27 replies to this topic

[Quxudica]

I was a huge fan of MWO, played excessively from Closed Beta all the way through early "release". Eventually however I decided to take a break as the game had grown a bit stale to me and I wasn't a fan of how the meta had shaped up or some of the devs business practices.

However I decided to check things out the other day to see whats changed, scanned the forums mostly. I'm looking for info on the current state from people who play as well as suggestions for good builds to use getting back into the swing of things. I see Jump Sniping is still an issue, and it seems from my cursory look over the forum that excessively high PP damage has yet to be dealt with suitably, Still I'm hoping maybe they aren't as big as they used to be.

Many things have changed since I played, it's been over a year since I played seriously, and I suspect all of my builds are obsolete if not completely non-functional at this point, I've played pretty much every weight class, exclusive Jenner pilot in CB and moved into mediums and heavies in OB, experimented with assaults after "release". I've currently got about 10 mil CB available and access to several Cataphracts as well as a couple Atlas I think plus a few others..

Any thoughts for a returning player would be appreciated greatly, recommendations on new mechs that have been introduced since I played would be great too

[Bartholomew bartholomew]

clans just came out. srm fixes now work. So things are shaking up ATM. Only advice I can really give is not to face hug brawl against a clan mech with an IS mech.

Other than that stay mobile and aim well!

[Kenyon Burguess]

Bartholomew bartholomew, on 19 June 2014 - 04:26 PM, said:

clans just came out. srm fixes now work. So things are shaking up ATM. Only advice I can really give is not to face hug brawl against a clan mech with an IS mech.

Other than that stay mobile and aim well!

what he means to say is, go buy a clan mech, or expect to die excruciatingly fast to one since they have a lot of weapons, do more damage and all of them are xl engine zombies.

Edited by Geist Null, 19 June 2014 - 04:32 PM.

[TheCaptainJZ]

The high pinpoint issue still exists, but is not quite as bad as a year ago. PPC heat is higher and Gauss has a short charge up before firing. The current meta is AC5s + PPCs or similar for the bigger mechs and ECM lights with ER large lasers.

Oh and people are still trying to figure out Clan mechs. Yes, they have more and better weapons, but they are hotter and they can't customize their engines so they are slower overall and they have worse hitboxes. Totally defeatable.

[Bartholomew bartholomew]

Geist Null, on 19 June 2014 - 04:31 PM, said:

what he means to say is, go buy a clan mech, or expect to die excruciatingly fast to one since they have a lot of weapons, do more damage and all of them are xl engine zombies.

I still do good in my griffin. Been getting kills and damage. Don't have any clan mech yet. But am giving the kitfox a hard look.

[Quxudica]

I have to admit I am excited to get back into the game, at least to try it out, despite my misgivings. I've been a fan of Mechwarrior since the early PC days, even dabbled in TT though not seriously. What's more awesome than a simulator that lets you pilot a nuclear powered walking battle tank? The complexity of it has also always been something I've enjoyed, there's more to consider in a MW game than in say Battle Field or Counter Strike since your can build your own machine and it can litterally fall to pieces around you on the battlefield but not die.

Anywho, are the clan mechs available for CBills or are they only available for those ridiculous prices on the package page?

Despite my excitement about the franchise, It's unfortunate to hear they still have not done anything to address convergance but hopefully you are right in that it's not quite as bad as it used to be. Honestly part of my reason for quitting was a match on Frozen where my Phracts side torso (max armor distrubution) went from fresh to red critical in a single salvo after having exposed myself for under 2 seconds (sounds like hyperbole, it truely isn't). I tried a few matches casually afterward every now and then but pretty much from that point on I felt high alpha PPD had rendered TTK so low that there was barely any difference between MWO and any other FPS, certainly didn't feel like I was piloting a massive walking tank anymore. Might as well have been playing a Counter Strike character with severe mobility issues.


As an aside, has matchmaking improved any? I was mostly a PuG player since I don't know many who like this sort of title, and obviously since I'm just comming back I'm likely to be Pubbing it up again for awhile at least as I test the new things out.

[Bartholomew bartholomew]

Matchmaker is a little better. But you still will get ROFLstomps.

And clans are only availabe at the prepurchase pack rates + al la carte at the bottom

Edited by Bartholomew bartholomew, 19 June 2014 - 05:15 PM.

[Quxudica]

Bartholomew bartholomew, on 19 June 2014 - 05:04 PM, said:

Matchmaker is a little better. But you still will get ROFLstomp.

And clans are only availabe at the prepurchase pack rates + al la carte at the bottom

Yeah.. those are the kind of business practices I was refering too. I'm hoping at the very least that's just a pre-order type thing and they will be released for CB eventually? I have little interest in playing a game that paywalls potential pay 2 win items like that. Mech chassis are to close to being over that line for my comfort. I spoke out heavily against the entire concept of Hero mechs for that reason, selling novelty flair is fine but unique mech variants have actual effects on game play.

[Bartholomew bartholomew]

Oh they will come out for cbills. The release schedule for them is two a month starting next month

[Quxudica]

Bartholomew bartholomew, on 19 June 2014 - 05:17 PM, said:

Oh they will come out for cbills. The release schedule for them is two a month starting next month

Ah well that's not to bad then I suppose, still not really a fan of the concept but they do have to make money somehow. Anyway, thanks for all the info, it's much appreciated.

[TheCaptainJZ]

http://mwomercs.com/...lease-schedule/

[Bylak]

I too am slowly coming back to the game after a long absence. I haven't played since pre-updated UI days (man I do not like the new UI >.<). How long is the wait time for matches generally speaking? I don't seem to be able to get in any games but I could very well not be waiting long enough!

[White Bear 84]

Bylak, on 19 June 2014 - 05:34 PM, said:

I too am slowly coming back to the game after a long absence. I haven't played since pre-updated UI days (man I do not like the new UI >.<).

Yeah it can be pretty damn tedious.

A couple of additions for returnee's;

- Can now launch public and private matches (prv with premium time only)
- Launch button has display of % of mechs so can change class if want faster searches
- LRM's have had a heap of changes to damage and arc
- UAC jam chance decreased (confirmation?)
- SRM's work properly for a change!
- MG's got buffed and are actually viable (yes there are threads where people are complaining they are op)
- Fall damage is going to be introduced
- Current IS meta is poptarting, but not so bad.. ..they screwed over the gauss with its charge time
- Some general balance changes to PL you should check out
- AC ranges have decreased
- The game speed was increased so the mechs appear to move faster than back in beta
- We have DX11
- The Ember (Firestarter) is now the mightiest light in the IS.. ..you will find OP threads on this too
- A whole heap of hero mechs!!
- Some new maps!!
- I think this was less than a year ago, but we have seismic sensor as a module which is a must have. So is the insta-lrm decay.
- Other modules include weapon buffs, hill climb, narc bonus, legged mech speed buff
- You can now buy a disco ball as a cockpit item... (Looks great in my Ember)
And Obviously there is the UI....

Of the top of my head that is all I can come up with for now, but yeah a heap more! Now I better get back to work!

Edited by White Bear 84, 19 June 2014 - 05:46 PM.

[Koniving]

Quxudica, on 19 June 2014 - 05:15 PM, said:

Yeah.. those are the kind of business practices I was refering too. I'm hoping at the very least that's just a pre-order type thing and they will be released for CB eventually? I have little interest in playing a game that paywalls potential pay 2 win items like that. Mech chassis are to close to being over that line for my comfort. I spoke out heavily against the entire concept of Hero mechs for that reason, selling novelty flair is fine but unique mech variants have actual effects on game play.

It's a preorder. Much like the Founder program, where some of the Founder variants weren't released yet for anything else for a few months.

Here, the Kitfox becomes available for MC first week of July, then third week for cbills.
And they systematically release.

The way I look at it is we're being used as guinea pigs while they figure out what the trends will be and what to nerf or buff.

Streak 6's for example take 7 seconds to reload. With some mech configs on Clans, there's increased 5 or 10% reload times, leading to longer delays between firing.

I've come to love a Stormcrow rig I tried, though. 1 ER ML head-mounted, 2 SRM-6s (one per arm) with lower actuators and hands attached. 3 streak 6's. Fair amount of ammo.

Sure it can't jump, and those streaks take forever to reload. But kinda pulse the streaks for a one at a time rate for every 2 seconds and it's not so bad.

Beats the original idea they had, which was a short reload time with a jam mechanic. Go to fire streaks. 3 out of 6 fire and JAM! >.<!

[Koniving]

A glimpse at the clan mechs.

Spoiler

This Timberwolf build is actually based off of a Stalker 4N build. 4 ML, 2 SRM-6, 1 LRM-20. Just the stalker had more ammo and heatsinks.

Burst fire! Yay!

Edited by Koniving, 19 June 2014 - 05:56 PM.

[1453 R]

It's a good time to be a Jenner pilot.

The Clan 'Mechs are everywhere, and the two Invasion Clan lights are, by MWO light standards, slow as hell. The overall number of other pesky lights to contend with is down, and Dire Wolves, which are 100-ton gun-trucks that carry over fifty tons of pure armament and move exactly like you'd expect of such, are easy food for any competent 150+kph IS light pilot. Be careful of Clan Streak launchers, but otherwise load up your best strike Jenners and go ape. See what all the fuss is about.

[Barkem Squirrel]

Over a year, a lot has changed. No more 6 PPC stalkers ruining your day, maybe 4 PPC in volleys of 2 to escape ghost heat. LRM boats limited to 2 launchers of LRM 10 or higher, but can have many LRM 5's with it own problems in chain fire.

I have also seen a difference in how PGI is marketing, so far this year they have had events for earning a mech bay, at centurion with mech bay and thunderbolt with mech bay. Then right now if you drop before Friday they will give a mech bay and 24 hours of premium time due to the server issues Tuesday. This is the first problem they had with a patch this year they also gave out 24 hours of premium time. Once this year they had mech bays for 210 MC instead of 300 MC. Other sales for cockpit items, colors, mech skins and different mechs.

As for pin point damage from poptarters, there have been some changes, AC range is now 2x not 3x rated range, projectile speed has changed and jump jets have been tweaked and larger poptarters need more JJ now. Torso twist speeds have also been changed.

They have been tweaking things a little hear and there, but it is a lot better than in Feb or March of 2013. I did not think this game was worth putting money into until after the Jagermechs came out.

Go out with the Jenner and nail those direwolves. Big slow and everyone just out runs them so they are alone and unprotected. Perfect for a jenner pilot.


Right now for a mech I would say a shadow hawk, but I am not sure how they are doing with the clan mechs. They can out run the clan mechs, but that is with XL's. If you can cut the range and engage from the flanks, you can do ok with the IS mechs. A jager mech getting into a long range AC fight with a clan mech just standing there will die.


Here is the link to smurfy to see the ghost heat http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/equipment I think ghost heat came in last July or august. http://mwomercs.com/...cale-the-maths/

There is more of a mix now, but if you are in a very high ELO rating the matchmaker will almost force you to run meta builds. Lower ELO brackets you will see everything.

Clan mechs are still being looked at, so no real meta for them, but give it a week. The one thing many IS mechs have is speed to use against the clan mechs.

Welcome back.

[Quxudica]

Barkem Squirrel, on 19 June 2014 - 06:29 PM, said:

Over a year, a lot has changed. No more 6 PPC stalkers ruining your day, maybe 4 PPC in volleys of 2 to escape ghost heat. LRM boats limited to 2 launchers of LRM 10 or higher, but can have many LRM 5's with it own problems in chain fire.

I have also seen a difference in how PGI is marketing, so far this year they have had events for earning a mech bay, at centurion with mech bay and thunderbolt with mech bay. Then right now if you drop before Friday they will give a mech bay and 24 hours of premium time due to the server issues Tuesday. This is the first problem they had with a patch this year they also gave out 24 hours of premium time. Once this year they had mech bays for 210 MC instead of 300 MC. Other sales for cockpit items, colors, mech skins and different mechs.

As for pin point damage from poptarters, there have been some changes, AC range is now 2x not 3x rated range, projectile speed has changed and jump jets have been tweaked and larger poptarters need more JJ now. Torso twist speeds have also been changed.

They have been tweaking things a little hear and there, but it is a lot better than in Feb or March of 2013. I did not think this game was worth putting money into until after the Jagermechs came out.

Go out with the Jenner and nail those direwolves. Big slow and everyone just out runs them so they are alone and unprotected. Perfect for a jenner pilot.


Right now for a mech I would say a shadow hawk, but I am not sure how they are doing with the clan mechs. They can out run the clan mechs, but that is with XL's. If you can cut the range and engage from the flanks, you can do ok with the IS mechs. A jager mech getting into a long range AC fight with a clan mech just standing there will die.


Here is the link to smurfy to see the ghost heat http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/equipment I think ghost heat came in last July or august. http://mwomercs.com/...cale-the-maths/

There is more of a mix now, but if you are in a very high ELO rating the matchmaker will almost force you to run meta builds. Lower ELO brackets you will see everything.

Clan mechs are still being looked at, so no real meta for them, but give it a week. The one thing many IS mechs have is speed to use against the clan mechs.

Welcome back.

Great info, much appreciated. Has collision been reintroduced at all btw? It didn't occur to me until I read the suggestions here to take my Jenner out of mothballs.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Quxudica, on 19 June 2014 - 06:45 PM, said:

Great info, much appreciated. Has collision been reintroduced at all btw? It didn't occur to me until I read the suggestions here to take my Jenner out of mothballs.

Collision as in knockdowns?
No
You do take (and give) damage from physically ramming other mechs though.

[Quxudica]

Shar Wolf, on 19 June 2014 - 06:51 PM, said:

Collision as in knockdowns?
No
You do take (and give) damage from physically ramming other mechs though.

Yeah I meant knockdowns, there was always talk of reintroducing it after they removed the mechanic a looong time ago. Was just curious if they had. In some ways I'm kind of glad they haven't.