53 replies to this topic

[Alex Cook]

So after 10ish matches my personal best is 92 dmg in a match. The learning curve of this game is ridiculous with little to no help from tutorials. I seriously feel like this game is a giant troll designed to piss on new players.

[Hamish McPiton]

The leaning curve is steep but with the trial Stormcrow you should be able to get 200 or so pretty easy. Don't rambo and run out for the whole enemy team to focus on you. I'm sure some regular helpers will be along with some more advice.
At least the trial mechs aren't absolute garbage like the ones I had to start with. Ugggh.

Edited by Hamish McPiton, 13 December 2014 - 12:07 PM.

[Tahribator]

Hi Alex, welcome to MWO. It does indeed have a huge learning curve, but believe me, it's worth it. I've been playing for more than two years and the depth of this game is a major component in keeping me attached for so long. I can offer you some short advice:

• First off, take a look at these short but sweet video tutorials. They only show you the basic aspects of the combat, but it's important to know that they exist first.
  
• Spend some time in the Smurfy's Mechlab. Take a look at 'Mechs, weapons, modules, read how they work and try to come up with logical builds of your own. If you need help ask here or go to MechSpecs for inspiration.
  
• Also, try every champion 'Mech available out there. Get a feeling for lights, mediums, heavies and assaults. The more you know about their strenghts and weaknesses, the better you'll be at fighting them.
  
• In matches, try to stick with your team no matter what. Find the biggest blob and keep up with them. Shoot at what majority is shooting at and keep and eye on your minimap for enemy/friendly movements. Do not get left behind or try to 1v1 a 'Mech as a new player, you will not win. It's very easy to identify a new player from their movements and people love a free kill.
  
• You will get a C-Bills bonus for your each match during your first 20 or so matches. Spend this wisely. Check our each champion 'Mech and determine what you like. DO NOT buy an Assault for your first 'Mech. They're priority targets and you will not have a good experience learning the game in one of them. Not to mention their price means you will need to grind a lot to get three for mastering them. A medium or a heavy is a much better starter.
  
• Ask for advice, google for it, read guides, watch streams to accelerate your learning.

Edited by Tahribator, 13 December 2014 - 11:54 AM.

[Koniving]

Honestly if you think this is bad... I tried playing Mechwarrior 3 again.
Oh god the controls!
I kid you not... I forgot they were that complicated; but no wonder the mechs lived so long with 1x armor.

Here's some quickies. The UI info is dated, but the on-screen info is very valid and pretty streamlined.


This one used to play during the patcher, but has been replaced probably with the CW video.


Some tips:
Lasers need to remain on target to do damage. A laser 'streaking' a target is virtually ineffective, you want to hold it in one place as best as you can.
Hit the same body part over and over, it will eventually be destroyed. Hitting random body parts is not as effective.
If your enemy is fast, try going for the legs. Even if your enemy is simply faster than you, taking out its legs will let you get away at least.

Also I think hamish means "Aren't absolute garbage."

I have 3 of my own videos here that may help from actual gameplay.

2 vs 2 private match: Trial Clan mechs fighting each other (internal and external views).

Computer voice edited Cicada Champion Trial mech goes 1 versus 2, kills both and survives with 1 leg. Lots of useful information throughout the entire video. (Edited: Computer voice calls attention to specific targeted areas, heat conditions, overrides, weapon mode changes, etc.)

Trial Dragon (great video for emphasis on a somewhat slow moving heavy hitter using Arm-mounted weaponry and the Secondary [Arm] crosshair).

Perhaps these will help? Alternatively if I can find a second person with premium time I can invite you into some private matches to give you a more direct tutorial.

[Evogenesis]

Hey Alex, don't get discouraged. Just keep aiming to do a little better each time. At this point in the learning curve I think you should focus on staying alive for as long as you can. Get used to seeking cover and always be on the lookout for the next piece of available cover as you cross into the open ground. Stay in the blob and fire on the same target as your teammates.

I see you have decided to go with the clans. At the moment, the stormcrow and timberwolf are arguably some of the best mechs in the game.

[Spheroid]

Don't give up.

What mechs have you been using? It makes a huge difference.

[JC Daxion]

1,Go pick trial mech...

2, go to training grounds, and pick a map..

3, Practice shooting targets while you are moving.. circle the mechs and shoot, circle, twist away, while circling... and then twist back and shoot... repeat..

4, practice targeting arms, legs, side torso, center torso.. ect.

5, repeat till you are comfortable with piloting


do this on all the maps for at least a few hours.. then try a drop. Even as a vet mech warrior i did this back when i started playing to learn the maps, and understand the controls. It will help.

Step 6, go check out some one of the many guides.. Use the search on this forum with key words, NEW player.. tons of stuff will pop up, heck, just scroll through the first 5-10 pages, and read topics that jump out at you, there are tons of good ones.. then after all that, ask a ton of questions.

[Tarl Cabot]

Alex Cook, on 13 December 2014 - 11:28 AM, said:

So after 10ish matches my personal best is 92 dmg in a match. The learning curve of this game is ridiculous with little to no help from tutorials. I seriously feel like this game is a giant troll designed to piss on new players.

Remember, your weapons are able to do anywhere from 0.2ish to 15ish pts of damage on the average (dependent on mech and weapons equipped). The high damage scores also include hitting/crit that is causing ammo explosion.

• Don't run in. Stay with main group and to the middle.
  
• Lights and saults are unforgiving for different reasons. Lights are lightly armored while assaults become primary targets.
  
• Tis is the big one, mouse movement/speed. If you do not have an adjustable DPI mouse, hit Options (lower right corner of mech screen) or Esc button/Options if in a drop, be it either Testing Grounds (button on left side of mech screen) or in a normal drop. Adjust Mouse Sensitivity. Start it at about half way mark then adjust accordingly.
  
• Lasers do their damage in small increments. To get their full damage in one location it has to stay on one section. Sweeping any lasers across a mech is only partial damage and on the low end. Med Laser - 5 total dmg pts - sweep laser, lots less.

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 13 December 2014 - 12:23 PM.

[Revorn]

92 Dmg? You doing fine , I started with around 16 dmg per Match and reaching first Time 64 dmg i throwed a Party. So no worrys, with some Practice, iam sure, your doing good.

But i agree, MWO isnt that easy to learn.

Edited by Revorn, 13 December 2014 - 12:25 PM.

[Koniving]

Spheroid, on 13 December 2014 - 12:10 PM, said:

Don't give up.

What mechs have you been using? It makes a huge difference.

It really does.
Looking at the current 12 trials:
For speed
Firestarter
Jenner
Stormcrow.

For tanking with good firepower and speed,
Centurion.
Hunchback.

For aim practice:
Dragon
Adder
Warhawk

Once you've tried those, I'd point you in the direction of these two slightly more advanced units:
Atlas RS (rely heavily on the LRMs at first; use Gauss at long range [remember it's a hold to charge then release to fire and you can't hold it too long] and the lasers for everything else.)
Stalker 3F Champion (LRM boat; it's all about where you are positioned).

(*Disappears to eat before giving advice overload.*)

[Darrious Quinn]

Number 1 problem with game and new players isn't the game itself, but the assumption that you are already good at it.

Now I'm not trolling you here, I'm being dead serious. Everyone here from the Founding Beta players like myself to the brand new rookies, we all came in with, in some degree, the same mentality of, "I know Battletech from playing the _____ games, I'll be awesome at it!" And then you proceed butt stomped match after match. We all experience it. I came from Tabletop Battletech, Mechwarrior 2, 3 and 4 and the Mech Commander series and the first several weeks was no different for me then it is for you right now, and that was way back in the day before this nice juicy Cadet Program we have now. And frankly... I'm still no Ace. My Kill/Death ratio is barely in the green.

1. This isn't an FPS... don't play it like one.
2. This isn't Mech Assault, but we are all happy you finally chose to play a real mech game
3. This isn't Table Top Battletech (as much as I'd love it to be) So don't expect all of those rules and limitations to apply here.

Just as Hamish said, don't go Rambo and run out guns blazing, because there are 12 dudes on the other side on that hill who will see you coming a mile off.... and actually put rounds into you. Stick with the main group, or at the least with your Lance and remember it's a team game.... others will be shooting at your target so don't stand in front of them. AC20 rounds to the back hurt.

The common misconception is that the Tutorial is actually meant to teach you how to be good at the game. It's not. All the tutorial does is teach you the basic mechanics of movement, firing and navigating terrain. The only thing that will make you good at this game is time in the cockpit, losing, until you start to learn from your mistakes an stop making them.

You will hear a lot of BS advice, and just as much regular BS about what mech to pilot and how to pilot it. For now, ignore all of that. Right now your only mechs are the Trial mechs. Use them all. Feel how each one moves and which ones you seem to do better with. You will not.... allow me to stress this again... WILL NOT.. do well in all mechs. There will always be a mech that you are complete rubbish in. So you can't jump from mech too mech, chassis to chassis and expect a consistent level of performance. Each chassis has its own quirks (literally) and method of use.

Personally, I always suggest the same to all new players I speak with. Start with the Inner Sphere Medium Mechs. Preferably a Hunchback, Centurion or ShadowHawk. You will hear a lot of folks argue the opposite and push you to clan tech. Clan is nice to mess with a little to see how it tastes, but don't grow reliant on it and use it as crutch. Clan weapons are more powerful, Clan mechs are more durable, but Clan tech isn't going to instantly make you better pilot or better at the game, you'll just die in a fancier mech. Never mind the fact that it will cost you either real cash or a nice long grind to save up for one of your own vs. the cheaper Inner Sphere models.

For now, just explore the game. Figure out what you actually found enjoyable before you died in that hail of LRMs and auto cannon shells. It's not worth getting pissed off at because it's the way of the game. You die enough times to LRMs, you start to learn how to take cover and not make yourself an easy target for those auto-cannons Yes, the learning curve is steep, but that is because it's a game you get better with in time, and there are a lot of us with years under our belts. Focus on just learning from your mistakes and don't instantly disconnect when you die. Spectate. Watch how others play..even if they suck, because learning from an others mistakes is even better then learning from your own. Then saddle up and get back into it.

Nothing in the game comes quickly.... except death.

[Smedlee]

Don't take it too seriously. When I was just starting, I thought it was a major accomplishment to score over 100 damage. With new mechs, it is still a challenge. It is surprising how much better fully researched mechs are than the base or trial mechs. Buy your own mech and just have fun with it. Research all the skills and play around with the loadouts. Check the forums for suggested loadouts. If you die early in a match, spectate other players. You can learn a lot from them. Keep playing. It is a fun game.

[Keira RAVEN McKenna]

Slow your mouse speed down... most importantly.... slow it so you can aim without twitching

Edited by Keira RAVEN McKenna, 13 December 2014 - 02:55 PM.

[Trolzylulzy]

1. Play your first 20 matches in the trial mechs to get your Cadet bonus, and to accrue some juicy EXP.
2. Keep playing with the trials.
3. KEEP playing with the trials.
4. KEEP. PLAYING. WITH. THE. TRIALS.
5. Keep playing with the trials, only in the weight class that you are most comfortable with.
6. Keep playing with the trials, only this time with the specific chassis that you are comfortable with. The reason for this is so that you get a feel for how the chassis works, and most mech chassis play relatively the same, regardless of the load out. And another reason is so that you can build up some EXP in the chassis variant, so if/when you decide to buy it, you can easily get some/all basic efficiency, which make piloting the mech so much easier.
7. Buy your first mech. It's always a safe bet to start off with mediums, since they give you a great balance in speed and firepower.
8. Play the hell out of that mech.
9. Buy two more variants so you can master them.

Also, have some (semi) pro tips:
1. Double Heat Sinks are pretty much manditory. ALWAYS! Have them installed. Unless you are running a 7 Medium Laser AWS-8Q. 47 Single Heat Sinks beat the hell out of ~19 Doubles.
2. Always sick with the bulk of your team. You may not be the greatest asset to your team, but your team is the greatest asset to you.
3. When you fully elite your mech, the basic efficiency are doubled, so instead of having 7.5% increased cooling, you instead have 15%.
3. In order to elite mechs, you need three variants fully basicd.

That's all I got for now. Everyone else aready covered shooting and gameplay ****, so yeah.

Happy hinting dude. Hope to meet you on the battlefield.

[Chocowolf Sradac]

- is a useful video for new players

what's important to learn is that it is a heavily team based game so rushing around alone is generally a bad idea if you don't know what your doing as you'll most likely be focused down by the enemy team

The game does have a learning curve but it's honestly not a severe as others I've seen.

the most important thing is to keep playing and learning and if you can try to join up with a group that can give some advise along the way to help you learn

[Unnatural Growth]

Wait... wait....

KON... is a... STEINER!!

Gasp, sputter, gasp...

[Alaskan Nobody]

OldOrgandonor, on 13 December 2014 - 02:35 PM, said:

Wait... wait....

The commander of Zhi Zhou (sp?) signed the contract, and Kon was forced to follow.

Same reason mine is not showing a solitary battlemech.

[Darth Futuza]

OldOrgandonor, on 13 December 2014 - 02:35 PM, said:

Wait... wait....

KON... is a... STEINER!!

Gasp, sputter, gasp...

He could just be a merc contracting with them like me.

[luxebo]

OP, everyone has to start somewhere. There are plenty of resources (most already stated by Koniving and the rest), but I will share this guide (and Kon already listed pretty much all the priorities on what to start from).

Besides the ones he had listed, Nova, Summoner, Timber Wolf, and Dire Wolf are not half bad. Also remember that Clan is blue interface and IS is Yellow interface. IS has more pinpoint straight forward damage (Front-loaded damage) and Clan has more DPS type damage.

Link: http://mwomercs.com/...play-with-them/

Considering you are ghost bear, I recommend you immediately start grinding the Clan trials, hopefully you didn't pick permanent quite yet or contact support (at least I think it's still possible right?) And go for the Stormcrow --> Timber Wolf as your main fleet force since you are a Clanner. DW is strong in pug ques but will be lackluster unless on a defense mission in CW (since tonnage is 240).

So basically I recommend Stormcrow, Timber Wolf, Dire Wolf, Kit Fox (only for ECM and stock is tough as heck to play) as a starter deck/pug que group. Then Summoner, Nova, Adder, and Warhawk (these 4 have strong stock loadouts but don't alpha ever with these guys or you might screw yourself over!) Hellbringer is an honorable mention when it comes out, and Mad Dog seems not bad, though Ice Ferret and Gargoyle are detriments to your tonnage and Mist Lynx is hardcore to play (similar to Commando/Lolcust).

Good luck OP, and you probably want to get a set of mechs (like one or two clan mechs optimized) before CW and finish your Cadet Bonus!

And I really hope you didn't stick with perm on the bonus as a loyalty unless you know you will be perm.

Edit: Unlike a book (ahem boring ones aka Ethan Frome ), a faction flag has more to it then looks; the lore aspect is sorta there and different factions might have different capabilities (like I hear already in 3 days FRR and Liao ain't doing the best at the moment.) I could be wrong though since internet is barely enough to get a message across from microsoft word. And find a group, there are bound to be a good group ol' jolly Clanners out there! (Ghost Bear ones at least).

Edited by luxebo, 13 December 2014 - 04:16 PM.

[Shatterpoint]

* With the exceptions of Dire wolf and King Crab (aka easy modes) any mech you pilot with likely be insta-killed very quickly by 1-2 mechs fire alpha strikes at you, skill/money/modules/loadouts will not change this.

* In a random pug group you are a solo player (don't let the other blue guys fool you, they're all out for themselves and will shoot through you happily to get a kill). They will not help you intentionally, they will get in your way, walk through your fire and blame you for team killing them, not give you any information, not take 0.2 sec to press 'R' and inform you of enemy positions and will make the worst possible choices at every opportunity.

* LRMS will **** up your day constantly, despite the forum posts (from LRM boat abusers usually). With the slightest delay in server response the missiles will go through the "almighty undeniable magnificence of cover" and still kill you, or at least cripple you enough for one of the multiple ECM light mechs to walk over and 1shot you with a small/medium laser

* ECM is not your friend unless it's on your own mech, that little ECM light mech (that could easily save your whole team from incoming missiles) will 99% of the time be on the other side of the map trying to solo the biggest thing it can find like a tiny gloryhound.

* Missiles and ECM tend to be an all or nothing thing, your team either has ALL of it or essentially NONE of it...learn which one you're on or die faster, if it's on the enemy team you likely die anyway in a pug..the team with the LRMS has the biggest advantage in 90% of matches.

* If you're the social sort find some people to drop with and don't pug, it leads to fear, hatred and all that yoda stuff.