63 replies to this topic

[Freeman 52]

Hello, everyone. New player here, 20 years after buying my first Battletech box but getting consistently destroyed in my first two dozen matches in MWO. I realize the learning curve is steep, and the elo problematic. Still, I would like to contribute a bit more.

To the veterans out there pissed out at noobs: please give us something to work with! When to push, when to flank, when to rereat, what target to focus on. So far I see people bunching up and basically loitering, and clearly that does not work against smart rivals.

Now onto my case:
1. I have tried mediums so far in various roles, but it seems like you need actual team tactics to be a useful medium, at least if you are not great at stealthy sniping (I am not). I am considering moving on to heavies, maybe Cataphract as first c-bill purchase. Some advice on the medium vs heavy dilemma would be great.

2. Beyond what are good beginner mechs (Hunchback, Stormcrow...), I would like to know which roles/class/build veterans would find more useful in a random pug. Meatshields? Fire support? Scouting? I can't realistically aspire to get kills (other than friendly fire, ahem...), but any useful support role would be just as fun for now.

I have not yet committed to the game and real life tends to get in the way. But help me be more useful and maybe I will become a regular after all.

Thanks!

[Rogue Jedi]

the reason Medium Mechs are usualy the suggestion for a new player is that they are fast enough to stay with the team, and get out of a bad situation and offer the most versatility.

1) this is a team game, and unless you are dropping with a group you have no way of knowing what roles are already filled, medium vs heavy does not matter too much, you are looking at higher speed (medium) vs higher armor and firepower (heavy), however more armor does not necessarily mean more survivability, as more speed means you have a better chance of getting out of a bad situation

if I was to go into detail on roles it would take hours, here are the basics
scout/spotter
that role can be filled by most fast Mechs, some of the best include Raven, Spider, Locust, Comando.
harrasser
almost any fast Mech can fulfill this role, however the Jenner, Firestarter and Stormcrow are probably the best
skirmisher
a fast Mech designed to keep moving but not get too close, and to keep the pressure on, a slightly slower version of the harrasser, most medium and fast heavy Mechs can fill this role
brawler
Mechs designed to get close and give or take a lot of damage, some Hunchbacks, the Centurans, Stromcrow, Timber Wolc, Thunderbolt, and Atlas fill that role
fire support
Mechs designed to stay behind the brawlers, and give a lot of damage, good fire support platforms include the Dire Wolf, Stalker, King Crab, Catapult, Jagermech, Blackjack, some Hunchbacks, some Stormcrow builds, some Timber Wolf builds, most Mad Dog builds

as the team makeup is random you have no way of knowing what roles will already be on your team

2)
as you noted already the Hunchback and Stormcrow are often recommended as good starter Mechs for very different reasons, the Stormcrow is one of the most powerful Mechs, is fairly expensive (about 12 million), has excellent hitboxes meaning it spreads damage pretty well with minimum effort, and can be configured for almost any role thanks to its omnipods. however it does have some downsides, you will receive a lot of attention from the enemy team precisely because it is such a great Mech, and as it is so easy to pilot it will not teach you much. I would recommend a Stormcrow as a second or third Medium chassis, not the first.

the Hunchback is fairly cheep, total cost for each Mech after upgrades will probably be about 6.5 million as the Mech works well with a standard engine, usualy you will want to upgrade to double heat sinks and endo steel, then swop the stock std200 engine for a std250 or larger, and use the rest of the weight on extra ammo or heatsinks.
each varient is a specialist, they all have excellent quirks for their stock weapon system, the strength of the quirks makes it highly advantageous to keep the stock main weapons, the variants include the 4G, an AC20 brawler, the 4H, an AC10 skirmisher, the 4P an ML brawler/skirmisher, the 4SP an SRM skirmisher/brawler, the 4J, an LRM fire support platform and the Grid Iron ^{(a Hero Mech, you will have to spend real money to get it)}, a Gauss fire support platform. the Hunchback name comes from the large Hunch containing most of the weaponry evident on all Hunchbacks except the 4SP, you should quickly learn to protect the hunch, knowing how to do this will help later when you are trying to defend vulnerable components.

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 04 August 2015 - 01:46 PM.

[Kell Morgan]

Some medium mechs are good. Look into metamechs.com for build ideas. I honestly like the lrm10 hunchback. some mechs just don't cut the mustard, but looking on that site should give you good ideas for powerful mech builds with a lot of damage.

Also remember that hardpoint locations are key! Like a dual gauss Jagermech doesn't need to stick out as far to shoot as its hardpoints are really high up..

[TwoFistsofFear]

As a fairly new player myself, the best advice I can think of is to just keep at it. My first few matches were just horrendous, and I still have terrible matches pretty much every play session, but the more I play I definitely see an improvement in my stats. I've been playing maybe a month to a month and a half regularly and I've gone from <100 damage per match and no kills, to averaging around 300 damage with a few kills, and all kinds of assists and whatnot. Now, I will never be more then a middle of the pack player, but seeing this progression as I go along has definitely made the game more enjoyable for me.

Another thing to do, would be to find a unit that's welcoming to new players. When you're on a team that's using focused fire and coordinated tactics, and you see how effective they are when put to practice, it makes the game insanely fun.

Edited by TwoFistsofFear, 04 August 2015 - 02:07 PM.

[InspectorG]

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 12:59 PM, said:

Now onto my case:
1. I have tried mediums so far in various roles, but it seems like you need actual team tactics to be a useful medium, at least if you are not great at stealthy sniping (I am not). I am considering moving on to heavies, maybe Cataphract as first c-bill purchase. Some advice on the medium vs heavy dilemma would be great.

2. Beyond what are good beginner mechs (Hunchback, Stormcrow...), I would like to know which roles/class/build veterans would find more useful in a random pug. Meatshields? Fire support? Scouting? I can't realistically aspire to get kills (other than friendly fire, ahem...), but any useful support role would be just as fun for now.

I have not yet committed to the game and real life tends to get in the way. But help me be more useful and maybe I will become a regular after all.

Thanks!

Welcome!

Best advices i can give:

Think more 'peek-a-boo' until you get that down. You want to get favorable trades. Eating as much damage as you give is not favorable on average.

Positioning is a skill and art. Terrain has unlimited HP. Think about it.

Many enemies never look up.

MWO is about concentrated fire, hang near your heavies/assaults(not too close they need room as well) and try to focus down enemies.

Lower mouse sensitivity in game to almost none...helps aim.

Learn to torso twist damage.

metamechs.com for a feel of current meta. Good place to learn the base concepts. Its not the bible per se but it has helped me.

DONT be a coward and camp, also dont just blind rush into fire unless its a mad brawl or your team is pushing.

There is no 'tanking' in MWO. Any mech will fall to about any other three that focus it down.

Play fire support. Sniping, bawling, scouting(lols), LRM boats(ugh...no) will come later. Direct fire weapons at range are best. SRMs up close for brawl. Precious few can carry with LRMs, so dont try.
IF you have patience, you could streak boat(Clan-IS cant really do this) and hunt lights but your mileage may vary and do use an Active probe.

Do not fear LRMs, they only intimidate the newbs and bads.

You WILL get frustrated in Solo drop due to the factors that make the team 'bad'. lack of communication. lack of teamwork. Brainstem level of tactics. Blaming. Griefing.

NASCAR is when the team just takes off -usually to the right- and circles around the map in hopes of catching the enemy slows all alone. Dont be a slow on your team. Once a NASCAR starts...it only stops with a wreck and caution flag.

Do not chase the cookie too far...its a trap. Teammates will do this and die. You can only laugh and carry harder.

Aim for cored components, RT being usually a safe bet. You 'Leg' the lights but expect odd damage as the hit scan is a bit wonky. many will cry about the Arctic Cheeter being invincible. These people cant aim at legs.

Despite peoples b*tchin, Assault is a good mode, they just cant wrap their brainstem around defending base. Much lols.

Solo, Group drops, and CW are pretty different games. You MAY wish to join a Unit and drop Group/CW. Very different experience when you have decent leadership. Different Meta as well.

As far as your medium mech is concerned:

Stormcrow for Clans is justifiably considered OP. It can do about anything but jump. It is not God, despite when the plebs cry about.

Inner Sphere: Hunchback is good(has an awesome Hero- the Grid Iron Gauss machinegun), Wolverine is better if you plan on CW. HBK has better Dakka variety. Wolverine has better fire-support/range with the laser-fist.
Both teach you to twist or lose your main gun. Both can peek well.

GL, HF

[Rhavin]

Cataphracts are nice mechs, they suffer from low hardpoints though. The Hero Cataphract and the OX variant are still seen often, the hero because 3 AC 5 's is boss and the OX variant because it can tote ECM and I don't believe there is another IS heavy that can. Thunderbolts are pretty much what all the "cool kids" pilot these days on the IS heavy side. High Mounted Energy hardpoints (and plenty of them), XL less design , and solid hitboxes make it the go-too heavy. If you are in heavy you are generally exchanging speed and maneuverability for tankiness and firepower.

Medium mechs, there are many strong medium mechs, in lore Medium mechs were what numerically dominated the battlefield. Hunchback is the number one suggestion for a new player spending that cadet bonus and there is a reason for it. They are cheap, getting 3 of them is not hard at all, and none of the choices made when buying those 3 is going be a complete waste of C-bills, every HBK variant works and works well. It's reasonably tough if you learn to torso twist, it can be reasonably fast if you buy an endosteel upgrade and install 250 standard engine, it has SO many variants , with some of the best quirks for their respective loadouts that there is no role that the chassis can't play other than to tank. There are other good mediums, griffen, wolverine, cicadia , all of them are solid, but compared to the hunchback they lack variety in their variants. The only "downside" is no ECM variant for hunchback, but in reality if you learn to play well without ECM then when you move on to a mech that has it you will be 10 times better for having not learned to depend on it to cover your missteps. Should you choose the mighty hunchback LEARN TO PROTECT YOUR HUNCH on the variants that have it. Most people that give up on the hunchback do so because they don't follow that one piece of advice.

Lights an assaults, funny how the 2 weight classes at each end are generally considered the hardest to master. Lights have insane speed, some builds have insane alpha strike ability but they are as a whole fragile as eggshells, run into a wall or overheat in front of the enemy and you are done for. They are also expensive to build, they NEED upgrades, XL engines are must and combined with double heat sinks that can easily double the cost of the mech.

Assaults pilots have to have a great understanding of the game to be successful. With the lack of speed inherent in the class knowing where you need to be, why that is where you should want to be, and how to get there (most times alone, with no one watching your back) are the 3 things every good assault pilot HAS to know. All the firepower in the game will not help you if 4 or 5 mechs catch you in bad spot alone. I never suggest an assault mech to any new player.

Good luck

[Audacious Aubergine]

Hey Freebirth brother
The other people posting seem to have a few things covered already, so I'll add something else - try to learn the map lingo that people tend to use. In particular, if you're on Crimson Strait and people refer to "saddle", they mean that hill between the two mountains that leads up from under the parking garage-like platform.
If you're considering a heavy, be wary of the Cataphract - that was my first, the 4X no less, and it was harsh. Low slung primary weapons mean you have to expose a lot of yourself to bring your full firepower to a fight, which tends to get you killed since it can't change direction fast enough to get back into cover. Rewarding enough when you learn to move when everyone else does so you can have enemy fire diverted to teammates, but until then it might not be exactly pretty. MAYBE consider a Jagermech instead.
Only other advice I can give is try to hold target locks for as long as you can, that way you'll be of help to friendly missile boats.
ps: take everything I say with a grain of salt, I'm far from a good player yet!

[Narcissistic Martyr]

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 12:59 PM, said:

Now onto my case:
1. I have tried mediums so far in various roles, but it seems like you need actual team tactics to be a useful medium, at least if you are not great at stealthy sniping (I am not). I am considering moving on to heavies, maybe Cataphract as first c-bill purchase. Some advice on the medium vs heavy dilemma would be great.

2. Beyond what are good beginner mechs (Hunchback, Stormcrow...), I would like to know which roles/class/build veterans would find more useful in a random pug. Meatshields? Fire support? Scouting? I can't realistically aspire to get kills (other than friendly fire, ahem...), but any useful support role would be just as fun for now.

1. Mediums fall into 2 broad catagories.

Quick flankers that will move into any postion that gives your team and edge, you're also on anti-light duty.

80kph or so mediums that are an extra gun for the heavies and assaults.

2. hunchback is the best mech to learn how to play in. It's cheap to build, it's fairly tough, you have to learn to torso twist to protect your main gun, and there's missile, energy, and ballistics variants so you get to try different types of weapons out.

As for which role I find most useful in a new player. Medium mech jockey because if you screw up (and you will, hell we all do) the team doesn't lose out quite as badly as if we lost an assault or a heavy.

[JonahGrimm]

I'm going to give you some very specific, very pointed things you can do in every loadout to be crazily valuable, even if you may not notice.

1) Put a Beagle Active Probe (BAP) on your mech.

It does some nice things for you that will help a great deal, but that you may not notice - your detection range goes up, your time until you see the enemy paperdoll damage readout goes down. You can target mechs that are shut down - but, most importantly?

BAP cancels an ECM module being used by an enemy mech within 180M or so.

Ever run across a mech you couldn't target? One that when it got close ruined your missile locks? That's what you're countering - and it's a hard, hard counter. Your team will love you for it, you'll get XP and Cbills when your team shreds the mech you're targetting, and you'll contribute in a hard way that will make everyone's life easier.

2) Concentrate on just taking one or two different weapon systems (in aggregate).

When you're loading your mech, don't - at the early stages - try to mix and match lots of weapon types. Don't put lasers and PPCs on the same mech; don't run both short AND long range missiles. Don't mix Streaks and Standard SRMs. Don't try to mount four different kinds of autocannon - stick with one.

Also, don't mix weapons intended for the same role. Gauss + PPC is a recipe for frustration, for example. The projectiles move at different speeds, the firing mechanics are inverse of each other... just.. Ugh. Not yet.

Try simple loadouts that focus on one or two weapon types. That's good advice for a veteran, but doubly so for a new player tempted to try every toy in a chassis. It will make your shots matter more, which is important when you won't land many.


3) Try to build your mech asymmetrically.

What I mean by this is, given a set of hardpoints, try /not/ to pair your weapons on opposite sides of the mech. If you have three energy hardpoints in each arm, for example, and you want PPCs - don't put one PPC on each side. Rather, load both PPCs into one arm.

yes, this makes you more vulnerable in some ways, but it also lets you more efficiently place and aim shots.

Aim for builds where you can have two weapon groups - one for the left side of your mech, and one for the right. This lends itself for very intuitive play when you map them to the appropriate mouse buttons.


4) Always pick a partner, and stick with them.

It's easy for people to say 'stay with the group' - but that leads to blobbiness, blocked lines of fire, and a lot of confusion when the explosions start coming.

A much better tactic is to choose a mech in your lance that's similar in size and stick with them. Target what they target, try to go where they go, see why they're doing what they're doing.

Two on one, the advantage is always to the pair - if you do /nothing/ else, you'll at least draw some heat from your partner when they come under fire.

5) Hit the hurt bits.

Never, ever, ever fire blindly if you can help it.

When you see a mech, hit 'r' - target the mech. This lets the team know about the mech, lets other people see the mech on their map, brings help your way, AND will - in just a second or two - show you the damage readout of the mech you're fighting.

once you can see where the enemy mech is hurt, focus your fire on the parts that are the most damaged. Don't aim for center mass if a torso is cherry red; don't shoot fully armored sections if the legs are about to come off.

Again, even if you /die/ - if you've ripped somebody's leg off, or torn off the arm with their big gun? That mech isn't nearly the threat it was. It's a huge help.



Additional bits?


ALWAYS stay and watch the end of the match, if you're killed.

Find the person in a mech closest to your own (e.g., if you're running a medium - go see what another medium pilot is doing!) and watch to the end of the match from their cockpit. Pay attention to their map, to the HUD elements you miss, and see if you can sort out why they've chosen to do whatever it is their doing, and use whatever weapons it is they're using.

Even if you watch a bad player, you are likely to see their mistakes - and that will help you.

Hopefully that will help - looking forward to seeing you out there!

Edited by JonahGrimm, 04 August 2015 - 03:16 PM.

[Unnatural Growth]

I would recommend mediums over heavies to start with. First rule of combat,

Try not to look important, your enemy may be low on ammo.

A Cataphract (great mech btw), is much more important than a Hunchback.

You will get focused on in the 'Phract before you will get focused on in the Hunchie. That can buy you some time (as a Huchie pilot).

I would stick with mediums. The Hunchback is a great starter mech. You can run it pretty much stock, except upgrading to dual heat sinks is mandatory, and do pretty well in it. I would find an assault mech buddy to pair up with and provide fire support to that friendly assault pilot. Shoot at what he shoots at, and protect his back side from enemy lights. But running stock engine, DHS's, and even standard structure and armor, that Hunchback will be fairly cheap to build, so it's easy on your wallet.

Buy 3 variants as you can, and elite up all 3, then either keep the one you like most to master, or if you like all 3 master them all. I kept my -J and -P variants, but sold the -G after eliting it. (way before the quirkenning).

For now, try to follow more than lead, and pair up with at least one more mech, preferably several, and focus fire on what they're shooting at. Watch your mini map and go where your team goes. Even if they all decide to go somewhere stupid (like center on Terra Therma or up the mountain on Alpine), you're better off going with them than going off alone.

[Freeman 52]

Thanks for all the replies so far! Really useful stuff.

Quick follow-ups:

1. Why should a new player avoid missile boats? I just played a few matches with the trial Trebuchet and got more assists, one or two kills, and significantly more damage than with the others so far. So what am I not seeing here? Is it the prevalence of ECM?

2. Why would I want a Wolverine over a HBK if I am planning to go CW? What qualities make for a good investment?

3. How do I find a unit that's "welcoming to new players"? Is the fact that I probably cannot commit to set days/times going to be a problem?

For what it's worth, I tried a TDR and found it slow and tricky in terms of positioning. Mostly it's my ignorance of maps (although some of them I already hate!), but I think I like the added mobility of mediums, 80kph and higher.

[JonahGrimm]

1) I don't think new players should avoid missile boats - but the definition of 'boat' I use is a little looser than most.

Just remember to /always/ take a secondary, significant weapon. Sure, use LRMs, but if you're not learning how to target standard lasers, you've got a problem.

I would also tell you that new players don't use LRMs /well/. If you're willing to get your own locks and actually fight mechs at 300m or so, you're going to be fine. If you want to stand behind cover and lob missiles, you're both not learning anything for any other kind of mech... and you're not being as effective as you could be, given a bit of practice.

LRMs aren't just for shooting across maps.

2) I don't agree with that statement either.

I would tell you that the best CW mech is one you run well. After that? You'll look for things that work better in large groups, that have the staying power to weather a round or two of combat before you'll need to get another mech.

Whatever you use well is always your best choice, regardless of circumstances.


3) Ask! Take a look at the recruitment forums, look online at the training videos and pay attention to who's making them, and ask around the forums. And no, not with a good bunch.

The NGNG teamspeak is a great place just to get a drop in with people who know what they're doing, and are willing to help.

[Koniving]

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 12:59 PM, said:

To the veterans out there pissed out at noobs: please give us something to work with! When to push, when to flank, when to rereat, what target to focus on. So far I see people bunching up and basically loitering, and clearly that does not work against smart rivals.

Thanks!

Welcome to MWO! Always good to see BT players here. We should get together on Megamek sometime.

My time is short so sadly I won't have much help until I edit this post.

In the mean time, announce you're new in either the team chat or the unit chat or the voice. Usually someone will help out.

Also bunching up is the basic tactic that people learn. The issue is that they do not watch their flanks or coordinate / exchange information on enemy positions. This is Absolutely Critical! Encourage others by doing it yourself. If in a pile, watch angles that they are not and report enemy flanking maneuvers. Since ELO always makes sure there's at least 2 experienced players in every match on each team there will be ~someone~ listening who could take charge.

And even if there isn't, there are others like yourself looking for someone to take charge -- so why not?

Good luck. I'll check in tomorrow.
Koniving.
Zhizhu Mercenaries.

[Koniving]

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 03:52 PM, said:

1. Why should a new player avoid missile boats? I just played a few matches with the trial Trebuchet and got more assists, one or two kills, and significantly more damage than with the others so far. So what am I not seeing here? Is it the prevalence of ECM?

Contrary to Battletech -- ECM in MWO is akin to BAP under Double Blind + Strat Ops + Tac Ops + MaxTech + loaded dice. The greatest b.s. you can have.

That said, in addition to that missile boats by definition usually don't include other methods of attack or defense, and wind up like this...

or this...

If you have said defenses however, you'll do quite well.

Here's a rather long vid that will help you.


But now I really, really gotta get ready for work. Good luck! Again, will check in tomorrow.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

try to take as much shots at the enemy as you can without blocking your teammates or straying too far from the main group(minimap!)

use lasers,hunchback 4p is good in this,they are easy to use,high hardpoints,point and shoot.

[IraqiWalker]

For your OP, I have to say one EXTREMELY IMPORTANT thing:

NEVER, EVER, be a meat shield. You're new, you don't know how to damage roll (twisting your mech in different angles to spread the damage across multiple sections), and soaking damage is the opposite of what anyone should be doing. Avoid getting hit, especially in mediums, and rely on being a satellite [in mech roles, this means you pick a big mech and "orbit" around it. Whatever they attack, you attack, and if someone tries to flank them, or hit them from behind, you watch their back, and chase those guys away. Make sure any fair fight the opponent gets into with your big guy, becomes an unfair fight. Turn a 1v1, into a 2v1.]

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 03:52 PM, said:

1. Why should a new player avoid missile boats? I just played a few matches with the trial Trebuchet and got more assists, one or two kills, and significantly more damage than with the others so far. So what am I not seeing here? Is it the prevalence of ECM?

Pretty much what Jonah and Koniving said. You're new, LRMs are actually a good weapon to start with, just don't make it your only weapon, because they are like training wheels, you use them while you learn how to pilot a mech. Once you're done with that part, you should take them off, and start learning how to use all weapons, and advanced piloting. Keep a few with you, but to be properly effective as an LRM boat takes a lot of practice, and most importantly : Map knowledge.

I know every inch of practically every map. When I am in one grid, and there's a target at 1200 meters away from me, all you need to tell me is the direction, and I can describe the terrain to a very accurate level. This helps me decide if I should fire or not, on a target far away. Because I know exactly where my missiles will go. It requires extensive practice, and lots of experience. Which as a new player, you don't have yet. I also know the different firing arcs LRMs have (they have 3, try and figure out how you can trigger them, as a side project, or look in the spoiler for the answer XD)

Spoiler

"Normal"
Targets beyond 600 meters. the launch arc is somewhat shallow, and the missiles then start to climb high

"Elevated"
This is the one that good LRM pilots try to use extensively, since it limits the chance of terrain interfering with the flight path of the missiles. Starts at under 600 meters. The missiles will launch from your mech at a very high angle, and reach their zenith quickly, before dropping down at roughly a 30 degree from vertical on your target. Makes nearly 30% of all viable cover on most maps useless.

"Shallow"
Under 300 meters. The missiles practically fly forward, with almost no arc to their path. Only really useful when fighting under the HPG manifold, and you're in close quarters.

So use LRMs, and use them often if you like them. Just don't make them your one weapon, and please fire them at under 700 meter ranges.

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 03:52 PM, said:

2. Why would I want a Wolverine over a HBK if I am planning to go CW? What qualities make for a good investment?

That's really a choice thing. A couple of the wolverines have good quirks that make them powerful (well, it makes their right arm powerful). Bear in mind, only 1 variant is really top notch, and only one other is pretty good. While the HBKs benefiting from both being tiny, and very nimble (minus the JJs the Wolvies get), and have good quirks all around. The HBK hero is considered one of the best Gauss slinging mechs in the entire game. The G variant is a great AC 20 platform.

Practically every single HBK variant is very good at something. You can have a 4 HBK drop deck for CW, and no one would really bat an eye. (Or 3 HBKs and up to a 70 tonner)

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 03:52 PM, said:

3. How do I find a unit that's "welcoming to new players"? Is the fact that I probably cannot commit to set days/times going to be a problem?

Most of the units I've seen, are very welcoming to new players. Committing to times, and schedules is not an issue, unless you're on their competitive team. If you're just going to be a member of the unit, and drop with them, you can do that whenever you want. I'm in HHoD, and I haven't logged into our TS server in MONTHS. It's not a problem. Hell, I haven't dropped with unit mates in a while, and I am still part of it. When I log in, they say hi!, we catch up on things, and drop together.

Most units are just groups of guys who get together to do drops, and have fun. 90% of us don't even run meta builds, and if you're in the right group, you will always have a few people trying some jack@ss troll lulzy build, like a 12 flamer Nova, or a 1 SL 8 TAG Hunchback P. (I've seen both in action, with hilarious results).

EchoFreebirth, on 04 August 2015 - 03:52 PM, said:

For what it's worth, I tried a TDR and found it slow and tricky in terms of positioning. Mostly it's my ignorance of maps (although some of them I already hate!), but I think I like the added mobility of mediums, 80kph and higher.

A Thunderbolt with a proper max engine can do wonders in terms of mobility. However, they are big, and bulky, and require more experience.

The Heavies are generally DPS (Damage Per Second) machines, that really focus on bringing a lot of firepower at a very good pace. I generally rank them higher than assaults in most cases, when it comes to threat level. They are the shock troops. They have the firepower to melt you to slag, and the mobility to position it where it's most effective.

While mediums and assaults focus on one or the other of those attributes. Here's my advice for you on this subject:

Go play at least 5 matches in each IS trial mech in the heavy, and medium class, and then come back, and tell us which ones worked for you, and which ones didn't. Also, keep saving your C-Bills.

[Rogue Jedi]

Rhavin, on 04 August 2015 - 02:40 PM, said:

Lights have insane speed, some builds have insane alpha strike ability but they are as a whole fragile as eggshells, run into a wall or overheat in front of the enemy and you are done for. They are also expensive to build, they NEED upgrades, XL engines are must and combined with double heat sinks that can easily double the cost of the mech.

not double, quadruple, the total cost of getting a Light combat ready is usualy 3-4 times the basic purchase cost, half that cost is the engine, for the 35 tonners it will cost about 10 million (except the RVN-3L which costs about 13 mil) to buy the Mech and all the upgrades to bring it somewhere close to its potential, however that is just for the first one, later variants will usualy be able to use the same engine so just swop that and you roughly half the cost of the Mech. getting a Light or standard engine Heavy combat ready will cost about the same, some Mediums (Hunchback and Centurion especially) work out much cheaper because they work fine with relatively inexpensive Standard engines

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 05 August 2015 - 07:36 AM.

[SnagaDance]

One thing that can still get me wrecked after 2 years of playing is a lack of patience. 'Getting stuck in' early is a sure way to die fast and horrible. As is blindly chasing after an enemy mech to 'get that kill'.

Sometimes I catch myself playing in such a way, often after several previous games that didn't end in wins and that led me into frustration (it's ok to lose a tight game, or one where I know I did good but the other as a team was better). At such a moment I should switch over to a mech that absolutely requires me to stay patient and at a distance (some sniper for instance), or I should simply stop acting stupid, or I should just go and do something else instead of MWO for a bit.

One thing that I think hasn't been said about the Hunchback yet. They are not only cheap but they are one of the few chassis where the different variants allow you to try out most major different mechbuilds. Lrm-mech, SRM-mech, Laserboat, Heavy AC, Intermediate AC. And it's wonderfully quirked for them as well.
In addition you can experiment with them too. Lighter AC's, PPC's, Large Lasers, never stare blindly at quirks, they are not the defining quality of a mech, merely an additional boost.

[bayoucowboy]

Welcome to MWO!

I would highly recommend:

1 - use the training grounds to learn the maps and terrain (even veteran players do this when new/modified maps come out)

2 - use the training grounds to learn your mech's weapon limitations (range, heat, etc) - overheating is almost sure death in a brawl. Practice using the "R" targeting key there as well, you will learn how the targeting information will make your weapons more deadly by focusing damaged enemy parts

3 - one you pick your mech, stick with it - get 3 variants and "elite" them all. The difference in playing a basic/new or trial mech and one that has all of the elite upgrades with x2 basic bonuses IS significant. The mech packs they sell for actual money are pretty good values for new players (if you want to commit to the game). Otherwise, use actual money to buy mechbays - they are the only limiting factor to the game (everything else gameplay related can be earned in time)

4 - have patience with both yourself and the game - a lot of players have been here for 2+ years and have vastly more resources then you have at start, all of that will improve with either time or money. The player base is on average older (ranges from teens to seniors) and mature, but as any public game there are some jerks in the mix (ignore them, they are not the majority). Group play is more fun, but the matches are more difficult for small (2-4 player size groups) because of the higher average player skill level

I've been playing for about 2 years and am still having fun. Current unit is the Robinson Rangers (RRB) rrb.enjin.com
Real world (work, family) keeps my playtime random, but you are welcome to contact me if you have any questions

[Nerdboard]

Becoming useful is not that hard actually.

1. use the R button
2. call out enemies you spotted if you have voip
3. stick with the team (mostly with the largest group of heavies/assaults you have) -> this is useful regardless of which class you pilot. Just provide fire support. Even as a light or medium you can be very useful here by assisting on whichever target your heavier mechs fire. You can also cover the back of your slow mechs against lights.

As for the role you should play... the one you feel most comfortable with. Take advantage of the new trial mech loadouts which are a huuuge improvement over the old ones and try to find out yourself what you like most.

4. Ignore flames and dont flame yourself.