20 replies to this topic

[Durnaxe]

Hey all,

First off let me start with my friend recently got me into battletech and I wanted to learn a little bit more (I finally got the difference between lrms and SRMs, no idea wtf a ELRM and a LRM are).

Anyway, so I understand there is a learning curve with any game but it almost feels like these trial mechs I've been given are:
(A) Made of paper
(B) Can't turn worth anything outside of the light spider I was given
( C ) Deal no damage

I'm dying to other light mechs no problem and I'm getting peppered with missles before I even see the enemy. Not too mention the radar is comeplete fail when I have enemies moving behind me and it never shows me.
Out of the 8 or so games I've played so far I've won 0 and I dont last more then 2 minutes.

This game really seems fun but I'm not getting what I am doing wrong, or was the game store owner lying when he said that I would actually get paired with other new players?

Edited by Magna Golem, 12 January 2014 - 04:16 PM.

[Kjudoon]

SRM = Short Range Missile. Max range 270m Unguided (Dumbfire) missiles
LRM = Long Range Missile. Min range 180m, Max range 1000m (Indirect fire weapon) Guided and Unguided (Dumbfire)
SSRM = Streak Short Range Missile Max range 270m. Guided, cannnot fire without sensor lock.

ELRM = Extra Long Range Missiles. Do not exist in game.

The trial mechs aren't that bad actually. You just have to realize this game is not like many other FPS games out there. There is no P2W mech, nor class. A 100 ton atlas can easily kill a 20 ton Spider, but in a skilled hand, the reverse is true. You need to learn the piloting characteristics of your mech AND weapons. Map knowledge and situational awareness are often more important than a big mech because there are so many ways to work this game.

Generally speaking, you don't get a good feel for your mech until after 30 matches or so and finding ways to survive the game. There are lots of good threads on advice and strategy for new pilots here. I strongly advise you read them and pay heed. Most of the commentors there that have a few hundred posts under their belt have been in the same place you have been.

Your Elo score is low being new, and you are being paired against other newer/low skilled players, but many of them are also running in lances on teamspeak and not coordinating with each other. That can get you killed faster than a Spider running from a Streaktaro.

Lastly, look at joining a group. Most units will help you learn and teach you how to play the game better and as intended; as a team.

Good luck, and feel free to check us out in the Seraphim. We're a great environment for a lot of newer pilots and those who just want to have fun in a good clean environment OR be competitive.

Edited by Kjudoon, 12 January 2014 - 04:34 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

Unlocking the skills makes mechs much more responsive, as well as promotes better cooling, etc. most custom mechs are built with larger engines as well which will further enhance mobility and responsiveness.

The matchmaker does not pair you with other new players; it's not a stratified matchmaker. What it DOES is create a team that is essentially random, find their average skill, and puts together an opposing team that is roughly equal to that average. The longer it searches the 'less picky' it gets. As a new player it does value you lower, but since the Elo matchmaking metric is not visible to the player this is difficult to notice.

Sensors are based on line of sight. The only time you can target enemies behind you is if your teammates have targetted them. This promotes situational awareness- you will need to learn the maps, learn the tactics, and be vigilant.

MWO is strongly structured to be a team game; this, plus the fact that you are not matched with other new players puts you at some disadvantages. You probably need to focus more on teamwork and practicing your skills and less about getting kills and such personally.

Move with your team, don't move into the open alone, don't let yourself be a target. Be cautious and watch your teammates- shoot who they shoot, support them when they move up or fall back.

Check my sig for some free premium time, combine the premium time with your Cadet Bonus, and save your c-bills until you finish your Cadet bonus (first 25 matches). Then do some research (and ask a lot of questions!) about how to best spend your meager starting money. Once you have your own mech and begin unlocking skills, you'll gradually improve your mech at the same time as improving your individual skills.

[t Khrist]

Hi Magna and welcome to MWO!

First off, yes there is a HUGE learning curve to this game and it takes time to find out all the little things that will keep you alive past 2 minutes on the battlefield.

Second, the trial mechs are typically as paper thin as you are experiencing with bad heat efficiency and less than desirable builds. BUT, the thing is to hang in there until you've completed your first 25 matches. This is because for those matches you receive a huge C-Bill boost called the Cadet Bonus which will allow you to build up currency rather quickly in order to buy your first mech, and outfit it in a way that fits your play style. My suggestion would be to buy a heavy class first because they are easily the most well-rounded, and adaptable class. One more thing to add on is once you own your own mech, you gain XP for that variant that you can use to unlock efficiencies that help you to turn faster, control heat better, etc.

Third, make friends as soon as you can (even though so-called 'noobs' take a lot of often negative, and useless criticism). There are many guilds and factions to choose from and most are new player friendly. If you're not interested in that big of a commitment there are many players that like to group up for a few matches off and on. Try asking randomly in a match over all chat if anyone is looking to group up. Also if possible, utilizing the Teamspeak software can help you communicate better while in-game and help to find people to group with.

Forth, the mini-map is a huge help, but it only displays enemies that are being targeted by you or a teammate. So if you have an enemy behind you but no one else sees him, he won't show up on your map.

Fifth, stay with your team. Running off by yourself is a sure way to die quick.

So that's that. Digging through the forums there's a lot of new player guides and tips similar to what I've outlined here. But these should hopefully help you through your first 25 matches so can really start enjoying the game. Stick with it and I'll see you on the battlefield!

[Tsula]

Pretty much what everyone else said stick with it and learn the complexity of it. Welcome to the mix also find a unit that always makes the game a bit more tolerable. Many out their are always looking for people to join. The unit I am with is looking for people info is my sig. Any questions feel free to PM on the forum as well. Just stick with it, and with practice and getting your own mech and customizing it will help. See you on the fields.

[ValdnadHartagga]

Kjudoon, on 12 January 2014 - 04:31 PM, said:

ELRM = Extra Long Range Missiles. Do not exist in game.

E is for Extended

[Rebas Kradd]

Welcome, Magna! A few pointers to get you through until you can buy your own mechs:

Enemies are detected only when you have line of sight. That was the first thing I had a hard time getting used to. Placement is everything in this game. Walk out into the open, especially on your own, and you're lunch in no time. That's just how this game is set up to be. Never go off alone; stick with your group.

Then you have to get through the longer-range weapons of this game - LRMs (which fire over hills) and ballistics weapons. I recommend you allow the heavy hitters on your team to do the work at first, soften up opponents, then move in with them when they close for the kill.

The trial mechs are terrible, yes, although the Spider at least has the mobility to do work. The others are slow, hot, and the opposite of nimble. But once you decide your preferred role in the game and save up some money, you can buy your own mechs and switch to double heat sinks, faster engines, stronger weapons, and experience tweaks to enhance virtually everything. It really does get way better.

PGI...new player experience still needs work...

[marepinta]

I am a beginner as well, but I've got quite a few hundred more matches in my history ... lol. You'll likely get better quicker than I.

Just a couple of things that made a big difference for me.

first, stage up three or four mechs on your home page (go to trial mech, click on check mark and it puts them on your front page to grab easily). My fav trial mech was a Blackjack, but they have changed the lineup these days. The thing is switching from one to another you'll learn which you prefer ... light and fast or bigger and stronger. But in the beginning, you're going to get killed every time by everyone with experience

Once you've got several there handy, then just go into game after game. When you die (not before) hit escape to exit the game and start again.

Choose ANY for game type because I think you end up getting into games quicker this way. Try for kills, yes, but follow someone from your group and try to stay out of the way and watch what they are doing from your mech. learn to walk and shoot at the same time. learn what you can climb and what you cannot. learn the maps and figure out where each base is (conquest) on each map ... find the tunnels.

Once you can turn the top of your torso, shoot accurately, and continue to walk the other way ... then you're on your way to being successful.

My husband played the same basic trial mechs I was playing and beat the {Scrap} out of people over and over ... meanwhile I died with 7 damage over and over. It is a question of game time ... and this game demands a commitment to be successful.

I am finally getting consistent kills, assists and 200+ damage ... but ... I still regularly die with 7 damage also ... lolol.

lastly ... are you setting the mouse controls for the trial mech you're using so they are 1,2,3??

http://mwomercs.com/...-weapon-groups/

You'll overheat every time if you leave them all on the #1 mouse button. And you need to set something for targeting. Even if you just get a single accurate shot at an enemy someone else targets and kills, you'll get a kill assist. That's what you're aiming for in the beginning. More money than a kill anyway.

loving it ... good luck!

[Koniving]

Heya Magna. Koniving here. If you think the 'champion' trial mechs are bad, pity should be given to those who used the mechs with the standard heatsinks.

Try the Highlander trial mech. Press R when you see a target near you, so you can highlight and target them. The "lock on" sound is for the streaks, which can hit even the fastest little pains you find. Use the AC/10 on most enemies, and only use the ER LLs under two conditions: 1) Nothing is near you anyway so you can use the Extended Range Large Lasers to hit them at no more than 700 meters (to do decent enough damage to make it worth the heat). 2) Emergencies when the enemy is too close.

Also, move with other really big mechs. If there's a lot of you, then that's a lot of firepower spreading around. Remember the 26th rule of Murphy's Law of Mechanized Combat: "Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammunition."

But if you ever think you've got it bad with the trials... Just remember this vid.

[Macksheen]

As a newer player, I can tell you that two things have made a significant difference for me.

(1) Unlocking those mech XP things are actually VERY freaking useful. The torso and turn ones, specifically, made a huge impact for me.

(2) While the trial mechs were pretty decent (and at least one I still use), finding or building something that works better with your own particular strengths is super important.

[mailin]

Sorry, marepinta, but you are wrong about exiting a match as soon as you die. Absolutely do NOT do this. Instead, once you are dead, click the "Spectate" button and you can observe your fellow players and pick up some suggestions about what to do, and maybe what not to do. Also, this is a great way to learn those maps without the pressure of having to worry about dying, because you've already done that. Also, note that you can cycle through the friendlies that are still alive and possibly find someone who is running a similar mech or with a similar loadout to yours.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

mailin, on 12 January 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:

stuff

I'd add that it's also good to stick around to accrue as many assist tallies as possible. Any enemies that die after you disconnect won't form part of your c-bill payment at the end of the match.

[TheCaptainJZ]

If you have questions about jargon (the battletech universe is full of it as is an online game) please feel free to ask.

[sneeking]

in the beginning it realy does feel like your piloting a cardboard mech

give it at least three weeks ( no need to spend any real money in that time just use your free premium time and new pilot bonus )and you will see it differently.

[Rando Slim]

Ok I dont know your playstyle, and Im sure other better players than me would disagree, I do have 2500 matches under my belt though, and so I would say you should do the following:

1): As someone said, activate your free day of premium time at the beginning of your Cadet bonus matches. If you are already past that but havent bought any MC or new mechs then START A NEW ACCOUNT AND DO IT. With the experience youve already gained, and knowing to activate the premium time right off, Youll make plenty of c-bills to start if all 25 matches have premium time AND cadet bonus. Makes me wanna start a new account right now almost lol. Someone told me this after I had dropped 30 bucks on MC and bought a Jenner-k so it was too late for me. My first 200 matches were pretty rough.

2): Even though I just got done saying how hard it ws to start in the Jenner-k, I would still recommend trying lights as your first mechs. Specifically Jenners. Because they are wicked fun and unlike all the other lights, theres no lame duck variants that are a chore to use like the Spider 5k or the Raven 2x. The Jenner D and Jenner F actually pack quite a punch and the Oxide hero mech is a dangerous light killer and pretty good for annoying the **** out of anything bigger. The other plus is that they are CHEAP, so you will be able to afford all 3 variants of a chassis that you will need to unlock elite level skills much more quickly than if you buy a cataphract right off and then realize you gotta grind 15-18 million c-bills to afford the other 2 and put DHS on them and then see your premium time and cadet bonus wont be there and you'll be still kinda struggling to do well, that will take forever to get the elite skills on said cataphract, and you'll be frustrated.

3:) Have fun. Dont be afraid to try any mech, trying em all and tinkering in the mechbay is half the fun, they are all dangerous in the right hands, it just takes practice to turn your hands into the "right" hands. Note: That might not be true for 12 mans, as really the only viable mechs for 12 mans are Victors, Metalanders, Centurions, Jenners, Spider 5m (the other spiders are terrible), Raven 3l (the other Ravens are also terrible), DDC Atlas (the other Atlai are terrible IMO), and Shadowhawk 2d2s.

4:) When you DO start buying mechbays and mechs, dont sell engines unless you have more than one of an engine size you wont use much. Dont ever sell XL engines as they are expensive as ****. The ONLY engines that are safe to sell IMO are "lame duck" engines, ones that weight the same as the next engine size up for example the 250 rated engines, 260s, 190s, and 275s along with a few others are absolutely worthless as far as I can tell. For example the XL 250 weighs 12.5 tons, so does the XL 255. They carry the same number of internal heatsinks, and theres no mech currently that has an engine size that caps out at 250. The Locusts is only rated for a 190 size engine, despite the fact a 195 weighs the same, so maybe theres a case for some of these lame duck engines. But Locusts are hands down the worst mech in the game right now, so dont bother getting a 190 size engine for it.

Edited by Scrotacus 42, 12 January 2014 - 10:55 PM.

[BLOOD WOLF]

Hey Fellas. we are all here to help any new players, magna, we will help you all the way.

Edited by BLOOD WOLF, 12 January 2014 - 10:41 PM.

[MetalBacon]

Kjudoon, on 12 January 2014 - 04:31 PM, said:

Your Elo score is low being new, and you are being paired against other newer/low skilled players, but many of them are also running in lances on teamspeak and not coordinating with each other. That can get you killed faster than a Spider running from a Streaktaro.

it's 7 am and that made me laugh so hard xD

I've been wanting to run one of these "Streaktaros"

[wanderer]

Magna Golem, on 12 January 2014 - 04:15 PM, said:

Hey all,

First off let me start with my friend recently got me into battletech and I wanted to learn a little bit more (I finally got the difference between lrms and SRMs, no idea wtf a ELRM and a LRM are).

Anyway, so I understand there is a learning curve with any game but it almost feels like these trial mechs I've been given are:
(A) Made of paper
( Can't turn worth anything outside of the light spider I was given
( C ) Deal no damage

It's the equivalent of being in a stock Ford at a NASCAR race while everyone else is race-ready. Your armor isn't often top-grade in orientation or amount (often a lot more back armor than you want at first), turning is fun cause you'll turn -faster- if you're going slower (and a reverse-traverse is often better still in a circle-fight), and you're often using something with basic single heat sinks instead of the almost inevitable first upgrade someone puts on a 'Mech - the far more efficient double heat sink.

Quote

I'm dying to other light mechs no problem and I'm getting peppered with missles before I even see the enemy. Not too mention the radar is comeplete fail when I have enemies moving behind me and it never shows me.
Out of the 8 or so games I've played so far I've won 0 and I dont last more then 2 minutes.

Your radar doesn't show targets behind you, and LRM fire is quite capable of "indirect"- that is, fired with visual data from a distant spotter who's frequently using ECM to be invisible to your radar outside of 200m or so. If he's REALLY annoying, he's also guiding those missiles in with a TAG designator laser. If you see a thin red beam waving over your 'Mech and not doing damage, it's someone painting the 'Mech for missile fire.

Quote

This game really seems fun but I'm not getting what I am doing wrong, or was the game store owner lying when he said that I would actually get paired with other new players?

You likely are- however, they're not -all- new players. There is no "newbie-only" games right now. That being said, the first 25 games are "cadet" ones- you get a good chunk of money win or lose, and consider them throwaway matches. In addition, get some time in on the Training Grounds- just to get used to the controls, how much firepower you can send down the line, and how different maps can cause you different kinds of trouble. One big newbie mistake is holding down the triggers. You want more damage. The game will shutdown your 'Mech from overheating in short order if you do that, ESPECIALLY with the trial 'Mechs you're in right now- it teaches you a healthy respect for your heat gauge. Remember that hitting "O" before it hits 100% will allow you to override that, but the cost is your 'Mech takes damage staying at 100%+ heat and still fighting...which will kill you if you're not careful. On the other hand, so does shutting down in front of a fully-armed Atlas. Yes, you -are- at a disadvantage, especially until you get a feel for how much you can throw at an opponent before you're making the 'Mech wish you hadn't.

Hit and run (or get in cover). Trial 'Mechs brawl like fat kids after five hours in an all-you-can-eat Twinkies buffet. One salvo is likely sane and safe. Two is pushing your heat, especially if you alpha-strike (and unless they're all the same kind of weapon, that was likely a Bad Idea as some of them will be inside minimum/outside effective range and might have well been an overheating nerf ball lobbed at your target by a dyspeptic poodle). Learn your ranges (did I mention the Training Grounds) and what's effective how and where. Even a Trial 'Mech is not a simple machine to use, other than failing at living. It's great at dying faster than you can say "Redshirt me." when abused, and stock 'Mechs are the most tempermental of 'Mechs.

Try and give yourself a chance to cool down between shots- and use the time to line up those shots on whatever's orange/red if possible. Better one laser that hits square and solid for the whole burn to one spot than three shots that just streak across the armor and barely scratches four different sections in a pretty light show, never mind whiffing that AC shot into a wall.

[Victor Morson]

Trial 'mechs are bad. Really, really bad. However, after you purchase your OWN first 'mech, the game opens up considerably - because now you can customize it into something solid. Just hang in there.

I'd recommend for starter 'mechs:
Light - Jenner
Medium - Shadow Hawk
Heavy - Cataphract
Assault - Victor, Highlander

Go with any of those (depending on your style) and you will find yourself performing a thousand times better, once you've slapped on some mods, upped the armor and changed the guns.

Magna Golem, on 12 January 2014 - 04:15 PM, said:

This game really seems fun but I'm not getting what I am doing wrong, or was the game store owner lying when he said that I would actually get paired with other new players?

He wasn't lying, but matchmaker just is terrible at figuring out ELO. Because it's based on wins, and you have pretty much 0 control if your team wins or loses, no matter how well you do. It'd take hundreds of thousands of games to glean any kind of useful data out of it and you might as well be basing it on coin tosses.

[Victor Morson]

Magna Golem, on 12 January 2014 - 04:15 PM, said:

I'm dying to other light mechs no problem and I'm getting peppered with missles before I even see the enemy. Not too mention the radar is comeplete fail when I have enemies moving behind me and it never shows me.
Out of the 8 or so games I've played so far I've won 0 and I dont last more then 2 minutes.

This game really seems fun but I'm not getting what I am doing wrong

I suspect you might be playing too aggressively. MechWarrior is heavily team based. You want to stick with your group (which in turn, help you cover those radar blind spots - though a module called 360 target acquisition does exist) and generally want to make cautious and tactical pushes.

I think you might be pushing straight in towards the enemy gun blazing, when really you want to move with your group and try to smash the same target everyone is shooting at, to bring it down quick.