27 replies to this topic

[-Halcyon-]

The tutorial barely covers anything.
How to move and fire.

Where is tutorial for the mechlab? Or how all building your mech works? Or upgrades? Or how experience is spent? Or the various elements of the targeting hud?

This game has almost 0% documentation on it.

[Modo44]

You are correct. Despite official "launch", many consider MWO to still be in beta. The Training Grounds page contains some basic information. For a tutorial on the new UI, search YouTube.

[AlmightyAeng]

Why? Company line is likely something along the premise of "Because all of our resources for that kind of coding were going in UI 2.0, which is an important foundation for our upcoming Community Warfare and Launch Module. PS, Clans are just around the corner, get your Masakari Pack now!"

*shakes head* What happened? I blacked out for a minute there.

Anyway, search youtube for tutorials on the UI 2.0. Search 'Koniving' on youtube for tutorials of anything else.

Come back here with questions.

[Voivode]

Yes. Unfortunately, it is largely left to the community to supply these things. I will provide you with a few useful links. If you're a bit frustrated with the game I'd suggest sticking with it. It really is fun once you get the hang of it!

This is smurfy. It's a fantastic resource for setting up the customization of mechs. This will teach you what you need to know about customizing mechs.

Here's a tutorial on UI 2.0. The UI is going to get an overhaul sometime in the near future to be closer to the Smurfy mechlab. This isn't the only tutorial video on UI 2.0 so if you want more, poke around and you'll find one.

Here's sarna. This is a general information wiki for Battletech, the tabletop game that inspired the Mechwarrior video game series. This might help you understand some of the game concepts, but it's also a pretty cool thing to just browse.

If you want more, there are many groups that drop together. I myself drop with FWLM and we always welcome and help new pilots.

A player named Koniving is worth dropping a message to if you'd like. He is a great person for new players to talk to about game concepts.

Good luck and see you on the battlefield!

[luxebo]

Couple other things, Cadet Bonus for first 25 matches. Don't buy a mech before that is done. Also, you need 3 mechs to complete a mastering of one mech. Seconding/Thirding asking Koniving about things, as he is very good at helping out about this game. Wish you good luck in the field.

[TheCaptainJZ]

PGI has limited resources so the documentation is really kinda left up to the community to handle. Which isn't all bad because I think the community does a good job at filling in the blanks. Post a question here and someone will have an answer. Also, game mechanics are liable to change so any tutorials they make could be ruined by the next patch forcing them to redo them which again takes away limited resources. There is the testing grounds in game that lets you drop solo into a map to configure settings and practice moving and shooting. There are videos that cover the basics as well.

[luxebo]

In the plan: http://www.mwomercs.com/theplan
They say they will have a 'new player experience' section being built up. This will likely not be around for a very long time, but you'd be able to see that progress is attempted in order to make new players learning of the game a lot easier.

[Ovion]

Yeah, this 'released' game is very not finished, and the documentation is a joke.

And honestly, with the time, money and resources they've had, it should be further along than it is.
But hey, it's improving at least, and is great fun.

As said above, there's plenty of fan-info to compensate though.
The forums, youtube, etc and just googling things will provide answers for you.

[Koniving]

Ghost Badger, on 02 April 2014 - 10:30 AM, said:

Anyway, search youtube for tutorials on the UI 2.0. Search 'Koniving' on youtube for tutorials of anything else.

That reminds me. I deleted old tutorials ages ago and never did make new ones for the simple stuff.
I suppose I should make some.

And here I was gonna get out of my mech and smash some zombies. *Sigh.* Ah well.

[Nick Makiaveli]

Koniving, on 02 April 2014 - 07:54 PM, said:

That reminds me. I deleted old tutorials ages ago and never did make new ones for the simple stuff.
I suppose I should make some.

And here I was gonna get out of my mech and smash some zombies. *Sigh.* Ah well.

Don't make me get out the whip.....

[Koniving]

Nick Makiaveli, on 02 April 2014 - 08:14 PM, said:

Don't make me get out the whip.....

I see that whip. This is how much I care.

That said.. I guess I'll use a commando or firestarter or spider for movement (not that a tutorial needs to be made for it).

Probably Dragon, Kintaro or another mech that can see its arms for arm control.

Griffin most likely for situational awareness.

Banshee for basic targeting.

Atlas or Battlemaster most likely for hitting multiple targets at once.

Oh aside from heat scale... is there anything else to add to this OLD list?

[JC Daxion]

the best advice i can give is, start up the game.. then pick a medium mech, and launch into trial grounds.. Pick any map other than alpine, or troumline.. (as they are huge.. and i suggest a light to go looking around them) Play every map, try killing stationary mechs.. try circling and moving while aiming at them...

then on a few of the smaller maps, like river city, or forest colony.. launch in a heavy or assault.. and do the same.. I would play each map at least twice while you learn how to drive, and how the different classes play..

after a few hours of this.. it will be time to jump in.. (though i would read a bunch of the newbie player guides first, as they have lots of good info) It will make your first matches go tons better

[TheCaptainJZ]

Koniving, on 02 April 2014 - 08:49 PM, said:

I see that whip. This is how much I care.

That said.. I guess I'll use a commando or firestarter or spider for movement (not that a tutorial needs to be made for it).

Probably Dragon, Kintaro or another mech that can see its arms for arm control.

Griffin most likely for situational awareness.

Banshee for basic targeting.

Atlas or Battlemaster most likely for hitting multiple targets at once.

Oh aside from heat scale... is there anything else to add to this OLD list?

I suggest cutting down to the bare minimum for new players first and covering topics in the order they would approach them.
1. After logging in, explore all the basic parts of the UI (leave mech modification steps for later. Just show the locatoins when you are referring to "mech lab" or "training grounds" or "pilot skills." This would be a brief overview of the front end UI. I'd mention the tutorial here and encourage them to do it, but continue your own videos as if they didn't.
3. Tell player about trial mechs, have them pick one and drop into the testing grounds in more depth (preferably with jump jets, but as the trials cycle, you can't guarentee that. The movement tutorial does cover it so you can refer to that in the vid). Cover movement first. Cover jump jets. Cover 1st vs 3rd person. Have player run around on a small map like forest colony and find and circle around the enemy mechs. Feel free to shoot them but don't cover weapons at this point. Try jump jetting over rocks or the shipwreck and enemy mechs. Center legs to torso, center torso to legs. Cover the HUD elements relevant to movement.
4. Weapons targeting and heat. Cover arm vs torso mounted, arm lock, the weapons display, weapon grouping, chainfire, heat, overheating, weapon bay doors, targeting, friendlies (Q), locking on with weapons, minimum ranges, optimal ranges, max ranges. I'd suggest a breakdown in this tutoral of the various types of weapons. I'd demonstrate each one if you want to get detailed, just keep it to a visual example of use and a couple sentences. Cover the HUD elements relevant to firing.
5. Damage and paperdoll along with other HUD things. Toss in ECM, AMS and other equipment with some basic tactics with these. Things to look for, weak points, that sort of thing.
6. Mechlab. How to customize your mech. Also cbills and MC. Cover Hero mechs, Trial mechs, Champion mechs, normal variants, premium variants, hardpoints, tonnage, quirks, etc.
7. Mech and Pilot skills along with GXP and XP. Modules.
8. Chat, team coordination, taking command and how to issue orders.

^^This concludes the essentials. Advanced tutorials could cover things like positioning, and tactics. Best strategies. Overviews of each map. Common strategies or behaviors. How to mitigate damage. How to maximize damage. Effective weapon loadouts. Things like that.

Edit: Since you are likely to include WAY too much information in your videos, maybe you could create two versions: One with every detail, and then have someone strip it down to the bare minimum and then edit a "quickstart version" from it.

Edited by TheCaptainJZ, 03 April 2014 - 12:10 AM.

[Turist0AT]

WSAD and mouse to move and fire. PGI is saving money by letting comunity introduce new players to the game.

Edited by Turist0AT, 03 April 2014 - 12:23 AM.

[Dramborleg]

Honestly IGP should be paying Koniving for providing services that they have no interest in providing.

[Turist0AT]

Dramborleg, on 03 April 2014 - 12:59 AM, said:

Honestly IGP should be paying Koniving for providing services that they have no interest in providing.

Yeah, he should be our voice to the Devs, like a community manager but who actually does his job.

[Smokeyjedi]

Figure it out yourself, By buying a new mech/cockpit items...... Thats What **BITEYFISHGAMES** has bascally told you already.

[dragnier1]

You're lucky you at least have a crappy tutorial. I didn't have 1 when i joined, had to go to options-keyboard to see what does what and base the rest off my former mechwarrior game experiences from years back.

Search youtube for more info. For purchasing of mechs and parts, use mechlab instead of store tab, even for mc mechs.

[Turist0AT]

We should have more mech reviewers. Like weapon reviews/guides for planetside, or plane reviews/guides for WT etc

Edited by Turist0AT, 03 April 2014 - 04:18 AM.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Turist0AT, on 03 April 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

We should have more mech reviewers.

The problem with that is any who disagrees with someone else's idea of the meta quickly has their review turn into a flame war.