19 replies to this topic

[HighlandWolf]

Hello All,
Just wanted to say im excited to be coming back to the game after a long lay off from it, seems a lot of changes have been made and a bunch of new mechs introduced, I'm looking forward to trying to aquire some of these INCLUDING my favourite the Highlander. Just got a job so i cant afford to Clan Mech packs which is a shame, got some ones there i'd love to get. I hope im going to enjoy the matches and trying out the 3rd person view (assuming its still a part of the game?) Havent seen any threads yet that are recent discussing it.

anyway, just wanted to say hello and looking forward to battling some of you in the game

[Redshift2k5]

3rd person view is still in the game (and it is turned on by default, toggle the default on/off in the menu and F4 to toggle in a match). The reason you don't see threads about 3PV is because they handled 3PV in such a way that it is not overpowered or offers large advantages over the cockpit view. cockpit view allows you to move your arms independently, offers the minimap radar, etc so the 1PV is generally better for playing the game.

Make sure you get some game-time in this weekend, there is a free mech+free mechbay event going on starting tomorrow! http://mwomercs.com/...hoenix-mech-bay

Welcome back, and if you have any questions please ask

[Molybdenum]

Wait, 3rd person?

I quit playing around the time OB went live because my computer just couldn't do it. Looks like this is gonna be a rough re-assimilation now that I have a proper rig. Its been a long time since the meta of gaussapaults and missile-warrior online.

Did they ever fix the net code?

[dragnier1]

If you're referring to lag shield which made lights almost invincible, they added HSR, which worked around the problem. As for all other fixes, pls check http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/ for more details (scroll past battlemech section and slowly read, it has a lot of info).

[Modo44]

Just hop in and play to see what is what. When coming back after such a long time, it is recommended to fully uninstall and reinstall the client. The patcher gets all confused with multiple patches.

[Redshift2k5]

Hit detection has gotten better and better. Still not perfect, but NO online game has perfect hit detection.

note that missile are still very effective and you will run into teams using multiple missileboats + spotters. and you still see some dual and even triple gauss mechs, but they have a much higher skill curve now with the gauss rifle charge mechanics.

[IraqiWalker]

Also, ghost heat is/still is a thing. Not sure if you were around for that (was implemented after OB)

Basically there is a heat penalty for firing multiples of the same weapon within 0.5 seconds of each other (6 PPC stalkers no longer exist) For the common weapons it is:

1-MLs: 6 MLs you will only generate the expected heat, but adding a 7th will generate the heat of 7 MLs plus extra heat from a percentage penalty.

2-PPCs: 2 is okay, 3 will generate crazy heat (same with the ER version).

When using smurfy and stacking weapons of the same type watch until their counter turns yellow, that is your ghost heat trigger number (ML counter will turn yellow at 7 for example.)

It is a scaling penalty and there should be threads around explaining how it works exactly. Basically single weapon type boats aren't as easy to use anymore (like the 6 PPC stalkers). However, the current meta is PPC+AC5 (very similar projectile speed). Instead of the old PPC+Gauss meta.


You just barely missed the latest LRMaggeddon when missiles were moving at almost (if not over ) Mach 1.

NARC got a buff that makes it last the full 30 seconds and break through ECM for no logical reason (Regular NARC never broke throguh ECM, but oh well, it makes it viable now on 3Ls)

we are deploying in 12 v 12 formations but don't spawn in the same location (Each team has 3 spawn locations, 1 for each lance)

[Koniving]

Minor tips. Autocannons are still king. LRMs and SRMs are more devastating if you chain fire them; but you still need to put out enough to overwhelm AMS with each launcher. (Something about Cryengine only doing so many explosions at once, and so it queues them later but your target has moved, thus spreading the damage instead of focusing it. So chain fire better focuses it).

Streaks are physics defying. Use them. A lot.

PPCs are as hot as they were early closed beta. But now they don't shoot as fast to not totally outperform lasers. Ironically autocannons still do exactly that.

Heat penalties (damage to components, weapons, heatsinks, ammo) at 80% heat have been removed before open beta.

Repair and Rearm is "on the back burner until community warfare" at last statement where "we may review it." Stated more than 6 months ago.

Pilot skill system has been implemented. Cool Run and Heat Containment should be collected immediately. When you master the mech (by bringing 3 variants through elites), it doubles, effectively giving you better than true double heatsinks.
Example:

Spoiler

15 DHS TT: 30 threshold. 3.0/sec cooling or 30 cooling in 10 seconds.

15 DHS in MWO before unlocks: Cooling Rate : 2.70 heat/sec Heat Threshold : 57 (Note: 250 engine; anything less gimps you in cooling ability and threshold.)

15 DHS in MWO after Basic unlocks: Cooling Rate : 2.90 heat/sec Heat Threshold : 62.7

15 DHS in MWO after Master unlocks: Cooling Rate : 3.10 heat/sec Heat Threshold : 68.39999999999999
Source: http://keikun17.gith...heat_simulator/ Calculating it by hand gets me within 0.01 margins of error using PGI's official formulas.

Good luck!

Edit: Oh, forgot. 75% or more of your enemies have Endo Steel and/or XL engines once you get out of the 'starting' new player ELO. Shoot for side torsos or legs! It shouldn't take you long to get there.

Edit 2: I take third person for granted. As Redshift said it provides no advantages (aside from peering around corners; but everyone sees you with no limit to draw distance. When mechs are little more than specks at 3,000 meters, the red light from the third person camera is BIGGER than the mechs.)
In fact, it provides almost nothing but disadvantages.
List:

Spoiler

• Cannot see in front of yourself.
  
• Crosshair jumps with convergence, making aiming difficult.
  
• The crosshair draws from the cockpit, so at long range you have to aim with it as a "middle ground" not an actual aiming position.
  
• Still can't see your legs in some mechs (the main reason for it), so it makes it difficult to use to help you navigate around large boulders.
  
• Ironically that's every single mech that gets stuck on smaller rocks.
  
• Arms are locked.
  
• Aim bounces realistically with the mech's movement (unlike first person which is perfectly stationary), causing incredible difficulty hitting targets when moving.

Edited by Koniving, 17 April 2014 - 07:22 PM.

[Molybdenum]

So what I gather from the info in this thread so far (plus a few matches) is:

-RIP Swayback. Where'd all the hunchies go?

-There's ELO!?

-Short of brilliant outplay, expect to be dumpstered in any mech without a few million cbills sunk into it.

-They moved the spawns around.

-The in game store is somehow worse than CB (unless there are is an awesome sort function somewhere that I just can't find)

Edited by Molybdenum, 18 April 2014 - 06:24 AM.

[HighlandWolf]

Thanks for the advice, only reason i can see that i would like 3RD person view is the ability to look at my own mech, if i go to time and effort to put colour scheme etc on it..i want to see how my pretty baby looks haha.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

HighlandWolf, on 19 April 2014 - 11:52 AM, said:

Thanks for the advice, only reason i can see that i would like 3RD person view is the ability to look at my own mech, if i go to time and effort to put colour scheme etc on it..i want to see how my pretty baby looks haha.

I just saw this on the Alpine Peaks map an hour or so ago...

Some will use the 3PV's perspective, above the mech, to peek over cover without exposing their mech to fire. It took me a second to remember that trick, and I was wondering why the enemies at 2,000+ meters away were ALL in 3PV.

It's not a big favorite, really, but you occasionally see it used in certain situations like that.

Welcome back, by the way!

[Koniving]

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

-The in game store is somehow worse than CB (unless there are is an awesome sort function somewhere that I just can't find)

The "in-game store" didn't exist in CB (as the store function never worked before).

However, in mechlab there's something similar to the old function.
"Filter -Owned" change to "Filter - Purchasable."

[IraqiWalker]

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

So what I gather from the info in this thread so far (plus a few matches) is:

-RIP Swayback. Where'd all the hunchies go?

Nah, the swayback still rocks. You can't fire 9 lasers in one alpha though. The way I recommend you do it, is to put the arms MLs in weapon group 2, the torso lasers in weapon group 1, and the head laser in group 3 (or replace it with a DHS). You'll still deal crazy damage, however, you'll want to make sure you did the 0.5 seconds of waiting before firing the 7th ML(basically pop out, alpha group 1 --->0.5 seconds--->alpa /chain group 2--->0.5 seconds--->and if you have it, fire group 3, hide behind shadows and cover)

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

-There's ELO!?

There has been ELO since at least OB (pretty sure it was there even before it)

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

-Short of brilliant outplay, expect to be dumpstered in any mech without a few million cbills sunk into it.

Not exactly. Your most important step is to either round up everyone into one pack, or support the dudes that will try to do a flank.

In most cases, using chat could have turned a defeat into a win.

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

-They moved the spawns around.

Yep.

Molybdenum, on 18 April 2014 - 06:23 AM, said:

-The in game store is somehow worse than CB (unless there are is an awesome sort function somewhere that I just can't find)

Nah, we didn't have store back then. However, go to Mechlab---->change the filter in the top left corner from Owned to Purchaseable, and you're good to go

EDIT:

HighlandWolf, on 19 April 2014 - 11:52 AM, said:

Thanks for the advice, only reason i can see that i would like 3RD person view is the ability to look at my own mech, if i go to time and effort to put colour scheme etc on it..i want to see how my pretty baby looks haha.

Honestly, that's why a lot of us use it, so we can get to see our mechs.

Edited by IraqiWalker, 19 April 2014 - 05:30 PM.

[Bhelogan]

IraqiWalker, on 19 April 2014 - 05:29 PM, said:

Honestly, that's why a lot of us use it, so we can get to see our mechs.

Or to see what bloody rock were stuck on

[HighlandWolf]

well, i played..not as much as i'd have liked but i was in the winning team once and losing team the rest, took me a few times to try and get certain things on the keyboard the way i liked, but im not happy with the toggling of targets, seems i cant toggle between enemy targets?, cant just hit tab or whatever and automatically target an enemy in front of me?..shouldnt i have that ability to be able to hit a key and yep, its targeted/locked??

[Modo44]

R select targets in MWO, preferring the target closest to your targeting reticule. Note that you need to have line of sight on a target to keep it selected. Radar is lostech in this universe.

It is recommended to check out the settings, and remap the keys to whatever you prefer. You can find most of the default control scheme in the Training Grounds.

Edited by Modo44, 21 April 2014 - 06:37 AM.

[TheCaptainJZ]

No, it does not cycle sequentially between targets. Kinda be nice if it did.

[TheCaptainJZ]

IraqiWalker, on 19 April 2014 - 05:29 PM, said:

There has been ELO since at least OB (pretty sure it was there even before it)

No, OB started Nov of 2012. ELO started Feb 2013.

IraqiWalker, on 19 April 2014 - 05:29 PM, said:

Not exactly. Your most important step is to either round up everyone into one pack, or support the dudes that will try to do a flank.

In most cases, using chat could have turned a defeat into a win.

I'm pretty sure he's talking about the mandatory double heat sink upgrade and XL engines and such.

[Enigmos]

regarding your question about Gauss rifles... they are much changed. You hold down the trigger to 'charge' you shot then release to fire it. The time it talks to charge a shot is roughly equal to the duration of a large laser. So you could put an ERLL or LL in the same weapon group, fire the laser and keep the trigger down until the laser finishes. then let go the trigger to launch the gauss round.

[IraqiWalker]

TheCaptainJZ, on 21 April 2014 - 06:47 AM, said:

No, OB started Nov of 2012. ELO started Feb 2013.

I stand corrected then.

OriginalTibs, on 21 April 2014 - 08:07 AM, said:

regarding your question about Gauss rifles... they are much changed. You hold down the trigger to 'charge' you shot then release to fire it. The time it talks to charge a shot is roughly equal to the duration of a large laser. So you could put an ERLL or LL in the same weapon group, fire the laser and keep the trigger down until the laser finishes. then let go the trigger to launch the gauss round.

You know, that's a neat way of using those 2 weapons, never thought of doing LL+Gauss in same group.