Is Being A Pug Scout Useless?
#41
Posted 02 August 2013 - 09:44 AM
#42
Posted 02 August 2013 - 11:04 AM
Edited by Void Angel, 02 August 2013 - 11:05 AM.
#43
Posted 02 August 2013 - 11:14 AM
The thing about being a scout in PUGs is that its not well rewarded. However, it helps to provide into like #s and location data back to your teammates. Most of the time, they will tend to blindly move towards any red target on the screen... so you need to be careful on what you tell your team.
You will never be able to get ALL of the players to do the right thing, but if/when you can, it can make a difference in a match.
Edited by Deathlike, 02 August 2013 - 11:16 AM.
#44
Posted 02 August 2013 - 11:15 AM
Edit: Yeah, they buffed its range and ammo/ton on the May 21st patch, but ECM is still a hard counter.
Edited by Void Angel, 02 August 2013 - 11:23 AM.
#45
Posted 04 August 2013 - 05:11 AM
Why not go to one of the community TS servers form up a 4 man, so that you can have a team that will be able to anticipate and work with your scouting comms feedback?
Even better you could then line up mechs that would better appreciate your scouting, NARCs, and TAGs (i.e. w/ lrms).
Servers:
na1.mech-connect.net
and
NGNG
#46
Posted 04 August 2013 - 05:39 AM
#47
Posted 04 August 2013 - 05:42 AM
Viral Matrix, on 30 July 2013 - 10:16 PM, said:
It's luck of the draw. Yesterday was without question the worst sequence of match-ups; I've never seen so many groups either lacking sense or lacking understanding of the game altogether.
The rest of the time, though, I've played with some very responsive groups, particularly when I've scouted. Follow the better techniques listed here by other players, and keep at what you enjoy.
#48
Posted 04 August 2013 - 06:49 PM
You can TAG, but they won't fire at your targets.
You can NARC, but you're just wasting ammo.
You can call out target locations and enemy movements, and your pals will charge there headfirst, blaming you (when and if possible) for the foolishness of the charge.
USUALLY, anyhow.
If you're running a 3L or other ECM light, the thing to do is stick with the middle of the pack and help them stay out of the LRM rain until the up-close-and-personal fighting gets heavy.
I've gotten VERY little love trying to do recon work in PUG matches, and much less than I had expected even with a team.
I'm hoping that 12v12 and larger maps will bring the scout/recon role a little more love. But for now, no one wants us.
Yes. Scouts are not wanted in PUG.
You can TAG, but they won't fire at your targets.
You can NARC, but you're just wasting ammo.
You can call out target locations and enemy movements, and your pals will charge there headfirst, blaming you (when and if possible) for the foolishness of the charge.
USUALLY, anyhow.
If you're running a 3L or other ECM light, the thing to do is stick with the middle of the pack and help them stay out of the LRM rain until the up-close-and-personal fighting gets heavy.
I've gotten VERY little love trying to do recon work in PUG matches, and much less than I had expected even with a team.
I'm hoping that 12v12 and larger maps will bring the scout/recon role a little more love. But for now, no one wants us.
Yes. Scouts are not wanted in PUG.
You can TAG, but they won't fire at your targets.
You can NARC, but you're just wasting ammo.
You can call out target locations and enemy movements, and your pals will charge there headfirst, blaming you (when and if possible) for the foolishness of the charge.
USUALLY, anyhow.
If you're running a 3L or other ECM light, the thing to do is stick with the middle of the pack and help them stay out of the LRM rain until the up-close-and-personal fighting gets heavy.
I've gotten VERY little love trying to do recon work in PUG matches, and much less than I had expected even with a team.
I'm hoping that 12v12 and larger maps will bring the scout/recon role a little more love. But for now, no one wants us.
#49
Posted 04 August 2013 - 06:51 PM
I keep tag for spotting and to help SSRM lockup faster. I also find uav's to be useful. They hard counter ECM. And a bit of fun I have with them is to get behind the enemy pop a UAV and then hit somebody in the back and run! There is almost always five or six that try to find me. And seeing the UAV thinking it is a unit go towards it and then show up for evreybody else to see when they run to where it is.
People in pugs also usuallly listen when i call out where they are. usally something like c5 c6, and numbers and type if I have time or it is just a few. Calling out a flank when you see it helps too.
Tapping and capping are also powerful tools of the scout because it WILL split forces. And as often as not the people you will pull off are the better ones..
#50
Posted 04 August 2013 - 07:03 PM
Scouting and Spotter (and a few other roles) are not very well rewarded, even when played well. Sadly, right now this game favors the attackers, killers and high damage dealers. Not much else is rewarded for the moment. I suspect that they might be looking into end of match rewards soon, as I am not the only one to note such imbalances.
I have a thread that discusses some of what you are talking about here: http://mwomercs.com/...otting-rewards/
And I have a question in Ask the Devs 44 here: http://mwomercs.com/...e/page__st__100
(PS: If you want a certain question answered in Ask the Devs, fav it. The questions with the most favs are being aswered in their new format.)
The importance of scouts, and to some degree spotters, are currently not as rewarded nor as used as they probably should be. Instead of scout light mechs with a few strikers, we now have all striker class light mechs. They need to get something in for actually scouting, and reward it (somehow) as well as spotting.
All I have to say is, good luck. From how you operate, I'd love to have you on my team personally. I always find intel from my team is distinctly... lacking.
#51
Posted 04 August 2013 - 07:50 PM
I have had some success as a scout in PUG matches ... the key is communication (but your team might not listen).
I always announce my intentions ("scouting left", for example) before splitting off ...
... sometimes another light or two will follow
... sometimes the heavys will come to my rescue if I get trapped
... sometimes they'll be watching for more information
One little victory story, I'm particularly proud of ... I was scouting in my SDR-5D on Tourmaline, and found three assault mechs plodding along a flanking path, far from the center of the map, after spotting a group that I assumed was the "main body" on the normal path to the center. I called for our team to push/converge on the center group ... and they actually did ... 8v5 quickly because 8v0 ... then their flankers showed up ... 8v3 also quickly turned into 8v0. If I hadn't spotted the flanking group, and my team hadn't listened to my call to push center, the battle might have turned out much differently.
Useless ... no ... not always ... but it takes communication (typing is dangerous in a light, and communication is sketchy at best in a PUG).
Edited by Kageru Ikazuchi, 04 August 2013 - 08:44 PM.
#52
Posted 13 August 2013 - 06:30 AM
#53
Posted 13 August 2013 - 08:33 AM
1. Find the enemy, call out positions. Use "R"!
2. General harassment of the enemy big guns/slow guys or base cap. Basically anything to draw some of the enemy attention away from my team when the main forces meet to reduce their firepower.
3. Continue general harassment / join in main brawl.
4. Hunt lights other fast guys that are still left on the enemy side if I am still alive at that point.
#54
Posted 15 August 2013 - 04:30 AM
That being said, a scout is NOT useless. It's just the most unthankfull job in the game. People will always yell at you for not bringing "a proper mech" or "blocking a slot that someone usefull could have taken". And even the game is mocking you, giving you nigh invisible rewards even if you totally won the game for your team.
I love being a scout. But the fact that anyone else can look just as far and as well as any light while the light will still be seen just as easily as an assault, combined with how unthankfull the whole experience is, made me switch from Spider to Jenner to Dragon to Stalker.
I'm tired of getting nothing but a punch in the face (and I'm not talking about getting shot).
TLDR:
Scouting as a separate role doesn't really exist in this game, because every mech has exactly the same abilities. If you do it anyway, prepare for alot of pain, because no rewards for you.
Edited by Denolven, 15 August 2013 - 04:39 AM.
#55
Posted 16 August 2013 - 08:10 AM
But I worry about straying from his ECM cloud intermittantly and giving him away early not to mention being another visual contact someone could potentially see, also the issue of having two or more lights looking around one section of the map when we could be split and covering more ground.
Guess I could always ask him at the start, but curious what the scouts on here would say...
#56
Posted 16 August 2013 - 08:25 AM
Wolf pack!!!!!!
#57
Posted 16 August 2013 - 08:28 AM
Depends upon my mech, what I'm trying to do, and how we work together as a team. Personally, I'll work with anyone and see how it goes. I'd rather support someone else than run my own thing.
My best suggestion would be to (unless ECM is in question), scout a nearby section near your friendly light mech. Then, when the enemy finds you or him, they think only one mech is there. Then, blaze in from nearby and show them that you aren't just dealing with a single light, but two (or more) of them. Ducking in quick can also provide your ally with a chance to escape and regroup...
So many tactics. No real wrong choice. Find what works for you on average and go with it!
#58
Posted 16 August 2013 - 09:55 PM
You don't need NARC and Tag to be useful as a light mech on a good team, even Pugs when you're lucky.
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