designed to support your direct fire weapons or comrades. Every point of damage a missile does to an armored location makes it easier for your shooty friends, while every missile that hits an open spot has the potential to utterly shred your target.

Win/win!

Locks are required? Sure. If you don't have a lock, don't shoot the LRM. Maneuver for position instead. Better, do both at once - maneuver /and/ watch for your shot.

Quote

Screen shake? Doesnt bother veterans, they know its cosmetic.


I daresay most veterans would disagree. If your target is moving, and your mech is shaking? It's /really/ hard to be pinpoint, even if you know it's cosmetic.

Quote

So for LRMs to REALLY work, you need a few boats and a couple spotters for a GROUP drop.
Problem is, it only has a chance to work on a select few maps.
Bigger problem is for each boat and scout, the enemy will have DIRECT DAMAGE dealers. Soon as your LRM boats are exposed to fire, they become useless because at that point your battle line fell and the damage flight time and spread cant keep enemies at bay.


Augh. no, no no no no no no. No. No. Just no. No.

For LRMs to work you must:

a) Not boat. Never, ever take a pure LRM platform - you need something that can stay with the pack, working at about 300m to directly support the entire team. You need to carry enough missiles to harrass at range, then get closer and use them to pound the targets your brawlers are fighting.

B) Get close. To be maximally effective, you need to be within 300m, with line of sight. This means you need to be 'one tier back' from your brawlers, firing over them into the target.

Quote

Best LRM case in current meta:
You use a HBK-J, Treb-M(?), Adder, Warhawk...you know the MOBILE LRM boats.
AND YOU SIT WITH THE BRAWL POPPING LRMs 200-400m away from the action always moving and getting angles...has a learning curve. TAG is a must might wanna buy a Target Retention module.

Good Luck!



Absolutely. That above. THAT is how you LRM. You also bring additional weapons for when the enemy gets too close, and you make sure that you're doing it with your compatriots.

Combining LRMs with 270m Medium Lasers is an art, but one that - if mastered - will destroy mechs slower than you.





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