11 replies to this topic

[krevLL]

So I'm relatively new, I have 4 owned mech's total, which are 3 Mastered Mad Dogs and 1 Timber Wolf - C. I play solo since my schedule doesn't lend itself well to organized play times, but lately I've been getting into Faction Play matches (Clan Wolf Loyalist) and I'm looking for advice on how I can be a useful player. The matches I have played I find that any brawl build (my TBR) doesn't do very well, I just get lasered before I can really do much.

My most successful play style is with my 6xLRM5 Mad Dog builds, one with 2xERLL/3xERML and one with 5xERML.

Drop deck consists of;
The two aforementioned Mad Dogs
1 TBR (4xSRM6 1xLBX20 1xERLL)
1 trial Stormcrow

Any advice, be it builds or tactics or just telling me to stick to Quickplay and not drag people down is welcome!

[Bohxim]

Get a forth mdd and bring 2 srm spammer to the deck along with 2 lrm. Then you can choose accordingly depending on the situation

[Leone]

Well, if you feel more comfertable playing mid range, by all means, go ahead an do so. But, if you choose to try brawling again, I may have some suggestions.

Stick with the team, and, be more patient than me.

I've a Pug Run done whilest basicing my Cauldron Borns with a whole lotta brawling on Boreal Vault if you wanna watch how I like to sweep the map. Pretty much just try an keep cover between you an the enemy base, and engage targets of oppourtunity until your team's ready to push. (And of course, when pushing, there's a good chance you'll hafta lead it. Pugs are not known for thier aggression. That said, we did good this drop, lotta sticking together.)

Let's get back to Lore! Two Stars Vs. Three Lances.

You'll note the distinct Regrouping on the second wave so as to hit em in force, taking fresh mechs against wounded mechs. A seriously good option if you can convince your team to do so. Later on I decide to call for reinforcing third mechs on due to the weight of numbers on our side. Also, Impatience.

~Leone.

Edited by Leone, 01 June 2016 - 12:50 AM.

[Tarl Cabot]

Is armor maxed out or near maxed out?
Is the armor front loaded (6-10 on rear)?

Create a smurphy account and save some of your load outs.

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab

Since FP is more long range to start with, have you lowered your mouse sensitivity to 0.1-0.2 so your cross hairs do not go all over the place?

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 01 June 2016 - 04:15 PM.

[krevLL]

Thanks for the advice, I do enjoy brawling, so it would be nice to get better at that. Definitely considering a fourth MDD, and have two of each type.

That was definitely not what the rounds I played were like, it started with organization but it fell apart once we got into the base on all accounts. But I get that just like QP there will be matches where everyone works well together and some where it doesn't happen. I'm thinking that i should start with a LRM build and use a brawler as a second/third mech. I'm playing around with a ERLL TBR with my weapon of choice with it.

I have a bit less of a front-bias for the armor on my builds, but that's just how I had it set up for QP matches. I have my archaic G5 mouse so I change my mouse resolution as the situation changes, but I'm going to try lowering the game-settings sensitivity a bit.

MDD-P
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f2e64dc89532f2b

MDD-A
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f746fba4e3e7e51

TBR-C
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b4a7314979aa6a3

*Forgive me if the actual variants differ in smurfy. I just used whatever for builds without thinking too much of it with the Awemech app on my phone.

[White Bear 84]

Use comms, let the team know you will work with them rather than just do your own thing. Look at your scores - if you are doing less than 500dmg, even less than 1000 consider if your mech choices are right or if you are positions yourself well/using the right tactics (bad matches and stomps an exception).

Always relay information e.g. if you see lights grouping up on right gate and team is waiting on left, let them know so they can reposition.. ..this kind of stuff. Also, what Tarl says; Is armor maxed out or near maxed out? - Is the armor front loaded (6-10 on rear)?

Be patient and focus on taking enemies out as quickly and efficiently as possible, but do not risk yourself to try and nab a kill for the glory. Take not of the tactics used and how teams counter those tactics so that you can develop your drop deck accordingly.

Edited by White Bear 84, 01 June 2016 - 08:49 PM.

[Rejarial Galatan]

krevLL whit bear 84 is partly right. Being vocal and using R to show us where your target is is vital. But he is horrifically wrong on the damage numbers. It isn't about doing big numbers. Big numbers =\= good. I've done less than 400 damage but had 5 kills, the most kills in that match and did over 1000 with only a SINGLE kill.

What makes a pilot good is how he helps his team, not the damage he or she does.

[Leone]

Rejarial Galatan, on 02 June 2016 - 03:27 PM, said:

What makes a pilot good is how he helps his team, not the damage he or she does.

Whilest Yes... No. Damage is good. More damage all over is not as good as less damage all pinpoint on the CT, but doing high damage let's you know you were in the fight, helping out. Yes tanking, sharing armour, and helping corral your teammates are all good useful things one can do, damage numbers do help give you an idea of your contribution to the overall killing of the enemy.

As for doing alotta damage with few kills, that could be an awesome job by someone who'd core out an enemy and then left em for thier teammates to drop whilest they moved onto the next target. And low numbers with high kills could be someone in the back at too long a range picking up those nearly dead kills. The problem is, numbers raw don't tell the whole story. I've had high damage 'teammates' I'd rather've never played with again since they never really helped the team but just used 'em as ablative armour. And I've had lower damage good teammates, who tried sticking with the team and sharing damage, but didn't have the hang of not getting themselves caught in the open alone yet. Those folk I'd love dropping with again because they try.

~Leone

[Good_Cat]

krevLL, on 01 June 2016 - 08:36 PM, said:

Thanks for the advice, I do enjoy brawling, so it would be nice to get better at that. Definitely considering a fourth MDD, and have two of each type.

That was definitely not what the rounds I played were like, it started with organization but it fell apart once we got into the base on all accounts. But I get that just like QP there will be matches where everyone works well together and some where it doesn't happen. I'm thinking that i should start with a LRM build and use a brawler as a second/third mech. I'm playing around with a ERLL TBR with my weapon of choice with it.

I have a bit less of a front-bias for the armor on my builds, but that's just how I had it set up for QP matches. I have my archaic G5 mouse so I change my mouse resolution as the situation changes, but I'm going to try lowering the game-settings sensitivity a bit.

MDD-P
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f2e64dc89532f2b

MDD-A
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f746fba4e3e7e51

TBR-C
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b4a7314979aa6a3

*Forgive me if the actual variants differ in smurfy. I just used whatever for builds without thinking too much of it with the Awemech app on my phone.

I've tweaked your builds slilghtly,

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b12c084c4781090

Less back armour as LRM boats don't need it. 6 is nice but could go lower.
1 less lazer and more heatsinks for better heat efficeincy.

I don't really like multiple LRM-5's you get good DPS from the constant stream and the damage is more concentrated on the mech centre but a single AMS will cut down you missiles before they have a chance to get anywhere near a target,
I usually go for LRM15's or 20's.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0a9aad3260381ce

Streak Dog / or swap out Streaks for SRM's for a Splat Dog for when it comes to brawling or smashing light mechs

Went with 4's and not 6's as you still get the ERMedium's lasers, gives you a bit of flexibility as a solo player.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a9eae58faa58f98

Timby PPC build TAG thrown in there to help spot for you and your team and ERMedium's for flexibility

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ea7c1bc0bf43d2f

Timby ERLarge laser build same as above but with lasers intsead of PPC's either or....

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...252f6b3d941aef5

Timby mid range laser build

Two easy Doom Crow builds

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5bdd652dd8b4d04

5 Medium Pulse runs fairly cool and the large TC extends the weapons range and speeds up targeting.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a54a9ed85215bf6

3 ERMediums and 3 SRM-6 could fit 4 lasers but this runs cooler.

These should get you started or at least give you a starting point to work from if your going to change them.

Help you team out if your fairly new if you sniping try grab a partner or watch outgoing fire and focus on targets that you team are shooting at also.

High / Low damage, lots of kills, 1 kill doesn't matter its all about effective damage, focus firing, killing of low health mechs to remove weapons from the fight, if you have streaks prioritise lights mechs. Apply damage where its most useful.

Edited by Good_Cat, 20 June 2016 - 06:33 AM.

[Rushin Roulette]

My tips would be;
1. Get rid of LRMs and ERLL and use SRMs and LPL instead.
2. Move together with your team.
3. Listen to what a droplead says and move with the team
4. Focus the same target and move with the team
5. Did I mention move with the team?

The worst thing you could possibly ever do in FP is stay far back alone while the rest of your team is being overrun by the enemy. You may have better than average damage for your personal taste, but you are depriving your entire team of your armour which makes your opponents able to focus the rest of your team much, much faster. This in the long run causes a lost or a closer than it should have been match if your team does win.

If you really want to stick with LRMs, you can still move with your team, but stay slightly behind them just outside of your minimum range of 180 meters (200-300 meters range to your target is perfect). That way you can see which targets are important, you can get your own locks and your LRMS hit nearly immediately (as opposed to the long travel time for shooting at close to 1000m.
There is absolutely no reason for you to take ERLL at all, as regular LL cause less heat and LPL deals much more damage at the ranges you want to engage at in FP.

Edited by Rushin Roulette, 20 June 2016 - 05:55 AM.

[grendeldog]

The single most important part of FP is communication between you and your teammates.

During Tukayyid 1 I dropped as IS with a pug team aside from a single two-man premade. We were up against an 11-man from a well-known and successful clanner unit. We actually won because everyone on the team communicated, giving letter designations for enemy mechs with vulnerable components, giving support at locations where help was requested, and so forth. So even though we didn't have a single drop-caller, two or three people partially filled that role while the rest of us supplied them with information. Furthermore we coordinated our pushes, so that when we had reached a strongpoint we could regroup and then at a given time everybody would push out without stopping.

I've been on the other end of that as well. Dropping with an 11-man from a single unit against clanner pugs I expected we would win. But the designated drop-caller was not doing anything, nobody was supplying said deficient drop-caller with information anyway, people charged in one at a time in dribs and drabs so that they got focused down, and eventually people began to argue back and forth. Needless to say we lost; it was appalling - so appalling that I posted a rant on these forums without naming the unit. That's saying something - I don't get easily frustrated with other people, especially not on the Internet of all places - but it was truly that terrible to watch and to participate in.

So what I urge you to do is to join a unit if you have not already, and make sure that it is a unit that practices. My unit is tiny, but for a whole summer we did nothing but practice drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays for three hours at a time in an effort to prepare ourselves to participate in the comp scene. Real life intervened with new family obligations that meant I had to give MWO up for a while, but that time spent made me a thousand times better of a pilot.

I know that you may be thinking: that's a lot more effort than I want to put in just to get better at playing in group queue and FP. And that's totally legitimate, I don't expect that you'd dedicate near as much time to practicing things as we did. But even practicing once every week or two for an hour will help you. The main things to focus on are taking orders automatically even though your brain says 'that looks like waaaay too much laser to push right now!', remembering to look at enemy components and call them out, and being forced out of your comfort zone like having to drop-call in group queue even though you know you will lose as a result.

Certainly it always helps to have optimized builds, so take the advice you'll find in this thread in that regard. Having a great drop deck and deploying your mechs in the best order for the match in progress is also critical.

But the single most valuable thing for FP is coordination between teammates and between the drop-caller and the other pilots. And practice improves those aspects of piloting tremendously. When I had to drop call during practice it was unpleasant because I knew I was inadequate to the task. But now if nobody steps up during the first minutes of a match I'll take charge, because even though I know I'm still not the best drop-caller, subpar coordination beats no coordination every time.

[CobaltRobot]

@grendeldog, I totally agree.

I'm quite new to MWO but have gotten into the FP scene for a while and have even tried drop commander duty in matches where no-one else has stepped up. I have known games where for some incredible reason we've won without communication but I've put that down to a complete noob team opposing us.

Communication between teammates is something which cannot be overemphasized. But the thing that sometimes ticks me off, is that even though no-one will speak up to be drop commander in pug drops, they'll be all to ready to criticise the commander if he's doing something they don't think will work. Then this will split the team as people wait for a definitive command or just pick what option they like, and then of course effectiveness goes through the floor.

Something that I've come to realise (correct me if this is wrong) but even if the commander gives a 'bad' order, if everyone does it the odds are it will work fine. If you have a better plan, you should have spoken up earlier.

I know you get bad drop commanders, but surely any coordination - even bad - is better than none.