Interesting. Did not know about the up-down thing. Sideways it is awful. Thx.
Keeping your arms locked in a Jenner is, in my opinion, a very bad idea. While the arms don't move side-to-side, they can move up-and-down. When jumping (or shooting at a jumping mech), fighting on rough terrain, or targeting a specific component (especially a Commando's leg or a tall mech's cockpit) being able to angle your shots up or down more than your torso allows is invaluable.
OP said:
... I have three mech bays that need filled ... seems like all the other lights are gimped ... what mech should I get? ... I'm very used to 130 kph or higher speeds, but Cicadas can't jump, and Commandos can't either, and Spiders are soo weak ...
You cannot match the Jenner for it's combined speed, maneuverability, and firepower ... haven't tried Commandos or Ravens yet, but Spiders are a hard grind (luckily, you only have to do the basics in two of them, assuming you've completed the elites in two Jenners).
Spiders are surprisingly survivable, as long as you keep moving, but the SDR-5V (lots of JJ, only 2 slots for weapons) is not a good mech, the SDR-5K (4x MG slots in the arms) is fun, but it's effectiveness is questionable, the SDR-5D is probably the most balanced ECM mech.
I've been looking at Ravens for a long time, and now that the meta will probably swing away from 3xML/2xSSRM RVN-3Ls, I might try them out ... if they weren't speed-limited, the RVN-2X and RVN-4X would be good mechs.
For the rest of my recommendations, I'm going to focus on jump-jet and/or particularly fast mechs ...
- Blackjack ... the 1x Ballistic (Gauss, AC/20, or AC/10 would be recommended) +3x ML build on the BJ-1 and BJ-1DC look very interesting, but kind of slow (compared to a Jenner, everything's kind of slow ) ... don't own it, probably won't
- Centurion ... in classic zombie fit (2x ML, 2x SRM-6), a CN9-D is capable of speeds greater than 100 kph (before tweak), and Centurions in general are really good mechs
- Trebuchet ... TBT-3C = super fast (with a light weapons build), TBT-5J and TBT-7M = jumpers ... I'm getting ready to try these out, and expect they'll be my new favorite mediums
- Dragon / Quickdraw ... 100+ kph heavys ... I enjoy my dragons, and feel like quickdraws could be as good in different ways ... Dragon Pro: lower profile, underestimated; Con: CT "truck hood" target, weak missile hard points; Quickdraw Pro: generally better hardpoints, jump jets; Con: as tall as an atlas ... Con for both ... expensive to trick out with a decent weapon load and high speed.
- Cataphract, Victor, Highlander ... Highlander is my favorite assault brawler, CTF-3D is arguably one of the best mechs in the game, and I'm really looking forward to building some 80 kph jump-brawling Victors
Edited by Kageru Ikazuchi, 17 July 2013 - 04:10 PM.
seriously though, i can't help you with Lights either, sorry (maybe i should get into them though - sarah's jenner looks nice), but i can answer you this:
3. PGI won't tell you your ELO. They keep saying it's an arbitrary system with no meaning to the player.
5. Hold Shift to temporarily disable arm-lock. If that's what you mean, you can also disable it for good in the options.
Thanks for the replies everyone, yep I am now gonna take the training wheels off and remove armlock, that seems like something that should be mentioned in game somewhwere.......I'm super close to buying a medium, probably the blackjack or treb. Dragons, Cataphracts and Victors all seem interesting too.
Hi there. Please allow me to introduce myself. I have all the lights mastered, in addition to several mechs from all weight classes. Also, I try to pilot lights every chance I get and my current favorite is the Spider 5D (note the sig). Get the other Jenner and grind them all before you get another mech. That extra module slot is hugely important. Once you have them all elited, I suggest selling the K but continuing to master the D and F. Also, get the seismic sensor and upgrade it to advanced seismic as soon as you can. If you want to join a group please send me a pm.
Thanks for the replies everyone, yep I am now gonna take the training wheels off and remove armlock, that seems like something that should be mentioned in game somewhwere.......I'm super close to buying a medium, probably the blackjack or treb. Dragons, Cataphracts and Victors all seem interesting too.
Do not get a Treb or a Dragon... you have so far done well in what is a great Light Mech. Moving on to Trebs or Dragons would be like being punched in the ding ding. Personally, I'd go with Blackjacks or Quickdraws but I'm absolutely biased towards mechs with JJ.
I am sure it has been said already, but I cannot stress enough the importance of working as a lance.
If you haven't already done it head to the community servers and try to get some solid 4man and 8man experiences. You will learn a lot from watching and interacting with your lance mates.
NGNG, and Comstar community servers (na1.mech-connect.net)
2: How do you more advanced pilots get good at legging other lights? In general I could really use some tips for light vs. light fighting, as I'm not really very good at it. Last night I had a really good game statistically but lost the match for my team because I just couldn't kill the Spider on the other team fast enough to move on to the next cap point (I did kill him but it was too late by then) and I was so busy backstabbing bigger mechs to rack up damage totals and kills earlier in the match I forgot to play my role, I realized then that I do that a lot. But backstabbing slow targets and running away doesn't take much skill, but if fighting lights is what lights are good for, and what is expected, I must get better at it. But the whole Jenners having no arms thing really makes that hard sometimes, and streaks take soo long to lock on to a light, I honestly had better luck splattering twin SRM4s at things.
1. Streaks got nerfed (thank god) and aren't so hot anymore.
2. If you insist on streaks, I have heard that the artemis upgrade helps lock times (But can't verify - heck, this may even be a bug?)
3. If you want light killing practice - make sure all the lights are dead on their team before engaging other mechs. I honestly feel this is my job as a light pilot, is first to make sure I don't have lights harrassing my team. The more you fight, the more practice you get, the better you'll do.
Scrotacus 42, on 16 July 2013 - 02:30 PM, said:
3: How do I find out what my ELO rank is or what tier I'm in? I feel like sometimes I'm doing way better than I should be (I had a game of 2 kills 5 or 6 assists and 620 damage) and then next match its that I get ***** by two lights and a stray ppc shot and am dead before I even do 40 damage. Am I boucing back and forth between two tiers or something? I've gotten my KDR up a lot the last few days, still bad overall because of how I started, but at least with my Jenner-d it was up over 2 for a while.
Don't worry about ELO - can't see it, and stats will be wiped soon (release).
Scrotacus 42, on 16 July 2013 - 02:30 PM, said:
4: Is there any strategies for what light mechs should do on the map Tourmaline? I HATE this map with a passion, its huge, hot, and cover that is either really far apart where you've got to run away down long firing lanes, nonexistent, or in useless places. Its specifically challenging as a Jenner with no useful modules and no ECM, how do you other light pilots handle that map? TS would really help me stay coordinated but I don't know if I'm good enough to join a group.
Join a group. Seriously. There are very few people in this game that I would call 'too good to group with'. I think if you're already at this point of wanting to improve, a teamspeak group will help you out significantly.
There are public servers, private groups, merc groups, houses - you name it. Almost EVERYONE is taking anyone at this point www.kellhounds.net for example....
Honestly, being in a good lance really helps out. Most people i've met so far are always willing to offer advice - more than willing, they WANT to. So get a decent pair of headsets, and jump on team speak
Scrotacus 42, on 16 July 2013 - 02:30 PM, said:
5: i've noticed through spectating that some mechs can tilt up or down to fire at things above or below them better than I can.....how does that happen? I noticed a stalker firing down a 60-70 degree incline on Forest Colony that killed me and I was just like......wtf? I can't do that.
All mechs have different torso twisting specs, different turning, stopping, starting - you name it. An atlas and Cataphract, for instance, blow at aiming up or down hills (torso weapons).....but others are very powerful in this area. Get to know the mechs more as you play, and it can really help out in strategies.
Scrotacus 42, on 16 July 2013 - 02:30 PM, said:
6: As a Jenner, how do you scout effectively? I don't want to compromise my build and put BAP on it honestly and I spent my GXP on a capture accelerator when i should have just got the increased sensor range. I guess I could sacrifice AMS, but I really like my setup of 4mlas, 3 jj, and 2 SRM4 with two tons of ammo. Basically I'm just not a good scout, and if thats half of what lights are supposed to do, it kind of prompted me to make this thread and wonder about what life is like in a different mech.
Play how you want for now. Basically, since you're a lot faster, a scout just runs ahead of the group and spots enemy movement. This mostly happens a little further out, so you're not engaging unintentionally. Move slow, find good cover, and keep an eye out for enemies.
Most pugs won't take advantage of this, but in 8 mans, it's dire to know where the group is.
And remember - your team will ONLY see the mehc you've targeted. So cycle the targets. When you seriously want to start scouting though, take a mech with ECM.
Oh yeah:
Scrotacus 42, on 16 July 2013 - 02:30 PM, said:
Hello again, the last thread I made really got me going with great advice. A few of these things I saw touched on in other threads, but I didn't want to hijack someone else's topic.
1: I have grown to really like piloting a Jenner. I love the speed and maneuvering, I now really get how to build one correctly also thanks to all the help I got. However, variety is the spice of life, I have three mech bays that need filled (bought 2) and it just seems like all the other lights are gimped (I refuse to use the 3L, though maybe the Jenner D isn't any less cheap idk). So I dunno, what mech should I get? I don't think i'd fare too well in something really heavy because now I'm very used to 130 kph or higher speeds, but Cicadas can't jump, and Commandos can't either, and Spiders are soo weak......are Blackjacks any good? I'm at 4mil c-bills and am about to start playing when I post this, so maybe by tonight I'll have enough to start a new mech.
Each mech has strengths and weaknesses. It's hard to transition into a slower mech, but you may find that you like it - it's just a little different than jenners. My first mech was a jenner, bought 3, got one to master and then was like .... well, what now? The next mech I bought was an atlas, and at first I was appalled. But, after 5-10 games in it, it started to fit, and I had a blast!
Don't limit yourself to 'fast' mechs (at least, that's my suggestion). Try them all out. Get to know them, know the models, know their strenghts and weaknesses - it will make you a better pilot in the end.
Oh, and a Spider's strength comes in maneuverability. They aren't weak
Do not get a Treb or a Dragon... you have so far done well in what is a great Light Mech. Moving on to Trebs or Dragons would be like being punched in the ding ding. Personally, I'd go with Blackjacks or Quickdraws but I'm absolutely biased towards mechs with JJ.
I'm curious, why wouldn't you recommend a Trebuchet? Except for the tall profile, it seems like a decent 50-tonner. It can't survive as well as a Centurion or pack the same punch as a Hunchback, but it looks maneuverable enough to be able to choose your fights ... especially the jump jet variants.
While I agree that the Dragon is in general an inferior mech compared to the Quickdraw, it's not a "bad" mech ... in some ways, IMO, it's better than the QD ... if you prefer ballistics over energy or would rather be short than tall, the QD's definitely not for you. However, Jump Jets ... particularly in confined areas ... gives the QD a specific advantage.
It is pointless to unlock arms on a Jenner as its' arm travel is so limited. If you drive with armlock, the override function (Left Shift) is your friend in need. Mechs where it works well would be the Commando and the Spider, I think.
You want to override arm lock when in a circle of death with someone else, btw. I found it most useful to do so on my Dragon. It is easier to get snapshots off against lights that way.
Yeah, but the Jenner is kind of an odd one out due to the practically fixed arms it has anyway.
You should NEVER be in a circle of death. Ever. If you are you are not piloting to your best potential.
This is why. Mech A will never outturn Mech B even with equal engines. Mech B to defeat Mech A needs to learn to break, twist and hit Mech A at Unexpected intervals.
This is why SO many British Pilots died to the Red Baron in WWI. They were attmepting to outturn the German planes and they could not. So the Immelman Turn, The Split S turn, and the Reverse Immelman turn were implemented allow them to attempt to bring guns to bear on enemies with tighter turning planes. The same applies here.
There may be a stat wipe, but if there is it will be to the profile stats, not to your Elo.
I'm reading mixed things on this - like yes, ELO stays the same, but if your stats are wiped, won't your ELO be affected much easier? There's just not much information on this from the devs that I have found - if you know where it is, please feel free to direct me.
I'm reading mixed things on this - like yes, ELO stays the same, but if your stats are wiped, won't your ELO be affected much easier? There's just not much information on this from the devs that I have found - if you know where it is, please feel free to direct me.
Stat wipe won't have any effect on current players' ELO scores. Period. When they wipe your stats on your profile page, your ELO score will be retained on their servers. Although I don't think a dev has ever explicitly stated this, I can pretty much assure you with 99.99999999999% certainty.
ELO doesn't even have much to do with your stats (all it really takes into account are wins and losses, and whether you win or lose against players that have a higher or lower ELO than your own). Things like accuracy and KDR aren't taken into consideration at all.
Stat wipe won't have any effect on current players' ELO scores. Period. When they wipe your stats on your profile page, your ELO score will be retained on their servers. Although I don't think a dev has ever explicitly stated this, I can pretty much assure you with 99.99999999999% certainty.
ELO doesn't even have much to do with your stats (all it really takes into account are wins and losses, and whether you win or lose against players that have a higher or lower ELO than your own). Things like accuracy and KDR aren't taken into consideration at all.
I understand how ELO works very well - I don't agree with it, but I understand it.
I was just wondering if they specifically said anything about wiping stats after they implemented ELO.
Well I have elited two jenners fully, got the K variant halfway there, I may sell it may not its not that bad really. I don't use modules yet because of thier expense in GXP and CB, I have one unlocked but haven't installed it yet for a whopping 6 mil. I caved and spent my 9 mil bankroll on a BJ-1 because I also very much like jumpjets. And I gotta say I'm glad I listened and didn't get a Dragon or something even heavier, I'm pretty frustrated with it in 14 matches, I can't imagine piloting anything slower. I feel a walking apeed of 84.7 is far too slow for the firepower it has, maybe after speedtweak it will feel more right. I think mediums should operate standard at like maybe 100 kph or so, up to 110-115 with sppedtweak. I'm gaining a mere 10 tons of weight and yet lose 40 some percent of my speed and handling, and maybe 10 percent gain in firepower (if that since ACs are so frigging heavy and require ammo). I've killed 1 guy in 14 matches, sad. Can't find a loadout I like yet. Dual AC/5 loadout is ok but I can't find a way to get two tons of ammo on there without going all the way down to 252 armor and losing a laser. I heard some people got Dual UAC/5 but I couldn't figure out how to do it without sacrificing two lasers and a lot of armor. 4mplas and 2MG plus AMS and 4jj runs cool and has max armor but lacks range and feels a bit weak. I think MGs need a buff to 1.3 or even 1.5 dps, since its rare to really concentrate fire for multiple full seconds at a time and actually hit them with all of it (unless you and the target stand still, which is usually stupid). I've seen some crazy builds for jump sniping that I haven't tried yet but I dislike not using all my weapon hardpoints, so a build of a Gauss and ERPPC seems kinda cheesy to me. Or AC/20 and PPC whatever all the same really.
Oh also I am in the process of finding a merc group, got a good headset, and am hopefully gonna drop with some people tonight. This game is probably exponentially better when you can talk to people. I definitely am in a better tier though than when I started because last two play sessions people at least try and type useful stuff on teamchat and work together and all the trolling is pretty much gone.
Thanks for the replies everyone, yep I am now gonna take the training wheels off and remove armlock, that seems like something that should be mentioned in game somewhwere.......I'm super close to buying a medium, probably the blackjack or treb. Dragons, Cataphracts and Victors all seem interesting too.
Until you've used a Centurion, stay away from Dragons and Quickdraws. I could also say the same for a Victor, but a Victor could just as easily wean you into a Centurion as a Centurion could wean you into a Victor.
Cataphracts can be interesting, but they rely on a very different mechanic (unless you're in a Cataphract 1x).
If you get a Blackjack, remember to change the loadout. Side torsos make the armor even front/back so you can take advantage of the oddly shaped hitboxes to spread laser damage as best as you can. Be stealthy; don't rush enemies head-on.
This is early on when trying out Blackjacks stock still. Good up til 2:48 where I wind up against a spider and commit every mistake I possibly can.
For the other mechs you mentioned... I have some vids on them all.
Spoiler
Trebuchet. Note this is a fun build I made.
Dragons
Spoiler
two very similar builds that I test out.
This one is slower but has lots more ammo. No, there is no macro being used with the AC/2s. At the time I didn't know how. Build is in the vid's description.
This is similar but faster with less ammo and higher risk. Again, no macro. This has 2 matches in it and shows revisions to the build.
And finally, this is the impression that myself and a Dragon-loving comrade had with our first try using the Dragon Champion mech.
Cataphracts
Spoiler
This is also a bit old, but it gives you an idea of what the Cataphract 4X is like. Perhaps one of my best matches. It starts out slow as I'm fire support, but then I go nearly solo against 5 surviving players and win in a cataphract slower than stock with an XL 170 engine.
Two vids of the cataphract 1x with similar builds in a lance of two.
Base run, taking out enemies.
Abolishing LRM boats with style.
Victors. These are in 12 versus 12 servers.
Spoiler
In both of these I'm building them up from scratch so you can see the builds.
Autocannon Victor.
LRM boat, small lasers, MGs, gets close-range kills.
Oh also I am in the process of finding a merc group, got a good headset, and am hopefully gonna drop with some people tonight. This game is probably exponentially better when you can talk to people. I definitely am in a better tier though than when I started because last two play sessions people at least try and type useful stuff on teamchat and work together and all the trolling is pretty much gone.
What you could try is an ER PPC, an AC/2, some small lasers just in case. The tag is to help mark enemies for missile boats. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ce691095f305042
A modification of the build in case if it's too many fire buttons. This build trades jumpjets and the tag for a lot more close range ability. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8ab45fa2a4f6361
Group the MG with the small lasers and let them all fire on one group. You can probably group the PPC and AC/2 together if you like or if you have 3 buttons you can use keep the two separate. When lights get close to you keep the crosshairs on them and fire the small lasers and MG. The heat is low, the combined damage is slightly higher than a large laser and takes little time of being on target to pump out the full damage.
If 6 small lasers and 2 MGs can shred a light in seconds, 3 SL and 1 MG can certainly help you. Also do not lead the MG.
1
Hammerhai, on 17 July 2013 - 10:52 AM, said:
) ... don't own it, probably won't
