83 replies to this topic

[Appogee]

Clowntown, on 22 September 2015 - 03:24 PM, said:

Is it worth it for a new player to purchase premium time and a hero mech to reduce the grind? Are the earnings substantially better?

Yes, 80% better.

If you're going to buy a Hero, consider buying a Mastery Pack, and get the Hero and the other two Mechs you will need to optimise that chassis, all for 50% off.

Which Hero Mech will be best for you will depend on how you like to play MWO.

Slow, tanky, high damage, brawling: Stalker Misery.
Faster, more vulnerable, reasonable damage for its size: Blackjack Arrow
Versatile tanky-for-a-Medium: Shadowhawk Grey Death
Fast, high skill, tough-for-a-Light: Firestarter Ember

Of the above...
Stalker will earn overall more CBills simply because it tanks and does damage for longer.
BlackJack is probably most fun to play for a new player, but you'll have more derp games along the way.
Shadowhawk is a bit of a compromise between the two.

Edited by Appogee, 23 September 2015 - 07:22 AM.

[Otto Cannon]

If you like slow and shooty, the Stalker and Banshee are well worth a look. I'd recommend the Stalker especially since it has high arm hardpoints, good hitboxes if you use a STD engine, and a great hero mech version.

[TheCharlatan]

A few pointers:

• Look at the New Player Help and Guides & Strategies parts of the forums. Lots of usefull stuff there.
  
• Look at these sites for ideas: Mechspecs (pilots go here to share builds and opinions on mechs) and Metamechs (a competitive player's blog on MWO mech building and state of the metagame, it's full of usefull infos on the "best" mechs and builds. Just remember that what is "best" is not necessarily "fun" or "good for you".). Others have already pointed you to Smurfy.
  
• Do not disconnect when you die (you can, however, without losing any reward). Spectate any pilot you belive is doing well and try to learn from him/her. Also take a look at what he/she is driving and if it looks like you might enjoy it.

I hope this helps.

Good luck and welcome to MWO!

[KHETTI]

Hey Clowntown, welcome to Mechwarrior online cadet!.

I'd recommend you take some time to watch the various tutorial vidoes put up by community members, you will gain lots of useful insight,tips and tactics that will help improve your odds in battle.

Get used to using the training grounds, it can be used to get familiar with map layouts, testing out how a mech feels and performs, testing loadouts, gunnery practice.

Find the weight class you are most at ease with and enjoy the most, the medium weight class, in my opinion, is the best class to learn and improve from initially.

A really good solid medium class Hero is the Yen Lo Wang, as the Centurion is a very solid mech chassis, its XL friendly, making it fast, and that AC20 hurts enemies a lot if used to its full potential.

Premium time i would say at this stage would be for most part wasted, wait until you are more confident, then you can atleast make the most of it while you are playing.

Finally, competition is tough here, and only gets harder as you rank up, so don't expect an easy ride, but never give up without a fight and in time you will be rewarded for it.

Good hunting, may your aim be always true.

[Greyhart]

If you are looking to buy with MC consider the mech mastery bundle they are the best value in the game.

run around in trial mechs and expect to do badly because it is a hard game. Have fun as that is what it is about.

wait for sales as well. they are reasonably regular.

[Obelus]

Try the new ingame tutorials for quick easy money.

The Misery is a good hero mech but it's slow.

[Lootee]

My advice is don't buy anything. You can earn free premium time and mech bays from the events.

[Revis Volek]

Buy a SCR or a TBR and go to town...

DO NOT BUY A HERO FOR YOU FIRST MECH, only if you truly love the chassis is it a good idea to waste money on a hero.

[MechaBattler]

Premium time is good if you have the time to play. It'll take some of the edge of the grind. Hero mech is questionable as others have said. I suppose if you were willing to get a lot of money to buy the Timberwolf with the bonus on it. Then you could have 30% c-bill bonus and the best heavy in the game.

[Lorian Sunrider]

Clowntown, on 22 September 2015 - 03:42 PM, said:

Thank you, I will start looking for a unit to take me in, even though I am a newbie!

As for my playstyle, I really enjoy the Assaults and Heavy mechs, with lots of armor and slow. Powerful weaponry.

What are some good heavy and assaults that fill this niche?

Hey Friend! Our unit is called GROG. While not the most active of units compared to some, we are incredibly friendly and have no issues helping out new players.

Our forum page is here http://mwomercs.com/...-casual-gamers/ and if you post a message tKhrist, our unit leader, will gladly add you. Even if you don't want to join the unit feel free to add me in game and I'll do some drops with you

Clowntown, on 22 September 2015 - 04:09 PM, said:

Well my first mech purchased is the Hunchback 4J, I'm running it with two 10 LRM-Artemis and 5 small lasers.

Hunchies are great. I'm leveling the 4J variant myself right now too. I have mastered the Grid Iron, 4G and 4P and love them all.

As someone mentioned, Mastery bundles are a great option if you are just starting out. Not only does it get you premium time as part of the bundle, the Mechs cost about 50% less than they would separately, and it gets you a hero mech as well. And as mentioned earlier in the thread, you need 3 variants to fully develop your skill tree in each mech, so getting three in the bundle is great.

This is a great (if a bit long) thread on the Mastery Bundles http://mwomercs.com/...eviews-welcome/ . My biggest recommendation is that if there are trial mechs available of the bundle that interests you to play around with those for a few matches first.

Sader325, on 22 September 2015 - 03:47 PM, said:

Do not buy a jenner first.
I've made bad life decisions...

You are a horrible person! Jenner's are awesome! It was my first mech that I got good with out of the Founders package, and I love them to this day. Yes they are one big CT but they teach you to play light mechs better than any mech except maybe the Locust.

Edited by Lorian Sunrider, 23 September 2015 - 08:57 AM.

[Kushko]

This baby has never let me down and is one of my favorite hero mechs: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0ffaab401492bdc

[generalazure]

Clowntown, on 22 September 2015 - 04:09 PM, said:

Well my first mech purchased is the Hunchback 4J, I'm running it with two 10 LRM-Artemis and 5 small lasers.

Just get another 2 hunchbacks, they are cheap, come in different flavors and the increased skill boni for having 3 are significant imho. If you need an expensive engine for your builds, buy it just once and swap it around as needed. I can recommend the 4G and 4P for getting into ballistics and laser vomit playstyles respectively.

[Lyoto Machida]

Since you already have a 4J, I'd recommend picking up the 4G and 4P. Hunchbacks are great to learn fundamentals in and you'll have one variant of each weapon type (missiles/ballistics/lasers).

You need three mechs of one chassis to unlock elite pilot skills and that will give you 2x pilot skill bonuses once you finish the 4 elite skills.

QuulDrah, on 23 September 2015 - 06:51 AM, said:

run around in trial mechs... a lot.
try different chassis', until you find your preferred playstyle/weapon.

do not(!) commit a lot of money into stuff you will later abandon because it does not suit you.

learn to use smurfy: BL-6-KNT

never spend GXP to level a mech!

PS:
Smurfy is an online tool where you can 'dress-up-doll' with mechs. the above loadout is just an example to provide the link!!!

PPS:
know, that upgrading from standard to double heatsinks is expensive, AS IS downgrading again!!!
that cost me some money early on :-(

Give me some examples of when you would downgrade back to SHS.

[Kristian Radoulov]

Top T1 player here. Premium time that comes with a mechpack is your best use of money. I suggest the invasion variant stormcrow for a beginner since it is one of the most consistent performers and can support a variety of different builds and playstyles.

If you don't use consumables each match, you can get away without premium time, but your c-bill earnings can be negligible (break even) on losses if you use consumables and don't have premium time.

Good luck!

[Lootee]

Lyoto Machida, on 23 September 2015 - 10:34 AM, said:

Give me some examples of when you would downgrade back to SHS.

Can't think of anything except maybe some mech that only uses gauss rifles and MGs. But if you already spent the money upgrading to DHS it's a waste to downgrade.

Or a really terribad Atlas build with XL engine + endosteel + ferro fibrous eating up all the internal spaces leaving no room for 3-slot heatsinks.

Edited by Lootee, 23 September 2015 - 11:23 AM.

[QuulDrah]

Lyoto Machida, on 23 September 2015 - 10:34 AM, said:

Give me some examples of when you would downgrade back to SHS.

If you need the slots...but, yes, heatsinks was a bad example...
Ferro/Endo might make sense...

And I never said it would be a sensible move... just one I mistankingly made when I was fresh.

[Jazzbandit1313]

Give many cookies to PGI and pilot any IS medium. You'll do just fine.

[Troutmonkey]

Jazzbandit1313, on 23 September 2015 - 12:18 PM, said:

Give many cookies to PGI and pilot any IS medium. You'll do just fine.

Except the Vindicator. That thing is made from wet cardboard.

Personally I find Stalkers to be a great assault. Peek and shoot with high mounted energy will always be good regardless of quirk changes down the line. My first $$ purchase was the Misery hero back in open beta and it's still a great mech today that rakes in the cash. King Crab is also a good IS assault that punch serious punch and can twist for days.

If you haven't already, try the new Mechwarrior Academy for extra Cbills and some useful tips. And, as others have said when you go to make your first purchase, seriously consider the Mastery Packs - they are good value. You NEED to fully Elite 3 different variants of a chassis to really get the most out of them. The difference between a Basic skilled mech and a fully Elited mech is huge. The new player forums has more information that could be useful for you

[Lyoto Machida]

Jazzbandit1313, on 23 September 2015 - 12:18 PM, said:

Give many cookies to PGI and pilot any IS medium. You'll do just fine.

He's already got an HBK...why not get the other two? Money probably isn't flowing all that well when you're a new player and the 4G and 4P will teach him how to use the other weapon types. In the meantime, he can rack up c-bills using the 4J to grind.

[Fuggles]

if you like the game and dont mind spending money on it, the mech packs are worth it. the premium time, c-bill variants, mechbays and mechs you get will allow you to get more xp/cbills faster and you wont have to spend earnings on mechs, you can buy modules instead.

clan mechs are actually a better value, youll spend less real money on IS mechs but then youll have to outfit them all with DHS and engines. in addition, the prime variant of the clan pack becomes your "hero mech" and you can run nearly any configuration you want vs IS heros which are limited on hardpoints and quirks.

Edited by Fuggles, 23 September 2015 - 05:44 PM.