13 replies to this topic

[Cyell]

Hello all! I've not played this game a long time, since well before Clan mechs were introduced, and I just came back to it. Over the last week or so, I've played 30 or so games, all pugs, and I've only had 6 wins. I'm rusty from not playing, but I'm not that bad at the game.

What I've noticed in most of the games is that the other team always seem more organize, and half way through the match my team is always down 2+ people. Am I just happen to be in teams that don't work together? Is there finally a lobby in this game that I'm not aware of since I last played? Is it just luck? Or I'm a terrible player and should just stop playing?

This is probably very vague, but I'm not sure what information I should be providing for feedback. Thanks in advance!

[Escef]

Mostly luck. Also, keep in mind that you need to work with the team you have, not the one you wish you had. I once had an incredibly irritating losing streak that lasted 9 or 10 days (started on a leaderboard challenge and lasted through the next weekend's Victor giveaway challenge). When it finally broke I had a 6 kill game in my YLW (which makes the YLW one of only 4 mechs I've ever done that with).

[Davers]

The team that works together, whether on purpose or accidentally, usually wins. Some mechs 'gel' together better than others. Like Clan mechs usually have similar speeds, so they tend to move together, while IS mechs run at all different speeds and engage in waves if people don't watch their throttle. As an example.

Everyone improves the more you play.

[Redshift2k5]

There is no in-game lobby that you're missing, but a large portion of players who "stuck with it" over the years have migrated to playing in groups (at least until they're good enough to solo) via teamspeak and other such VOIP clients. If you're feeling down on your luck, perhaps it's time to sign up with a unit for some organized play!

Edited by Redshift2k5, 17 December 2014 - 11:16 PM.

[Mothykins]

When living the PUG life, one must realize that you need to go where your idiot team has decided to and support them in their foolish decision making; unless one is running a fast and agile mech, in which case, play wise.

But no, really. I've seen some absolute BS work because Me and two other fools jumped in after Mr. Jenkins. Not always the play, but if you've got any tactical reasoning, you'll know when it is.

Also, Pugs like them some Nacho Cheese. Pack a UAV, and use it to open up a pack of Doritos for 'em. Always helps.

[Wintersdark]

Cavale, on 17 December 2014 - 11:23 PM, said:

When living the PUG life, one must realize that you need to go where your idiot team has decided to and support them in their foolish decision making; unless one is running a fast and agile mech, in which case, play wise.

But no, really. I've seen some absolute BS work because Me and two other fools jumped in after Mr. Jenkins. Not always the play, but if you've got any tactical reasoning, you'll know when it is.

Also, Pugs like them some Nacho Cheese. Pack a UAV, and use it to open up a pack of Doritos for 'em. Always helps.

This last point is gold. Want pugs to attack at a certain point, pop a UAV over the baddies (the red team ones) and watch your pugmates swarm.

[MountainCopper]

Wintersdark, on 18 December 2014 - 04:22 AM, said:

This last point is gold. Want pugs to attack at a certain point, pop a UAV over the baddies (the red team ones) and watch your pugmates swarm.

...or watch your teammates show themselves one by one to half the enemy team and get killed. My UAV lost us that match.

Terrible pug matches...

[mogs01gt]

If you ever played with me, Im very vocal and type into the chat the location of enemies. Sometimes you do get people like that and it really makes a huge difference.

I recommend becoming that player. Help your team help you is how I see it.

[Mergatroid Skittle]

Maybe you have a high ELO? Matchmaker is trying to balance out the teams so you are being placed on a team of people with very low ELO scores? I don't think we could attribute only 6 wins in 30 games to the OPs lack of teamwork or bad luck (as some of the previous posts suggest)

[Arctourus]

another possibility is that, when you left, your ranking was high, meaning that now that you've returned you are playing against players who are more or less equally high ranked but who have not been absent, so they are just a little sharper. Also, there have been major changes to little things...such as quirks that may make mechs behave differently than you remember. But, given all this, it's probably just bad luck. Every time they offer a win-based challenge I spend the entire weekend placed on teams that die in seconds. It's just how it goes some times.

[Mawai]

It is probably mostly luck ... but there are other factors.

1) You played previously so you have an Elo value from your previous experience ... this may not be the right value for your current play level or the mechs you are using. There is also a different Elo value for each mech weight class.

2) Mech loadout, modules and skills all affect how well you play ... and thus will have an indirect affect on your Elo. Many folks probably have these now. In my experience, it can feel more challenging to get contribute and get wins in mechs that I haven't mastered.

3) The solo queue these days is truly solo as far as I know ... there are no groups mixed in. However, it only takes one person to say "regroup, focus fire, lets keep moving, stay together" ... to make a difference in the team play. Even sticking with the group yourself or heading in a specific direction will encourage nearby team mates to follow you. I've seen a light scout run away from the group at the start of a match and 3 or 4 others just head in that direction because someone else went that way. If you are playing a light in the PUG queue it is often good to wait 20 seconds so the group is moving somewhere BEFORE splitting off to scout. I have found that even the simplest suggestions can actually have an impact on how organized your team is ... and it is surprising how few people speak up and make those suggestions. (Note: I say suggestions and not commands or orders ... since there are some folks out there who won't listen to an order but don't mind a suggestion ).

4) Luck. MWO is very unforgiving of mistakes. I have had matches where we have been up or down 2 or 3 mechs and then either pulled it out or lost it. This usually happens when you catch a lance on its own but the other 8 are playing very coordinated and the other team isn't. It is really easy for a group to kill opponents that run at them 1 by 1 thinking that they have the numerical superiority. Often those matches are some of the most fun and closest that you come across. Perhaps more often the game goes 12:4 as one team gets a decisive advantage and rolls up the other one.

Anyway, depending on the mech you are using and its loadout ... here are some suggestions ...

- Assaults - stay with the group ... a lone assault is usually so easy to kill it is silly ... fast mediums and lights are your bane
- Heavies - stay with the assaults or other heavies ... provide fire support
- Mediums - back up heavies and assaults - short range scouting if you are fast, skirmishing if you have a shot at flank or rear but do not go head on with opponents heavy/assault unless part of a push
- Lights - back up the rest, ALWAYS keep moving, scout, look for opposing stragglers, skirmish with opposing groups if you can hit their flanks or rear ... do not run straight at opponents ... especially clans ... these days a good shot from a DireWolf can insta-kill a lot of lights ... do not get in front of a Dire Wolf ... however, from behind you should have no problem killing it solo ... I spectated a Locust doing this to a DireWolf and the frustration of the DireWolf pilot was palpable ... on the other hand it was completely his fault for wandering away from his support. A good light pilot is also an amazing distraction. There are so many folks who like to run off and chase a light that if you can get your team to push at the same time then the odds of winning go way up

Being aware of the battlefield, where your team and the opponents are and your effect on both just by being there will help you win matches.

[Cyell]

Thanks all for the feedback. I'll just keep grinding it out and see how it goes. Maybe my luck will improve over the holiday weekends!

[Willard Phule]

Cyell, on 17 December 2014 - 08:20 PM, said:

Hello all! I've not played this game a long time, since well before Clan mechs were introduced, and I just came back to it. Over the last week or so, I've played 30 or so games, all pugs, and I've only had 6 wins. I'm rusty from not playing, but I'm not that bad at the game.

What I've noticed in most of the games is that the other team always seem more organize, and half way through the match my team is always down 2+ people. Am I just happen to be in teams that don't work together? Is there finally a lobby in this game that I'm not aware of since I last played? Is it just luck? Or I'm a terrible player and should just stop playing?

This is probably very vague, but I'm not sure what information I should be providing for feedback. Thanks in advance!

Not sure which "PUG" you're referring to, Solo or Group.

Also not sure if you know that the "PUG" was separated into Solo and Group, either, but here goes.

The most important piece of information you need to know is that the Matchmaker was rewritten about the time of the Clan release. At that time, ALL Matchmakers were designed to make sure both teams had relatively close to even "average" Elo scores. There were other complicated things that are hard to find information on but none are as important as that.

In the Solo queue, it amounts to the axiom of "the better you are, the harder you need to carry." Whether that phenomena is quantifiable with actual data is debatable.....but you hear it enough from such a wide spectrum of people, it's got to make you wonder.

I've got no idea how it works in the Group queue. I don't play there.

It doesn't work that way with CW, though. Whoever's queued up is who's playing. So far, at least from a solo pug's perspective, it's been a lot better than dropping in the Solo queue. You get a mix of all skill levels but...it seems a more even mix than in the PUG. Maybe it's because CW is for people that actually give a crap about the conflict and have the patience to wait to get in. Who knows?

[dubplate]

I've been playing more over the last couple of months after taking a break for about a year. My experiences were similar, even though I remembered the game, I needed to play for awhile to get back in the groove of it. Load outs have changed (no more poptarting), queues are different (solo vs group), makes for a slightly different play experience than before. Also as others have said there is a good chance your ELO is not reflective of your current skill so may be putting you in poor matches till you play some more.