31 replies to this topic

[Aceramic]

So, I finished my third Hunchback last night, and had enough XP on the one I wanted to keep (4H) to get Tweak (the only real reason I wanted Elites on the Hunchback. 92KPH in a Hunchback is glorious). It's nice and all, but... I also have an Awesome (8Q), and am planning on picking up an Atlas (7K) and either a Raven (4X) or Cicada (3C) Soon™.

My question is... Is it *really* worth it to farm+spend the ludicrous amounts of CB required to buy two unwanted variants of each chassis and grinding all the necessary XP just to get the 4 Elites on each chassis? I'm looking at spending an extra ~40M CB to get all the needed variants (two more Awesomes and two extra Atlas' and Cicadas/Ravens, not counting the cost of the Atlas and Cicada/Raven I actually want to keep) for.... What? An extra 10% speed (probably barely noticable on the Awesome and Atlas, more useful on the Cicada/Raven) and 33% shutdown/startup speed (almost never happens to me, I watch my heat carefully)? Faster weapons convergence? I barely notice as it is... Though, that may just mean I suck and should pay more attention to where my shots are hitting.

5% faster weapons cooldowns? I suppose that would be useful on anything, but... Worth the time, CB cost, and playing 'mechs I don't really enjoy? I heard a rumor that unlocking Elites also doubled the effectiveness of the Basics, but that was just that. A rumor. No idea if it's true or not. If true, that *might* convince me to do it...

Somebody tell me why it's a good idea to do this before I buy an Atlas...

[KableGuy]

Yes getting all elites doubles the basics. It's worth the effort

[beniliusbob]

Yeah, it doesn't seem useful, but once you have some chassis that are Mastered, you will notice the difference between those and the ones you didn't bother to Elite (I made this mistake). Also, you won't care right now, but the extra module slot is incredibly helpful down the line.

[Darwins Dog]

To echo the previous comments, the main reason to do elites is to double the basic skills. Eventually you will open the master skill, and the extra module slot is really really good.

Another thing to keep in mind is that once you have three mechs of the same weight class through elite skills (like your hunchbacks) then other mechs of the same weight class (like cicadas) will be able to get the master skill as soon as they get through elites (so you will only need to get the other two cicadas through the basic skills and then sell them).

EDIT: spelling

Edited by Darwins Dog, 27 April 2013 - 05:54 AM.

[Davoke]

Everything the other guys said, Basics are doubled in effectiveness, and it helps to edge in that extra shot with the faster firing rate on Elite.

[MistenTH]

What the others above me said is correct.

Also, not all chassis' will have only 1 worthwhile chassis and the rest crap. I enjoy all 3 cataphracts, all 3 Atlas and all 3 Trebuchets that I own, as each have a different build that works well for me.

[ArcDemon]

Yes. The doubling of the basics is worth the price alone, and for many mechs speed tweak makes a big difference.

[PanzerMagier]

Hint: You're doing elites for the double basics (and maybe speedtweak). Everything else is complimentary.

[Aceramic]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Just to make sure I understand, I need to purchase (with XP) all 4 Elites (not just unlock them by getting all the Basics) to get the boost to Basics, right? Modules don't really interest me, so I'm not terribly concerned about them, but the boost to the Basics would be *really* nice. (I'm looking at you, Coolrun and Heat Containment)

[SjurWarEagle]

Yes you need to buy them with XP, so you unlock the next tier.

[Durant Carlyle]

Yep. To get doubled Basics, you must purchase all four Elite efficiencies.

You'll know when you get the bonus, because a big "2X" will appear on your Basic listing for the variants you finished the Elites on.

[Orbit Rain]

[Ser Barristan]

Does unlocking Master buff the lower tiers as well?

[Durant Carlyle]

No.

[DEMAX51]

Dude, just suck it up and grind it out.

First off, speed tweak is pretty invaluable for any mech, but also the 2x basic efficiencies you get for completing Elite is HUGE (seriously, once you've been playing a while you can really tell the difference). Also, the extra module slot for Master can be pretty huge on some variants too.

[malibu43]

Aceramic, on 27 April 2013 - 03:18 AM, said:

...Somebody tell me why it's a good idea to do this before I buy an Atlas...

In addition to what everyone else said (yes, eliting is worth it for the 2x basic boost), it's not like you have to Elite one chasis before you move on to the next. In fact, skipping around can be a nice way to keep things from feeling stale and "grindy."

Buy an Atlas now if that's what you really want to play next. Then, maybe by the time you have basic completed on the Atlas and enough CB saved up again you'll be a little tired of the Atlas and can get a second Awesome. Then by the time you've completed basic on the Awesome you can go back to get the second Atlas and then maybe next a Cicada, etc... You get the idea. The game is supposed to be fun. Do what's fun.

Sidenote - don't buy a Raven 4X unless you're doing it to unlock elite for the 3L. Unless PGI does something to make MG's more useful, my recommendation would be to not buy a 4X. And this is coming from someone who initially liked the 4X (for some reason) and bought it as my first mech.

[Sadistic Savior]

MistenTH, on 27 April 2013 - 06:10 AM, said:

What the others above me said is correct.

Also, not all chassis' will have only 1 worthwhile chassis and the rest crap. I enjoy all 3 cataphracts, all 3 Atlas and all 3 Trebuchets that I own, as each have a different build that works well for me.

That has not been my experience with the Highlanders...The Heavy metal is still the best one IMO. All the others have direct fire weapons on one side only...so if you lose that torso, you are done.

Edited by Sadistic Savior, 29 April 2013 - 12:18 PM.

[Victor Morson]

For serious match ups, yes, this is vital. Even in casuals it makes a huge difference - speed tweak is vital.

Many people won't bother Mastering a chassis, but mostly worry about Elite. I personally try to master them so I can sell them off and free the space without worrying about maybe needing to buy it back in the future. Still, Elite is positively worthwhile on every single 'mech just for Speed Tweak alone.

MistenTH, on 27 April 2013 - 06:10 AM, said:

What the others above me said is correct.

Also, not all chassis' will have only 1 worthwhile chassis and the rest crap. I enjoy all 3 cataphracts, all 3 Atlas and all 3 Trebuchets that I own, as each have a different build that works well for me.

If you're just screwing around, it can be fun to drop into a PUG with a sub-par build, but really, there's 2 good Trebs and 1 great Cataphract and the rest are inferior - Ilya is a great farmer though. For Atlas, the RS and DDC are the only two worth considering, too.

So you are right, there's lots of chassis with more than 1 worthwhile variant, but you cannot tell me that a 2X, 1X, or 4X Cataphract are even in the same league with the 3D, for example.

[Aym]

Aceramic, on 27 April 2013 - 10:40 PM, said:

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Just to make sure I understand, I need to purchase (with XP) all 4 Elites (not just unlock them by getting all the Basics) to get the boost to Basics, right? Modules don't really interest me, so I'm not terribly concerned about them, but the boost to the Basics would be *really* nice. (I'm looking at you, Coolrun and Heat Containment)

You'll really notice the difference if you use a mech that doesn't have the doubled regulars, turn, accel, dececl, heat thresh hold and dissipation for sure. Speed Tweak is great too.
Also, the Atlas 7K is the worst Atlas of the bunch. Please get another one, they ALL do something better than the K, except AMS, and a second AMS isn't worth the sacrifices the K makes, not least the initial cost because of the XL engine.

[LockeJaw]

Don't do it. Its a TRAP!

Its not like I would torso twist faster and farther than you, go 10% faster than you, fire 5% faster than you, have 10% more heat to play with and 7.5% better heat efficiency while doing so.

Totally not worth it.

Were you even serious when you made this thread?