23 replies to this topic

[PhoenixHawk OSF]

I found a couple of old friends from another game playing, and they talked me into joining SRoT. I'm good with the team, and thanks to everyone who invited me. But I still have some questions that are frustrating:

1) EVERYONE says stay away from CW until you have a huge stable of mastered mechs. Seems like that will take years to accumulate the Cbills to earn. Some folks here have said they earn $400,000 and more per drop, I get around $25,000. How is it that you earn such huge numbers?

2) How do guys rack up so much damage? I'm lucky to break 150 damage in a match, even if I survive the whole thing. Usually it's less than 100. Usually I don't survive, because everyone says "Stick with the group," then you do that, and half goes around a corner one way, the other half another, and while my Mechs always seem to be slower than the rest even of the same chasis, I'm doing my best, out of nowhere 2 or 3 enemies are right in front of me, and it turns into a very short lived brawl. Pretty much makes me want to smash my monitor.

3) everyone says, "Join a group," so I did. They are all playing CW, but they say "Don't play CW yet." So I'm left with PUGs? Yuck. You can't learn in a PUG, you're just target practice for guys with 2-3 years playing the game. I don't understand the mechanics of being in a group, and getting people to drop with you, except in CW. How do you form a group for that, there isn't a button, it just says "Faction" or "Play Now" which equals PUG.

I've considered giving this up and just going back to Mechwarrior 4. At least there it's PvE, and I don't feel like everyone's slowly moving target. I'm just playing against stupidly controlled bots, but at least I don't come away from every mission thinking how bad I suck.

I know there is a steep learning curve with every MW game; it's complicated to learn torso twist, steering, firing multiple weapons groups, etc. I have all of that down. I don't know the maps, so end up taking wrong turns A LOT, and don't understand the nuances of the radar in this game. Enemies pop up out of nowhere like they're running passive radar, but I seem to show up for everyone to shoot.

[John1352]

Almost everyone has your starting experience. What mech(s) have you bought so far? Different mechs need to be played in different ways, while there are some fairly universal tactics (like stick with the group), you need to know the strengths and weaknesses of what you have.

[Ace Selin]

First you don't have to drop as a group only in CW, you can group drop in normal maps too.
Second you can learn a lot playing as a PUG, in fact I would venture to say 80% of people learnt many of their skills PUGing.
Third if you have "all of that down" then you should be doing really well in PUG matches, but you yourself state that you aren't doing well, in fact you're doing poorly, so being 1 month old, I somehow doubt you know all the characteristics of not only your mechs but that of your enemies (likely builds, likely weak spots etc).

So yes PUG more or group drop in normal matches and you will learn to be a valuable team mate at some point in the future, hopefully.

[Koniving]

PhoenixHawk OSF, on 07 February 2015 - 04:25 AM, said:

1) EVERYONE says stay away from CW until you have a huge stable of mastered mechs. Seems like that will take years to accumulate the Cbills to earn. Some folks here have said they earn $400,000 and more per drop, I get around $25,000. How is it that you earn such huge numbers?

2) How do guys rack up so much damage? I'm lucky to break 150 damage in a match, even if I survive the whole thing. Usually it's less than 100. Usually I don't survive, because everyone says "Stick with the group," then you do that, and half goes around a corner one way, the other half another, and while my Mechs always seem to be slower than the rest even of the same chasis, I'm doing my best, out of nowhere 2 or 3 enemies are right in front of me, and it turns into a very short lived brawl. Pretty much makes me want to smash my monitor.

3) everyone says, "Join a group," so I did. They are all playing CW, but they say "Don't play CW yet." So I'm left with PUGs? Yuck. You can't learn in a PUG, you're just target practice for guys with 2-3 years playing the game. I don't understand the mechanics of being in a group, and getting people to drop with you, except in CW. How do you form a group for that, there isn't a button, it just says "Faction" or "Play Now" which equals PUG.

I've considered giving this up and just going back to Mechwarrior 4. At least there it's PvE, and I don't feel like everyone's slowly moving target. I'm just playing against stupidly controlled bots, but at least I don't come away from every mission thinking how bad I suck.

I know there is a steep learning curve with every MW game; it's complicated to learn torso twist, steering, firing multiple weapons groups, etc. I have all of that down. I don't know the maps, so end up taking wrong turns A LOT, and don't understand the nuances of the radar in this game. Enemies pop up out of nowhere like they're running passive radar, but I seem to show up for everyone to shoot.

Welcome back.
I'll be on for a bit today if you want to tag along.

1) 398,000 or so is not a "per drop" scenario but more of a peak. This is also with both premium time (50% more) and a hero / reward / package mech (+30% more). It accumulates rather than stacks (so it's 80% total, rather than 50% = result + 30% of that result = mass earnings).

25,000 is the basic earnings if you lost (or won) with absolutely no participation. Consider this for a moment. In what ways can this be changed? In question two, you state you frequently die early which ties in with the earnings situation.

2) Here: Click on the "Youtube" icon to get to the page to get functioning full screen options (so you can see / read what is going on).
Example 1 (In a group). If time is short, skip to 4:40 minutes in. (Spam = intimidation). Check out how that Atlas gets intimidated at 6:55, even though he's backed up by a Muromets who also freaks out! O_O! Quote from the Atlas in the video: "That brawler banshee is impressive btw."

Not bad for a joke build.

Example 2 (Solo) If time is short, watch the start [where it gives the introduction, flashes the build and the score of my first match of the morning. Then when the match starts, skip to 5:50 (where it'll burn into the third match of the morning, and I'll get another thousand-plus damage match while commanding the team of pugs [which I've got 8 players in trial mechs compared to the enemy team's 2 trial mechs] and leading the charges against the enemy systematically taking them out while giving the other half of my tutorial.


DPS builds -- heresy to the competitive crowd; unstoppable when faced.

3) Group play can be done in regular matches too. You'll find me there every now and then and that's where we'll go if you tag along.

Though honestly, life is luxuriously relaxing in pug matches. It's a mixture of armor allocation, weapons, heat efficiency (1.4 or greater by MWO's indicator is preferred; 1.6 is fantastic) and disposition. Stay calm. Drink coffee (or hot chocolate). Move diagonally.

Edited by Koniving, 07 February 2015 - 05:29 AM.

[Macksheen]

Earning can be hard at first, it is driven by damage, kills, assists and other in game things ... And you are still learning.

Practice. When I started it was all I could do to get an assist, let alone a kill.

Find a group that does a bit of both or will help you practice. Or, stay in that group but hit a few folks up separate ... I'm happy to chat over pm, email, etc.

[HlynkaCG]

• 1: It doesn't have to be a huge stable, but you'll definitely want to have at least 4 different mechs that your are comfortable and effective in. CW is not the place to be learning a new chassis.
  
• 2: Play conservatively, the longer you are alive and shooting the higher your damage will be. Best advice starting out is to find a big daddy (atlas, dire wolf, banshee, etc...) and let him draw all the fire while you clean up. The trial Hunchback and Firestarter are great for this.
  
• 3: I can't speak for the dynamics of your particular group but if you're looking for som friendly games and/or general advice feel free to drop me a line in game or stop by our team-speak server ts3.hhod.com:7345 no PW required.

Edited by HlynkaCG, 07 February 2015 - 05:41 AM.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

PhoenixHawk OSF, on 07 February 2015 - 04:25 AM, said:

I found a couple of old friends from another game playing, and they talked me into joining SRoT. I'm good with the team, and thanks to everyone who invited me. But I still have some questions that are frustrating:

1) EVERYONE says stay away from CW until you have a huge stable of mastered mechs. Seems like that will take years to accumulate the Cbills to earn. Some folks here have said they earn $400,000 and more per drop, I get around $25,000. How is it that you earn such huge numbers?

Looking at my Profile Stat page (you can see yours here), I seem to average 90,000 before using Premium Time recently and now I'm up 101,000 so I have a standard share of great games and really lousy games.

There are more stats there you can look at too. And the main thing is time and practice, however there are a few things you can add to your mechs.

So one way for you to increase you earnings, you can bring a UAV (I suggest investing GXP in the Skills area to improve it) so that you can earn those bonues. You need to practice when to deploy it so it doesn't get shot down, but if deployed successfully you can show the enemy team on your radar and their magic doritos display and you can get some earnings.

Also consider bring a TAG, when you have friendly LRM you can get nice earnings with TAG also.

There are others means, but those are two that I can remember off the top of my head.

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2) How do guys rack up so much damage? I'm lucky to break 150 damage in a match, even if I survive the whole thing. Usually it's less than 100. Usually I don't survive, because everyone says "Stick with the group," then you do that, and half goes around a corner one way, the other half another, and while my Mechs always seem to be slower than the rest even of the same chasis, I'm doing my best, out of nowhere 2 or 3 enemies are right in front of me, and it turns into a very short lived brawl. Pretty much makes me want to smash my monitor.

There are somethings that you can try to improve your systems performance, since how your rig runs MWO is a factor in being able to land damage. For example:

Have you lowered your mouse sensitivity? (Lowering can help)

What in-game settings are you using? (DX 9 or DX 11) Do you know about the 64 bit game client? (Depending on your rig you can get an FPS boost with DX 11 and the 64 bit game client, but it can be unstable for some systems, so it can vary)

If you are using SRMs or Ballistic Weapons are you leading your targets? With lasers are you using a slight lead and holding on target for the duration of the beam?

After checking these details out first you can then try out resources outside of MWO like smurfy's site, here is the Map area, where you can go and take a look at the maps to get a sense of their layouts. Also take the time to drop into Testing Grounds (Found in the Home tab area) to explore the maps and makes use of the mechs there for target practice.

Also to help you survive, you will need to learn the best areas for cover, and keep practicing torso twisting as you fire. The best thing is to be moving from cover to cover as stay with the group. As for proximity to a group of mechs in a match, you don't need to be closer than say ~130 M, not sure how close you are sticking to others, but see how it works if you stay on the flanks with cover to see if that helps.

And the last thing is you are simply going to have to take your Favorite mechs to Elite status for 2x Basics and Speed Tweak for example. Elite status on mechs can really make them feel different and in most cases respond better to what you are trying to do.

I can detail more, but these should be a reasonable start.

Quote

3) everyone says, "Join a group," so I did. They are all playing CW, but they say "Don't play CW yet." So I'm left with PUGs? Yuck. You can't learn in a PUG, you're just target practice for guys with 2-3 years playing the game. I don't understand the mechanics of being in a group, and getting people to drop with you, except in CW. How do you form a group for that, there isn't a button, it just says "Faction" or "Play Now" which equals PUG.

You can drop in the Group Queue. Currently there are four queues, the first is Solo, second is Group, third is Faction (CW) and the last is Private matches.

So for the Group Queue you can drop with others and with comms, can at least coordinate faster in a match. For Private Matches you need at least one player with Premium time for each side, and it's something I have very little experience with so far.

Quote

I've considered giving this up and just going back to Mechwarrior 4. At least there it's PvE, and I don't feel like everyone's slowly moving target. I'm just playing against stupidly controlled bots, but at least I don't come away from every mission thinking how bad I suck.

I know there is a steep learning curve with every MW game; it's complicated to learn torso twist, steering, firing multiple weapons groups, etc. I have all of that down. I don't know the maps, so end up taking wrong turns A LOT, and don't understand the nuances of the radar in this game. Enemies pop up out of nowhere like they're running passive radar, but I seem to show up for everyone to shoot.

There are two Modules that are widely considered the best, Seismic Sensor and Radar Deprivation.

The first allows you when stationary to see enemy mech movement within a radius of your mech, the second denies enemy locks when they lose sight of you, so you are harder to hit with LRMs and Streaks, along with slowing down the Paperdoll update, that would aid opponents in focusing on your damaged areas to promptly kill or disable you.

They are expensive, but after getting a stable of mechs, these two are worth getting, and you will also need GXP to first unlock them.

So I hope these details help a bit, and I can follow-up with more.

Edited by Praetor Knight, 07 February 2015 - 09:09 AM.

[PhoenixHawk OSF]

Ace Selin, on 07 February 2015 - 05:09 AM, said:

Third if you have "all of that down" then you should be doing really well in PUG matches, but you yourself state that you aren't doing well, in fact you're doing poorly, so being 1 month old, I somehow doubt you know all the characteristics of not only your mechs but that of your enemies (likely builds, likely weak spots etc).

Actually what I said I had down was piloting, torso twist, firing multiple weapons groups. Those are basics that many people got turned off by in previous MW games. They're still foundations in this.

What you point out are things that are more native to MWO, like different Mech's characteristics. For example, most Mechs in MW4, in my opinion, weren't based on any individual characteristic, just hard points and speed, maybe the ability to have jump jets. There wasn't much difference between them because you could equip Clan tech on any IS mech, and most of us did that. Also all mechs were available right away in multi-player, so it was just up to you to vary what you wanted to build. Assaults ruled the battlefield because it was mostly a rush to close distance, then brawling. The Diashi and Mad Cat Mk II were popular because they had the most hard points, many of which were omni points. LRM Boats were actually frowned upon and basically seen as a chicken***t way to play because people could lock onto your radar signature and keep the lock indefinitely, and just missile boat you to death from behind cover.

None of that is the same in MWO. LRMs are not nearly as effective here, though the role of a supporting rain of missile fire to allow ranged weapons and closing of ranks works when it's coordinated. There was no VOIP when I was playing MW4, so the most strategy employed was usually "Go LEFT!" or something like that. MWO requires strategic involvement, which most PUGs don't have, or at least don't give instructions for in-game. Strategy in PUGs seems to be what others have learned through months and years of practice, and so experienced players know where to go inherently on a map. Those of us who have no experience don't know where to go, and get told to keep up, with the expectation that we can simply read the minds of our teammates and follow along.

As someone pointed out above, learning how to move in different maps while under cover seems to be huge. I haven't even come close to that yet, and there is no help in-game from it, because people say, "I don't have time to type in a fight."

[PhoenixHawk OSF]

John1352, on 07 February 2015 - 05:03 AM, said:

Almost everyone has your starting experience. What mech(s) have you bought so far? Different mechs need to be played in different ways, while there are some fairly universal tactics (like stick with the group), you need to know the strengths and weaknesses of what you have.

What I've bought so far have been:
Centurion - I like, but seems somewhat weak, and is slow for a medium.

Shadowhawk - I wanted to like a lot, because in classic BT I loved it. Not so much here, again it felt weak. Sold it.

Thunderbolt - I didn't realize the different variations had different hard points, and they weren't equally modifiable. I didn't like the build I had, never did well with it so sold it. May buy another variant of it to try again.

Cataphract - So far my favorite build: PPC, Large Laser, 2 Med Lasers, AC2. Unfortunately I hadn't realized the weakness someone pointed out to me last night in SRoT TS: The weapons are so low slung that you have to come all the way over a crest before being able to hit anything besides dirt. You pretty much have to be totally exposed to get a clean shot. I was considering rebuilding this loadout on a Tbolt.

JaegerMech - This has become my hardest hitting mech. 2 AC5, 2AC2, 2 Med Lasers. It also seems to take the most damage. I've considered getting 2 other builds of this to try to get it to elite.

Orion - Had this for a short while. Again didn't realize the difference in variants with hard point allocation. It just felt like it was another heavy without much weaponry so I sold it as well.

Thoughts?

[DelphiAuriga]

Follow the links in these webs:

http://metamechs.com/mwo-tier-lists/
http://metamechs.com...munity-warfare/

Edited by DelphiAuriga, 07 February 2015 - 04:49 PM.

[John1352]

I'm going to focus on the Jagermech, it seems to be the one you like the most, and 3 Jagers plus a light will make a very respectable CW drop deck (This is what I am currently using).

From what you have said, it appears that you've got a Jagermech-S. If you haven't adjusted the armor already, you might find that it can be raised to about double the default, although you'll probably need to lose one of your AC2s to do it. You've probably figured this out already, but the Jager's high mounted weapons allow you to peep over a ridge, exposing only the top part of your mech, and blast away with those cannons.

Have a look here: http://mwomercs.com/...x-localization/
You will see that the Jagermech has a small centre torso and large side torsos. This makes it tough when used with a standard engine, but all those ballistic hardpoints make XL engines very tempting. When you get the DD model, you'll get an XL260 with it. This will let you carry a LOT more firepower and ammo but you will need to be careful not to lose a side torso.

Finally, you need the upgrade to double heatsinks unless you only carry AC5s. It is 1.5m, but without it you'll be overheating the whole time.

[Metafox]

Please feel free to post in the Skye Rangers forums as well; that's what they're there for. It's better to have a larger stable of mechs for CW, but nobody should mind if you join a CW group with what you've got, especially if there aren't any non-CW groups. Just drop in on TS and let them know that you don't have a full stable of mechs.

Part of the gameplay is learning a balance between aggressive and defensive play, and getting a sense of where/when it's safe to move. Having a good mech build can also make a big difference.

Be careful when you buy a mech. You lose a bunch of CBills every time you sell a mech and if you're just starting out, you can't afford to throw all of that money away. Another reason to hang onto mechs is that you need at to get exp on at least three variants before you can unlock the more advanced skills. Each variant collects its own exp and gathering all of the elite-level skills makes a noticeable boost in performance. Check out the smurfy mechlab tool to see what you can build, and be sure to get word-of-mouth opinions and details from the forums before you buy. (Again, the Skye Rangers forums are a great place to ask for opinions on mechs)

[InspectorG]

In MWO go into the 'settings' and set your mouse sensitivity to zero and acceleration to zero as well. This will help with aim.

You dont need 300 mechs for CW. Just get good with the tier 1 metas.

IS: Firestarters, Hunchbacks, Thunderbolts, Stalkers
Clan: Stormcrow, Timberwolf, Direwolf.

If you do decide to spend $, go with the Mastery Packs. Currently the best value.

Most people were in your shoes. Dont worry and keep grinding.

[dragnier1]

PhoenixHawk OSF, on 07 February 2015 - 03:50 PM, said:

What I've bought so far have been:
Centurion - I like, but seems somewhat weak, and is slow for a medium.

Shadowhawk - I wanted to like a lot, because in classic BT I loved it. Not so much here, again it felt weak. Sold it.

Thunderbolt - I didn't realize the different variations had different hard points, and they weren't equally modifiable. I didn't like the build I had, never did well with it so sold it. May buy another variant of it to try again.

Cataphract - So far my favorite build: PPC, Large Laser, 2 Med Lasers, AC2. Unfortunately I hadn't realized the weakness someone pointed out to me last night in SRoT TS: The weapons are so low slung that you have to come all the way over a crest before being able to hit anything besides dirt. You pretty much have to be totally exposed to get a clean shot. I was considering rebuilding this loadout on a Tbolt.

JaegerMech - This has become my hardest hitting mech. 2 AC5, 2AC2, 2 Med Lasers. It also seems to take the most damage. I've considered getting 2 other builds of this to try to get it to elite.

Orion - Had this for a short while. Again didn't realize the difference in variants with hard point allocation. It just felt like it was another heavy without much weaponry so I sold it as well.

Thoughts?

That's quite a few mechs you've owned if you played just 1 month. Just in case you don't already know you need 3 variants of the same chassis (3 centurions) clearing basic skills to unlock elite skills, and 3 chassis of that weight class (light, medium, heavy or assault) clearing elite skills to unlock master skills. Clearing elite skills for a mech will give 2x of basic skills to it, very useful.

Example:
My king crab ran the original engine. Was too slow, was either flanked by opposition and was usually left behind. Once i cleared basic on all 3 i got speed tweak and am now able to keep up with the slower mechs. With 2x basic i am now playing my crabbies comfortably.

As for what you got:
Centurion - i go with STD 275 engines. That gives me the speed i need and i can zombie in this mech. Great for learning how to use arms and side torsos to protect the center torso.

Shadow Hawk - Versatile mech. Plus points in its jumpjets. For this chassis i used XLS engines. They're lighter but more expensive and makes side torsos vulnerable (lose 1 side and your mech is down). The speed boost is needed to get out of bad situations and find cover quickly.

Thunderbolt - current favorite by those ppc and laser lovers. It's good for spreading damage across the entire body, if you use STD engines.

Catafract - Yes, low slung arms but still a great mech. 2 variants great for brawling and the jump variant still good with dual gauss. You need a little patience with this (if you brawl), they will come to you.

Jagermech - high slung arms make them a good sniper/support fire mech, though they are usable as brawlers too. You need XLS engines to pack both weapons and enough armour so torsos will be vulnerable (same as Shadow Hawk)

Orion - a mini atlas. As such, play them only when you have enough experience. They can actually pack a punch though. This should be my build (can't recall, not in game) --> Orion K

[PhoenixHawk OSF]

dragnier1, on 07 February 2015 - 08:30 PM, said:

That's quite a few mechs you've owned if you played just 1 month. Just in case you don't already know you need 3 variants of the same chassis (3 centurions) clearing basic skills to unlock elite skills, and 3 chassis of that weight class (light, medium, heavy or assault) clearing elite skills to unlock master skills. Clearing elite skills for a mech will give 2x of basic skills to it, very useful.

I bought 6500 MC when I started, figured if I was going to play a game I should support the developers. Then bought most of the ones I got during the sale that was going on when I started for very little.

Just got a Tbolt again today. Will play around with it, but next one I get will probably be another Jager, or either the Hunchback or ShadowHawk bundle. I'm still leaning toward the Hunchback though I like the Shadowhawk more just for sentimental reasons (which isn't really effective reasoning in-game).

[PhoenixHawk OSF]

Here's a question I haven't asked yet: From the home page in game, you can see your inventory. When you see weapons systems, engines, etc. are those all considered spare (i.e. not part of one of your builds), or if you sell them are you selling something off one of your builds without knowing it?

In MW4: Mercs one of the ways you got the most Cbills was from selling salvaged stuff you wouldn't use. Is it the same here?

[HlynkaCG]

They are spares, but I would reccomend against selling anything until the numbers start getting really big.

[Koniving]

PhoenixHawk OSF, on 08 February 2015 - 01:16 AM, said:

Just got a Tbolt again today. Will play around with it, but next one I get will probably be another Jager, or either the Hunchback or ShadowHawk bundle. I'm still leaning toward the Hunchback though I like the Shadowhawk more just for sentimental reasons (which isn't really effective reasoning in-game).

For most people, the Shadowhawk is the superior mech. Before the "Quirkening" where the mechs were given weapon, armor, structure, etc. quirks which really change things... Shadowhawks were simply better at tanking damage with its mostly even hitbox distribution, small 'rear torsos' and ability to jump. Its major drawback was the inability to have peripheral vision.

The reason for the superiority beyond the above though, is compared to the source material all the Shadowhawks tend to be fielded with Shadowhawk 5M-level or superior equipment. The 5M as you may know is the Marik model, and as you may also know before the Clans, the Mariks had the best technological advantage over every other faction -- and enough bureaucratic red tape to put a Vogon to shame, which is why they stayed out of almost every Succession War; not because they didn't want their piece of the action but because their democratic political process didn't get anywhere.

Vogon reference:


In comparison, the Hunchback is almost half the Shadowhawk's size, have superior torso twist, turning ability and in general much more agile. However, while Shadowhawks are more distributed the Hunchback has everything thrown into the right torso thanks to hardpoint inflation in some cases. This means the largest part of the mech is the one most people want to shoot. Also unlike the tabletop version of the Hunchback which had the armor of a 65 ton Catapult C1 while the typical Shadowhawk had the armor of a Locust... here the Hunchback has inferior armor.

The early ways of making up for this was in the hitbox design, in which the right front torso encompassed the hunch from all sides and even a large chunk of the rear. The idea, I believe, was to be able to channel the armor to be 46 / 2, allowing you far superior armor for your most vulnerable body part than the Shadowhawk can even dream of using on a side.

Quirks, however, have made up the difference so you don't need to do the 46/2 armor allocation, though if you do you may find you'll lose every other limb first. Under an LRM storm while brawling with an Atlas sporting an AC/20 and triple SRM-6, I had died with the following limbs intact and all other limbs destroyed and missing: Right torso, left leg. (So missing were left arm, right arm, left torso, right leg, center torso and head). That ought to say something.

In either case, both mechs are highly viable.
Though rather than bundles, snag them for cbills. The only feasible reason I can think of to go for the bundle aside from the mechbays is the hero mechs. But at that rate, why not snag that during a sale?

From experience, the more mechs you have the harder it is to level them. This is because it inflates how many 'projects' you are handling at once and thus how much you need to spend, making the task more and more daunting.

Besides, in both cases... what I feel are the best of both chassis... aren't included in the bundles.

Personally if you haven't already got another bundle of , I might suggest a Resistance pack (or Urbie, if you like adorable trashcans that have armor identical to stock 65 ton Jagermechs). You do get a bit more for the same amount on the Resistance pack though. The first two mechs of the Resistance are releasing on the 15th or so this month.

[Koniving]

PhoenixHawk OSF, on 08 February 2015 - 02:53 AM, said:

In MW4: Mercs one of the ways you got the most Cbills was from selling salvaged stuff you wouldn't use. Is it the same here?

As pre-empted, they are spares. You, in fact, cannot find anything in your 'inventory' that is mounted on a mech. This is something that irks me because sometimes I need to figure out which mech has that super expensive interchangeable engine.

You can, and I have many times, rack up a lot of cash by selling what you don't use.
During one cleaning I racked up 58 million cbills.
Three months later, another 20 million.
The day after, I realized I sold the engine I needed among them, an XL 385.


So make sure it is in surplus first.

Many of the engines I sold in the process were ones that lost their uses with ghost heat and other game changes.
So as those changes are being unrolled or mitigated with other changes, I'm finding need again for those engines and now I'm barely able to hang on to enough cbills to buy mechs I want, because I'm working to reacquire at least one copy of each of the engines I need to juggle around. (My poor techs!)

[Senor Cataclysmo]

1. Play CW if you want.

I often take unmastered mechs with no modules into CW and I do just fine. I have about a 50/50 W/L rate playing as a PUG in CW. Modules just give you an edge, anyway, they aren't a game changer. By the time you can afford modules you'll probably be pretty good at the game anyway, so they'll just be the icing on the cake. If you dont like playing CW without fully decked out mechs, then dont. But its not going to hurt you to try it. Dont let anyone scare you away. Community warfare is not an efficient place to level mechs, but if you fancy a game of CW theres no rule that says you cant take the chassis you're currently working on along in your drop deck

2. Its a learning curve. I didnt start breaking out of 100 odd damage for months when I started. You'll get there, you just need the experience. My top tips for maximising damage & survivability:

• Be patient when you're waiting to engage. Depending on what mech you're using you might not fire a single shot for the first 3 minutes of the game. You have to know when and where to apply your particular mech's firepower. Timing is everything and thats something that'll only come with experience.
  
• Learn to use cover. This is more than just staying behind buildings. You need to be adept at reversing around corners from both sides. You need to be aware of where the physical hardpoints on your mech are. If you peek from cover to take a shot for example, how far do you need to expose yourself so your shot doesn't hit the building? The same thing applies for peeking over the top of hills to take shots. Do you find yourself having to stare at enemy mechs to see if you've hit them? When you hit someone the centre of your crosshair turns red briefly. When you take a shot, don't wait to see if its hit, get back into cover as soon as you can, your crosshair will tell you if you were successful (this doesnt apply to lasers).
  
• Don't skyline. NEVER expose your mech so that it stands out from the terrain against the sky. You are asking to be sniped. This can be a particular thing to watch for on maps like Caustic Valley and Canyon Network.
  
• Don't chase other mechs. You may have found yourself winning an engagement, or seeing an isolated or badly damaged enemy mech. The scent of blood is in the air, this is your moment of glory! You see the enemy, you want his sweet and chewy cookies! You chase after him and just as you get round the corner you blunder into the entire enemy team and get killed. We've all been there. Don't focus on one enemy at the expense of paying attention to the battlefield as a whole. Only chase an enemy if you are *certain* you can kill him AND he doesn't have backup. This especially applies if you are going after the cookies of a mech that is faster than you. Dont let yourself be kited!
  
• Learn to aim. This is a tough one and it'll only really come with practice. Missiles are rubbish, you can't rely on them forever, so you NEED to learn to shoot energy and ballistics. Do you have to stop moving to aim? The answer should be no. Practice until you can hit enemy mechs without stopping. Can you lead your targets with slow weapons? If you want to use gauss rifles, PPCs and Autocannons effectively this is a must-have skill. Can you accurately pick out enemy components? Don't just aim for the centre mass of an enemy, pay attention to targeting data in the top right corner. If your enemy has open components, shoot them. You only need to destroy one side torso to kill an IS mech with an XL engine.
  
• Learn to spread damage. An ER large laser does 11 damage. But it doesn't do it all at once, it applies the damage over the course of the beam's duration. If you find yourself getting hit by a laser, twist your torso. It's the difference between having 11 damage done to your center torso, and having 4 damage done to your center torso, 4 to your right torso and 3 to your right arm. Don't face-tank your enemies, make every point of armour count!

3. You have to open your friends tab at the bottom of the screen, select an online friend and click 'invite to group'. When youre in a group if you press 'play now' it will automatically queue you in the group queue.

Hope that helps! Dont give up!