26 replies to this topic

[Questia]

Okay, the title is definitely clickbait (no offense to anyone really, it's just a common term). But trust me guys, here's something that needs immediate attention. Hear me out, this is for our common good.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of complaints about 'n00b players' (pick an insulting name, any such name) in their games, both in the normal queue and in CW. While the tales are many and the situations varied, the common thing is: "Noobs are ruining the game!"

Now the question stands as to why this isn't in the General Discussion forum, where the topic is likely to be headed. There's one good reason for that: I want new players to see this topic, so they won't have to struggle as a lot of us did.

So what do I ask of you fellow Mechwarriors? It's simple: teach us new players how to play as good as you do. Yes, the question is simple. That, however, is deceptive. It's not as simple as a collection of tips, I know, but that's exactly why we need your help - because it's never gonna be simple unless we learn from the best.

To put things in a better context, this is the thread where (I hope) people can help players, old and new alike, become better players so that by the end of this topic's life, there's a significant decrease in the number of 'n00bs' in the game. Wistful thinking, but who knows?

tl;dr, How 2 play?

EDIT: Though I'm not that picky with who is giving advice, I'd like to make an appeal to the big-name players like... say, those on the top rankings in the recent Tukayyid event. Say, someone from high up in 228 or MS?

Edited by Questia, 01 May 2015 - 06:23 AM.

[Appogee]

Or stop dumping noobs into vets' teams and expecting this to create:

• an 'average' team.
  
• an enjoyable game experience for noobs
  
• an enjoyable game experience for vets

Some noobs want to learn and improve. Others just want to derp around and ignore any piece of tactical advice that is passed on to them.

For those who want to learn, and take advice, and improve, I am always happy to help. (I have several in my unit who I'm helping at this very moment.)

Edited by Appogee, 01 May 2015 - 06:27 AM.

[Strykewolf]

There's plenty of us out there who have no problems with 'noobs'. Only real advice to 'noobs' I have is to pay attention...if you're learning, follow the main group and/or attach yourself to someone that appears competent (heh, appearances are deceiving, much of the time). If you are consistently dying early; rather than quitting the game; spectate the other players. If you have questions, when in the mechbay, type a players name in the add friends box and if accepted; ask away. Check the cw/unit forums; look for the faction/clans teamspeak hubs...plenty of folks out there are willing to help. In a match? A lot of times we're in 'kill big stompy robots' mode...and, don't always catch something in the chat boxes.

Hell, depending on how long I've been awake, how much coffee I've had, how much alcohol I've had,and a few other things; I go from 'OMGWTF is he doing?' to 'How the hell did he pull that off?'...and various stages in between...I am a noob...I am an old noob. I do not, necessarily, follow conventional wisdom on how to play various maps. I don't follow meta-builds, unless it's by accident. If I am solo dropping, whether it is in public or cw...I choose what I am going to do. That includes whether, or not, I follow someones 'orders'; follow the pack, or, use conventional tactics.

I will choose to look for help on something, if I feel the need to. Such as when I got tired of 200 point games in CW. After running with some folks, that I chose to run with, my scores have improved dramatically. Will still have cruddy games, at times.

I run battlemasters, quickdraws, shadowhawks, and commandos in my drop deck quite regularly. I do not own a stalker or, thunderbolt. Neither appeals to me, as yet, so I haven't acquired them.

[Modo44]

Read the guide. Use good builds. Watch streamers. Most importantly, have fun playing a lot, prefarably with friends. MWO will kick your face in for the first 1000 of matches, and that is assuming you are willing to learn. You may think less if you come with solid FPS experience, but there are enough unique things here to keep that number high.

[sycocys]

Single best piece of advice - get you butt on a TS hub and talk to other players. Whether its in your faction or outside for standard drops. The in-game stuff is nice, but to discuss things between players and inbetween rounds the TS servers are invaluable.

Edited by sycocys, 01 May 2015 - 08:20 AM.

[Palor]

I would say... Do Not Buy an Assault Mech for your 1st mech. They are slow, clunky and awkward to learn to use. If anything, a Medium class machine is what you need, they are a good balance of speed and firepower.

Once you buy your machine, buy 3 variants and get your Mastery in, don't pick and choose machines all willy nilly.

[MechWarrior3671771]

I think its less about vets and noobs and more about players with no self-awareness.

Yesterday I got yelled at for "being a noob who can't drive a Stalker" when I collided with a retreating Heavy.

Never occurred to him that *he* was the one that caused the wreck. Oh no, its always someone else's fault....

[Mazzyplz]

how dare you clickbait me good sir! shame on you!!!!

well no harm done i guess, i'd like to take this opportunity to give more exposure to a little video tutorial i actually made so you can be proficient especially when working with a team or unit; these tips i haven't seen anywhere else as to how to work with team mates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Edited by Mazzyplz, 01 May 2015 - 10:26 AM.

[Anunknownlurker]

Can you replace "noob" with "newb(ie)"?

To me a "noob" is a careless or foolish player, whereas a "newb" is simply someone who is new to the game; they have different meanings.

We were all newbs once but not all of us become noobs!

Seriously though, this is currently one of the best and friendliest player communities I have met in many years of online gaming and nearly everyone with more than a thousand drops under their giant, stompy-robot feet would rather assist a new, keen player than have them fail badly.

Use comms,it really help,but be concise and accurate; don't just say "help" say where you need it
stay alive
follow someone,anyone, it's better than being alone (to star with anyway)

Watch and learn, spectate when you die, you'll be surprised what you can pick up. Most of all have fun.

[WonderSparks]

Strykewolf, on 01 May 2015 - 07:06 AM, said:

...attach yourself to someone that appears competent (heh, appearances are deceiving, much of the time)...

Sorry for not reading the rest of your post, but this caught my attention because it reminded me of how someone felt that way about me.
I remember being in my brightly-colored Warhawk A, and this guy decided to follow me into the muck on Viridian Bog. We walked for a bit, and then got ambushed and totally destroyed (iirc). What really stuck out to me was his comment about how he thought everything would be fine.

As you say, appearances can be deceptive. (Of course, following a lone Warhawk like that was just asking for trouble anyways, so we both should have known better than to go that way. XD)


EDIT: I should really say something on-topic, too, while I am here.
Well, uh... Just do not play like me if you are trying to learn! Going off on your own with the intent of a super-secret flank or base attack may seem like a tempting goal, but believe me when I say it rarely works as intended.

Edited by WonderSparks, 01 May 2015 - 10:34 AM.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

@OP:

There are already innumerable threads with advice for new players, ranging from gameplay advice to mechbay and build suggestions to explanations of mechanics.

Ultimately, though, so long as new players only infrequently come to the forums (and even then don't search for appropriate threads that already have the answers they're looking for), the only real fix to this issue is a reworked New Player Experience, including more and more detailed tutorials, a probationary matchmaker, and other similar additions.

[Sonny Black]

Mazzyplz, on 01 May 2015 - 10:25 AM, said:

how dare you clickbait me good sir! shame on you!!!!

well no harm done i guess, i'd like to take this opportunity to give more exposure to a little video tutorial i actually made so you can be proficient especially when working with a team or unit; these tips i haven't seen anywhere else as to how to work with team mates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Speaking of having No Shame...or musical taste!

[Shalune]

Quick and straight forward tips for new players!

Quote

Optimize your mech for 1 thing

I don't mean min/max or copy 'teh best' builds. I mean build towards a singular purpose. Pick a range your mech wants to engage at, and build around that. Basics of what you're aiming for below:

Short range: SRMs, medium lasers, AC/20, (light mech only: small lasers)

Medium range: medium lasers, AC/5. PPCs, large lasers

Long range: LRMs, ER large lasers, PPCs, AC/5s, Gauss

Quote

Position so only one enemy can see you at a time

Limit who can shoot back at you.

Quote

Twist!

Because of how MWO works, you can live longer by twisting your mech when being attacked. The idea is you shoot the enemy, then turn to the side so that when they shoot some of the damage goes into your arm or side torso.

Quote

You're more durable than you think

Leading a charge into enemies is a lot less lethal than it sounds. Don't run in alone of course, but experiment and you'll find you can get away with a lot and walk away alive.

Quote

The team that advances into the other usually wins

It's complicated to explain why, but having played for years in a unit this is almost always true. Forget what you think you know about the defensive advantage.

NOTE: CW is a bit different because turrets, but the attacking team still wins by making decisive pushes, and rarely by drawing out a slow engagement.

Quote

Do not chase the light

Before long, you too will be shaking your head as a single enemy light mech draws a third of your team away from the real fight.

Quote

Follow your team

In MWO, as in many things, it's better to be organized and decisive than correct. Supporting your team in a stupid move will win you games more often than trying to do the smarter thing alone.

Quote

Shoot at what your team shoots

Similar to the previous point. Focus fire kills, takes enemy firepower out of the fight, and tips things in your favor. It's better to drop 1 target fast, than damage several more slowly.

Quote

Never take the low road on Alpine (not conquest)

There are ups and downs to going about every map. It's too complex to get into in this thread, and a lot of them can work in the right context.

That said never go low road on Alpine. It's never a good idea, and almost always results in a terrible loss.

Quote

HAVE FUN

There's a lot of negativity from some players, especially on the forums. And people of all skill levels will want you to play a certain way.

Forget them.

You having fun being stompy robit times? Good! That's all that matters. Team not happy with your all-flamer hunchback? TOO BAD. YOU ARE GETHLISNAR LORD OF FLAME AND RECKONING, ETERNAL BE YOUR REIGN!

Be you.
Be nice.
Have fun.

See you on the field mechwarrior. /salute

[thearticulategrunt]

I know this is breaking the thread a bit but welcome to a wonderful aspect of reality the programers didn't have to program in. No unit is all elite, especially in real warfare. You may have the occasional seal team, ranger squad or other tiny elite force that have been together for years but anything past tiny teams, and often them too, always have the new guy/guys. You will be middle of a campaign and have FNGs show up from command either to replace losses, fill openings or even just "learn from the best". Be thankful it is just a game where even someone paralyzed for life can become a veteran badass and where not only is your real life not on the line when the newb next to you starts pissing himself as rockets and heavy fire starts coming in but where when your buddy drops you can laugh at each other and do it again instead of actually watching parts of the guy you've trained and bar-b-qued with for 3 years get suddenly torn to bits and fly everywhere. Noobs and newbs may be frustrating but without them eventually the game will thin out to be no longer profitable to maintain and it will be gone. So figure out which are the newbs and which are the noobs and invest wisely to help bring along the battle buddy you want to have guarding your back.

This was not aimed at anyone. This was not meant as a slap to anyone. This was just food for thought from someone who has lost friends irl. From someone who has received replacements literally between fire fights and from someone who has had to deliver the news that others special someones were not coming home. Take care gang and I'll see you on the drop zone.

[mailin]

I have been sometimes frustrated by what I really hope are new players. The following are some of the things that are easy to do, often neglected, and cause some of the most frustration.

Stay with your team, press R on your CURRENT target, listen to and use voip, look up sometimes, and check your minimap.

Stay with your team: It is said over, and over that the team that stays together wins. There is strength in numbers. The team that stays together can easily focus their fire, or quickly turn to counter an enemy flank.

Press R on your CURRENT target: I always observe team mates after I die. All too often I see that my team mates do not press R at all, or have pressed it a while ago on an enemy that they are no longer shooting at. Press R frequently and look at the enemy loadout and where he is red or orange, or is he fresh? If you have more than one target, cycle through them by pressing R and look for one with some red. Shoot at him if possible. DO NOT FIRE ON AN ENEMY THAT HAS NO WEAPONS! I see this all the time as well. It's as if people become so blinded by the thought of a kill that they ignore the guy shooting at them to take out the guy that can't anymore. Take out the guy(s) shooting at you, then, when they're all gone, clean up the mess.

Listen to and use voip: It's a fairly new feature and can greatly reduce the one biggest advantage that groups have. The pug group that uses it effectively usually wins. Learn how to use it, and listen to it.

Look up sometimes: look for a UAV if lrms start raining down. They are pretty small, but you CAN and should shoot those things down.

Check your minimap: The minimap will show friendly units near you as well as some enemies. This can help you stay with your unit and be aware of mechs to your rear.

[Rogue Jedi]

the most important things if you want to improve are to understand when you make a mistake and accept responsibility for the conciquences, and to pay attention to what the rest of the team are doing

do not just blame the team for "not backing me up" if for example you in the fastest Mech on the team you decide to do a head on attack against the enemy assault lance and die within 30 seconds of match start, realize you made a mistake and do not spend the next 10 minutes complaining that your team who could not keep up with your 150+KPH light Mech did not back you up. (I see this happening maybe 1 game in 50)

do not assume the team can read your mind, and do not assume just because you suggest a strategy the team will go along with it unless you get some confirmations.

[White Bear 84]

Goddammit, here I was about to white knight for the noobs, instead I have to get off my pedestal and be helpful...

TIP: If you have a build that does not work well, don't shoot yourself for it, try checking in the forums to see how viable it is and ways that other players can suggest improving it. Otherwise follow other tips to keep improving your skill and awareness. nb: you don't HAVE to go meta, find what works for you and does the job effectively for the way you like to play!!

WB

Edited by White Bear 84, 02 May 2015 - 12:54 AM.

[TeteSP]

U never was a noob?

[purplewasabi]

We also need to break the language barrier when in-game. Even though i'm from a non English speaking background, i try my best to relay info back to my team. I usually play lights and scouting roles so its even more significant to speak up.

To my fellow non native English speakers, there is no shame, its all a game and we just want to have fun. The reason why I brought this up is because we have some new players who speak minimal English in our unit and i feel they often get intimidated on TS.

On the other hand, If you hear someone on comms who wasn't very clear or even speaking a foreign language, question them, politely of course. Because its going to be team effort that win games.

[Joseph Mallan]

Questia, on 01 May 2015 - 06:06 AM, said:

Okay, the title is definitely clickbait (no offense to anyone really, it's just a common term). But trust me guys, here's something that needs immediate attention. Hear me out, this is for our common good.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of complaints about 'n00b players' (pick an insulting name, any such name) in their games, both in the normal queue and in CW. While the tales are many and the situations varied, the common thing is: "Noobs are ruining the game!"

Now the question stands as to why this isn't in the General Discussion forum, where the topic is likely to be headed. There's one good reason for that: I want new players to see this topic, so they won't have to struggle as a lot of us did.

So what do I ask of you fellow Mechwarriors? It's simple: teach us new players how to play as good as you do. Yes, the question is simple. That, however, is deceptive. It's not as simple as a collection of tips, I know, but that's exactly why we need your help - because it's never gonna be simple unless we learn from the best.

To put things in a better context, this is the thread where (I hope) people can help players, old and new alike, become better players so that by the end of this topic's life, there's a significant decrease in the number of 'n00bs' in the game. Wistful thinking, but who knows?

tl;dr, How 2 play?

EDIT: Though I'm not that picky with who is giving advice, I'd like to make an appeal to the big-name players like... say, those on the top rankings in the recent Tukayyid event. Say, someone from high up in 228 or MS?

First of all You sound like a Newb (New guy) not a Noob (player without a clue).

Right out of the box, there is no set "THIS WAY". There is a popular way. but it may not work for you or be fun. So first things first, fine what style works for you and do it.

If you are here to play and have fun. Do it!