31 replies to this topic

[Photec]

I see that you've already gotten some good advice, but as a WoT-transitioner myself I thought I'd give you some tips as well.

1. Do not go alone. In WoT you can do so in lights, not so much here, and especially now after the LRM patch. If you have ECM that's another matter entirely.

2. Twist your torso to spread out the damage you'd receive while your weapons are recharging. This is as close to angling your mech as it gets.

3. Always target your opponents if able. I tried playing WoT again and I kept trying to get a lock on the tanks. When I started playing MWO I never locked targets, simply because that was not a part of my combat routine.

4. Find your playstyle and play accordingly. The current trial mechs should give you a good insight into what you should play, even if they are far from optimized. Imho the mech classes, from easiest to hardest are heavy - medium - assault - light. This is very subjective though, since I have little twitch skills and yet prefer speed and oomph to survivability. In WoT I did best in mediums and TDs. Here I do best in fast assaults.

5. Join up with someone and play in a lance with them. NGNG, Comstar and many, many, MANY units out there have TS-servers up for this purpose. Seriously. This game solo < this game with ANY team.

6. DO NOT STAND TO CLOSE TO OTHER MECHS! (sorry, pet peeve and it gets me really annoyed. Just.. Don't) You probably know this from WoT though. Being boxed in by teammates is no fun. Big plus: Here you can shoot your team mates and move through their corpse if they keep being a douche (not recommended ™)

7. Learn from watching others play. Twitch has a bunch of streams going, there are many youtubians who post from the game and failing all that you can still get an in-cockpit view from your teammates after you die. Which leads me to my final piece of advice:

8. Be prepared to die. Alot. Until you learn the maps, the heat management minigame, the different tactics for avoiding lights, beams, LRMs etc, you will be flopping on the ground a lot. Don't get discouraged. It happens to us all

I did nada for my first 14 games, then my damage started creeping upwards, and suddenly I'd gotten my first kill. I ran circles in the house, kissed the wife, called my friends, shouted with joy, sat back down and got roflstomped over and over again >_<

Anyway, Good luck, and hope you have fun

Edited by Photec, 30 March 2014 - 07:40 AM.

[CSHubert]

ROFL Photec... 14 matches ?! Really ? But you're right it takes some getting used to: deal damage as a team and you might not get kills for a long time, but it doesnt matter. Work with team mates more than in WoT. Good teams (even PUGs getting some coherency) can really wipe the floor with disorganized teams... You cant be good enough to carry the game here as much as in WoT.

Edited by CSHubert, 30 March 2014 - 08:38 AM.

[Photec]

Yeah... I was horrible. For my first 4 matches I went in the Atlas, because, you know, it looks AWESOME.

Got swarmed by lights, did a combined 40 dmg and promptly uninstalled the game, and then I came back after launch >_<

Once I got back I started fiddling with the JR7 and suddenly I was having fun! Wish I'd read the forums more back then

[IraqiWalker]

Also, hot and cold maps actually impact your mech's own heat. On Terra Therma firing 6 MLs from a jenner will jump you to over 50% heat tolerance, however, on frozen city, you might get up to 22% (these numbers are estimates and examples. I did not do the full math yet) in the start screen you'll get the temperature of the map listed there. That should give you an idea of how hot/cold the map is.

Also, rule of thumb, bodies of water are always cooler (in canyon network, your mech has better heat management the closer it is to the river) and mechs with single heatsinks in the legs can get better management if they stand in deep enough water.

Also, jut like Photec said, don't get discouraged by losing. I flat out lost my first 10 matches in the game (trial commando, back when trials were stock mechs, not Champ mechs like the spoiled kids get these days. )

[Koniving]

<.<; So I saw mention of Jagermechs, Cataphracts, and and the Thunderbolt who is even less seen than the Orion.

*Squees!*

Mkay, two vids of each.

Jagermech DD (AC/10, 2 AC/2, 3 MG + Advanced Zoom Module).

Jagermech S (twin LB-10x, 2 MG, 4 flamers -- Commando Chase Cam [by Lordred] -- so you watch it from the outside.)

Twin Cataphract 1X lance (Twin SPL, twin MPL, Tag, AC/2. High speed Cataphract duo rushes for base, engages Jager and Stalker.)

IKBoSy [Cataphract hero Illya Muromets] (Twin Flamers, Twin LB-10x, 1 UAC/5 -- Commando Chase Cam [By Lordred]).

Thunderbolt [Long Range]. (LRM 15 + LRM 5, 4 medium lasers, 2 machine guns -- Starts kind of like Artillery from WoT and then transitions into cover-based pop-out-and-brawl-then-retreat-and-repeat combat.)

Epic Thunderbolts [Medium to short range] (PPC + AC/5, 1 MG, 3 SL, two StreakSRM launchers during LRM apocalypse 3.0).

Hope this might help you decide. Lets you see the cockpits, and in all three there's at least some sort of exterior view (whether by Lordred's chase cam or by third person camera) to see what they look like too.

Since you can change the builds, don't go by the builds. I tend to be off in my own little world when I design mine.

[Tereva]

Hi There,

Again thx all for the help with a special mention to Koniving (in the process of rereading everything to understand everything).

Got my fisrt kill at game #6 (did run around and went kissing the wife as weel )
Close to game #15 and now at least I understand what is going around and start having an - little- impact on hte game.
Dieing 90% of the time though...

A question : in WoT I tend to take my time, aim, shot and usually hit (have something like 83% hit). Here in MWO, I found the game more quick paced with a lot of shoot on the fly while running and without a proper zoom I find it tough to touch anything about 500m.
This is how the game has to be played or it's me being bad ?

I am trying all the trial mechs right now. I think the one I enjoy thge most is the medium / closely followed byt the heavy and the missiles boat. So not sure what to take as my first mech.

If I follow Koniving advise, I should go heavy and Orion. Lost of ppl not happy about it on the forum though.
Play style is kind-of-slow / mid range , correct ?
And if I go Orion what variant do you recommend ?
Should I got for the protector as well as it is on sale right now ?


Tereva

Edited by Tereva, 20 April 2014 - 07:41 AM.

[IraqiWalker]

Tereva, on 30 March 2014 - 03:00 PM, said:

Hi There,

Again thx all for the help with a special mention to Koniving (in the process of rereading everything to understand everything).

Got my fisrt kill at game #6 (did run around and went kissing the wife as weel )
Close to game #15 and now at least I understand what is going around and start having an - little- impact on hte game.
Dieing 90% of the time though...

A question : in WoT I tend to take my time, aim, shot and usually hit (have something like 76% hit). Here in MWO, I found the game more quick paced with a lot of shoot on the fly while running and without a proper zoom I find it tough to touch anything about 500m.
This is how the game has to be played or it's me being bad ?

I am trying all the trial mechs right now. I think the one I enjoy thge most is the medium / closely followed byt the heavy and the missiles boat. So not sure what to take as my first mech.

If I follow Koniving advise, I should go heavy and Orion. Lost of ppl not happy about it on the forum though.
Play style is kind-of-slow / mid range , correct ?
And if I go Orion what variant do you recommend ?
Should I got for the protector as well as it is on sale right now ?


Tereva

As far as aiming and zooming go, you can go as far as 3x zoom. To go beyond that you need the advanced zoom module. To be honest it is usually a lot of people's first module.

this video has a basic demonstration for it.

As for the Orion, it's under-estimated in all honesty. Yes, the meta-worshipping players will absolutely bash it. However, as a heavy goes, it is one of the more terrifying ones. The loadouts are all assault equivalent. It should be played like a juggernaut. When you find something in your sights, eliminate it with extreme prejudice. What helps with that, is the fact the Orion can mount the biggest guns with little to no risk. It is definitely designed to kill things within the 300-600 meter range.

As Koniving mentioned earlier, the Orion-K is heat dependent, since it's full of energy weapons. I like it, however it does require more firing discipline to pilot masterfully.

The Protector is a good hero mech.

These are my two cents for now. I will rummage through my build library to find you the Orion builds. Honestly I have too many builds (plenty of joke ones too, go 2x AC20 Cicada!)

These are sample builds, I can definitely customize builds for your style.

Spoiler

These are mostly LRM oriented, which shows the long range potential of the Orion. Replace the LRMs with SRMs, and you get yourself a close range beast. The only problem is that the SRM hit detection problem still exists. So chain fire SRMs, instead of burst firing them.

Most of the ones designated as "LRM boats" are actually off-boats. The ON1-VA is the only absolutely dedicated LRM boat, it carries a frightening amount of ammo (almost as much as my BLR-1S boat)

ON1-K LB-10X

ON1-M LRM boat AC10 shouldn't be used until units get in close or you run out of Missile ammo.

PROTECTOR 2xUAC5

ON1-V LRM boat Operates much like the 1-M

ON1-VA LRM boat Chain fire the LRMs and you will be firing non-stop for half the match, a 50 missile salvo is capable of flooding most AMS mechs, and having two of those boats will ruin any team's day.

EDIT1: added Adv. Zoom video.

EDIT2: added the crazy builds.

Edited by IraqiWalker, 30 March 2014 - 03:51 PM.

[Tereva]

IraqiWalker, on 30 March 2014 - 03:11 PM, said:

To go beyond that you need the advanced zoom module.

I see thx !
I saw it on other videos and I though it was a mod of some sort. By the way is there any good mods to use ?

Quote

These are sample builds, I can definitely customize builds for your style....

Thx a lot for the builds ! I didn't know the Orion was using LRM. isn't that an issue with the coming patch ? (If I get it right LRM are going to be nerfed, the speed I believe).

Something else totally different :
During a game I was able to physically see a mech from the other team, while that mech didn;t show on my mini-map and I was not able to target it. However I shoot at it and I think I did hit it several time.
How this is possible ? If I see a mech it should be detected by someone and therefore be on the mini map no ?

Thx

Tereva

Edited by Tereva, 30 March 2014 - 05:29 PM.

[Koniving]

PGI frowns on mods. I'd totally have a different computer voice and a high resolution texture mod and an anti-aliasing fix.

Tereva, on 30 March 2014 - 03:00 PM, said:

If I follow Koniving advise, I should go heavy and Orion. Lost of ppl not happy about it on the forum though.
Play style is kind-of-slow / mid range , correct ?
And if I go Orion what variant do you recommend ?
Should I got for the protector as well as it is on sale right now ?
Tereva

Personally love the Protector. The Protector, Dragon Slayer, and Heavy Metal are essentially the same mech with different weight and armor limits (seriously check out the hard points). And many love the Dragon Slayer and trust me, I love the Heavy Metal.
The Protector itself is like a lighter, much faster Atlas AS7-D. Twin Missile, twin ballistic, at least 2 lasers (you can do 3 but I leave the LT laser slot empty).

But to your questions.
The game is played however you decide to play it. You could be a ninja. A brawler. A 'boat'. A poptart. Fire support. Thorn in someone's side. Flanker. The limits are only on the imagination and how well or how badly PGI does with its latest weapon balance tweaks. If you do a Jager, give twin Gauss Rifles a try; there's your sniper play.

Far as unhappy people with the Orion, you'll notice most of those who complain are also using builds with XL engines; those super expensive things that you absolutely have to have to run a good Cataphract, Jager, Catapult, etc.

Just to make a Jager or Catapult or most Cataphracts function to their ideal potential, you need an XL 275 to 315. An XL 300 engine costs as much as a 60 ton mech.

Orions and XL engines do not mesh well, the side torsos are particularly larger than most people expect (actually unlike most mechs, the right torso and center torso are actually the same size. The RT from front to back is the same size as the LT from left hump to center torso. So unlike most mechs it's pretty balanced in size. This is also why I suggest it. The hitboxes are well rounded. The mech uses standard engines amazingly well. It draws far less attention than Atlases and Banshees or Cataphracts or Jagers (most people ignore you).

Even better, you don't have to spend another 5 million just to get the right kind of engine. Cost to be effective should be considered in a first mech choice. (This is also why in the medium department, Wolverine 7K, Griffin 3M, and Shadowhawk 5M are ideal; pre-upgraded, come with XL 275 engines, so effectively you're getting a 55 ton mech for less than two million and the cost of the engine and the upgrade.)

Remember that Orions don't have jumpjets. But neither do Jagers and a number of other mechs.

I've only got video of the Orion K and one of the Protector (which only showcases me getting into a really bad situation and by some miracle pulling out of it). But here we go.

Orion K (Brawler, sharp shooter mix. First match, the sharp shooter part is with a Gauss Rifle. The second match, the sharp shooter part uses twin PPCs.)
Orion K (Brawler; this is the sort of build I settled on).
Protector (Atlas D style brawler. Note: When traveling to the fight I tend to 'simulate' headbob 'cause it's missing from this game.)
I'm gonna go doing more vids, 'cause honestly I need some of my other Orions too.

My Orion builds use 280 to 310 engines. Most Orions can go a LOT faster.

The Orion M variant comes with DHS and XL 300 engine at a discount. But it can be something to go up to later.
The Orions V and VA are both pretty good. The V is good for fighting things with direct fire. The VA has incredible anti-light abilities (mount 4 streaks, 2 on each arm, watch them cry).
Up to you on the Protector. Remember it will always come on sale again later. But it is my second favorite Orion. The V being my main favorite.

Edited by Koniving, 30 March 2014 - 06:19 PM.

[Koniving]

Tereva, on 30 March 2014 - 05:28 PM, said:

Thx a lot for the builds ! I didn't know the Orion was using LRM. isn't that an issue with the coming patch ? (If I get it right LRM are going to be nerfed, the speed I believe).

Something else totally different :
During a game I was able to physically see a mech from the other team, while that mech didn;t show on my mini-map and I was not able to target it. However I shoot at it and I think I did hit it several time.
How this is possible ? If I see a mech it should be detected by someone and therefore be on the mini map no ?

1) PGI's typical balancing routine. First take bad weapon. Warp it into overpower overdrive to get people hooked on it. If it's too overdone, offer something free to force players to play during it for data collection. Collect data. Next patch, set it to something they originally intended, so that people don't complain about it being too fast (when it's faster than old LRMs, but nothing like the overdrive).

In other words LRMs will still be significantly faster than they used to be. Just slower than now.

2) One of two things happened.

Instance one: Your sensor range is 750 meters. This can be augmented with modules.
Anything detected beyond that is seen by someone else.
Your target could have been outside of your sensor range.

Instance two: You encountered your first enemy Eletronic Counter Measures (Guardian ECM Suite).
Certain mechs -- usually obscenely expensive ones that are generally worthless without it -- can carry ECM. The Raven 3-L for example costs more than any of about half of the 55 and all of the 60 ton mechs.

You'll find it's a reward and a bane at the same time. What's funny is it's used to hide. But most of them actually announce their presence when they forget to change ECM modes at close range.

"Low Signal!" ZOMG there's an ECM mech nearby. *Turns around, sees a Raven hiding in the rocks. One shot-kills it. Moves on.* "How'd you find me?" "Your ECM."

Edited by Koniving, 30 March 2014 - 06:32 PM.

[dragnier1]

I usually use normal zoom for ranged shots. I play with 200-300 ping usually, so using the 4x zoom module for shots like erppc or gauss gets rather hard. Try shooting at specific spots (esp. lasers) of mechs to improve your aim. I usually select my target to check if my shots hit (details on top right, parts hit will flash+change colour).

[Modo44]

Tereva, on 30 March 2014 - 05:28 PM, said:

By the way is there any good mods to use ?

There are none. You can create a user.cfg text file in your MWO directory, and use it to change some CryEngine values not present in game settings, and that is it. Game assets are encrypted, and everything during a match is server-authorized to prevent cheating and asset changes (like "make your own camo" mods) without sales going through PGI. With so many MWO parts still to develop, I would not expect any serious graphics/sound modding capability to be introduced this year (assuming it will happen at all).

Tereva, on 30 March 2014 - 05:28 PM, said:

Thx a lot for the builds ! I didn't know the Orion was using LRM. isn't that an issue with the coming patch ? (If I get it right LRM are going to be nerfed, the speed I believe).

LRMs are now very easy except vs skilled players. They will still be pretty useful when somewhat slower after the patch, just not as auto-win. Really good players can dodge even the current "OP" LRMs, but at least they can be suppressed by missiles.