53 replies to this topic

[Tahribator]

I don't even know where to begin on how wrong it is to claim "There's no individual skill in MWO!".

I've been playing this game for 2.5 years and I'm still learning and improving my individual gameplay. Due to the nature of the localized damage, 'Mech geometry, different 'Mech mobility, hardpoints and their location, weapons, heat management, properly building 'Mechs, tactics, mind-games, positioning, quirks . . . it takes a minimum of months to become decent while taking years to get to where "good" players reside.

Judging by the number of your posts, I take it that you're a new player. Just keep playing and you'll realize just how much depth there is to the gameplay in MWO.

Edited by Tahribator, 14 April 2015 - 04:04 AM.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

1 - Try out LFG. If you can coordinate builds before a drop, your Catapults will be drastically empowered.

2 - Use in-game VOIP. Even if you aren't dropping in a group you can still coordinate. I've had some of my best games doing solo drops and using VOIP to herd the cats into doing awesome things.

[ThirtyOughtSix]

XX Sulla XX, on 13 April 2015 - 09:47 PM, said:

You can do a lot as a single player. Watch some of the top players stream while in the solo queue. Also helps to bring a mech that can help carry a game. http://metamechs.com...ists/solo-list/

I'm real suprised to not see the TDR9SE on that list. That mech is my best performer far and away. Guess I can take that as a good thing because the will be unlikely to nerf it.

[Mechteric]

It's a mix of individual skill and team coordination skill.


Granted, in PUG matches, there really is no team leader, so it all comes down to individual skill (not just with weapons, but also positioning).

If you were to actually play 12v12 drops where each team is communicating and has a clear drop team leader, you'd see it becomes much more about tactics and positioning from an effective leader, but individual skill does still matter just not as much as in PUGs.

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 14 April 2015 - 06:16 AM.

[zeta44]

towards the end game parts (the losing endgames anyway) of a match individual skill can be very important. as much of your team is dead and if you act like an idiot it can cost you the match.

one game in my kitfox i had the opportunity to win in a 1V3 (or was it 1v4...) but unfortunately i wasn't moving enough and got ambushed by a cicada

[Clint Steel]

Individual skill is a huge thing. The problem is the way MM and ELO work sometimes your skill gives you a higher ELO, which MM uses to buff one side up, which can lead to loses no matter how well you fight. One great Mech pilot with 11 other lousy ones can not compare to 12 average pilots.

But you can get the matches where 3 or so good pilots can carry a team to victory, against a superior force. Those are some of my favorite games.

[Spleenslitta]

Versak, on 13 April 2015 - 06:36 PM, said:

This game seems really non-competitive on an individual level. In other games even that have more players in a round, one player can totally wreck. But in this game the nature of the mechs seems to make that impossible. Like I can do 800 damage in my assault pretty easily but it doesn't matter because I'm still losing armor over time. No amount of skill can cause me to not take damage in an engagement unless I literally headshot all the time. Eventually I go down no matter how skillful I am.

When you're not a frontline mech it's even worse. As a Catapult like I frequently am, I'm just boned if the other team has ECM and my team hasn't got anything. I'm just boned if my team leaves gaps for me to get rushed. I'm just boned if no one bothers to press R during battle. If I'm a Raven, I'm just boned if no one wants to engage. I'm boned if everyone just suicides and I have no one to distract for me.

So in a nutshell, this game sucks if you're playing alone, but games like this are generally about "Eh I'm gonna play a few rounds by myself after work then do something else" to a lot of people.

Maybe I'm just stupid to think I can play a support role on the internet, though.

If you're still around OP i got something....unusual to tell you. It is possible to deal damage and not get damaged in return.
Ok. What is the catch?

It's all explained in this thread i made about light mech tactics.
I know this is a guide for fast mechs and you like assault mechs, but there is still stuff that should help you take less damage in there.

It works with any mech that is fast enough actually. I recently started doing these tactics successfully in a Vindicator.
Non Meta Light Mech Tactics Guide.

For example i had a match where i did +450 damage and only received a single PPC shot in return.
Another where i did 277 damage with not a single scratch from a laser or bump.
Could have done more but the match turned into a sudden stomp as my team rolled over the enemy.

[Fragnot]

Versak, on 13 April 2015 - 06:36 PM, said:

As a Catapult like I frequently am, I'm just boned if the other team has ECM and my team hasn't got anything. I'm just boned if my team leaves gaps for me to get rushed. I'm just boned if no one bothers to press R during battle.

Hey Versak, if you like playing an LRM Cat I got a Raven 3L I just set up for NARC and Tag. I'd like to practice with it, but in solo queue I'm never sure if someone else is bringing missiles or not. Add me to friends if you wanna do some drops like that (or anyone else reading). I'm usually on sometime between 7pm-10pm Est US most nights, I got a small TS server too.

[CocoaJin]

Versak, on 13 April 2015 - 06:36 PM, said:

This game seems really non-competitive on an individual level. In other games even that have more players in a round, one player can totally wreck. But in this game the nature of the mechs seems to make that impossible. Like I can do 800 damage in my assault pretty easily but it doesn't matter because I'm still losing armor over time. No amount of skill can cause me to not take damage in an engagement unless I literally headshot all the time. Eventually I go down no matter how skillful I am.

When you're not a frontline mech it's even worse. As a Catapult like I frequently am, I'm just boned if the other team has ECM and my team hasn't got anything. I'm just boned if my team leaves gaps for me to get rushed. I'm just boned if no one bothers to press R during battle. If I'm a Raven, I'm just boned if no one wants to engage. I'm boned if everyone just suicides and I have no one to distract for me.

So in a nutshell, this game sucks if you're playing alone, but games like this are generally about "Eh I'm gonna play a few rounds by myself after work then do something else" to a lot of people.

Maybe I'm just stupid to think I can play a support role on the internet, though.

The thread seemed to be about individual skill, but after the initial question, quickly turned into a, "why can't I dominate the battlefield?" whine? What is this thread ultimately asking for? Premium or top tier mechs that just roll over the battlefield absorbing hits with impunity from all but other mechs of its kind, or delivering so much damage as to make any other aspects of a mech pointless? Or is it a request for armor ups/health packs?

[cSand]

I find this game almost just as fun solo as I do in the group queue, and yes there is tons of individual skill involved as well as team-playing ability

Wierdly enough I would say (in poublic matches anyways) as the size of the group gets in the higher ranges, the level of individual skill required goes down. Granted wrangling 12 guys requires a different skillset.

Hence many of the folks who are the first to yell "GG REKT" at you from the safety of their pug-rolling 12 man , also remain suspiciously quiet after they get worked in a smaller group (see it alllll the time)

Edited by cSand, 14 April 2015 - 09:23 AM.

[Pjwned]

Just because this game doesn't really feature the same skill sets as other twitch shooters does not mean individual skill is not important. There is tons of room for individual skill, and as long as you're alive and doing something useful then it doesn't really matter if you take damage.

Maybe you should play some light mechs if you don't see the potential for individual skill.

[CptGier]

Individual skill in MWO? yeah, some people...I think.....

BUt the thing is, it doesnt matter how amazing you as a player are, there is nothing you can do when 3 minutes into the game, the score is 0-5 and your side has done a combined 11% dmg to the enemy team. You can go on to deal however much, but you will die, 0-5...that is 12 mechs vs your 7. Its basically just clean up after that....

[Khobai]

Quote

people who want 8x8 because their personal skill matters more there don't realize that the less teammates you have the more important the skill of each of them is, one extremely bad player or an afker in 12v12 is way less harmful than in 8v8

except 8v8 still required teamwork too.

8v8 was in my opinion the perfect mix of individual skill and teamwork.

plus 8v8 didnt try to cram way too many mechs on a tiny map like river city

[RockmachinE]

Only an unskilled player would make this claim. Having twitch skill from decades of FPS gaming I can hit really difficult shots.