49 replies to this topic

[Aym]

Hayashi, on 07 April 2013 - 05:48 AM, said:

You don't need to use real money to buy a starter mech. Just play about 25 games or so and you should have about 9+M C bills with which to buy your first mech.

Good starters:
Light: JR7-D
Medium: CN9-D
Heavy: CPLT-C1/K2
Assault: Pretty much any Stalker

I like Hayashi, we have good times in other threads, but the Jenner is NOT a good starter light. Raven 3L is the right choice their, ECM is too powerful to ignore in the light chassis and both Jenners and Ravens need a much bigger engine, double heat sinks, and usually endosteel to reach their potential which adds 6 million or so to the cost of the first one, the rest only about 2.25 million since you can swap the engine around. I'd say Hunch 4 SP or Cent 9A are good medium choices, the CN9D is too expensive and has a vulnerable XL engine that isn't even useful in other mechs.
Stalkers are good though.

[Skadi]

Hayashi, on 07 April 2013 - 05:48 AM, said:

You don't need to use real money to buy a starter mech. Just play about 25 games or so and you should have about 9+M C bills with which to buy your first mech.

Good starters:
Light: Raven-3L
Medium: 4p (imo)
Heavy: Cataphract 3D
Assault: Pretty much any Stalker (right in the ballpark)

Fix't

[Aym]

Oh have you used Team Speak? There are few public servers just for Mechwarrior and it's a GREAT way to get the hang of the game and play better. Having team mates that you can communicate with and stay with for a few games really builds up your teamwork and that's the most important part of the game, combining fire effectively on a single enemy is infinitely better than splitting it up.

[Koniving]

JC Daxion, on 07 April 2013 - 12:32 PM, said:

just tried the latest drivers, and no luck, still crashing on match exit.

I think i understand the store now too.. their are certain mechs listed at the top of the columns that only have the MC way to purchase, I am guessing this means real money is the only way to own them??

On the other side, I see i have almost 10m xp already, and it looks like i can start to purchase mechs.. But for the moment i am gonna keep gaining XP on the trial chasis.. guess ill give that hunchback a shot.

I see i also get some other types of XP, i guess there is piloting stuff to unlock? Not sure how that works yet.. For now i think i will just save up.. outside of buying mech slots, and premium

thanks again for all your help..

In order..

Usually the second patch of the month fixes issues in the first patch of the month, so on the 19th you may have better luck with the crashing.

Yes. Heros are only which means real cash only.

Hero mechs are essentially a "unique variant with a 30% cbill/XP boost." They are supposed to be mechs from the Battletech series lore (or made up such as the Muromets and X-5). The latest one, Heavy Metal, is a Highlander (otherwise not yet released) piloted by Ronda Snord who was evidently notorious for playing music on loudspeakers while fighting. They are not any more or less powerful than others, though some have favorable stats (The Pretty Baby is the fastest Awesome with the most Torso Twist. But to get that potential speed you'd have to lose practically all your weapons).

Hero / Founder's bonus + premium stack.

Founder's mechs are just JR7-D, HBK-4G, CPT C1, and AS7-D with unique appearances and a 25% cbill bonus in exchange for having pumped in 30 to 120 dollars before there was an in-game store. Most noteworthy of the unique looks is that the Founder's Catapult CPT-C1 has a cone nose (more like classic catapults) instead of the snub-nose and the Founder's Atlas AS7-D has only one eye instead of two.

Your non-trial mechs are likely to have an easier time earning cbills.

Note, the "10mil XP" is called c-bills (). That's in-game (not real) money.

"XP" and "GXP" are Mech Experience and General (Pilot) Experience. These are spent in the Pilot Lab to enhance things such as torso twist, acceleration, brake, heat management, accuracy, and so on.

GXP is hard to earn, and is required to unlock the ability to equip and use pilot modules (such as base capture accelerator, 360 degree target retention, advanced sensor range) and improvements in consumables (coolant flush, artillery strikes, air-strikes).

GXP can be used in place of XP to unlock things for your mech, but that is a waste because for every 100 XP you get, you get 1 GXP. (Not exact count, but pretty close).

Edited by Koniving, 07 April 2013 - 01:21 PM.

[JC Daxion]

no teamspeak atm, i need to reinstall it.

thanks to all the advice i got premium and 4 slots for my 15 bucks. Guess ill keep learning on this dragon till i get sick of it.. so far i'm just starting to get the hang of it..

[Hayashi]

Nowai. I wouldn't stick a new player in a 3L, they'll learn so many bad habits that they'll die the instant they switch to another non-3L chassis - and thereafter switch back to the 3L and remain in it for good.

[loliza]

Hayashi, on 07 April 2013 - 04:39 PM, said:

Nowai. I wouldn't stick a new player in a 3L, they'll learn so many bad habits that they'll die the instant they switch to another non-3L chassis - and thereafter switch back to the 3L and remain in it for good.

i agree i only barely made it to speed tweak on th 4x and 2x and they now sit in garage collecting dust also the 3L is insanely expensive to get going at 150 kph, and you cant use the engines in the other 2 variants i think they take 245 as max and you will need 295 in the 3L

[Sadistic Savior]

JC Daxion, on 06 April 2013 - 10:08 PM, said:

How far range does gauss rifle have? anyone know a place that has a list of all ranges?

It is listed in the mechlab screen when you select the weapon. In-game it will show optimal range. Most weapons can hit beyond their given range at reduced damage, which eventually approaches zero.

The only weapon I know for sure that has a hard limit is SRM missiles.

[Koniving]

Sadistic Savior, on 08 April 2013 - 08:22 AM, said:

It is listed in the mechlab screen when you select the weapon. In-game it will show optimal range. Most weapons can hit beyond their given range at reduced damage, which eventually approaches zero.

The only weapon I know for sure that has a hard limit is SRM missiles.

Seriously, I think after two pages the original question is probably answered. Which counting yours, it is answered about 4 times.

Gots to be faster!

Edited by Koniving, 08 April 2013 - 08:34 AM.

[JC Daxion]

Sadistic Savior, on 08 April 2013 - 08:22 AM, said:

The only weapon I know for sure that has a hard limit is SRM missiles.

well this is good info..



I do have another question though seeing i keep seeing it pop up often..


Why are some mechs considered not good for beginners  or another theme i noticed,  "pick up bad habits"   Perhaps a little info on why people are saying this, or what not to do..



another thing i'm having issues with is the whole missle lock thing. Do you need to turn the reticual red to have lock?  I noticed there is also something known as "spotting"  Does this mean you are some how using someone elses radar for your lock?  I tired LRM's a couple times and couldn't hit squat..



( team speak, i noticed there is  team speak 2, and now team speak 3..  does it mater? are either compatible?)




I bought a mech, haven't used it yet...  hunchback HBK-4sp   What is the point of that single small lazer?   Just seams like such an odd addition to 4 medium lazers and  2 SRM 6's.  Seams like something else should be added to this mech..

Edited by JC Daxion, 08 April 2013 - 11:56 AM.

[JC Daxion]

i also have earned 23k xp on the dragon varriant that i have been using this weekend. It looks like i should beable to spend some pilot xp, but can't for the life of me figure out how

[Sadistic Savior]

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

Why are some mechs considered not good for beginners or another theme i noticed, "pick up bad habits" Perhaps a little info on why people are saying this, or what not to do..

IMO, good beginner mechs should:

- Have good handling (The catapault is one of these IMO). Not all Mechs handle equally well...some have greater degrees of motion in the torso for example.

- Not overwhelm new players...I would say stick with 1 or 2 weapons systems max, and keep arm-lock enabled.

- Have a good balance of mobility and weapons and armor (this usually means Heavy or maybe medium mechs IMO)

A lot of the trial mechs I tried had a huge mix of weapons. In theory, this is to familiarize new players with different types of weapons. In practice, it just overloads them with too much crap to keep track of. I would get a heavy or medium mech to start and feel out your play style...if you like speed and maneuverability buy a light next. If you like brawling or long range sniping, go heavy or assault.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

another thing i'm having issues with is the whole missle lock thing. Do you need to turn the reticual red to have lock?

Yes. Without the reticle the missiles are no longer tracking. LRM players constantly complain about it (and I am not saying they are wrong...I avoid missiles for this reason). You can get around it by equipping TAG, but that requires Line of Sight to the target.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

I noticed there is also something known as "spotting" Does this mean you are some how using someone elses radar for your lock?

Kind of. If you have a spotter, you can maintain a "lock" even without line of sight. Spotting is passive...as long as a teammate has your target also targeted themselves, that is all you will need. You do not need to press any extra buttons or ask them to do anything else. If they lose the target or switch targets, you will also losing their spotting ability.

The game encourages players to do this. You get a spotting bonus if another player uses your targeting to kill something. For this reason it is always good to target an enemy...any enemy...all the time. You never know who might be using it.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

I tired LRM's a couple times and couldn't hit squat..

I would never recommend starting with missiles...I would say start with lasers, then ballistics, then missiles. Missiles are an intermediate/advanced thing because they have more variables.

You do not need to be combat oriented either...you can load up a mech with beagle active probe/ECM/AMS/ect and simply provide support for other players. You will still make money and XP. You will get bonuses if they benefit from your stuff. You can even equip TAG if you have no missiles at all...friendly missiles will still home on it and you will get assist bonuses.

IMO, this would be boring, but it is a good way to get your feet wet if you are really bad at direct combat. You could also add some lasers and just snipe from the sidelines. I did that when I first started. Let the veterans get all the aggro and just snipe as opportunity arises.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

I bought a mech, haven't used it yet... hunchback HBK-4sp What is the point of that single small lazer? Just seams like such an odd addition to 4 medium lazers and 2 SRM 6's. Seams like something else should be added to this mech..

Thats a good starter mech IMO. I used to have one.

The point of small lasers like that is a backup. Typically, you put those in the core of your mech (Head or Center torso) as a last resort weapon. And trust me, running out of weapons because they have been destroyed is annoying as hell. This game engine does not allow physical attacks, so if you run out of weapons, you become a spectator and a target and nothing more.

EDIT - I guess you still have some value as a scout and/or to cap or to spot or whatever even without weapons. but you can't actually kill anything.

Edited by Sadistic Savior, 08 April 2013 - 12:52 PM.

[Koniving]

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 11:36 AM, said:

Why are some mechs considered not good for beginners or another theme i noticed, "pick up bad habits" Perhaps a little info on why people are saying this, or what not to do..

Had a big helpful post that I accidentally erased by replying to Sadistic by saying he finally got faster. Then went to edit and delete his huge quote to just replace it with "helpful stuff" so the page didn't drown.

Deleted everything I wrote.

Anyway I wanted to re-answer but it'll be short-hand this time.

Mechs that are not good for new players are one of two things. One, they are mechs that "teach bad habits." The Raven 3-L is especially guilty of this. For a while their speed and complicated geometry made them nearly impossible to damage, allowing them to fight 3 Atlas's at once and come out with almost no damage. Even while standing still. Add ECM to the mix and missiles they don't have to aim... you get the idea. It was abuse of the game net code. Abuse that a new player may think is "Working as intended" and continue to do. Abuse that is being fixed in upcoming patches which may make the player useless.

Bringing us to "not good" number 2. Any mech that cannot fill "any and all roles" are considered not good for new players. These are skill or role based mechs that outside of their role, will die very quickly and without doing much for the team. These are Awesomes, Cataphracts, Spiders, Commandos, etc. They suck when taken out of their element. Making the player feel like he or she is useless, and may risk having the player give up the game before really giving it a try. Or regret their purchase of the mech. We also call them bad habits because soon pilots will have to learn how to drive again when knockdowns come back.



My favorite. Atlas wrestling clothesline on Hunchback!
http://www.youtube.c...BDuKg834#t=877s


We don't want that because the more players the better. So we recommend mechs that work good in ANY role, can do anything while still allowing a new player to feel useful, to survive. Hunchbacks are good for that. Want to be fast? Put in a big STD engine. Want to carry more firepower? You can. Want to use missiles? Some carry them! Want to boat (carry lots of) lasers? Go ahead, there's one for that. Want cannons? There's 2!

----------------

How to lock
This was under a previous link I gave you. R to target the enemy. Aim your crosshairs at it to lock and fire.

Before you target something with R, take note of the triangles.

Solid red triangles are held already as a target by someone else. These are Spotted-and-Held Targets.
Hollow red triangles are "I can see this target but no one has it targeted." These are exclusive to you or passively seen by someone at a glance. No one is paying attention to it. This is not a good target to throw LRMs at unless you can see it physically.

Hit R. Aim crosshairs. BIG circle appears. Sound effect confirms when it's red. Fire away.

-------------
Dragon 5N[C] has the EXP. It is counting as a separate mech. On the 19th it may come out. Sorry.

Hit Pilot Lab in game. Click bright slots. You'll figure it out.
-------

In the meantime a bit ago someone took a picture of me beating up an Atlas.


I am the Jager. I'm using flamers to blind him. MGs to pelt him so he can't tell where I'm hitting him really, and cannons to tear him apart.

Edited by Koniving, 08 April 2013 - 01:07 PM.

[JC Daxion]

thanks for all that usefull info! I get what you are talking about too, as i am new to mwo, i played mech 3&4, and mechcommander. It is so nice to see all this lore stuff in the game..



I figured out the xp thing, it is tied to chasis, so looks like i have a lotta saved xp.



Onto this new mech i am using now, this Hunchback, with 4 med lazers, 2 srm 6, I am wondering if it would be a good idea to change the armor to ferous fiber, and then add a few more heat sinks.. this mech gets pretty hot quick. Looks like i can do this for not to much money.. If soo where should i try to put the heat sink? I can remove the lazer from my head and add it there i noticed. Is there any way to cram a faster engine into this at the same time? Now it's time to learn the mech lab!

It is funny you mentioned flamer though.. as i was digging in the mech lab i noticed i could swap out that small lazer for a flame thrower! I was so tempted buy i have heat issues as it is... though nothing wrong with an every now and again weapon.. especially when it is a flamer!

Edited by JC Daxion, 08 April 2013 - 01:50 PM.

[Sadistic Savior]

Koniving, on 08 April 2013 - 12:41 PM, said:

In the meantime a bit ago someone took a picture of me beating up an Atlas.


I am the Jager. I'm using flamers to blind him. MGs to pelt him so he can't tell where I'm hitting him really, and cannons to tear him apart.

Great post. There is stuff in there I did not know either.

I did not know there was a night version of that map. That looks really cool. I have never played that version of it.

[Sadistic Savior]

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 01:49 PM, said:

I figured out the xp thing, it is tied to chasis, so looks like i have a lotta saved xp.

I think you mean CBills. CBills are currency you can use to "buy" new mechs. Heavier is usually more expensive, though it depends (models with XL engines are always pricey no matter the weight).

XP lets you "buy" bonuses...like special modules or being able to twist your torso farther or accelerate faster. General XP is used to unlock access to special modules. Mech-specific XP will let you upgrade performance items for that model of mech only.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 01:49 PM, said:

Onto this new mech i am using now, this Hunchback, with 4 med lazers, 2 srm 6, I am wondering if it would be a good idea to change the armor to ferous fiber, and then add a few more heat sinks..

My suggestion would be to diversify your weapon grouping. I would have two main weapons systems...one for short/med range, and one for med/long range. be careful with long range weapons, as some of them have a minimum range as well (so they do no damage unless you have a minimum distance...LRMs are like this). I would mix Medium lasers and one ER large laser or something like that. Or medium lasers and LRMs.

Medium Lasers and SRMs have the same general range. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you only fight at short range (I have a dual AC/20 Jaggermech that I only play at short range with). But you will be doing nothing but watching at long range.

Unless you are on a good team, I would always recommend beginning with short range weapons, and then adding long range weapons later. Nothing is more irritating than getting owned by some light mech that is circle strafing you, that you can't hit because you only have long range weapons.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 01:49 PM, said:

this mech gets pretty hot quick.

If you have not already done so, you should upgrade it to double heat sinks. In this game, there is really no reason NOT to upgrade to DHS on any mech.

Remember, you have 10 "built in" heat sinks in your engine. So going to double heat sinks will immediately double your heat dissipation even if you do not add any extra.

Double heat sinks do take up a lot of space, but most people have room to spare anyway. This will not be an issue unless you have both ferror-fibrous armor and endosteel structure at the same time, which most players do not. Because they take up so much space, you cannot place them in the head or legs.

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 01:49 PM, said:

It is funny you mentioned flamer though.. as i was digging in the mech lab i noticed i could swap out that small lazer for a flame thrower! I was so tempted buy i have heat issues as it is... though nothing wrong with an every now and again weapon.. especially when it is a flamer!

Flamers are specialist weapons. They are only really useful IMO against other mechs with heat issues (Energy weapon mechs). Ballistic and missile mechs can usually ignore them. Their main benefit is not damage, but in aggravating the heat levels of whoever you are fighting. As Konvig pointed out though, they are also useful for blocking the other player's view (and therefore interfering with his aim).

[Koniving]

Sadistic Savior, on 08 April 2013 - 01:56 PM, said:

Great post. There is stuff in there I did not know either.

I did not know there was a night version of that map. That looks really cool. I have never played that version of it.

Doesn't exist yet. Shh. It's post-game photo editing. Minus 5 brightness, plus 5 contrast, plus 5 saturation. Like these pics. (Though Ask the Devs Answers 35 gave us the impression that an alternate version of Desert is coming in the near future.)








The real use of small lasers.





These are graphics improvements that you can get just by adjusting your monitor or the control console of your graphics card.

The high contrast of all the bright lights in the scene versus the darker environment is what caused the night impression.

This is a second after that first shot. Great thing is these flamers make your screen so bright (on the receiving end) that it darkens everything else, making it hard to see! I LOVE these at night!

Edited by Koniving, 08 April 2013 - 02:20 PM.

[Sadistic Savior]

Oo, that does look cool

[JC Daxion]

i can't seem to find the double heat sink option.. all i see is the std one. No difference between standard and FF armor other than weight/space right?

[Sadistic Savior]

JC Daxion, on 08 April 2013 - 02:24 PM, said:

i can't seem to find the double heat sink option.. all i see is the std one. No difference between standard and FF armor other than weight/space right?

In Mechlab, it is the section at the end with the plus sign. You have to drag what you want over to the appropriate section. You can upgrade your armor type, internal structure, and other stuff as well.

DHS are expensive (they are 1.5 million on my mechs) but so worth it. This is the first upgrade you should get on any mech IMO.

Remember that downgrades will ALSO cost you though...so if you ever want to go back to single heatsinks, you will have to pay again to do that.

Edited by Sadistic Savior, 08 April 2013 - 02:26 PM.