44 replies to this topic

[xColossusSx]

Hi guys, i am a new to the game. After play a few matches (i lost them all D: ), i raised some questions:

1. What is the difference between GREEN laser and BLUE laser?
2. How do you deal with incoming missile attacks? i saw someone shot down missiles, but what kinds of weapon can do that? and what are general strategies against missiles strikes? (I just got killed without seeing the enemy:<
3. What is a decent choice for a new player's first purchase? I want my own mech !

Plz give me advise on these questions.
I would appreciate any kinds of helps

[luxebo]

1) green laser is medium laser, it is sorta medium range. blue laser is large laser, it is sorta farther range. Neither have a minimum range, but both are good as staple weapons for added damage.

2) AMS or cover. Since you're with trials, use cent/quickdraw arms to block missiles without cover (you don't really need them too much), or in raven, just get to cover/friendly AMS with speed. Stalker can sorta take the hits, but not to many so depend on friendly AMS or cover.

3) What's your preferance on mechs? Do you want to scout? Do you want to tank hits? Do you want to lend fire support (direct or missiles/indirect?) Do you want to wolfpack/flank (wolfpack is a group of faster/slower mechs charging through back areas or breaking a beachhead into their cover. you might need friends or cooperative teammates.)? Oh, and use your premium time with the cadet bonus (and even better, a hero mech so you can choose a group of mechs, like Heavy Metal, Misery, Yen-Lo, Ilya, etc.) Might get to 20 mil mark! Cadet bonus is first 25 matches, you can see by clicking profile and then stats. Add win/loss count and you have your match count. I'll let the more skilled decide on this department when you say your wanting in role. Oh, and check tomorrow or launch, maybe you might want the Orion.

Hope I helped.

[NaZotH]

1. Green is a medium laser and blue is large laser.
2. AMS shoots down missiles. Best way to avoid missiles is to take cover behind a building or a hill.
3. Depends on your play style. Many say try the Hunchback first.

You can find info on mechs and weapons here:
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/

[Johnny Marek Summers]

Hi,

1) I'm not sure. Unless it's one are lasers and the other is a PPC discharge.

2) There are a couple ways to deal with missiles. First, you need to learn how to not be seen, so always try for cover. When you saw people shooting down missiles it was probably an AMS (Anti-Missile System). Almost all mechs can be equipped with an AMS, however it does need to BE equipped and you need to buy one ton of ammo for it. I'm guessing trial mechs, which you have been using, doesn't have it equipped.

3) Which mech is best is a matter of taste. Some tips would be:

A) First thing you need to know is that you are probably still within your first 25 matches which means that your earnings are currently inflated (this is called a Cadet Bonus). The additional earnings wil go away after the 25th match.

So for now concentrate on what your play style is. Do you like to get into the other guy's face? Do you like to fight from a distance? Do you like being fast? Do you not care if you are slow if you can take a PPC blast to the face and laugh? If you can describe what you like based on the mechs you have tried (the trial mechs, there are 4 of them), others can help you zero in on the chassis you should have fun in.

C) Oh yes, and be aware that in order to get the most of a mech you WILL need three different variants of the same mech (For Jenners you need a D, K and F).

D) Before you buy a mech, do some research. There will be lots of people who will give you advice here. However you might want to check out the MWOwiki at gamepedia.com. This webpage has most of the available mechs and you can compare hardpoints of all the variants of a chassis because it's in a table. If you want to check out the loadout and stuff of an individual mech you might want to check out Smurfy.net. In this website you can play around with the loadouts of lots of mechs and not pay one C-bill to do so.

[xColossusSx]

Thanks guys for helping me out.
i prefer some long range support mech (i play snipers a lot in traditional fps), what are some decent and cost-efficient mech of this type?

[xColossusSx]

Johnny Marek Summers, on 16 September 2013 - 09:31 PM, said:

Hi,

1) I'm not sure. Unless it's one are lasers and the other is a PPC discharge.

2) There are a couple ways to deal with missiles. First, you need to learn how to not be seen, so always try for cover. When you saw people shooting down missiles it was probably an AMS (Anti-Missile System). Almost all mechs can be equipped with an AMS, however it does need to BE equipped and you need to buy one ton of ammo for it. I'm guessing trial mechs, which you have been using, doesn't have it equipped.

3) Which mech is best is a matter of taste. Some tips would be:

A) First thing you need to know is that you are probably still within your first 25 matches which means that your earnings are currently inflated (this is called a Cadet Bonus). The additional earnings wil go away after the 25th match.

So for now concentrate on what your play style is. Do you like to get into the other guy's face? Do you like to fight from a distance? Do you like being fast? Do you not care if you are slow if you can take a PPC blast to the face and laugh? If you can describe what you like based on the mechs you have tried (the trial mechs, there are 4 of them), others can help you zero in on the chassis you should have fun in.

C) Oh yes, and be aware that in order to get the most of a mech you WILL need three different variants of the same mech (For Jenners you need a D, K and F).

D) Before you buy a mech, do some research. There will be lots of people who will give you advice here. However you might want to check out the MWOwiki at gamepedia.com. This webpage has most of the available mechs and you can compare hardpoints of all the variants of a chassis because it's in a table. If you want to check out the loadout and stuff of an individual mech you might want to check out Smurfy.net. In this website you can play around with the loadouts of lots of mechs and not pay one C-bill to do so.

I thought the more expensive variants of the same type are better. Thanks for pointing out that i need to buy them all D:

I prefer long range support mech and be a nuisance by shooting those annoying missiles :<
what are some better choice for new players of this type?

[Faithsfall]

xColossusSx, on 16 September 2013 - 09:37 PM, said:

I thought the more expensive variants of the same type are better. Thanks for pointing out that i need to buy them all D:

I prefer long range support mech and be a nuisance by shooting those annoying missiles :<
what are some better choice for new players of this type?

The shooting of those missiles is the AMS which is an automatic system, so you need the ams and the ammo for it, it will only take out (if i remember this correctly) 5 missiles in a wave so you are still best to use cover.

As for mechs with the ability to mount most weapons you can use any mech in any role, granted some perform better than others in the role, but mech choice is upto you.

Stalker/ jager and Blackjack all have their arm's high up on their torso so you can just glance over a ridge to fire while the other mechs have low slung arms so have to provide more of a target to the enemy to shoot.

Catapault/stalker/kintaro/ awesome have plenty of missile hardpoints if you decide to run a missile boat.

Apart from that most mechs can be lethal in the right hands, my favourite mechs are the highlander and atm orion, though the orion is a bit unforgiving as ct can go quickly.

[Mao of DC]

Red lasers = small
Green lasers = medium
Blue lasers = large

Antimissile system or AMS will shoot down ~5 missiles. So you can't count on it saving your tail. Cover is your best bet even with AMS.

As far as mechs go it really depends on your play style.

Whatever mech you chose to maximize them you will need to buy 3 variants. Why 3 because of the skill tree. There are 8 basic skills, 4 elite skills, and 1 master skill. You need all of the basic skill on three variants of the same chassis (ie Atlas) to open up the elite skills, and all of those skills on three variants to open up the master skill. All the levels skills require about 21500 EXP for all of the skills of that level.

You might be wondering is it worth it to go through all that. Yes, yes it is, all of the skills help but there is one elite skill highly coveted, Speed Tweek. It adds 10% to your top speed. The master skill is also handy because it adds a module slot. If you don't know what modules are/do they give some kind of in game bonus. Like extra sensor range, advance zoom(a x4 zoom), or seismic sensor.

I hope this helps you and any other new players out there.

[ShockATC]

xColossusSx, on 16 September 2013 - 09:31 PM, said:

Thanks guys for helping me out.
i prefer some long range support mech (i play snipers a lot in traditional fps), what are some decent and cost-efficient mech of this type?

that wont work very well in this game.
you can not be "only sniper" - that will kill you faster then you can look on the scoreboard.

You need a well balanced Loadout on your Mech: Weapons for longrange like LRMs, PPCs, Gauss, smaller ACs and you need weapons for the brawl (the close range fight [ < 300 m] ) like SRMs, bigger ACs, LBXs, Lasers etc.

[luxebo]

BTW you can't shoot down missiles separately, but I would love too when Thunderbolt rolls out or we would all be destroyed. Only AMS will do it for you but only few.

You don't have to buy all variants, only three for additional x2 for basic qualities. It makes the mech plenty better.

I picked the Hunchback or in-your-face brawler (except 4j) and next I'm going for Raven or scout.

Maybe if you want to pay/see what's available at launch tomorrow, but you said sniper so maybe depends on your feelings of jumping. You like quickdraw's jump? If you do maybe Blackjack, Trebuchet, Catchphract 3D, Victor, or Highlander. You should take a well-balanced build though, like maybe 2 ER (best ER not regular due to minimum range) PPC or ER Large Laser with Gauss. You might not get the best start though because no trials have the PPC or Gauss (which I wanted to see how it would be.) and the charge, people annoying you as a cheese build, and minimum range. It's up to you though, there are probably better mechs suited than what I said.

[Mao of DC]

I also suggest you down load Team speak 3
It allows for easy voice communications. There are a bunch of servers available but one of the most popular is the NA server the TS address is na1.mech-connect.net there is no password needed. With TS it is easy to find groups to drop with. Dropping with a group increases your chances of winning because you will have someone to watch you back and focus down targets with. Also if you have questions they can help. Unless you find a bunch of jerks if you do you don't want to drop with them anyway.

[Johnny Reb]

ShockATC, on 16 September 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

that wont work very well in this game.
you can not be "only sniper" - that will kill you faster then you can look on the scoreboard.

You need a well balanced Loadout on your Mech: Weapons for longrange like LRMs, PPCs, Gauss, smaller ACs and you need weapons for the brawl (the close range fight [ < 300 m] ) like SRMs, bigger ACs, LBXs, Lasers etc.

Not true, however, being new I would not recommend specializing till you play enough games to find out what you like to do. I would recommend playing till you lose your bonus then really try diff weps on the trials to find what you like. Then, what you think you like I would go to: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/
Make the build you think you want and see how much it costs.
Then, I would look/ask again on this forum to see what ppl think for a general idea before actually buying!

[Johnny Marek Summers]

Last post of the day since I can't play my 25 matches to change my status.

Blackjacks (Mediums) and Jagermechs (Heavies) have already been mentioned. Both can mount lasers and ballistics. Two of the Blackjacks can use jump jets which can help you manuever.

With lasers you have to worry about heat but not ammo. The long range weapons are ER Large lasers, PPCs and ER PPCs. However PPCs and ERPPCs both have been changed (a lot of people are complaining it is not for the better, others are a bit happier with the change) recently. Mostly with heat, enforcement of the minimum range for the PPC (does NO damage under 90m), maybe something else as well.

Ballistics are usually (there are some glaring exceptions that have not been changed) the opposite; low to no heat and you really have to worry about whether you are going to run out of ammo or not. Long range ballistics are Gauss Rifles (has been majorly changed so timing is something t be aware of), AC/2s (there is a weird thing with ghost heat right now concerning multiples), AC/5s, and UAC/5s (favored right now, but tend to jam).

If you want to mount an AMS you can just be aware that it does take up some weight and criticals in order to equip and have ammo for it (at least one ton).

[Sadistic Savior]

xColossusSx, on 16 September 2013 - 08:52 PM, said:

Hi guys, i am a new to the game. After play a few matches (i lost them all D: ), i raised some questions:

1. What is the difference between GREEN laser and BLUE laser?

Green are medium. Blue are large. Larger weapons do more damage and generate more heat.

Quote

2. How do you deal with incoming missile attacks? i saw someone shot down missiles, but what kinds of weapon can do that?

That is an Anti-missile system. You equip it just like a weapon. All mechs can mount at least one. It will not shoot down all of the missiles, just a small percentage of them.

Quote

and what are general strategies against missiles strikes?

Missiles take time to get to you. If you walk behind something, they will hit that object instead. Also, if you are not in line of sight to whoever fired them at you, that person loses their lock and the missiles will stop homing. If they are not homing, you can just walk out of their way and let them hit the ground.

Quote

3. What is a decent choice for a new player's first purchase? I want my own mech !

​I would start with a Hunchback, because they are versatile. Try to stick with lasers at first,
because they have the least amount of stuff to keep track of. Practice managing your heat (lasers generate a lot of it, but they are require no ammo and are easy to fire).

Edited by Sadistic Savior, 17 September 2013 - 07:17 AM.

[Macbrea]

xColossusSx, on 16 September 2013 - 08:52 PM, said:

2. How do you deal with incoming missile attacks?

There is quite a few answers to this one by the way:

• Anti-missile system will shot down 0-5 missiles per wave coming in on you.
  
  • Missiles fire based off the visual number of ports. So, a LRM 20 firing through an 6 graphic will fire four groups of 5. And in theory, could lose every missile fired in the batch, though very unlikely.
• Moving at a speed greater then 100 kph will frequently cause the missiles to hit the ground behind you
  
• Moving behind a building or cliff will cause missiles to strike that object instead
  
• Moving behind another mech enemy or friendly will sometimes cause the missiles to hit it instead
  
  • Warning note here: Standing on the corpse of a dying mech is dangerous. Incoming missiles don't just disappear, they will kill you if you are there.
• ECM causes mechs to lose missile lock. If missile lock is lost, there is a pretty good chance missiles will miss the target if they move.
  
• Shutting down your mech will cause it to break missile locks, though, this leaves you in a vulnerable position. In long range pitched battle moving behind a rock and shutting down for 4 seconds is the quickest way to draw missiles to another target then yourself. The longest target delay module is 3.5 seconds. And players are impatient to find another target most of the time.

Edited by Macbrea, 17 September 2013 - 08:26 AM.

[Sug]

I think the green lasers are medium lasers and the blue lasers are large lasers. Now you are an expert in lasers.

[Pirate2Ninja]

If you want a long range build Catapults are a good place to start. Be warned though- just long range weapons will leave you vulnerable if the enemy closes the gap.

[scJazz]

New set of Trials is up for Launch Day...

All 4 are Champions! I strongly urge you to check them all out. Then let us know which you liked the most or what style you liked best. Then we can guide you into a nice Big Stompy Robot of your very own

[chevy42083]

^yup, use the trials, and go from there... decide on speed and weapon types separately. Do you HAVE to have jump jets, ecm, etc? Jump jets are nice to get around the little obstacles that you'd hang up on, or to get up that "little steeper than you thoguht" hill.... instead of walking in place blocking it or being shot at. You don't have to fly... just skip sometimes.
Once you know speed/size... look for the variant with the weapons/options you like. And looks... cause that's important

That's how i ended up wtih a LRM catapult. I just liked the LRMs and the speed/armor of it.

Pirate2Ninja, on 17 September 2013 - 08:42 AM, said:

If you want a long range build Catapults are a good place to start. Be warned though- just long range weapons will leave you vulnerable if the enemy closes the gap.

This. So this.

I have 2 catapults. Both LRM heavy.
1 has 2 medium lasers... not enough to deal damage once enemies get close.
the other has an ER large laser and 2 medium lasers... I'll unload all my LRMs, then get into the close fight. At the least... if I'm sitting back and a scout or flank come around, I'm not helpless. ESPECIALLY i've dropped armor to load up more LRM ammo. It'll overheat if I try to fire LRM AND all the lasers... but generally they are for different situations.

Next up is a ballistics build... we'll see how i like it.

Edited by chevy42083, 17 September 2013 - 10:56 AM.

[xColossusSx]

thanks guys for helping

it is hard for new players to understand customization because trail mechs are not constomizable.
everything on the mech builds website many people suggested are like profound ancient script to me.

So i guess i will just buy a HBK or CPLT?
or maybe i should wait until launch date to try out new trails mechs