I initially signed up to play this a year ago, maybe longer (can't quite remember), but actually just started roughly 3 days ago (not keeping track of days due to being on college break). I've been a long time fan of the MW series--just never got the time to try this out. I was really excited and having tons of fun my first and second day, but I'm getting pretty frustrated with how sucky I'm doing each game now, and I'm not learning from my super quick deaths (aside from the fact that armor seems to mean nothing).
I thoroughly read a beginners' guide that someone posted a link to in the NGNG Twitch stream and went from there. At first, I felt like I was doing pretty good, using the trial mechs. I simply started with the lightest and went up to the assaults. Statistically, I did much better with the lights than anything heavier, especially the slow ass-sss-heck Atlas. Every now and then, I did good with the Blackjack and it's AC (I think that was the right mech).
So, based off of how I did in ~ 30-40 matches, I bought a mech with my C-Bills; I had about 6 million by then. I chose the Cicada-CDA-3C for a few reasons:
1) I like the look of it.
2) I liked that it had a poking weapon (the PPC).
3) I liked that it was fast-ish.
4) I liked that it had MGs, for attacking behind folk in their unarmored spots (which I seemed to do decently enough with the Spider trial).
5) I had enough C-Bills.
Now, ever since I purchased it, and because I spent all 6 mil C-Bills, down to ~400k remaining, I've felt like I should utilize it so I'll be gaining XP for it and actually putting that spent money to use. However, I've been doing atrociously. It's really bumming me out! Out of ten games now, I've been essentially one shotted to the torso (full armor to nothing in a single barrage from as light as a Jenner's 3 medium and 3 small lasers to as heavy as a Timberwolf and the plethora of weapons they're capable of firing at once), despite putting as much armor as I could on the default variant.
On top of being one shotted, I've been doing less than 100 dmg per game; where as before, I was usually getting at least 200 (pathetically, the most I've done so far was 591). I'm guessing this has to do with the fact that I can only really fit 2 machine guns and some kind of laser on this mech (I didn't realize what "hard points" were until I bought the mech). I thought that the PPC would be really strong, but once I actually played with it a few games, and then found out I could look at each weapon's stats in the lab, I saw that it only does 10 dmg at max.
So, what the heck is this mech good for? I've tried sticking close to team mates, I've tried flanking around to use my MGs, and I've tried staying WAY back and just poking with the PPC (or ER Large Laser). In either case, I end up getting alpha'd to death and only wasting a spot on the team for a potentially good player.
Even if I drop all of the armor points (which seem to do zero good anyways), I still only gain enough tonnage for either a couple more MGs or an AC2, but then I need more ammo, so...
I'm not a bad shot, and I have gotten a few kills with this, but that was only when the guy I'm shooting at from behind isn't paying any attention to me. If they get a scope on me, I'm usually dead, way before I can do even 50 dmg to them. I was taught that the MGs are meant for hitting unarmored spots, so that's what I aim to do, but otherwise, I'm completely ineffective.
I "upgraded" the variant's default armor, structure, and heat sinks, because after doing comparisons between the three and their standard alternatives, I saw no downside... especially with the heat sinks, does anyone use single heat sinks? I see literally no benefit, other than not having to buy doubles... However, there's also no explanation of what the "upgrades" do when I mouse over or click them, unlike the weapons and equipment, so IDK if that was a good decision.
I was going to try to change out the engine and see what that did, but I don't understand them at all. The mech came with a "Standard 280." When I swapped out for an "XL" version, which I don't know what means, I had more available tonnage, but then I would need to load more heat sinks, it stated; regardless, I don't have the ~5mil C-bills for another engine... I assumed the engine that came with the mech would be good enough.
Anyqueh... I was having a lot of fun, despite not being "good" using the trial mechs, but now I'm just annoyingly bad, consistently. Should I just stick to using the same stock, unchangeable trial mechs, even though I won't earn XP or really progress? I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Understandably, when I ask questions at the beginning of a match, people generally just spat out the stuff I already read about in that beginners' guide (i.e. focus fire, stick together, press Q to target, hit alt+f4 for a boost, etc.). Thanks in advance; I apologize for the long wall of text.
Sincerely,
Brad
2014/JUN/27 Edit: So, after going through trying to grind the 3C out and get more Cicada variants, and then deciding to use the rest of my MC to get a Bore's Head for some extra C-Bills and a change up and absolutely hating life for the most part in that thing, I got a Firestarter; I ******* love this little guy! Doing way better and having fun now. I really wanted to make the first two mechs I bought work, but I guess lights are just my thing... I even got 5 kills, 8 assists, 12 component destructions, and 556 dmg in one game. THAT was epic.
Thanks to all of the replies and advice I received before this! <n(^~^)n>
Edited by Nocturnal Link, 27 June 2014 - 04:07 AM.