29 replies to this topic

[MavRCK]

To understand how to 'support' ie play well, watch my old tier list videos

[TercieI]

MavRCK, on 16 March 2015 - 07:42 PM, said:

To understand how to 'support' ie play well, watch my old tier list videos

You just be quiet and start making them again.

[MavRCK]

Terciel1976, on 16 March 2015 - 07:45 PM, said:

You just be quiet and start making them again.

I think Gman's list is really good so I may start videos about tactics, strategies and gameplay.... The new computer is all set up now...!

[TercieI]

MavRCK, on 16 March 2015 - 08:20 PM, said:

I think Gman's list is really good so I may start videos about tactics, strategies and gameplay.... The new computer is all set up now...!

I think GMan's stuff is great, but I think multiple voices is better.

Edited by Terciel1976, 16 March 2015 - 08:39 PM.

[jss78]

Mott, on 16 March 2015 - 09:28 AM, said:

There is no such thing as a support mech in MWO - it's a sad and common misconception among new players (i was one). The game is simply not designed or set up in a way that can allow even one player to hide in the backfield, hoping they don't catch any flak.

While this is undoubtedly true, I wonder if the "follow the big guy, shoot at what he shoots at" might still be a useful adage for the new player. The thing is, when you're thrown into the PUG land as a newbie, I find that you are dead real soon if you take too much initiative. The places you go are probably the wrong places to go, and if you end up one-on-one on an experienced player you're unlikely to come out alive.

At least for me, staying near the big guys has kept me alive a bit longer into the game, which tends to equal more shots fired and a bigger (if not necessarily big) contribution. If you're dead, you can't do even that little bit.

I'm sure as the player gets more experience, and becomes more confident and situationally aware, he'll realise that he's not being useful if he's not where the shooting is, and he'll adapt quicker to the developing situations.

Edited by jss78, 16 March 2015 - 11:43 PM.

[TercieI]

Yes, that's a reasonable approach for new players. That's not what "support mech" is usually used to mean though. It's usually used to mean "I provide AMS, ECM and not so much guns." And the first role of every mech is to bring effective guns.

[Mott]

jss78, on 16 March 2015 - 11:42 PM, said:

While this is undoubtedly true, I wonder if the "follow the big guy, shoot at what he shoots at" might still be a useful adage for the new player. The thing is, when you're thrown into the PUG land as a newbie, I find that you are dead real soon if you take too much initiative. The places you go are probably the wrong places to go, and if you end up one-on-one on an experienced player you're unlikely to come out alive.

At least for me, staying near the big guys has kept me alive a bit longer into the game, which tends to equal more shots fired and a bigger (if not necessarily big) contribution. If you're dead, you can't do even that little bit.

I'm sure as the player gets more experience, and becomes more confident and situationally aware, he'll realise that he's not being useful if he's not where the shooting is, and he'll adapt quicker to the developing situations.

I think your entire post is valid, and it's - hopefully - how most newbs should be playing.

But as Terciel pointed out, that is not a 'support' role. Being part of the main firing line, pumping out damage, focusing fire along side your team's fatties is an 'integral' role. It's the most direct and important way one will participate in the match.

Typically, "support" is the term used by players who are looking to run around in mechs they've built around ECM or Narc or Tag or AMS... battle systems that are rendered completely useless if either your team or the enemy hasn't brought LRMs in any significant number (which is the norm once you get into an above average elo), and if the enemy knows how to use cover and their UAVs.

Once those things happen... "support mechs" can turn into little more than "liability mechs".

[MechWarrior3671771]

"Another general tip is remain in a match and watch what other players do, you can't see their weapon groups, but you can see how weapons fire or how they perform defensive maneuvers and move around maps to give you a better sense of what you can try in your next match on that map."

I can't stress this enough - spectating is the quickest way to level yourself out of the Novice Tier. You'll get the experience of 3-5 drops in just one. Spectate spectate spectate.

[TercieI]

Fenrisulvyn, on 17 March 2015 - 08:42 AM, said:

"Another general tip is remain in a match and watch what other players do, you can't see their weapon groups, but you can see how weapons fire or how they perform defensive maneuvers and move around maps to give you a better sense of what you can try in your next match on that map."

I can't stress this enough - spectating is the quickest way to level yourself out of the Novice Tier. You'll get the experience of 3-5 drops in just one. Spectate spectate spectate.

Excellent advice, but just one thing to add: Watch, but watch with a critical eye. You will end up spectating both good and bad players. You should quickly learn to spot the difference. Once you have, start looking for the patterns that separate them.

[MavRCK]

One of the biggest issues in MWO is the concept of combined health -- over the years many players and teams have espoused this concept in different ways -- but essentially it's this: you cannot shoot everything at once.

So, if everyone is out together taking fire, your combined team health is effectively higher, and the the time to kill is longer.

People who think they can play in the back, wait til the end of the match to take damage, fire LRMs or whatever bullshit, are reducing their team's combined health and shortening the time to kill needed for their enemy to win the match.

It's common sense, but hey, common sense isn't common.