155 replies to this topic

[Dude42]

Sorry about the missiles

As everyone else said tho, you shouldn't be using a trial anything, much less a trial Atlas. Think of it this way, if nothing else, those 100 tons of useless you're soaking up is tons other people on your team can't be putting to good use. You're crippling your team. If you took a garbage light or medium, its not so bad because that's less tons you're using up. Please, for your team's sake, stop using trial heavy and assault mechs.

Buy and outfit something cheap to get started. The Atlas is my favorite mech too(of those currently available), but before I got my first one(I have 3 mastered) I started with Commandos, then mastered Hunchbacks, then mastered Dragons, then Awesomes, and finally Atlases... By the time I got my Atlas I could wreck face with it and it is truly to be feared on the battlefield.

My suggestion is to work your way up to it gradually, not only will it be rewarding when you can finally afford to buy and outfit one, but you'll know how to use it.

[Shalune]

Some quick, to the point advice for getting money fast, some of which has already been touched on:

-- Damage every enemy you can, kill assists get you a lot of money.

-- Get a mech of your own ASAP

-- Once you own a mech get double heatsinks ASAP, this is probably the number one reason to get a mech of your own. It makes all the difference in the world.

[Mahws]

Expanding on what Shalune just said:

Get Double Heatsinks. This is not an option, it's a requirement. Inside every engine larger than a 250 there are ten 'free' heatsinks. Double heatsinks effectively double the amount of 'free' engine heatsinks you get, essentially giving you TEN FREE TONNES OF HEATSINKS.

That bits in all caps for importance. Ten tonnes. With the exception of one or two extremely rare builds DHS are always a massive advantage, one that every single established player in the game is using. Nearly all trial mechs are under gunned, under armored or under speed because of that weight wasted on Single Heatsinks, so get out of them and into something with DHS as soon as you can.

Other than that, I'm sure you've been pointed here before, but it can't be said enough, Smurfy is your best friend.

Edit:
For context, the trial atlas has 20 Heatsinks (ten in the engine, + ten Single Heatsinks added). Ten tonnes of wasted space and weight. With that you could get two more LL. Or upgrade your AC/10, LRM15 and SRM4 to AC/20, LRM20, SRM6. Or move 8kp/h faster with a quicker turn speed with a better engine.

DHS. Get them.

Edited by Mahws, 09 June 2013 - 09:33 PM.

[Bernard Matthaios]

For me. If I have my settings maxed I'm hit with low frame rates and higher ping (150-210 ping). Both ruining my attempts of enjoyment. Once I changed my settings to low (now 50-90 ping) I have been doing better. Not that my rig is a dinosaur. MWO just seems to be fidgety in the graphics department. Try it out for a few days.

Edited by Bernard Matthaios, 09 June 2013 - 09:39 PM.

[Kageru Ikazuchi]

(1) Your ping is not that bad ... my ping is almost always above 200.

(2) Your stats are not that bad ... it took me a long time before my WLR and KDR were above 1.0 ... even now, when I'm trying out a new mech, it can take a few dozen matches before the new mech's stats level out

Re: Atlas ... if you enjoy it, play it. There are plenty of threads around that can gine you some more advice and a few different builds. My recommendations for an Atlas, in general ...
- XL engines are bad (unless you like a quick death), big STD engines are essential for a close-range brawler, and even for a long-range build, I wouldn't use an engine smaller than STD 280.
- Double Heat Sinks are essential ... try to keep your heat efficiency manageable (this definition will change as you continue to get comfortable with heat management).
- Keep your weapon loads simple (i.e.: 1 type each energy, ballistic, missile) ... you might even want to make it more simple, and keep it down to two different types weapons (1 left mouse, 1 right mouse) until you get really comfortable with weapon groups.
- If you're long range, try to stay long range ... if you're short range, try to stay behind cover until the brawl starts

I recommend trying new builds over the long term ... at least a few sessions. Take note of your stats with that mech (w/l, k/d, and damage done) after each build change. The one that feels the most natural may not be your best build.

Edit: Add this bit ... Keep in mind, a fighter pilot is not really even considered proficient until he has hundreds of hours in his log book. Also, nothing we're doing until Community Warfare goes live is "for keeps" ... have fun, try new things, and keep learning.

Edited by Kageru Ikazuchi, 09 June 2013 - 09:47 PM.

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

^ Mostly what he said. One I would like add is that you should forget your stats. When I started playing with lights and mediums my KDR was 0.3 something. And it stayed that way for a long time. But everytime you buy a new mech and learn it you are going to take a hit to it if playing alone without a team that knows what they are doing. Be prepared for that and don't give up!

I wouldn't go for Atlas straight away. Like people said, they are way too expensive to start with. Yeah they are big and powerful and all but people can still kick your butt in a lot lighter mech. I recommend Centurions or Hunchbacks. When you learn to torso twist and brawl with them, your life is going to be alot easier! The best practice for aim is to do it while 80+kph speed. Remember to adjust your mouse sensitivity for optimal.

Also would recommend you learn to use your throttle in the Testing grounds. Use the testing grounds for dry practice at aiming, learning the maps and using cover.

Good luck, MechWarrior!

[bishop]

Kageru Ikazuchi, on 09 June 2013 - 09:43 PM, said:

Edit: Add this bit ... Keep in mind, a fighter pilot is not really even considered proficient until he has hundreds of hours in his log book. Also, nothing we're doing until Community Warfare goes live is "for keeps" ... have fun, try new things, and keep learning.

Do you mean in terms of balance or they're going to reset everything again?

I just got done playing with a forum member, was doing quite well in the Cataphract 4x so I bought one before I quit, don't have enough for heat sinks yet but I will upgrade to double ASAP. I've had quite a bit of fun this evening, even though we lost most I still was in the action and didn't feel like I died unfairly aside from one match.

Will continue to play tomorrow and work on getting double HS and such.

[Dude42]

bishop, on 09 June 2013 - 10:44 PM, said:

Do you mean in terms of balance or they're going to reset everything again?

I just got done playing with a forum member, was doing quite well in the Cataphract 4x so I bought one before I quit, don't have enough for heat sinks yet but I will upgrade to double ASAP. I've had quite a bit of fun this evening, even though we lost most I still was in the action and didn't feel like I died unfairly aside from one match.

Will continue to play tomorrow and work on getting double HS and such.

He just means they'll likely wipe the stats like KDR and W/L and such, or that there's nothing at stake.

Edited by Dude42, 09 June 2013 - 10:51 PM.

[El Bandito]

bishop, on 09 June 2013 - 06:48 PM, said:

Hey guys, I made a thread quite a while ago asking for help and pointers and was greeted with a lot of helpful advice, that was several months ago. I don't play MWO on a regular basis but I do occasionally get into it and play several matches a day for a short period of time, but I'm still having a really hard time enjoying the time I spend with MWO. Most of my problem right now seems to center around my ping, it's always above 150, every single match I've played the last two days I've had 150 ping. I don't know if this high ping is going to cause major problems for me or if I really am just a horrible player but I've been running the trial atlas in every match and I just get destroyed every time. Now I am trying to use the tips I've gotten before, I try to turn to plant enemy shots on different parts of my armor and such, I try to focus all my fire on one point on my enemy but nothing seems to do any significant damage ever. I recall a match I played a few hours ago, I walked over a hill, took one barrage of LRM's from a single mech, walked around some more, and the next barrage from that same mech instantly killed my Atlas. I don't know about you but I would think a giant slow armored beast would last longer than two rounds of missiles. At any rate, I can't tell anymore if the game is just a sorry mess or if I'm still horrible at it, my damage count at the end of every round is always very low, my death and loss rate are both very high. It just doesn't feel like any amount of skill or accuracy plays any role in this game, it all feels random to me. Looking at my profile my stats are abysmal in my opinion, 70/90 win loss ratio, 1:1 Kill death ratio. I don't know, this is just really frustrating, not having bot matches, a single player or at the very least a game mode with respawns and repairing, every match is just me walking, fighting for 5 minutes and then watching as everyone else plays when I get my *** handed to me. I stick with my team as best as possible, I focus fire as best as I can and my end result is always disappointing.

I have 250 constantly and I have average of 1.5 KDR and WLR.

You get used to it.

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

I would totally forget the overall KDR (mostly just e-peen ) and concentrate only on Mech and Weapon stats. They are the true indicators of your success and help you improve.

[bishop]

I didn't even know about the stats until I made this thread and looked for them, they aren't that important to me since they're on the forum and not in game otherwise it would bother me, I just thought I'd use them to supplement my need for help.

[Revorn]

You driving an underpowerd Mech and think this..."70/90 win loss ratio, 1:1 Kill death ratio" is Bad?

[Lan]

Hey Bishop,

Cool that you got a Cataphract, they are seriously fun but don't drop the Atlas dream. It's true they are a challenge to play and not the best to start learning in. Armor does not always mean longer life on the battlefield, one vs one yes but vs many? No. And life is measured in seconds. A six large laser Stalker can output enough damage over 12 seconds (or less) to core kill a fresh Atlas.

Learn how to kill a Atlas in your Cataphract and then you will also learn how to not get killed when you get the Atlas.

I am working on a guide, "The Atlas Playbook" and will drop a link to you when done.

[bishop]

Cool, I look forward to the guide, I will definitely move from Cata to Atlas when I get the Cbills to do so.

The dude I was playing with earlier has pointed something out to me and that is, almost every match I end up doing a lot more damage than a lot of my team, the match I just played I did 550 damage and there were four people on my team with double digits while the other team all had 150+.

I guess I do just need to get out of the ELO hump or whatever, oh well.

[bishop]

My K/D with the Cataphract is much improved 19/13 right now opposed to 5/12 with Atlas

[Tarl Cabot]

bishop, on 10 June 2013 - 12:25 AM, said:

Cool, I look forward to the guide, I will definitely move from Cata to Atlas when I get the Cbills to do so.

The dude I was playing with earlier has pointed something out to me and that is, almost every match I end up doing a lot more damage than a lot of my team, the match I just played I did 550 damage and there were four people on my team with double digits while the other team all had 150+.

I guess I do just need to get out of the ELO hump or whatever, oh well.

Quote

Looking at my profile my stats are abysmal in my opinion, 70/90 win loss ratio, 1:1 Kill death ratio.

You really do not want to get out of your ELO hump or such. If your KDR is about 1:1 that simply means for every time you do die you have taken at least one of the enemy with you.

For most, MWO is NOT a game where they will be winning almost every game cause it is not a solo game, it is a team game primarily made up of solo players. Even when CW arrives and a few more people start utilizing actual unit play (pre-mades) they will also run into other units, and not everyone can win.

It is the journey you should be focused on, not the destination. When your mech does buy it, observe others, watch what they do or don't do. Be aware though that the shots that appear to miss are not all missing, it is simply how the data is being presented to you.

As for driving an Atlas. Assaults are generally the focus point of a unit for both your team and your opposition, though at times your team forgets about that and out distances you. Expect to die early but do your best to make your enemy regret it and last as long as possible.

[Kiiyor]

bishop, on 09 June 2013 - 06:48 PM, said:

Hey guys, I made a thread quite a while ago asking for help and pointers and was greeted with a lot of helpful advice, that was several months ago. I don't play MWO on a regular basis but I do occasionally get into it and play several matches a day for a short period of time, but I'm still having a really hard time enjoying the time I spend with MWO.

Most of my problem right now seems to center around my ping, it's always above 150, every single match I've played the last two days I've had 150 ping. I don't know if this high ping is going to cause major problems for me or if I really am just a horrible player but I've been running the trial atlas in every match and I just get destroyed every time.

Now I am trying to use the tips I've gotten before, I try to turn to plant enemy shots on different parts of my armor and such, I try to focus all my fire on one point on my enemy but nothing seems to do any significant damage ever. I recall a match I played a few hours ago, I walked over a hill, took one barrage of LRM's from a single mech, walked around some more, and the next barrage from that same mech instantly killed my Atlas. I don't know about you but I would think a giant slow armored beast would last longer than two rounds of missiles.

At any rate, I can't tell anymore if the game is just a sorry mess or if I'm still horrible at it, my damage count at the end of every round is always very low, my death and loss rate are both very high. It just doesn't feel like any amount of skill or accuracy plays any role in this game, it all feels random to me.

Looking at my profile my stats are abysmal in my opinion, 70/90 win loss ratio, 1:1 Kill death ratio.

I don't know, this is just really frustrating, not having bot matches, a single player or at the very least a game mode with respawns and repairing, every match is just me walking, fighting for 5 minutes and then watching as everyone else plays when I get my *** handed to me. I stick with my team as best as possible, I focus fire as best as I can and my end result is always disappointing.

Those stats aren't really all that bad - I would daresay that very few puggers have a positive win/loss, and if they do, it would likely be by a small percentage (though there may be pug gods out there to prove me wrong).

Maybe you just haven't found a build that gels with you. My first real inroads into the game were with my 4SP with mlas and SRMs, it just seemed to resonate with me and I started feeling like I was a killer. When you find the mech that fits you, you'll start watching your KDR climb, though that isn't always the best indicator of your skill increasing (damage per game is often better).

If I could suggest anything though, it would be to avoid brawling entirely in the current state of the game (unless you cheese it in a boom Yager, which is hilariously fun). Support builds, especially long range direct fire (PPCs, Gauss, dakka) are the way to go.

Even more of the way to go is by dropping with a friend or two. If you can't (or don't want to) do that, then the best piece of advice I can give is to pick a buddy who moonlights as a nice, lucrative target (like an atlas or stalker) and stick to them like glue. Seriously, 50-100m behind, and shoot what they shoot. If you are both under fire, there will be a better than average chance your fat meat shield will take the hits before you do. Seriously, try it.

Also, apparantly I like brackets.

[Tarl Cabot]

bishop, on 10 June 2013 - 12:37 AM, said:

My K/D with the Cataphract is much improved 19/13 right now opposed to 5/12 with Atlas

(nods) For the enemy, assaults are generally the primary focus of fire while also being slower and less maneuverable. In the phract, take notice of how the battle is unfolding. Remember, the other team is generally made up of PUGS with the occasional pre-made of 2 to 4 peoples tossed in. And PUGS generally do not chat much, or if they do it is generally after several have died and the dead attempting to provide direction/support, other times they will be quiet.

[Modo44]

If you have trouble specifically with your aim, try lowering the graphics settings to where you get above 30fps on every map. (The most drastic measure is lowering the resolution, and using your GPU for full screen scaling). The added fluidity can do wonders.

[Kageru Ikazuchi]

bishop, on 09 June 2013 - 10:44 PM, said:

Do you mean in terms of balance or they're going to reset everything again?

By "nothing is 'for keeps' " I mean that all we're doing now is learning the game and how to play it, that there are still major features, like Community Warfare, that have not been added to the game. Once CW goes live, then some matches will actually mean something in either Merc Corps vs. Merc Corps or Faction vs. Faction warfare in a persistent world.

Right now, we're just practicing (unless you're participating in a user-run tournament or something).

They're not going to do another full (gear/mechs/economy) wipe, but they have mentioned that there may be a stats wipe when they implement achievements.


P.S.: Good to hear you're improving with the CTF-4X ... I bought my first CTFs this weekend and am enjoying them immensely (even though my KDR and WLR in my Ilya suck because the first build I tried was not particularly effective).