(Very) Average Mwo Play
#121
Posted 11 April 2016 - 11:19 PM
There have been a bunch of threads both here and elsewhere about how different/difficult/amazeballs/whatever Tier 3 is from 4 and 5 because apparently now you're dropping all the time against Tier 1 try-hards and it's super hard but the author is super skilled and it's not so difficult really if you're super awesome like them.
Well.
Firstly, let me say this. I play in what's known as "The Forgotten Time Zone". I've been dropping for a while with only the Oceanic servers selected (I'm pinging up around 500 to both EU and NA which is... more difficult than I'm prepared to put up with unless I have to) at a time when the world population is at its lowest. Very rarely do I wait even the 2 minutes required to open up the MM to beyond my own Tier, let alone the additional 2 minutes it would take to theoretically open it to the full +/-2 Tiers which would allow me to meet Tier 1 players in-game. So I don't know how these NA prime time-based players are finding themselves matched against both Tier 1 super l33ts AND Tier 5 window licking potatoes.
Anyway, Tier 3. Did the skill level go up? Yes. Noticeably. Which I consider to be a good thing. It's tiresome to be matched up with players in their first matches, still learning how to move AND shoot. Not because that's an inherently bad thing to be, but because my gameplay is beyond that level and needing to account for team-mates who can't figure out how to fire weapons in group 2 is... boring. I've found a much more receptive platform for tactical maneuvers like flanking, setting up cross-fire, using UAVs and so on.
Mistakes are punished far more harshly. If you accidentally wander out on front of an enemy team, it's unlikely that you'll survive and if you do the smoking remains of your 'mech are pretty much only good for wandering around giving away your allies position. This I consider to be a feature. For too long I have been relying on my ability to walk away from ridiculous mistakes, not only intact but still useful. It makes for lazy decision making.
Perhaps I'm an unusual case, or just not representative of the more vocal new entrants to the Tier 3 meat grinder. I've been playing for 3 years and while I've still got less than 10K matches under my belt, I know this game pretty well. I know the maps, I know the tactics. I can tell from where the initial engagement occurs on the map, probably how it's going to go. I know the 'mechs and builds, not as well as I should perhaps but better than someone who has just started.
I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like moving up to Tier 3 is exactly what I wanted/expected from going up a Tier. I would expect that a new-ish player who got lucky (or who has some innate skill) and moves quickly into Tier 3 SHOULD get face-f*cked pretty hard for a while because they're skipped out on a bunch of skills which are necessary to play at a higher level. They need to learn quickly to survive.
Is this just me reverse-justifying my own experience? Maybe. Difficult to tell objectively from here.
Summing up though, I've enjoyed the move into Tier 3. I like the tactical depth and the higher skill level required, it's what I want from the game at the moment. Is the skill level higher? Almost certainly. Have I been on the pointy end of that skill jump? Absolutely just watch my videos. I spend a lot of time eating it, hard core. And that's a good thing. Without challenge, we cannot meaningfully improve.
#122
Posted 18 April 2016 - 02:26 AM
I'm done mastering the HBK-IICs and I'm just skilling up some Warhammers because they're just so damn fun to drive. I'm a little behind with my videos so expect a big batch to drop shortly. Remeber, if you just drop in and watch the latest one, YOU'RE RUINING MY RETIREMENT PLAN YOU MONSTER!
#123
Posted 20 April 2016 - 09:03 AM
#124
Posted 21 April 2016 - 09:10 AM
#125
Posted 28 April 2016 - 01:24 AM
#126
Posted 08 May 2016 - 06:09 AM
The videos are all uploaded, I just need to add my comments & meta tags etc. I've built a Wolfhound I find interesting so I guess they're next.
If anyone wants to suggest something, go right ahead, either here or in comments on the videos. For builds or chassis' to try. Or the old classic "Git Gud!".
#127
Posted 08 May 2016 - 07:05 AM
#128
Posted 08 May 2016 - 06:40 PM
#130
Posted 08 May 2016 - 07:24 PM
#131
Posted 14 May 2016 - 12:17 AM
#132
Posted 30 May 2016 - 07:30 AM
I've actually really liked the Wolfhounds, I've done the WLF-2 (6 x ML, XL295) to all Basic skills in, I think, 6 matches. Which is even to my record and not even all 1st of the day wins (or indeed, all wins from memory).
Is this chassis good? Or am I learning to play? Tune in next time to find out if I can handle a laser vomit CRAB!
#133
Posted 08 June 2016 - 09:22 PM
Am I just talking to myself?
Yeah, thought so.
#134
Posted 08 June 2016 - 09:39 PM
Love the volume, great gameplay archive you have going!
#135
Posted 08 June 2016 - 10:32 PM
#136
Posted 14 June 2016 - 07:57 AM
I'm working away in the background to bring everything up to date. I'm sure you're all rivetted.
#137
Posted 14 June 2016 - 06:22 PM
#138
Posted 14 June 2016 - 09:24 PM
At some point I'll probably pick up the Kodiaks but I'm not really an Assault pilot so it's mostly so I can quad-UAC/10 people in the face. It seems like a satisfying thing to do.
Other than that I haven't really been super keen on any of the new packs. I do like the new 'mech pack format, I think buying new 'mechs chassis by chassis makes much more sense than in the big ol' collections from the olden days. Huntsman, Night Gyr and Viper don't really interest me at all. I'd be more like to back-fill the Archer or Rifleman (which are the only other 2 I haven't bought *whale-ing intensifies* ) if I won one as a prize or something.
I've just realised something. My current project is to get Basic skills unlocked on all my IS 'mechs and I'm getting close to finished ("close" is a pretty broad term in this case) but I've got another ... 8 'mechs arriving (I bought the PHawk reinforcement pack) probably pushing out my completion by another ... couple months.
I really need to stop buying 'mechs
Edit: Welcome back, by the way. Haven't seen you around for a while
Edited by cleghorn6, 15 June 2016 - 01:10 AM.
#139
Posted 21 June 2016 - 09:32 PM
many
Crab
videos
.
.
.
(nearly there)
(also nearly finished Basic skills on all the Crabs)
(if only the match maker didn't hate the CRB-27SL so much I'd be done by now)
#140
Posted 23 June 2016 - 03:45 AM
cleghorn6, on 14 June 2016 - 09:24 PM, said:
What lore reasons?
cleghorn6, on 14 June 2016 - 09:24 PM, said:
Thank you, I was on a long break.
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