26 replies to this topic

[627]

On selling no stuff - i wouldn't say never ever sell anything. Indeed, if you ever have 20 Medium Lasers in you inventory and you're 200k short for your next big toy, cash those lasers. Nearly every mech comes with them and even a rebuy is not that costly.

And Standard engines? Why not sell em if you'll never use them again? At least the low tier engines up to 250, it's unlikely you'll ever use them (these are normaly engines for light mechs, and lights almost always use XLs so sell em.

But here comes the BUT: never ever sell any XL engine you bought. I once sold an XL280 because i had two and that repurchase was expensive.

What i'd like to see in this guide are some hints and recommendations how to manage you 4 mechbays as free player. I never had that prob because of founders money, but a friend of mine is a pure free player and he often struggles how to move from one chassis to the next without missing all skill trees.

[Scav3ng3r]

This really should be pinned and put somewhere where it can be easily found. I am gald to see new players jumping into the game feet first, and coming out on top and willing to share their experience and offer up advice to other new players.

I skimmed through your guide, and I must say, you did a wonderful job of conveying information so new players can understand it.

The only thing you should prolly add, is where to find the TeamSpeak server info so new players can jump in a group, and ask for advice from veteran players, and experience team play vs solo dropping.

Guides/watching people play is great, knowing that you can jumping into TeamSpeak and play on a team, and get advice first hand is even better. It's always good to have other people who can observe you, and give you feedback on your play style.

[Colby Boucher]

Along with everything that others have mentioned, it's important for new players to know the downsides of XL engines. You make them seem like the crux of performance, except that the side - torso slots makes your mech much less... er... mech-like.

Edited by Colby Boucher, 06 September 2013 - 02:43 AM.

[627]

Ok, I just made some test because i always wanted to know this, you're wrong with in-engine Heatsinks.

The first 10 Double Heatsinks are true 2.0 Heatsinks (sinking 2 "Heat" Points per second). All other DHS are 1,4, doesn't matter if they're in the engine or elsewhere.


Explanation what i did:

I took my new shiny (ORION) with an XL360 and 2 ER-PPCs to mordor Terra Therma with 14 DHS - 10 in engine and 4 extra.

In the first run i build those 4 extra into the engine. Firing my PPCs i get to 62% Heat and it takes 14secs to get back on 8%.

Second run, the 4 Extra DHS go to side Torsos. Same outcome: 62% and 14 seconds to get down to 8%.


If in engine DHS would be 2.0, you would have a cooling 10 + 4 x 2.0 = 28 Heat per second with all DHS in the engine.

With only 10 in engine and 4 extras you'd have: 10 x 2.0 + 4 x 1.4 = 25.6 Heat per second.

Just for the test i took 5 external Heatsinks: 10 x 2.0 + 5 x 1.5 = 27,5 Heat per second.

So with 15 DHS it would still be worse than 14 in-engine. But if you field it, heat cooldown is only 13 seconds instead of 14.

In the End, there's no difference where to place DHS - besides the fact that external DHS can get destroyed by critical Hits and take 3 crit slots.

[Tyrnea Smurf]

On the engines, correct only those heat sinks that are truly built in provide the 2.0 cooling, on the 275's and up that you can mount extra ones into they use the 1.4 cooling effect modifier. The advantage of them in those bigger engines is the free slots they grant you on some builds, since the double heatsink is in the engine and not taking up space on your mechs internals - though there are times you would want them in the internal spaces to try and provide crit protection for a xl engine or ammo slots, gauss rifles ect.


Now on to the OP:

I was reading through and nodding a lot up until I saw this part.

JonahGrimm, on 05 September 2013 - 07:52 AM, said:

[*]Selling Mechs.


Lots of people will advise you to never sell mechs in your mechbays. I'm not one of them.

In fact, I will tell you that - at least once you have enough money for a second mech - if you don't like a particular design? Junk it! Better to have a little cash than a mech you're not going to play in the forseeable future.

HOWEVER. NEVER sell your mech's internals! ALWAYS sell the chassis only! This saves you a lot of heartache, even if you whimper over that 8-mil purchase coming back to you as a half-mil of credits. The key is you're not selling the equipment, just the empty shell - and it's just not worth all that much.

This is the one area your giving questionable advice on. Not necessary wrong, just highly questionable.

Unless your committed to a total free experience where you will constantly turn over your mech inventory, your gonna have to buy additional mechbays, and given the constant tinkering PGI is doing to the games weapons/heat, what is a gimpy unfun to your play style mech today, might be the fun gunslinger tomorrow.

And since in your write-up you commit to the 1.5 mil double heatsink upgrade buy before you buy any mech (a very good idea I also employ), you are truly throwing money away once you sell it as you get nearly no credit for that in its sell price. If your committed enough to the game to stay a while and play once your 4 mechbays are full, commit to buying additional mechbays as needed, and i'd highly recommend keeping your spare mechs.

More often than not a player will (if they stay long enough) kick themselves for selling chassis/variant, rather than keeping them.

And this doesn't consider if PGI makes a major adjustment to the piloting tree system where your going to have to go back and tweak something, if you no longer hold the variant your likely going to be sol until you rebuy it. Not saying that would happen however I never personally want to find it out the hard way either.

[Scorpyon]

Here is an additional idea that beginners don't get:

Running into other mechs, bad guys AND good guys, will damage them and YOU as well. It will pay you to be very careful and concientious during the initial take-off to make room for the smaller, faster guys to get through, and to go around the bigger, slower guys.

One thing that bugs me is a big, slow mech walking (SLOWLY) down the middle of a road/bridge and noone behind him can get around. If you're THAT guy, walk down the edge of the road. Give folks room to get around.

Scorpyon

[JC Daxion]

Nice.. there really should be a good post about starting out.. and linked to your first starting match... this game really is complicated.... great post!