20 replies to this topic

[Morggo]

I jumped into MWO last month finally... and I will say loving the game and wish I hadn't waited.

Here's the thing... I've been playing A LOT of games. A LOT. I know the two loyalty mechs I'm driving currently (Wolverine and Zeus) are not optimal builds, and I've even started to tinker with the loadouts to see if I'm better with missle, laz, or ballistic builds. But I am simply not doing any better... keeping in mind even a game (most of them ) that I die quickly is a fun game for me just being on the field and trying my best.

Now, I am going to keep on trying. I always shift to speculate mode to watch the rest of every match trying to observe what I could do better. So with nothing really helping improve my average battlefield life-expectancy these days inI the 2-5 minute range and damage sub-100 every time I am coming to the forums to read and ask questions.

I know this is a HUGE wide open topic and I understand that a few forum replies a star MechWarrior does not make.. but I really just want to learn anything I can to be a better lance-mate on the field and do my part.

So if it's just you guys pointing me to vids or existing posts and materials I am more than happy to self serve just point the way! If anyone has thoughts they'd like to mentor out on me I am all ears, lay it on me.

Thanks and see you all on the field... probably smoking and burning but I'll wave!
Morg, Pilot in training

[Rogue Jedi]

Here are a few basic pointers, these aew general good practice not absolute rules
Stay with the team
target your enemy (press R)
Target the enemy week spots (targeting helps you work them out)
Keep moving, a moving target is harder to hit
Focus fire with the rest of your team
Do not be first around a corner,
stay towards the middle of the group
Use comms (be it text or voice)
Do not overheat
Try your loadout for a few games then if you see something that does not work change it
Do not be afraid to disregard these suggestions if they do not fit the current situation
When under fire twist your torso to spread damage
Do not disregard advice because it contradicts other advise you have received
Not every Mech or playstyle suites every player
If you use an XL engine and find yourself frequently dying to side torso loss concider switching to a standard
If you always loose the ct before the side torso you are safe using an XL engineEdit:Sorry I almost forgot my most important rule, if you see a player you recorgnize on the red team that plarer becomes your primary target, feel free to ignore this rule

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 24 October 2015 - 04:53 AM.

[Tesunie]

It sounds like you are probably having positioning problems, which means you get caught out in the open or out of place from your teammates, and then quickly get mowed down into scrap and slag by concentrated enemy fire.

Best advice I can give (especially in that Zeus) it to what your positioning and try to stick with the team. Shoot at what they shoot. Give your teammates room to move though (it's never nice to move out to shoot, try to duck back into cover, only to find yourself stuck out in the open because a teammate is blocking your retreat. It's often a death sentence).

A good medium or faster heavy are some of the best mechs to learn with. Fast enough to typically be able to recover from a bad position. Tough enough that it can usually take a few hits before they go down. Can normally pack enough weapons to be a good threat, even when you don't happen to be fast enough or armored enough to survive.


Just keep playing. Learn your maps. Stick with your team. You'll get there eventually.

If you wish, it's also often recommended to join a unit or a group of friends. Strength in numbers, However, the group queue can also be more challenging than the solo queue, so consider that as well.

[FlipOver]

There is little more I can add to what Rogue Jedi said, but I'll try

Don't switch loadouts frequently.
Try one loadout and stick with it (or change it just slightly - as in replacing 1 ton ammo by 1 ton Double HS) for at least 30-50 matches.
The more matches you make with the same loadout, the better you will be using it.
Then you can change the loadout to another thing and try it out, but remember to always use the loadout enough times for you to understand if it really doesn't work for you or if it was just a matter of getting used to another way to play.

Try all loadouts on the Testing grounds before going to batlle.
Use the Training Grounds NPCs to test your aim. Moving around a mech (NPC) and shooting the same component (let's say a LEG) over and over.
Also use this to perfect your mouse sensitivity.
Most people think they suck but the truth is they have the sensitivity set to a too high value. Lowering it helps to keep the aim steady and on target. So figure your best settings on the TG's... Also, you need to leave TG and get back for the settings to take effect.... This is a arduous task but once you got it on the correct sensitivity, it will fit most of your mechs.
If you have a multi DPi mouse, you can use it to fit the best dpi settings for each mech (I use slower for slower mechs and snipers, and use faster for faster mechs and brawlers).

Know your surroundings.
Make sure you are always aware of the closest cover and make sure you aren't far enough so it takes you too long to get to it in case of need.
Never show yourself twice in the same spot - If you are peeking over a ridge, if you are shot at, move a few meters to the side before peeking again.
Understand that the team will move with or without you, so focus on the enemy but keep an eye out for the teams movements, so you don't get left behind.

Have fun!

[Spleenslitta]

Rogue Jedi gave a lot of good pointers. I'll address 2 of them.

Rogue Jedi, on 23 October 2015 - 09:05 AM, said:

Stay with the team
Do not disregard advice because it contradicts other advise you have received

Staying with the team is a good thing but if you have the speed it can be beneficial to go to the enemy flank.

Rogue Jedi suggested something unusual that i could not agree more with when he suggested not to ignore advice that contradicts advice you have been formerly given.
That's the best thing i've read in a long time.

Now for some advice of my own.
Shooting while moving is an essential skill. But remember while it's okay to move your torso to keep your laser on target moving the direction the legs are pointing while shooting will put you waaay off target.
So shoot only when you do not need to change the direction your moving.

You might want to get used to keeping your arms unlocked. It's an immense advantage in a brawl against fast opponents.
It also makes your aiming time with arm mounted weapons much faster.

If you snipe or just go flanking remember to relocate after every strike while staying out of sight.
Do not peek out of the same piece of cover over and over.
I'm not talking about relocating just 100 meters either. If you got enough speed you can go 300-500 meters - shoot - relocate - shoot and keep doing it.
It causes chaos but the lights mechs might come hunting you since you're probably alone in such an endevour.
If you keep relocating far and frequently even a light mech can have a hard time tracking you down.

Almost forgot. When you do the thing described above you need to do at least 100Kph and JJ's are pretty important to take shortcuts and get into good unexpected positions.
Your speed is your firerate because you move around so much.
It's right to shoot once and relocate. Shooting twice might be a good idea depending on the situation...but doing it 3 times is just asking for trouble in most cases.

Awww....what the heck XD...here is a link to a guide i made. It's a long read and most of it goes against the meta but it actually works.
Non Meta Light Mech Tactics Guide.


Many players want to specialise their builds to do specific things. Some want to snipe at long ranges with 2x ER PPC's which is totally allright in my book until they are forced to defend themselves up close.
Having a build that can adapt to any range may make it less capable in a single range category but in return you can adapt to anything that happens.
All those times when a short range build cannot take advantage of an opportunity to hit an enemy at long range is a completly wasted opportunity.
Wasted opportunities is less damage. That's what i've experienced at least.

Getting used to handling more than 2 weapon groups is a daunting task for many but i've made a point of always keeping a middle range weapon on my 3rd mousebutton.
Now i respond just as fast with that weapon as my right and left mousebutton weapon groups because it's become a habit.

Edited by Spleenslitta, 23 October 2015 - 10:03 AM.

[Morggo]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies! I'll be heading to the barn in a few hours for a long all-nighter in the Zeus and try some of this out.

Oh, and I am nearly certain I've been in matches with Jedi and Spleen.... pretty sure I recognize the names

I will say that I have been doing the opposite of much of the advice or just not doing things I should at all, so this may seem like "well of course that's how you do it..." to many, but it's all great advice for me to work with.

I do have a tendency to head off on my own... I'll stick with the lance tonight best I can (I'm pretty slow).
I do tend to stop and park, trying to find and poke at targets... so I'll keep moving now
I do tend to get far out of cover; many deaths have been center or head crits while I am backpeddling *forever* to cover
I do tend to play with loadouts, I'll start sticking with them longer and learn them more thoroughly
...I can probably go on with lots of things I need to correct, but I'll start tonight, so thanks!


Here's question... my Zeus has a Gauss. I understand all the pros and cons with the gun's crit and ammo's not, etc... but is it a good weapon - or more to the point - a good weapon for a cadet pilot? I am having some learning curve with the whole charge up and fire thing but it sounds like an ace weapon. Am I better off taking an AC and work with the greater heat or keep getting the hang of the Gauss?

Morg

[Rogue Jedi]

In my opinion the Gauss Rifle is the best med to long range weapon.

The downsides are the charge up mechanic, the weight and the high chance of it exploding if hit.

The only times I would take other Balistics are if I cannot fit the Gauss or am after something for inside 300m, although that is just me, I am sure others will have other points of view.

[FlipOver]

Well... having a Gauss and other weapon systems makes it harder for you to work with it when under pressure.

Yes you do have to manage your heat a bit more carefully is you use ACs, but it's a tradeoff, either you use the Gauss and don't worry about heat as much (and have to get the charge-up mechanism to work with other weapons, especially when the enemy is closer) or just have ACs and make your work a bit simpler when fighting closer quarters.

[Roughneck45]

Morggo, on 23 October 2015 - 11:54 AM, said:

Here's question... my Zeus has a Gauss. I understand all the pros and cons with the gun's crit and ammo's not, etc... but is it a good weapon - or more to the point - a good weapon for a cadet pilot? I am having some learning curve with the whole charge up and fire thing but it sounds like an ace weapon. Am I better off taking an AC and work with the greater heat or keep getting the hang of the Gauss?

You already know everything you need to, just need to decide if you like the gauss or not.

Gauss is certainly a great weapon, but any weapon sucks if you cannot use it properly.

[Leone]

Personally, I took out an FS9-H and loaded it up with a gauss rifle an 30 shots and didn't allow myself to add gauss on any other mech till I ran dry two matches in a row. It takes time to learn, and I learnt it easier when it was the only thing keeping me alive, rather than one of many.

Now, for further advice, I direct your attention towards...
http://mwomercs.com/...ting-thy-enemy/

Built for assault tactical suggestions, you could probably take away a thing or two that'd help elsewhere as well.

~Leone.

[Morggo]

Okay.... a few hours in and my average is already up to 7 to 9 minutes (from 2 minutes), 200 - 300 damage (from 50)... several games I was the last mech left!

Going to keep practicing all the advice but overall thankyou everyone for the tips... I've taken a bit of everyone and it's worked out great so far.
And thank you RedEagle86 for the Zeus build, it's working a treat with the new tactics.

Off to make more slag than me! Cheers!
Morg

[Chados]

What works for me is building the mech to suit my personal style. I'm a brawler who lives by heavy weapons and mobility, or in my other preference, a rocketeer who wants to be able to brawl when out of missiles.

Case in point: I'm leveling Summoners. I was having all sorts of problems with the SMN-Prime. They only have three hardpoints. And a single uAC10 and ERPPC combined with LRM10 or 15 was so inconsistent for me. I had one 600-plus damage match and a bunch where I couldn't break 150.

Then I thought of an unlikely model for improvement...my Victors. Everyone reading this is going to go "say what? Victors suck!" Well, they don't suck for me; I play them like you would a 50-60 ton skirmisher concentrating on one or two weapon types. I often score 4-500 damage with them. One of my most consistent is a VTR-9B, 1xAC20, 2xPPC. I call it "The Citizen," because it just gets up and goes to work, and gets the job done. Sometimes I switch out the PPCs for LPLs.

It caught my eye last night that the SMN-Prime has a similar hardpoint layout to the 9S and 9B Victors, just backwards with the ballistic on the left instead of the right, and you can't run two PPCs on the Prime. I dropped the missiles entirely and installed a uAC20 and four tons of ammo instead of the uAC10 and missile pod, and played it like I would play a Victor. And suddenly...it was a different mech! I was contributing again, and I learned that I really like Clan ballistics. I liked the uAC10 but I really like the uAC20. I'm looking at giving the SMN-D right arm a shot, and rolling with two cERLL; they do the same damage as an IS LPL but have longer burn time and much greater range. But I like the ERPPC very much for the range and EMP unmasking of ECM.

I would tell you that you should outfit your mech to suit how *you* fight. There are many different ways to set one up. Turning a Summoner into a quasi-Victor would not work for most people, but it works for me. Look at the weapon types and think about who you are in the battlefield. If I'm not slugging it out with bad guys I'm not happy, and I can't concentrate on multiple weapon types, so I do best with fewer and heavier weapons. Others do best with lots of one type (i.e. boating) or a mix of two or three, and need a mech that can be set up for them. I like Victors for their mobility and hardpoint layout. I don't like the Zeus because to play my style it ends up being left handed and it bugs me. I don't like the Atlas because it needs at least three weapon types to be viable. I don't like the Banshee because it has no jump jets. So, Highlanders or Victors for me, for assault mechs. Your mileage may vary.

Welcome to the game. And have fun

[Rogue Jedi]

I could not agree more,
a "meta" loadout which works for competitive players will not usually work well for me, most of my loadouts have been figured out by me, in several cases my favourite loadout is similar to a meta loadout, indeed in several cases my favourite loadout later became meta, however I have not often had success if I deliberately set a loadout others suggest

However many players seem to do well in a meta loadout

[Elizander]

Sidestrafe's videos when he plays his lights and mediums is good for pop and shoot tactics. His more recent video with a 3 UAC Ilya can show you how to play a DPS/high facetime mech. You can pick up the basics of what you need to do to not die and to deal damage from watching those and apply it to almost any mech (those without high hard points must settle for peeking from the left/right side to get their potshots).

Edited by Elizander, 24 October 2015 - 06:32 AM.

[Morggo]

I have to agree with Chados, Rogue Jedi... pretty much everyone in the thread.. especially with 'non traditional' tactics and tips. I seem to be doing better with non-meta angles but it's all very helpful.

Overall, last night was a great time, and my games were of course not 100% wins, but man am I doing better. I was loving the game before, now it's just that much more fun. Now that I'm over the proverbial hump with the basics and surviving, I can start to focus on the improvements. I'm sure I'll have lots more questions to ask when I get stumped

I will say, while it's not my thing and I just can't get the hang of 'em.. I have so much respect for those Light Pilots... those guys are both talented and stone cold nuts all at the same time... and deadly Props to any of you reading.. and get off my flank!

[Rogue Jedi]

That is great Morggo,
Most of us who offer help want nothing more than to help newer players like you.

But if I see you on the enemy team as I mentioned in the edit of my first post you will probably become my primary target, and there is about a 50% chance I will be in a Light so watch your back

And if you have any more questions of course please ask

[Spheroid]

The Wolverine-7D is piece of junk. There is no other explanation needed. Even I guy who loves Wolverines like myself found it a chore to play.

You could easily get better results with something ten to twenty tons lighter, even with stock engines.


Play a different mech.

[Morggo]

I did see your edit.. and of course, wouldn't expect it any other way!

See you all out on the field... and watch out, weather man is predicting heavy showers... of LRM's ...

Edited by Morggo, 24 October 2015 - 01:12 PM.

[Spleenslitta]

Good to hear you're making progress Morggo. If you play a lot for 2 weeks there will be little we can actually teach you.
I'll keep an eye out for you when i play.

[Spetulhu]

So far I'm still bad but getting better. I just have to always be aware of location, location, location. Where am I (going), where's the enemy (going) and where's my team (going).

And ofc, I have to have a look at my weapons and the enemy in my sights. Last game I managed two kills in a light by getting at weakened enemies and shooting them in the back, then messed it up by getting too greedy. I spotted an unaware Atlas and instead of carefully getting in position to hurt it I had to sprint closer, take a few ineffective shots and then run away across half the map where some fresh enemy took me out because he had spotted me from far away. Yes, the objective is shooting the enemy - but one should think about how and when. If I had stopped to think (well, moved into cover to think) when seeing the Atlas I could have taken a better position and really hurt it.