32 replies to this topic

[The Centurion]

TRIAL BY FIRE

Trial By Fire is a video series for MechWarrior Online, specifically about testing, evaluating and rating the trial mechs offered in the game.

I've created an entire separate account (Drop Command) that I will never purchase a mech on, nor spend any type of currency on just for the purpose of these videos. Hopefully this will allow me to mimic the new player experience as much as possible.

I've posted it here under the New Player Help section and in the Fan Audio / Video section, as this is content aimed primarily at newer players in the community.


Episode 1: Jenner JR7-F{C}
Recorded 5/14/13 (Champion mech)

Episiode 2: Hunchback HBK-4G
Recorded 5/17/13

Episode 3: Jagermech JM6-S
Recorded 5/18/13

Episode 4: Highlander HGN-732
Recorded 5/23/13

Episode 5: Spider SDR-5D
Recorded 6/7/13

Episode 6: Hunchback HBK-4P
Recorded 6/14/13

Episode 7: Cataphract CTF-4X
Recorded 6/22/13

Edited by The Centurion, 22 June 2013 - 08:43 AM.

[armyof1]

I'm looking forward to a future review of the BJ-1X trial since it's got a great heat efficiency of 0.57.....

Edited by armyof1, 18 May 2013 - 08:44 AM.

[Koniving]

Neat name.

Spoiler

Though when someone else first used it I suggested against it. >.>
This thread seems to be a good example to how common/catchy the name is.
7NationArmy's trial by fire. He hasn't made one since, however, so the name's free now.)

Edited by Koniving, 18 May 2013 - 08:55 AM.

[The Centurion]

It seemed clever enough at 2:00am after a few beers. I'm sure the "by fire" portion will take on a whole new meaning once they add overheating damage, especially given the inferior nature of the normal heatsinks most trial mechs come with.

Edited by The Centurion, 18 May 2013 - 11:59 AM.

[ZeProme]

Great commentary!

I look forward to your other videos.

[MavRCK]

Great stuff!!!!

[Leartes]

Really cool stuff, I recently got me a HBK-4G and, since I don't had any money left at all, I couldn't upgrade to endo or double head sinks. The only change I did, I changed the small laser in the head and some amor in the legs for a third ton of ammo. It is really fun to play on close combat maps like forest colonie or frozen city. Alpine and caustic valley on the other hand are a nightmare since it is so hard to aim with the torso mounted weapons if fights go up and down slopes.

Also heat is no big problem as long as you stick to you cover and only pock your head out to fire a shot and hide again. I will certainly upgrade endo before double heat sinks. Maybe even get a bigger engine before dhs, not sure ...

[The Centurion]

Updated the OP with the link to Episode 3. The Jagermech JM6-S trial mech is a cruel, unforgiving machine.

[Deathlike]

The Centurion, on 20 May 2013 - 02:33 PM, said:

Updated the OP with the link to Episode 3. The Jagermech JM6-S trial mech is a cruel, unforgiving machine.

A thread appeared before said comment was made.

[ZeProme]

Ouch, 3/10 review for the JM6-S trial mech. That's really poor.

I understand what you mean by this mech though. It's a good mech and some builds like the dakka AC/2s and AC/5s are great and also the JaggerBomb, but the trial mech just sucks.

Heat problems, low armor, low ammo, bad places for ammo located, just terrible. Not a fun mech for beginners especially since they need to adapt to their role as in, Jagermech has terrible armor so it must be positioned from mid to far range in order to stay alive.

Upgraded though, it's just as deadly.

Looking forward to the HGN-732 trial mech. Thanks for the reviews.

[Traigus]

Good videos

I had a bit more luck with the JM-S than you did. I play differently than you though. You got in too close too fast.

If you come at mechs from a onion/range point of view you get a bit more mileage out of mechs with multiple ranged weapons (pretty much all stock mechs). You may want to try it out in the future.

Most Pre-clan mechs were designed like onion layers big guns on the outside and little guns at the center, everyone gets their arms blown off and ends up doing the zombie dance the cent is so well known for. There are exceptions and gimmick mechs (hunchback ac/20 are designed for short ranged city work, and have no long range by default, Cats with no backup lasers etc)

People unload, randomly get stripped down as they close and then wail away at short range

With a few exceptions, the long ranged guns / LRMS are usually on the outside layers and the close in guns are in the torsos (see Catapult, Warhammer, Cent, etc. etc.

So the jager is designed in TT with this in mind.

Ac2s at range (where most mechs can't hit you, so low armor is ok.)

close to AC5 range.,shoot more take damage, but lose most armor

If you are still alive after closing, Med lasers (and in TT you would not be able to shoot your AC/2s this close).

You get more mileage out of mechs this way in general (hard right now with PPC boats).


Most people don't play this way, and have a hard time dishing anything out are different ranges. (usually boating all close or all far weapons).

The only Chassis that actually pretty much forces you do onion play at all ranges is the Atlas LRM, long guns, short guns(plus ac20)/SRMs. Very hard to longboat an atlas, but you can shortboat one.


Back to the JM. so goign AC2 till out of ammo, then engage for real with 5's and lasers works pretty well.

One of the other problems with Jaegers ATM is that the AC/2apaloozas and AC/40 Jaeger shortbusses are such a pain... people try to kill jagers pretty fast no matter what they are bringing.... so that makes it even more dangerous at the moment (if you had a mech nobody really worries about / hates on about like a Bucket or and Awesome, less people would be coming after you so hard). Jaegers are right after 3Ls on the "Kill that first " list.

Edited by Traigus, 20 May 2013 - 06:34 PM.

[ZeProme]

I get the feeling that for the sake of making the game easier for newcomers, some of the mechs with really bad stock load out should have better loadouts. Take the JM6-S mech for example. You rated it 3/10, which is pretty poor and tells new players to stay away from it.

Instead, what the game develops can and should do is introduce a subclass of the mech variant with the "M" symbol for "Modified".

So, JM6-S(M), a bit different loadout compared to stock with a bit of upgrades, but not too much that makes it too easy to play. In the video, you mentioned along the lines "If only this mech has endo steel (For more ammo) or double heat sinks upgrade, or has it's ammo placed in the legs, it be a lot better.

Thus, maybe at a change of perspective, the mech might attain a rating of 5/10 (like the HBK-4G) or something higher, but not to the point that prevents them from ever wanting to buy and upgrade it further.

People can buy the stock loadout of the JM6-S or buy the (M) variant which doesn't differ much since both mechs have the same hardpoints but different loadouts.

JM6-S(M) would cost slightly more expensive. JM6-S retains it's same cost.

What do you think of this suggestion?

Edited by ZeProme, 20 May 2013 - 06:43 PM.

[Traigus]

They just started that kind of thing.

The Champion ( C ) mechs are modified stocks.

Not enough of them yet.

Edited by Traigus, 20 May 2013 - 07:04 PM.

[ZeProme]

Traigus, on 20 May 2013 - 07:03 PM, said:

They just started that kind of thing.

The Champion ( C ) mechs are modified stocks.

Not enough of them yet.

Yeah but Champions gives exp bonus per battle.

I forgot to say that should a player buy the (M) variant, the mech does not retain it's name JMS-6(M) but rather JMS-6 with JMS-6(M) loadout.

[The Centurion]

In my opinion, the design of trial mechs is completely contrary to what their purpose should be. If their purpose is truly to give new players mechs they can hop in and play and be even remotely competitive, then they're generally a failure, as they are not at all optimized (to put it lightly).

Essentially you're taking a new player, who is already at a disadvantage based on inexperience, and making it even more of an uphill battle by giving him or her a sub-optimal mech to fight in.

If their purpose is to provide players with an accurate test drive to evaluate future purchasing decisions, then they fail on that level as well. Nothing about the experience I had in the Jagermech JM6-S made me want to run out and buy one. If it wouldn't have been for my already owning (and loving) a JM6-DD, I would have just assumed all Jagermechs were terrible and moved on.

My solution: Every trial mech should be designed like the Champion mechs are.

There are enough mechs and variants in the game now, and more are coming every month. It wouldn't be that tough to implement. Give those new players a taste of what real mechs perform like. Give people a reason to get excited while piloting one. Give them reasons to want to spend MC or C-bills to buy one of their own.

Right now the only incentive to purchase a mech of your own is to leave the trial mech experience behind as quickly as possible. Some players will take the long view, give the game a chance, and go this route. Others will just get frustrated during their first impressions and never come back. And that's a shame.

[Koniving]

While I would agree from a game's standpoint and disagree from a lore's standpoint, Centurion, I'm left with this tidbit of news for ya.

Come Community Warfare (specifically UI 2.0), "UI 2.0 will eliminate the need for trial mechs. New players will be brought into a " (can't recall what he called it but basically a 'training tutorial') "where they will be introduced to the menu, piloting, mechanics, etc. of a Battlemech. When their training is over they will receive enough to buy their first mech."

[ZeProme]

Koniving, on 21 May 2013 - 04:58 PM, said:

While I would agree from a game's standpoint and disagree from a lore's standpoint, Centurion, I'm left with this tidbit of news for ya.

Come Community Warfare (specifically UI 2.0), "UI 2.0 will eliminate the need for trial mechs. New players will be brought into a " (can't recall what he called it but basically a 'training tutorial') "where they will be introduced to the menu, piloting, mechanics, etc. of a Battlemech. When their training is over they will receive enough to buy their first mech."

First mech? I wonder how much money they can gain.

That's not a bad feature for IGP to implement. Much better than the standard 4 trial mechs. >_>

[Spiketail Drake]

I hope they make that tutorial like the MW3 or MW4 one, those were good introductions to those games!

[Koniving]

ZeProme, on 21 May 2013 - 06:58 PM, said:

First mech? I wonder how much money they can gain.

That's not a bad feature for IGP to implement. Much better than the standard 4 trial mechs. >_>

I'm figuring it will be the 8,000,000 average sum that people get with the cadet bonus.

I'm thinking they'll call it something like a "sign-up bonus." Militaries use them to help influence you to join. I had a 3,000 USD sign-up bonus when I joined back in 2003. That or maybe "training pay."

Edited by Koniving, 22 May 2013 - 08:30 AM.

[Traigus]

Trouble is, most of the stuff they can buy with that starting money... is still stock mechs.