34 replies to this topic

[BrandonKF]

So, first post. Cómo estás, las cucarachas?

So, who am I? BrandonKF. Otherwise known as KrisDin.

If you know Heavy Gear and have frequented any roleplaying forums or DakkaDakka or DP9, you know who I am.

What am I doing here?

I'm curious. And curiosity might kill a cat, but satisfaction brings him back, so they say. So, hello!

Note, I'm your typical goofy guy, but I'm also a little too serious at times, and I make really bad cracks and put a lot of heart into what I write, so you've been warned.

Suffice to say, I'm here to learn about this game. I've been reading a lot of information revolving around MWO recently, primarily due to the fact that Mechwarrior is the other big name I attribute to Western mecha games. The other would be, of course, Heavy Gear.

So, where do I fit in? Just a guy who blogs quite a bit about all things mecha, and of course, someone who might pick this game up if and when he has the computer and the connection to handle it.

Downside I'm reading a lot is, of course, loss of community warfare. Yep, sad panda there. Sad ferret too, and I think he's been drinking with the panda.

Other downside is C-bills. Very little reward for a whole lot of gameplay. So, I'll be making a poll or two, asking some questions, trying to get a feel for how those who have experienced the game have played it out.

Now, upside, I will say, is absolutely fantastic work on the Mechs and the environment. Not totally over-the-top crisp, dingy, dirty, looks fun. Do note, however, that I haven't been exposed to everything, so my opinion is subject to change if someone can point me to a shiny Mech.

In any case, my experience with Mechwarrior is game oriented. Tabletop, I stick with Heavy Gear (and I don't use that TT designator either, I call it a wargame). Been awhile since I played, though. Mechwarrior 3 was my introduction to all things Mech, but I was also an avid fan of Heavy Gear 2, so, as you can guess, my vote goes to the smaller guy.

Mechwarrior 3 had a charm to it, however, and having watched a few Youtube videos of MWO, it feels like they got plenty of that in there. I'll be posting up some comparisons and contrasts on my blog, eventually, but for the time being I just wanted to introduce myself and explain my presence. That being said, praying blessings on all those who read this and your families. God bless!

-Brandon F.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

Welcome!

Tad confused by openning post here, but if facing any issues with getting into MWO's Client check out the Repair Tool.

And we have a great community that can help you.

We also have mechspecs.com for builds tested and rated.

Then smurfy's is another great resource to continue with.

Edited by Praetor Knight, 11 July 2014 - 10:10 PM.

[Void Angel]

Hey, welcome to the forums!

As you likely know, Battletech is very much an Armor game, in the same way that Heavy Gear is Infantry. You're using powerful robots to fulfill that role, giving you more capabilities than a conventional tank or infantryman, but that division accurately describes feel and focus of the mecha involved.

If you haven't yet, go check out Smurfy's Mechlab, the most awesome reference site of any game I've played. It has a full listing of all the equipment and 'Mechs in the game, along with their capabilities - including such things as torso twist ranges and speeds, as affected by engine rating and pilot skill unlocks, just for example. Smurfy pulls directly from the game files, too, so his site is always accurate once updated, barring bugs and space-time distortions.

As for the forums, one thing you gotta remember is that while there is a lot of criticism, much of it is unreasonable or unfounded. Of course, much of it is not; the delay of Community Warfare is an excellent example of a legitimate complaint, for instance. But by and large, some of the most acrimonious complaints are voiced by people who want the game to be different than it is, rather than better.

On the other hand, things have been looking up! While many features have been delayed to an extreme level, much of that was due to bottlenecks from things like fixing faulty hit detection and implementing host-state rewind on a client-side level. We'd prefer that those issues have been dealt with much faster, of course, but now that most of the major problems have been resolved, the development of the game has accelerated noticeably. It's far from a Sure Thing^tm that we'll have smooth sailing from here on out and that Everything Will Be Solved Forever, but when I consult my Magic 8 Ball, All Signs Point to Yes. Of course, my Magic Hate Ball says, "No, and Why Won't You Just Die?" so I'd say take both dire predictions and blind optimism with a brick of salt, and wait for actual results. +

[Modo44]

Welcome to MWO, sorry about your wallet. Check out the resources linked above, and the community guides.

BrandonKF, on 11 July 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

Downside I'm reading a lot is, of course, loss of community warfare. Yep, sad panda there. Sad ferret too, and I think he's been drinking with the panda.

CW is being worked on at the moment. It is going to be released in phases through the end of the year.

BrandonKF, on 11 July 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

Other downside is C-bills. Very little reward for a whole lot of gameplay. So, I'll be making a poll or two, asking some questions, trying to get a feel for how those who have experienced the game have played it out.

It is designed to make you want to spend real money. Even so, you will see that a couple of hours during the weekend can earn you a new mech.

[BrandonKF]

Praetor Knight, on 11 July 2014 - 10:10 PM, said:

Welcome!

Tad confused by openning post here, but if facing any issues with getting into MWO's Client check out the Repair Tool.

And we have a great community that can help you.

We also have mechspecs.com for builds tested and rated.

Then smurfy's is another great resource to continue with.

Well, thank you, and yes, I do understand that my posting here might be confusing. I do apologize for it. I just didn't see a 'Introduction' place, so to speak, so I saw 'New Player', and figured, "Well, this might be a good place to let folks know 'Hi!'.

Void Angel, on 11 July 2014 - 10:19 PM, said:

Hey, welcome to the forums!

As you likely know, Battletech is very much an Armor game, in the same way that Heavy Gear is Infantry. You're using powerful robots to fulfill that role, giving you more capabilities than a conventional tank or infantryman, but that division accurately describes feel and focus of the mecha involved.

If you haven't yet, go check out Smurfy's Mechlab, the most awesome reference site of any game I've played. It has a full listing of all the equipment and 'Mechs in the game, along with their capabilities - including such things as torso twist ranges and speeds, as affected by engine rating and pilot skill unlocks, just for example. Smurfy pulls directly from the game files, too, so his site is always accurate once updated, barring bugs and space-time distortions.

As for the forums, one thing you gotta remember is that while there is a lot of criticism, much of it is unreasonable or unfounded. Of course, much of it is not; the delay of Community Warfare is an excellent example of a legitimate complaint, for instance. But by and large, some of the most acrimonious complaints are voiced by people who want the game to be different than it is, rather than better.

On the other hand, things have been looking up! While many features have been delayed to an extreme level, much of that was due to bottlenecks from things like fixing faulty hit detection and implementing host-state rewind on a client-side level. We'd prefer that those issues have been dealt with much faster, of course, but now that most of the major problems have been resolved, the development of the game has accelerated noticeably. It's far from a Sure Thing^tm that we'll have smooth sailing from here on out and that Everything Will Be Solved Forever, but when I consult my Magic 8 Ball, All Signs Point to Yes. Of course, my Magic Hate Ball says, "No, and Why Won't You Just Die?" so I'd say take both dire predictions and blind optimism with a brick of salt, and wait for actual results. +

Ooooh, I might argue with you on the whole 'Infantry' thing there.

See my little blurb here for Heavy Gear Assault: http://heavygearthun...-gears-and.html

Heavy Gears are most closely associated with a Protomech, albeit some are much smaller.

Now, that being said, I do have experience with armor, so I can agree that one thing that I am fascinated with and appreciate Piranha for in MWO is their appreciable study into thermal vision. Simply put, the graphics for thermal vision are very near to what I would expect if I had been seated in the gunner's hole of a modern main battle tank.

I also recall someone mentioning that they might have been interested in seeing Clan mechs using orange thermals instead of black, grey and white.

On this I have to make a little case from personal experience. Orange is horrid for eye-strain.

Low-light enhancement (aka, night-vision), also well done. I'm still not familiar with everything, mind you, so I don't know if different Mechs have different sights and abilities pertaining to visual cues, but so far it appears that all of them have that capability.

Please do correct me if I am wrong.

I've also recently assailed myself of the VLOG #6, so the reports and news of Community Warfare being worked on is, to say the least, very promising. And, being a very hopeful kind of man myself, I am looking forward to the future.

Modo44, on 11 July 2014 - 10:29 PM, said:

Welcome to MWO, sorry about your wallet. Check out the resources linked above, and the community guides.

CW is being worked on at the moment. It is going to be released in phases through the end of the year.

It is designed to make you want to spend real money. Even so, you will see that a couple of hours during the weekend can earn you a new mech.

This was actually something I was wanting to do, was open up a poll asking folks to determine how much they earn per round (or match, or skirmish, or whatever-you-call-it), and also determine how many hours a week they play, and how long until they expect to earn a new Mech.

Clearly, the incentive to purchase new Mechs is an interesting thought, but as you've kindly mentioned, empty wallets do not allow for it.

But thanks for the pointers to Smurfy. I've also been watching Koniving's posts with interest (though I do hope that little quirk of standing on top of one Mech with another is, well, taken care of sometime in the future).

As far as builds for Mechs, something like this?

Chirp-Chirp Cicada

Close Support Wolvie

Just for examples I've been thinking on building. I've got a thing for the Wolverine (namely, love the animal).

-Brandon F.

Edited by BrandonKF, 11 July 2014 - 11:08 PM.

[Modo44]

You get around 10 million Cbills for your first 25 matches. This is a one-time bonus, so spend it wisely.

BrandonKF, on 11 July 2014 - 11:07 PM, said:

This was actually something I was wanting to do, was open up a poll asking folks to determine how much they earn per round (or match, or skirmish, or whatever-you-call-it), and also determine how many hours a week they play, and how long until they expect to earn a new Mech.

According to PGI stats, around 100,000 Cbills per match on average. Probably less if you are new. Assists tend to give the most cash overall.

BrandonKF, on 11 July 2014 - 11:07 PM, said:

Chirp-Chirp Cicada

No. The shotgun is one of the worst weapons in the game. Generally, spread damage loses to pinpoint damage, and damage over time (lasers, any chain fire) loses to front-loaded damage (Inner Sphere AC, any PPC). Medium lasers, ER large lasers, PPCs work on the Cicada. Separately, the Cicada is generally worse than a Jenner or heavier mediums. You want jump jets.

BrandonKF, on 11 July 2014 - 11:07 PM, said:

Close Support Wolvie

Needs upgrades, less ammo, and no shotgun. Take this. (It can be made slightly slower/hotter if you want more ammo. Try to stay at XL280 at least.)

You generally need double heatsinks on everything, and endo steel on most mechs (including some assaults). Ferro goes on lighter mechs, and on medium/heavy builds with spare room thanks to standard engines.

Engine tonnage/rating scaling is not linear. You can see in Smurfy that some speed upgrades are more sensible than others. For example, the XL275 and XL280 have the same weight, so XL280 is preferred whenever the mech allows it. MWO also ties the torso twist speed to your engine rating -- running speed is not the only thing you upgrade.

Edited by Modo44, 11 July 2014 - 11:48 PM.

[BrandonKF]

I'm not a poptart kind of guy.

Reasons:

1. You're a big floating target when you're jumping. There's no maneuvering capability once you're in the air. You can twist a little from what I see, but otherwise you're just begging for somebody to take that ER PPC or Gauss rifle and ruin your day.
2. Both feet on the ground, moving, you can put terrain between you and the big boys.
3. You poptart, you advertise your position. No reason to do so if you want to flank an enemy.

Chirp-Chirp's an idea for urban warfare. Speed is essential to that design. And forget high-heat weapons like PPCs, I'm not running around trying to cool myself off with expensive double heat sinks. Call me the guy who runs counter to the culture of 'expensive is better'. Work with what you got, Inner Sphere. And if I get around to it, I will.

The design behind the shotgun is simple... close-range buckshot to vulnerable areas, with increased chances of causing critical damage. Ammunition is high in reserves because I would want to last longer than 3 minutes in a 15-minute-long battle (I have no intention of sacrificing myself in 3 minutes if I can outlast the other 12 guys and girls to 15 minutes and survive without having to repair a killed Mech).

Cicada's maybe slower than a Jenner, but it's also equipped with a Guardian ECM, which, I understand, is useful.

That, combined with the fact that a Jenner's a scout Mech on a budget, while Cicada's a medium Mech with potential to use either the LB-10-X, or an AC-10, depending on results. If the shotgun doesn't do it, the AC-10 will definitely put a dent in a Clanner's hide. (Poking the Bear, Poking the Bear... can I get that hug now? )



The Wolvie design is entirely different.

It's not supposed to go toe-to-toe with big bucks. It's designed for rabbits. I'm hearing rumbles of folks getting slammed with Streak SRM-2s via light Mechs. Close Support Wolvie's not meant to engage Heavies or Assaults, he's there to keep his own Heavies and Assaults from getting ripped up from behind by harassers. LB-10-X for long-range scatter-shot on lights that are too far out, close-range punch inside that'll give them a bad bruiser, and of course the SRMs for back-up, just in case you need to put something down hard.

And, of course, 3,000 rounds of AMS means I won't have to worry about Clanner LRMs wasting my buddies while I tuck into their back pockets.

That comment about engine rating affecting torso speed is useful. I'll relay that to others so they know what's getting them in trouble when it comes to getting swarmed. If torso speed is slower due to less power, then more power is needed.

Another idea: Sniper Wolvie


Double AC/5s for long-range disturbance. Respectable speed (though not as fast as I'd like, it's a Wolvie and they take a trade-off). Though obviously I have to take the Endo and XL for weight considerations. Find defilade, find target, top hat, fire, then go low sky and scoot out to another location.

-Brandon F.

[Modo44]

I get your reasons. I just told you what works in MWO. Shotguns tend to be weak against good pilots. The mobility provided by jump jets is huge. Even if you never use them for jump-sniping, they help a lot with positioning and spreading damage (jumping up can make enemies hit your legs when they aim for the torso).

The sniper build is decent, but it too can be improved. You only need 1 ton of ammo per AMS. You want 2 or 3 tons of AC5 ammo depending on your aim. You also always want that head/CT backup laser -- even with great skill, there will be matches where the arms come off quickly. Take this.

Edited by Modo44, 12 July 2014 - 12:41 AM.

[CSHubert]

I just wanted to say welcome and good luck. Yeah there is a lot of fuzz about the community warfare part and other stuff, but I think MWO is worth the time right now and I bet theres more to come, so I think its a good game. Enjoy the fights and especially the friendly community. Those guys are awesome ! Ask for help, questions or guidance and you'll get it from the veterans and ancients around here. Cya on the fields mate

Edited by CSHubert, 12 July 2014 - 12:44 AM.

[SethAbercromby]

If you like using the LBX, then continue using the LBX. It's gotten a bad reputation among the Meta crowd for not having frontloaded damage (FLD for short), ie pinpoint. Though it lacks immediate killing potential, it's great as an enhancer for other weaponry. It's also not so tame any more when you're using more of them, as they scale each other's effectiveness. Also, double or triple barrel shotgun

I personally love the LB on my Misery and I've been experimenting with a double shotgun Atlas with... variing results. I still have to figure out how to Atlas properly.

[Alaskan Nobody]

One thought, whatever mechs you start with, you are going to want 3 different variants of that.

Reason being, in order to make the most of the XP you earn each match
In order to take the skills all the way to the top (IE: unlock them all)
You are going to need 3 different variants of one chassis.
(the final skill is a bit more flexible in it's requirements, but it is easiest just to take three of one all the way up)

More details on that in the guide listed in the guide list.

Edit:
And welcome to the game!
Any questions, just ask - there are no dumb questions, just ignorant questions and dumb answers.
We were all ignorant once, so we will (try not to) hold it against you.

Edited by Shar Wolf, 12 July 2014 - 11:22 AM.

[Spike Brave]

Welcome!

[Votanin FleshRender]

Don't diss the shotgun!

I just got the JagDD with dual shotguns, 4 MG, 2 ML and after a dozen games it's my favorite mech, and I have both the Timber Wolf and Warhawk a la carte. That thing slices, it dices, it chops, it Juliennes, THERE'S NO COOKING ANALOGY IT CAN'T DO TO ANOTHER MECH!!!!

[Creovex]

Praetor Knight, on 11 July 2014 - 10:10 PM, said:

Welcome!

Tad confused by openning post here, but if facing any issues with getting into MWO's Client check out the Repair Tool.

And we have a great community that can help you.

We also have mechspecs.com for builds tested and rated.

Then smurfy's is another great resource to continue with.

^^^^ this and Welcome to the fun!

MWO is a little bit different then most other games or even mech games. There is a steep learning curve at first and if you obsess about K/D you are going to drive yourself nuts! Relax, observe and enjoy and you will have a great time!

[BrandonKF]

CSHubert, on 12 July 2014 - 12:42 AM, said:

I just wanted to say welcome and good luck. Yeah there is a lot of fuzz about the community warfare part and other stuff, but I think MWO is worth the time right now and I bet theres more to come, so I think its a good game. Enjoy the fights and especially the friendly community. Those guys are awesome ! Ask for help, questions or guidance and you'll get it from the veterans and ancients around here. Cya on the fields mate

Thank you very much Mr. Hubert. And I do look forward to enjoying this with you all. But again, until I have the computer and the Internet connection to handle it, for now I'm learning, and I will be posting up stuff for rookies who don't know about this game.

SethAbercromby, on 12 July 2014 - 06:01 AM, said:

If you like using the LBX, then continue using the LBX. It's gotten a bad reputation among the Meta crowd for not having frontloaded damage (FLD for short), ie pinpoint. Though it lacks immediate killing potential, it's great as an enhancer for other weaponry. It's also not so tame any more when you're using more of them, as they scale each other's effectiveness. Also, double or triple barrel shotgun

I personally love the LB on my Misery and I've been experimenting with a double shotgun Atlas with... variing results. I still have to figure out how to Atlas properly.

Thank you very much for the explanation, Mr. Abercromby. I do understand Modo44's explanation, though I of course aspire to make things difficult.

There is, of course, the fact that Chirp-Chirp is a one-weapon design (something I believe many would hiss and boo at for reasons), but then he's so light, I just don't see the point in trying to make him anything less than a one-shot, one-kill kinda guy.

Shar Wolf, on 12 July 2014 - 11:21 AM, said:

One thought, whatever mechs you start with, you are going to want 3 different variants of that.

Reason being, in order to make the most of the XP you earn each match
In order to take the skills all the way to the top (IE: unlock them all)
You are going to need 3 different variants of one chassis.
(the final skill is a bit more flexible in it's requirements, but it is easiest just to take three of one all the way up)

More details on that in the guide listed in the guide list.

Edit:
And welcome to the game!
Any questions, just ask - there are no dumb questions, just ignorant questions and dumb answers.
We were all ignorant once, so we will (try not to) hold it against you.

I think I'll need to look into the Guide List, and if I may, I'll blog a summary of things I recognize for rookies.

Although I do have to ask, why exactly do I need 3 variants of the same Mech? That's expensive C-bill wise.

Am I to understand that you switch up Mechs between 3 rounds? You can't keep the same Mech through all 3 battles?

Spike Brave, on 12 July 2014 - 01:11 PM, said:

Welcome!

Thank you!

Votanin FleshRender, on 12 July 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:

Don't diss the shotgun!

I just got the JagDD with dual shotguns, 4 MG, 2 ML and after a dozen games it's my favorite mech, and I have both the Timber Wolf and Warhawk a la carte. That thing slices, it dices, it chops, it Juliennes, THERE'S NO COOKING ANALOGY IT CAN'T DO TO ANOTHER MECH!!!!

Heh, well, you have two LBs, Chirp-Chirp's got 1.

Creovex, on 12 July 2014 - 07:49 PM, said:

^^^^ this and Welcome to the fun!

MWO is a little bit different then most other games or even mech games. There is a steep learning curve at first and if you obsess about K/D you are going to drive yourself nuts! Relax, observe and enjoy and you will have a great time!

Most other Mech games?



I don't mean to sound harsh, but Mechwarrior Online and Hawken are the only two Mech games I know of that are in circulation at this time. And Heavy Gear Assault is still on the cusp of entering Alpha phase, so hey.

As far as a learning curve, I follow that. A buddy of mine has been playing recently and found it very difficult. Note, he runs an Awesome with 4 PPCs, and it appears that he gets ganged up on alot. Being a friend, and a team player, I'm always curious about running in a team with other friends. Hence my reasons for building support units and harassers that don't exactly fit the bill of the 'one-man Mechwarrior army' type. I believe in complementing teams, rather than trying to be the hero who ruins all before him.



But thank you very much to all for your welcomes. So, I suppose another question I would have is where these Guides might be that I could summarize properly? And which are the most up-to-date? I hate giving out bogus information.

-Brandon F.

[Void Angel]

The LB-X is often a bad primary weapon system, because yes, it does scatter. It also allows you to deal lots of crit damage to exposed internals, and its fast projectile speed makes it better for hitting fast-moving targets than most pinpoint weapons, even considering the spread. So it's not a bad weapon, but it is situational - you don't want it on a Cicada, for example, because you're only 40 tons and want to mount weapons that are lighter for their damage output, longer-ranged, or both. Thus, the primary arms for most Cicadas I see on the battlefield are lasers and/or PPCs, with the occasional Machine Gun supplementing close-range Medium Laser builds.

Don't forget Titanfall if you're listing current mecha games, but "other games" can include games from the past as well - there's tons of those, from Armored Core to the rest of the first-person Battletech series.

On the subject of your buddy, his learning curve is probably the primary factor in his getting ganged up on. Most likely he's out of position and the only one exposing himself to enemy fire. It's a bit tricky on that score right now, because of the way the game conditions players to behave. To simplify: the game inadvertently teaches players to prioritize hiding and armor preservation over damage and mobility, so he's likely getting himself into trouble with the Awesome's relatively high speed.

As for which guides are good, well, there's a Field Guide in the forums, but I haven't cracked that post open in a long time - Koniving probably knows which guides are the most comprehensive and up to date. Of course, I recommend both guides in my signature - they're designed to teach sound principles, however, rather than being a manual on "How to Play Mechwarrior Today."

PS: A more detailed explanation of the mismatch of close-range and long-range combat:

Spoiler

Both rewards and punishments for long-range fighting are instant - you get instant feedback when you hit, miss, or take damage. Close-range combat, on the other hand, has instant punishments, but largely deferred rewards - you take damage trying to get in range, then you may have to wait for an opportunity to cut an enemy out of the herd, etc. Close-range combat, particularly brawling, also relies heavily on your team in most cases; if your team's long-range combatants don't move to support you, the enemy team can often just stay behind cover relative to your snipers and cut the brawlers apart with focus fire. Additionally, the bread-and-butter long range weapon, the PPC, is relatively lightweight for its damage and range - and deals pinpoint damage. All this pushes players toward long-range builds, causing there to be a lot of firepower on either team waiting for someone to show themselves out of cover - which tends to cause players who expose themselves to take heavy damage unless they're very friendly with their favorite rock. The end result is a game atmosphere where players spend a lot of time sniping and hiding, and where brawling - while still doable - is a disproportionally difficult tactic.

[Alaskan Nobody]

BrandonKF, on 12 July 2014 - 08:29 PM, said:

I think I'll need to look into the Guide List, and if I may, I'll blog a summary of things I recognize for rookies.

Although I do have to ask, why exactly do I need 3 variants of the same Mech? That's expensive C-bill wise.

Am I to understand that you switch up Mechs between 3 rounds? You can't keep the same Mech through all 3 battles?

To put it simply, you unlock skills for your mech with the xp you earn.
Currently there are 3 levels of skills
Basic (8 skills)
Elite (4 skills)
Master (1 skill)

Roughly they are you learning how to pilot and maintain your mech better
(such as better cooling from doing better maintenance on your heatsinks or whatever)

You cannot put any points into the Elite skills until you have finished all the Basics on 3 variants of one chassis.
You cannot put any points into the Master skill until you have finished all the Elites on 3 variants of one weight class.

After finishing the Elite skills, the values of the Basics are doubled.
Making finishing the Elites a very important thing to do


Making us need 3 different mechs (minimum) to get that is this game's equivalent of the grind.
It does not take all that long to get one chassis and kit it out after all.

...That and it encourages (and for some chassis forces) us to try different playstyles
Which is (almost) always a good thing

Edit:
More details are listed in my guide
(which is in the pinned list of guides)
Any questions about how that works help me keep it up to date, so please ask.
(as there are frequently things I overlook)

Edited by Shar Wolf, 12 July 2014 - 09:01 PM.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

BrandonKF, on 12 July 2014 - 08:29 PM, said:

Thank you very much Mr. Hubert. And I do look forward to enjoying this with you all. But again, until I have the computer and the Internet connection to handle it, for now I'm learning, and I will be posting up stuff for rookies who don't know about this game.

Oh, in that case also check out here too: Hardware & Accessories and Workarounds for info. And don't be afraid to ask questions here another great avenue on this particular issue is contacting Support directly.

Just be very careful it you ever decide to play around with and/or tweak your various system settings because that can cause lots of problems (especially if you never have tweaked such settings before).

Quote

So, I suppose another question I would have is where these Guides might be that I could summarize properly? And which are the most up-to-date? I hate giving out bogus information.

-Brandon F.

The are bunch already pinned on Top. Also, we will help, especially if asked in the Short Question/ Short Answer thread.

I haven't spent enough time going over the pinned threads yet, but from those that I have, they all give a fine starting point for learning about MWO.

[Redshift2k5]

Don't cling to single heatsinks because you want to snub expensive upgrades; DHS is so much better than singles for 99% of mech builds, you are taking on a huge burden by not using DHS unless you know exactly what you are doing (calculating actual heat capacity & cooling per second)

Endo steel is also very common- keep in mind having 14 or more empty critical slots is not giving you any advantage.

[SethAbercromby]

Redshift2k5, on 13 July 2014 - 04:30 AM, said:

Don't cling to single heatsinks because you want to snub expensive upgrades; DHS is so much better than singles for 99% of mech builds, you are taking on a huge burden by not using DHS unless you know exactly what you are doing (calculating actual heat capacity & cooling per second)

Endo steel is also very common- keep in mind having 14 or more empty critical slots is not giving you any advantage.

Once R&R makes a comeback (and that is not if because the developers have mentioned that it will return sooner or later at some point after (or maybe together with) CW), having 'Mechs that don't run on expensive upgrades will be vital to actually get more money out of a match than you need to invest into repairing your 'Mech. Endo Steel will become super expensive to maintain which will give Ferro actual use as it will be much less expensive. DHS will also become much more expensive then SHS. The complete package could push something like a Meta Light 'Mech into the realm of where using it in random battles is almost a guaranteed C-Bill loss.