16 replies to this topic

[VirtualRiot]

Hi guys so I'm fairly new to the game, I downloaded it a few weeks ago and have been casually playing it on and off.

Unfortunatly for me it seems that I have royally screwed myself without really knowing it.

I didnt realize I got a starter bonus to c-bills (thats what they're called right?) and XP so I thought weapons and mechs and stuff were relativly easy to buy. I spent all of my monies buying and selling differient light mechs and trying out fits and things to try and figure out what I liked.

I finally decided that if i'm gonna play solo I just wanted to be a big mothertrucker so I decided I wanted to buy an Assault-class mech. It was then that I realized that assault mechs cost ALOT and, I had ran out of "premium" time. It would take me way longer than I was willing to play to get an assault class mech.
So, realizing my idoitc mistakes, I paid for them. With money. $15 to be exact.

So I was all like "cool beans lets go buy me a mech". I thought that lasers are really cool and they sounded cool. So there was this mech, the AWS-8Q that had a TON of laser slot things and comeon, its called Awesome. That sounds awesome. I was thinking "alright ill just put a bunch of big lasers on this thing and ill be a rolling laser cannon badass".

To spare you a lot of painful details about me sucking at the game from that point onwards. I just realized today after reading some forum stuff that I basicly made every mistake you can possibly make as a new player.
All I want is an all-around good mech, that I can casually play solo sometimes. I was hoping you guys could help me out on that.

1. How should I fit my terribad AWS-8Q untill I get enough money to sell it and get a better mech (I run 3 LL and 3MPL with DBL heat sinks, max armor and a 290 engine (idk if its the 290 but it lets me go faster, close to 60kph)

2. What is an all-around good assault mech that I can fit in a variety of ways, that is most likely not going to be hit with a nerf hammer or a buff bat any time soon. Somthing tried and true, something I can rely on.

Thanks guys (if anyone even sees this lol)

[Bishop Steiner]

VirtualRiot, on 03 February 2014 - 07:51 PM, said:

Hi guys so I'm fairly new to the game, I downloaded it a few weeks ago and have been casually playing it on and off.

Unfortunatly for me it seems that I have royally screwed myself without really knowing it.

I didnt realize I got a starter bonus to c-bills (thats what they're called right?) and XP so I thought weapons and mechs and stuff were relativly easy to buy. I spent all of my monies buying and selling differient light mechs and trying out fits and things to try and figure out what I liked.

I finally decided that if i'm gonna play solo I just wanted to be a big mothertrucker so I decided I wanted to buy an Assault-class mech. It was then that I realized that assault mechs cost ALOT and, I had ran out of "premium" time. It would take me way longer than I was willing to play to get an assault class mech.
So, realizing my idoitc mistakes, I paid for them. With money. $15 to be exact.

So I was all like "cool beans lets go buy me a mech". I thought that lasers are really cool and they sounded cool. So there was this mech, the AWS-8Q that had a TON of laser slot things and comeon, its called Awesome. That sounds awesome. I was thinking "alright ill just put a bunch of big lasers on this thing and ill be a rolling laser cannon badass".

To spare you a lot of painful details about me sucking at the game from that point onwards. I just realized today after reading some forum stuff that I basicly made every mistake you can possibly make as a new player.
All I want is an all-around good mech, that I can casually play solo sometimes. I was hoping you guys could help me out on that.

1. How should I fit my terribad AWS-8Q untill I get enough money to sell it and get a better mech (I run 3 LL and 3MPL with DBL heat sinks, max armor and a 290 engine (idk if its the 290 but it lets me go faster, close to 60kph)

2. What is an all-around good assault mech that I can fit in a variety of ways, that is most likely not going to be hit with a nerf hammer or a buff bat any time soon. Somthing tried and true, something I can rely on.

Thanks guys (if anyone even sees this lol)

Hitboxes are the issue with your Awesome. So go back to instant damage weapons like PPCs so you can use cover and twist to spread damage more effectively. Of course be aware of ghost heat.

Next up, buy a Victor. Most versatile, best all around assault mech. Can tank damage even with an XL engine, carries jump jets and is the all around 800 lb gorilla in the mist in this game.

[VirtualRiot]

Ok so, Victor, got it, what variant do you reccomend?

Also, if I were to drop another $15 on this game, how would it best be spent?

[Zerberus]

VirtualRiot, on 03 February 2014 - 08:04 PM, said:

Also, if I were to drop another $15 on this game, how would it best be spent?

Mechbays first and Permium time second. 15$ will get you I think a Month of premium time (somewhat mitigating the "but what If I don`t play /get called out to work" pseudo-complaint that occasionally pops up) and I think 5 or 6 Bays, which will last a good while and allow you to level more different chassis if so inclined.

I personally don`t like the Victor (I feel it`s overhyped), and would recommend any 733 Highlander instead. Different Strokes...

And before I get flamed for "promoting the PPC AC meta": Seriously, Me? The guy that runs non meta builds 99+% of the time ( FTR: I do not own a single mech loaded with both PPCs and ACs and never have, though I could if I wanted to) and has since closed Beta? Not really

Edited by Zerberus, 03 February 2014 - 08:22 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

VirtualRiot, on 03 February 2014 - 08:04 PM, said:

Ok so, Victor, got it, what variant do you reccomend?

Also, if I were to drop another $15 on this game, how would it best be spent?

tbh, I would save your money for now. Determine what you like to pilot, then get the hero version of it possibly.

The VTR-9S is a beast, but honestly all the variants are great. The 9K has the most lasers, the 9B, I believe the most ballistics, and 9S, most missiles. I generally run an ac20, so the number of ballistics is unimportant, but only the 9B and 9S can carry the ac20.

Zerberus, on 03 February 2014 - 08:18 PM, said:

Mechbays first and Permium time second. 15$ will get you I think a Month of premium time (somewhat mitigating the "but what If I don`t play /get called out to work" pseudo-complaint that occasionally pops up) and I think 5 or 6 Bays, which will last a good while and allow you to level more different chassis if so inclined.

I personally don`t like the Victor (I feel it`s overhyped), and would recommend any 733 Highlander instead. Different Strokes...

Sure, for those who can't drive, HGNs are nice pogosticking fatlases....... but hey, as a life long Medium Jock, what can I say, the Ferrari beast the Dump truck, every time.

[Sug]

VirtualRiot, on 03 February 2014 - 07:51 PM, said:

Hi guys so I'm fairly new to the game, I downloaded it a few weeks ago and have been casually playing it on and off.

Well if you're still new and aren't too attached to your account it would probably make more sense to just start a new account and use your cadet bonus wisely than to try to fix your current account. : /

[John Archer]

VirtualRiot, on 03 February 2014 - 08:04 PM, said:

Ok so, Victor, got it, what variant do you reccomend?

Also, if I were to drop another $15 on this game, how would it best be spent?

Mechbays. You can purchase Premium Time but I HIGHLY suggest purchasing said time a day or two before you can set aside LOTS and LOTS of online grinding time. This is due to the fact that Premium Time is still counting down even when you are offline, which, IMHO is a complete rip off to the player. (Premium Time should be paused when the player is offline). Get the most out your hard earned money and play as many hours on your Premium Time that you can.

Do not waste your MC on cockpit items, paint jobs, etc. until you have advanced your skill and understanding of the game. Of course, it is your money, spend it any way you wish, this is just my advice to save you future headaches.

I suggest finding a Light Mech (The Raven is one of the best one's.. very tough and useful to the team) and unlocking at least Elite piloting in said light mech. You must own 3 variants of said light mech and play all 3 (to gain mech xp) in order to elite/master out your piloting for that mech. The reason why I suggest light mechs to start is.... they are cheap. Pay for them with C Bills.

Enjoy...

[Undercover Brother]

Drop your "big" guns for a right arm ERPPC for range, and 4 to 6 Medium Lasers and Medium Pulse Lasers... Awesomes die from HEAT. Max out your Double Heat Sinks and Standard Engine...

It'll take time, but as soon as you can, replace your giant target with a good MEDIUM mech. I HIGHLY recommend a Shadowhawk.

[VirtualRiot]

Haha this is all a bit confusing but thank you.

You all seem to be reccomending different things, I guess the mech bay premium time thing I'll prlly do at some point to get back on the right track.

But yeah, when I said I wanted a good all around mech I mean like, It doesen't have to be easy to pilot, I want the best mech that I can learn in and still carry with me as I go. A teachers mech if you will, a teahcers mech that gives you a degree in mech piloting once you're done with it

T Decker, on 03 February 2014 - 08:35 PM, said:

Drop your "big" guns for a right arm ERPPC for range, and 4 to 6 Medium Lasers and Medium Pulse Lasers... Awesomes die from HEAT. Max out your Double Heat Sinks and Standard Engine...

It'll take time, but as soon as you can, replace your giant target with a good MEDIUM mech. I HIGHLY recommend a Shadowhawk.

and yes I do seem to overheat quite often... >.<"

[Hans Von Lohman]

Good all around mechs?

Shadow Hawk. It is really a great medium.

Assault mech? That is still the Victor.

[Belorion]

My advice would be to read the forums quite a bit more before buying anything else. The trials don't necessarily paint how good a mech will be in the long run either.

I have many of the mechs you can have, and I have to say the difference between one persons "monster" is the hands of someone else is just flat. I have killed quite a many Victor with a "lesser mech"

My other advice would be to stop selling stuff. Mech bays are a better purchase than the mechs themselves. The c-bills come, the mech bays are only purchasable with MC.

They recently adjusted the hitboxes on the Awesome, I don't think they are as tragic as they once were.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

AWS-8Q

This should be relatively inexpensive. STD300 is a great engine that a lot of mechs use, and it'll let you go 60 kph, which might help keep you alive. A pair of PPCs on the RA let you do snap fire with good range and punch, while the 5 MLs on the head and sides give you a lot of close-in firepower and the ability to zombie a bit (fight with both sides blown off).

The Awesome tends to get torn up, so I suggest you play backup for Atlases or something. Stick your right side around corners to put those PPCs in play, and use the lasers to tear it up if someone rushes into the middle of your team.

Heat is a potential problem, but inside 90m you won't be using your PPCs, and outside 500ish meters you won't be using the MLs, so it is managable.

I assume you are going with the Victors as suggested by the others in this thread, so eventually you'll want three variants (make sure it's three different Victors, no duplicates). In other words, buy all of them but the Dragon Slayer, which requires a bunch of MC to purchase.

Once you have the chassis, you can start to play around with different weapons and ancillary systems (JJs, AMS, etc.). Once you get a feel for the different options you can come back here and ask for help with specific builds. In the mean time, there should already be quite a few Victor builds posted around here, so use the search function in the upper right and see what you can find.

[Zerberus]

Bishop Steiner, on 03 February 2014 - 08:21 PM, said:

Sure, for those who can't drive, HGNs are nice pogosticking fatlases....... but hey, as a life long Medium Jock, what can I say, the Ferrari beast the Dump truck, every time.

That`s actually most of what I don`t like about the victor.. if I want an overblown medium mech, I`ll drive a Battlemaster with a 400 in it. To me the Victor just doesn`t feel like an assault mech, more like a Heavy that used to be a runner in school athletics but spent too much time couch potatoing it in college.

And btw, the Ferrari only beats the dump truck if it can swerve in time...otherwise...

[Hans Von Lohman]

The key to dual PPC builds is to get both PPC's into the same body location.

I tried running my Awesome with a PPC in the stock configuration (changing out the arm one for a Large Pulse Lasers to fight lights in close ranges), but I kept having one side or the other hit buildings or hills. I found it works much better to put them together and get a single shot out if it.

For me this has been my best Awesome.

AWS-8V

It has the benefit of concentrated missiles and concentrated PPC shots. The Awesome doesn't yet have dynamic weapon models, so the dual PPC in the left torso fire out of the same barrel. You are guaranteed to have both hit the same location and do max damage to it that way. Funny enough the same can be said for the trio of LRM-5's which seem to have a much, much tighter missile spread than other mechs. They weigh less than a single LRM-15, fire faster, but the downside is they generate more heat.

You are vulnerable at 89 meters and less as you have just a single large pulse laser to work with. However, the Awesome isn't intended to be a brawler, so staying at range with it is the point.

[Escef]

If you absolutely, positively have to spend money on a mech, get one of the heavy or assault heroes. Either the Ilya Muromets (Cataphract), Firebrand (Jagermech), or DragonSlayer (Victor). Maybe a Misery (Stalker). Avoid the others, at least for now. In addition to being decent frames to work with, they net you bonus c-bills.

EDIT: I initially brainfarted and referred to the Firebrand as the Flame. Avoid the Flame, it's a Dragon, and Dragons are not exactly new player friendly.

Edited by Escef, 03 February 2014 - 10:55 PM.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

Your MC spenders should primarily be Mechbays, since they're necessary for long-term variety (you can play just fine with only four, but you won't have much mech variety aside from the slow Trial rotation).

If you want to get more c-bills faster, you could purchase a Hero mech (preferably before you get all three of the c-bill variants you want for that chassis, unless you want to "catch-em-all"). If you don't want to dump a whole bunch of MC in a single purchase, though, then Premium Time is your best source of extra c-bills and xp (c-bills for more mechs and more customization, xp to level the mechs you play so you can unlock efficiencies and, eventual, modules).

[SerratedBlaze]

If you didn't already spend money on the account I'd have suggested starting over. It pains me how poorly I wasted the bonus, But since you did, don't sell things for c-bills that you spend $ on. In general only sell items that you are sure you've finished with such as 2 elited variants that you don't want after mastering the third. Or weapons you have way too many of. No need to sell and rebuy, also beware of switching fees for artemis, endo, ferro, and heatsink type.

Familiearize yourself with ghost heat and smurfy's site. it'll make decisions more informed.

If you want to pay for a starting mech I agree with the above posts suggesting a hero. It'll make the game less grindy to get a 30% bonus. And when it comes to skill trees pick a mech that has varients worth playing differently or at least having each varient to something different even if either could do it. VTR and JM6 are all pretty similar but can be outfitted differently.
For example Dragonslayer with gauss, tri AC 9B and AC20 9S. Or Streak JM6-A, dual AC20 S and AC2 or 5 with PPC Firebrand. But as a victor pilot I really don't suggest the dragonslayer or 9K unless you are dedicated to gauss, something I've never heard a new player appreciate.

Keep the awesome because it's nice to have more than one mech to play with. It's still an assault even if a bit of a hot barn. the 2PPC 5mL above looks good for learning to manage heat and weapon range control. For premium time see if the reedeemable code HAPPYHOLIDAYS still works.

Finally shadow hawks are great jacks of all trades. Mostly the 2D2, the others are lacking in IMO. But even so other mediums aren't as brutally killed by it as the hype suggests. Despite not having JJ the Yen-lo-wang is still a classic starter hero. It's simple, fast. survivable and packs a hell of a punch.