51 replies to this topic

[Darth Futuza]

Koniving, on 31 January 2014 - 08:00 PM, said:

On MechBays, my own worked out between $1.25 and $1.19 a piece. But that's because when I do buy MC, I get the largest packages for the most I can get for my buck, and then 'ration' it out over time. But with those sales it's really hard not to get cosmetic fun stuff.

But yes. Eventually, somewhere down the line, you will come across the notion that 4 mechbays simply are not enough. Really it's the only real time that you might even feel compelled to "need" to buy something on here.

...Personally, I have 100 mechbays now. ....It still isn't enough.

....need...more....mechbays...


(You can see the mechbay count to the right. To take a gander at my mech count, subtract the "free" bays from the total. 100 - 10 = 90. I've sold well over 40 mechs since starting. Rebought several of them later on.)

The most compelling argument I've ever heard for spending money on MWO. Why doesn't PGI hire you?

[Koniving]

Darth Futuza, on 01 February 2014 - 12:55 PM, said:

The most compelling argument I've ever heard for spending money on MWO. Why doesn't PGI hire you?

Probably because I'd completely rework the game's balance, weapon systems, the core heat system, and the armor system (instead of armor allotment per weight class, use stock armor as a base value for how much 'more' you can equip. Instantly making the Awesome more formidable than the Victor.)

For the armor system just as an example let's say you can put up to 100 more armor than stock onto a mech. AC/40 Jagers would instantly disappear as most Jagers have 256 armor. + 100 = 356 armor. Meanwhile the Catapult (C1) has 320 armor + 100 = 420. Catapult would be more viable as a brawler. Thunderbolt 5S has 416. It's even more viable for fighting and soaking damage than both the Jager and Catapult which are both 65 tons just like itself.

In the Victor and Awesome case, the Victor 9B starts with 368 armor (468 max). The Victor 9K starts with 400 armor. So it can max at 500 in this example. But the 9S starts with 336 and thus can only max at 436. And the Awesomes? 8Q starts 480, so 580 max. Instantly a better tank than all the non-hero Victors. The Awesome 9M starts with 494 armor. 594 now.

It'll make the Stalker and Battlemaster very different from one another. Stalker 3F, 432. Max 532. Stalker 5M, 464, max 564. Admittedly the Stalkers tank real well due to their design even with far less than MWO's max armor for them. The Battlemaster on the other hand, the 1D 496 turns into 596. 1G 464 now 564. Same with the 1S 464 now 564.

As far as the Atlas, it'd go from 608 stock for an Atlas D to 708 instead of 614.

Hey, what about the 35s?

Jenner D = 128. New max at 228.
Raven 2x = 208. New max at 308.
After these changes the best Jenner is, in terms of armor, inferior to the worst Raven severely making up for the huge speed inferiority the Raven suffers. Meanwhile the most gimped Jenner the F gets 224 = 324 buffed. But, after this the JR7-K has become screwed with 125 now 225. Switch hardpoints of D and K around. To not disappoint Sarah's Jenner fans ask them on their preference for which variant to become.

Commando would be in terms of armor on the same level as a Jenner D.

But what about mediums?

Hunchback 4G. 320 armor + 100 = 420 max.
Centurion A. 272 + 100 = 372 max.
Blackjack BJ-1. 272 + 100 = 372 max.

The 55 tonners?
KTO-18 = 352, 452 max.
Shadowhawk 2D2 = 208. 308 max.
Wolverine 6k = 368. 468 max.
Griffin 1N = 304. 404 max.

I didn't go into the other variants, but there's a good example of how it'd differentiate the mechs. Of the 55 tonners, the Shadowhawk has the best attack potential, but after this the least armor. The comparison of weaknesses versus the strengths of Hunchbacks and Centurions makes the armor differential more than fair in my opinion.

But remember, the "100" extra is just an example. Really thinking about it though I'm terrified to use a percentage as that gets bigger and bigger as the mechs do.

Interesting is this: The Locust starts out with 128 armor. It currently maxes at 138, but it'd max after this change to 228. So a number like 50 might make more sense. That puts its armor on par with the Jenner D.

Overall, this would not only make the mechs less interchangeable and more niche, but it would ultimately encourage role warfare.

Though I hashed it out, credit goes to JustWannaPlay for the stock armor ties into max armor idea.

(Sorry Darth for the thousand edits which probably gave you a thousand quotes.)

Edited by Koniving, 02 February 2014 - 06:05 AM.

[Ten Ton]

Rushin Roulette, on 31 January 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

Apart from that, you will have to farm about 30% more than a player with premium time to get the same amount of CBills to buy mechs/equipment... but as Im not using my premium time yet, I can say that its not needed to buy any mech... Except Hero mechs as stated above which only have slightly different weapon layouts. The weapons and systems they can install are exactly the same as can be mounted in other non hero mechs.

There is also no pay to use ammunition (Gold ammunition) which would hit better than regular ammunition.

Dude! shhhhhh! don't give the bean-counters any ideas!

[Spheroid]

The BJ-3 is viable. I threw a 180 STD in mine on a lark before posting this. Low speed might be what is getting you killed. If that is the case invest in a larger XL engine.

Are you still running your Blackjack in its stock configuration?




^ 180 STD, Endo, 2x ER LLLAS, 4x mlas, AMS, 1 JJ and 15 DHS.

Edited by Spheroid, 01 February 2014 - 06:14 PM.

[BLOOD WOLF]

Itheseus, on 01 February 2014 - 06:48 AM, said:

LISTEN TO THIS GUY.

that made my night, truly an understanding of the game.

[Sandpit]

Ok so here is another guide to helping you learn how to optimize a mech build in MWO. Please keep in mind this is not intended to be a “Well if you used this chassis load this weapon system so you can get xx amount of DPS making it better than this other build because it only does this much damage” post. This is a very basic guide on how to put a mech together and what to consider in basic mech designs. Please keep in mind that even though this is a general outline it is also a bit on the lengthy side.

The most important decision to make prior to putting a mech together is to decide your role on the battlefield. Do you want to be the fast little squirrel that runs around the battlefield scouting and marking targets for your support mechs? Is a 100-ton walking death machine loaded to the teeth for mayhem and destruction more your style? You need to have a definite role in mind when you open up the mech lab. I will briefly give a couple of examples that might help you out and give you some ideas
· Scout: Fast and nimble
· Skirmisher: Keeping enemy from focusing fire and taking down lighter mechs
· Brawler: Going head-to-head with other mechs and duking it out. Think balance between damage output and ability to absorb prolonged enemy fire
· Long-Range Support: In the rear with the gear popping of long range support via LRMs and long range direct fire (think sniper)
Once you have an idea of what you want this mech to be you will want to optimize your mech to fit that role. Keep in mind this is just an overview so I won’t be going into what weapons systems are “best” and what configuration will produce the best DPS (Damage Per Second) There are, however, a few things to keep in mind regardless of what role you’re looking to fill on the battlefield. One of the biggest concerns you will face regardless of the build will be heat.


Heat is the enemy of all mechs. Everything a mech does from walking to firing off weapons generates heat. Even the environment can contribute to heat buildup in a mech. What does this mean for you as a pilot? Well a few things. When you design your mech you need to keep in mind that each weapon system has its own heat-to-damage ratio. (I’ll leave detailed analysis of what weapon is best when it comes to this ratio to someone better at match than I am). You have to keep in mind that loading up that Atlas with 50 medium lasers might make for one helluva first strike but once you shutdown due to an overheat you’re a sitting duck.
So how do I counter heat you ask? Heat sinks! They are your best friend. They will dissipate (although not prevent) heat buildup in your mech. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when designing a mech is assuming that more heat sinks will prevent your mech from generating heat. This is not how the game mechanic works. I won’t go into detailed examples in this guide but keep an eye on the heat efficiency tab in the mech lab when you are placing weapon systems and deciding on how many heat sinks to use. Keep in mind that each heat sink weighs one ton so you have to find a good balance that works for you.


Armor is a pretty simple aspect of mech design at first glance but there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The more you have the more damage you can sustain in battle. Now keep in mind that the amount of overall armor you have doesn’t mean you are invincible. Each weight class has a maximum amount of armor allowed based on whether it is a light, medium, heavy, or assault. You will have to decide how important survivability is to you and how much weight you want to dedicate to armor allocation. A mech is divided into 11 locations. These locations are: Head, Legs, Arms, Center Torso, Right Torso, and Left Torso. Now I know what you’re asking, “But Sand there are only 8 sections listed!” I’ll explain that next. One important aspect to keep in mind when assigning armor to your mech is that the three torsos have front and back sections. Therefore, armor allocated to those locations is divided between front and rear. So if a center torso has a maximum points of 40 allowed you will have to decide how much to allocate between front and rear. I know I stated I would not get into specific configurations but I feel it is important to note that most pilots choose to allocate the majority if armor to front locations because ideally you will not have mechs taking potshots at your rear armor for prolonged periods of time. I’ll leave it to you to decide just how much armor is important for your build but experiment to find what works for your playstyle.


Engines are pretty straightforward. The bigger the engine the faster your mech goes. The trade-off is weight. The bigger the engine the more it weighs and the less tonnage you have to work with when it comes to armor, heat sinks, and weapons. If speed is your priority, you’ll want to drop in a bigger engine at times. Now engines have one more interesting decision to make when it comes to which one you should use. There are two engine types to choose from. I won’t debate which one is better but I will give you a general idea of the pros and cons so you can make an educated decision. XL engines give you a higher maximum speed while weighing less than its standard counter-part of the same size. So an XL engine might give you an extra 15/kph and freeing up an extra 3 tons to use for other systems in your mech. Well what’s the downside you ask? XL engines take up slots in all 3 torso locations. This has the dual effect of taking up more crit slots and making it easier for enemy mechs to obtain engine hits on your mech, which will result in your mech’s destruction. XL engines also carry a hefty price tag and can be quite expensive to repair so that is definitely something to keep in mind when it comes to engine decision. Once again, I will leave it to you to decide what an acceptable trade-off is when it comes to these decisions.

In closing, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this and I am always open to suggestions and helpful criticism. I am by no means an expert but I do have over 20 years of experience in the BattleTech world and would like to help new players gain just as much enjoyment out of mech warfare as I have. If you see anything I have made a mistake on please feel free to let me know and I’ll get it corrected. I hope that as I get time and if you guys like my guides I’ll be posting more to help the community. Good luck and good hunting warriors, I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!


This is a guide I wrote back in beta. It's just a general outline of mech choice, roles, etc. It might help you out in figuring out your play style and understanding how mechs work. One of the biggest mistakes I see players making in general is trying to use a mech to fit a style it's not really designed for.
Individual skill will dictate a lot on what you are capable of as far as mech choices, weapons, etc. The first thing you really need to do is figure out how you like to play and then find a mech and weapons that will compliment that the most.

If you're a toe to toe brawler that loves to just slug it out then you're not going to do well in something like a Trebuchet usually. If you're the type of player that likes to run around taking potshots and supporting the "big guys" then taking an Atlas isn't going to work well for you most times.

As with everything there's always exceptions but hopefully this gives you some ideas of what types of mechs and play styles would fit you and help you do a bit better. The important thing to remember is that this game is heavily dependent on teamwork. Losing 2-3 mechs is usually enough to start a snowball that results in a one-sided game. Sticking together and trying to focus fire, keep yourself out of bad positions, etc. will go a LONG way in your survival and success rate.

[JC Daxion]

SiliconLife, on 31 January 2014 - 02:00 PM, said:

I have purchased hero mechs myself (Ilya Muromets, Heavy Metal, Dragon Slayer, just to name a few) and they are unique mechs, with unique gameplay that can only be purchased with real money.

where is it written that says, money cannot alter game play? That is not pay to win.. Those mechs you mentioned do not have anything over say, Llya, is not better than a cataphract 4x, Heavy metal is not better than the other highlander versions, unless you consider playing music a game advantage as it distracts the other players. They may be unique mechs, But they are defiantly not any better than anything else on the field, just a bit different.

Some people could say being able to have unique camo/colors/look, so lances can team up and identify themselves is game altering. Sure, but it certainly is not P2W

Personally i think this game has done a wonderful job of keeping things even.. You don't need to spend a dime.. But if spending 20-30 bucks makes your experiance better, by getting that hero, by all means spend some cash, and get one.. I'm not sure why people have it in their mind that people that pay nothing at all, should have exactly what everyone else gets, with the only thing they need to do is spend 1000's of hours playing.

make stuff people wan't to buy, and balance that with the no cost items, and that is exactly what they have done.

[Victor Morson]

Koniving, on 01 February 2014 - 01:16 PM, said:

Probably because I'd completely rework the game's balance, weapon systems, the core heat system, the armor system (instead of armor allotment per weight class, use stock armor as a base value for how much 'more' you can equip. Instantly making the Awesome more formidable than the Victor and the Stalker and Battlemaster very different from one another.

I can't say as I'd agree with all your changes, but I'm pretty sure that'd be true of anyone. That said, I would be more than up for an armor rework that leaves the Awesome with far more armor than the other 80-85 tonners.

JC Daxion, on 02 February 2014 - 12:01 AM, said:

where is it written that says, money cannot alter game play? That is not pay to win.. Those mechs you mentioned do not have anything over say, Llya, is not better than a cataphract 4x, Heavy metal is not better than the other highlander versions, unless you consider playing music a game advantage as it distracts the other players. They may be unique mechs, But they are defiantly not any better than anything else on the field, just a bit different.

The only hero that is superior for it's chassis so far is the Dragon Slayer. It's getting very popular for that reason. The rest do fall into the "Different but equal" category.

Actually I take that back. The Flame is far and away, without question the best Dragon. However there's far, far better 'mechs than the Dragon in general to buy with Cbills so this is a moot point.

[Koniving]

I'd say the X-5 falls in that category. ER PPC + LRMs with Jenner Speed and better armor/view/etc. definitely outclasses the other Cicadas.

Honestly compared to my other Victors, the Dragon Slayer blows. It's combat inefficient for airborne leaps. It's inefficient for any kind of elevated combat unless you completely abandon the torso energy weapons. The only thing it has going for it is a better horizontal range of arm motion and even that is impaired by the lack of good arm energy mounts. The ballistic arm can't hold as much either due to having the lower arm actuator robbing both a slot and weapon potential.

I do agree with the Flame though -- however on tabletop every dragon could carry an AC/20... But imagine a Dragon that can't use its right arm to aim horizontally. It'd be a whole new ball game.

[TercieI]

Misery feels like it's the best Stalker to me, too. Actually, that doesn't even feel close to me.

[Koniving]

Updated the armor concept from earlier with a simplified "+100" example.

[Bront]

TygerLily, on 31 January 2014 - 11:17 AM, said:

Yea, the only thing cash (MC) get's you is:

Hero Mechs: Unique variants (which can be terrible - Pretty Baby - or great - Ilya, Misery, etc.)
Mechbays: 300 MC works out to about $1.50 a piece.
Cosmetic Items: Camo, colors, cockpit items. Doesn't affect gameplay. There's a few colors that you can buy with C-bills (in-game currency) and there's been several challenges that reward you with a free cockpit item.
Premium Time: XP and CBill boosts.

92 other mechs are free of charge...you buy them with in-game currency. You level them the same and they perform the same as for anyone else...

Basically, the only thing I think is a must, is maybe $15 for 3000 MC...get about 10 mechbays and you're set.

This is pretty good advice. Money is generally a timesaver vs required. The only thing you can't get with in game currency (Cbills, CB or ) gameplay wise are Mechbays and Hero mechs. You can eventually build the Champion mech loadouts, you can buy some paints with , and all the consumables can be replaced with consumables with some GXP upgrades.

Paint and Cammo? Wholely optional

Premium time? Reduces the grind by giving you 50% greater rewards. Not needed, but can be nice when starting out (you can get 8 days free at the moment)

Mechbays? Somewhat optional, but really generally useful if you want to master several different mechs. Fairly priced at 300 (Around $1-$1.50 depending on the package you get).

Hero Mechs? They're fun, but more of a time saver (don't need to grind for them, help you grind out cbills) than anything. There's a few very nice ones, and some that are just bad, but nothing is particularly more powerful than any standard mech build. Not required, and in general, the consensus best version of that mech chassis is still ususally one of the CBill variants. Top hero mechs (in no particular order) are generally the Ilya, Misery, Heavy Metal, and Dragon Slayer. Other well thought of mechs include the Protector, Oxide, Firebrand, Yen Lo Wang, and even the Death's Knell.