68 replies to this topic

[Zelumbras]

Adding to what IraqiWalker wrote:

When i play my Commando's (similar gameplay to a Locust), i will often do small, erratic turns but it really depends on what (and how many of it) is/are shooting you!

When i get shot with a few lasers, i will usually wait for them to connect, then twist my torso and do a quick, hard turn. This way, the first few ticks of the laser beams do connect, but the majority of the damage is wasted. The downside is that you will take some damage but if you do it right, that may be something like taking only 4 damage spread over 3 hitboxes out of a 30 damage laser battery. The benefit is that you can move very fast by only avoiding, while you are being shot.

When facing or running away from a 'mech with few but big weapons, you generally don't want to get hit at all, since every single hit has the potential to severely damage or even destroy you!
In this case, i try to "bait" their shot by moving in a more or less straight or a very predictable line and evade just before the big guns hit. Or you pretend to move a certain way, wait for how long you figure it will take them to lock onto you - then do something else!
However, this method only really works against a single target and requires some game knowledge, good timing and fast reflexes.
Still, it is very satisfying to regularily get accused of cheating or being "protected by lagshield" when all you do is using your targets own impatience and tendency to prematurely pull the trigger against them.

The third case is when up against multiple enemies or a very skilled one with mixed weaponary.
In this case, you want to break line of sight as quickly as possible by using the terrain. Do erratic turns (no, a perfect sinusodial curve is not "erratic" ).
You can also try to run into a direction where it is more difficult for your pursuers to hit you without hitting their team mates.

Just remember: "If they know where you are - be somewhere else!"

[Leone]

Venom Turtle, on 25 September 2015 - 11:52 PM, said:

Edit: And apparently I'm out of posts for the day (sigh), so if I don't reply right away that is why. Anyone know when that restriction is lifted?

After your first 25 matches in normal queue that gets lifted. It's an anti spam measure. I was rather miffed by it myself when I started doing cw at 24 matches in. Had to pop out for a last solo run to get my 25 and get counted as a real mechwarrior by the system. Also enables further forums.

As for light on light action, as the locust, you are always the underdog. The arctic cheetah is a whopping 30 tons at half again your size. And a huggin or FS9 is just death descending. That said, here's what I've learned. One, you've tons of torso twist, so never present your back, even when running away. It's hard to do when your still learning the maps, and I still get stuck on terrain, but one good shot from behind an your toast. So, zig zag slightly while running away, taking a hard turn the moment lasers start firing, and once they light you up, then whip your head around and look from the other direction so they don't shoot through the same side torso.

Two, leg em. It's the classic mantra when fighting lights. Just earlier today I escaped an arctic cheetah and a streakcrow who came to clear out the light harrassing the slower mechs. I did this by avoiding the streakcrow like the plague, and scaring off the cheetah by striping it's leg of armour. They coulda had me, had the cheetah kept at it, the larger streak crow acting like some sort of inevitable level hazzard I couldn't let get too close, but the light pilot choose to flee and preserve the leg for later, allow me to run away cackling madly. Of course, had the cheetah pilot been shooting legs instead of torso, well, I'da been scrap that much sooner that fight.

~Leone.

[Barkem Squirrel]

Remember Just Have Fun.


Everything else is secondary, well maybe except from winning. Ask questions in game, you are using the forum so that is good.


There are so many mechs now, so many ways to play them. So Experiment with play stiles, weight classes and even chassis. You may play one mech and think, ok that is not so bad and then play the next chassis for that mech. Then that mech seems to find you and fits like an old glove. Those mechs are going to be the ones you run most of the time, due to having fun in them. Me I have fun with mediums, but there are a few other mechs out there I have fun with.

One reason I say experiment with playstiles is, do unto others as they would do unto you. Play an LRM boat and rain LRMs on someone out in the open with no chance of getting under cover. Even better, have a spider with tag and two other mechs with LRMs running with you. Then take a shower after due to feeling so dirty. One way I have fun is running around in the Oxide jenner with 4 LRM 5's. I can keep the distance a good 200 to 400 m from my target and the speed not to get hit along with working with the group. It's an annoying little build, but fun. Run out of ammo, sneak up behind the direwolves and drop the Arty strike at 20 m and run away. I have even had a few matches where I did more than 720 damage or the number of LRMs that it carries. Think about working behind a mech to 240m and chain firing LRMs, but there is only one problem for the target, he can not turn fast enough to get you away from his back. Then you could just do the circle of death at the same distance.

Running in packs of friends can also be fun like in a 4 man pack of lights (mouse pack) or medium mechs (wolfpack) that run 100+ kph. You want to terrorize those direwolf pilots, show up with a pack of lights and start circle strafing him.

[Big Bertha 00]

Welcome to MWO. Keep playing, have fun. Watch the videos. After you die, make sure to pay attention to how your teammates play. This helped me out when I was first learning.

[Palor]

Locusts are amazing in skilled hands, looks like you will be one of the ones to watch out for.

Just be aware, there exists a mech designed to smash locusts and other lights like the pests they are, be cautious and careful and do not let a streakcrow light you up. I have 1 shot so many locusts with my streakcrow, they never seem to see it coming. If you see a Stormcrow, lock onto it and if it has streaks, avoid it or pop it from long range. Do not engage unless you have to, find an easier target.

[Mazzyplz]

i can confirm that you don't need to worry about being bad; it took me 2000 matches to be decent.
now i am in tier2
i am sure it will take you less.

[Mazzyplz]

make sure you keep your ears wide open to any information - and follow the veteran's command when they ask for help etc.

remember that in this game you have only 1 life - i started piloting assault mechs and it was trial and error to learn where i can stand and not be destroyed LOL - positioning in this game is important; remember that.
sometimes you go around the wrong corner or you make a bit of a hurry without your team and you die; and this happens even to the people who have played thousands of matches

[Mazzyplz]

the secrets to this game IMO are:

learn not to get TOO mad - laugh at yourself when you fail. make jokes with the people in game and laugh.
otherwise frustration will build up. take it easy and you will learn like a sponge

learn when you have played enough - take a break and come back, when you feel like you can bring your good game; not too late when you're too tired or when you have been destroyed too much that you are bummed out; that's no good.
if you are wrecked too much and its taking a toll on you take a break and come back with a fresh idea.

learn how to channel your concentration - try to pump yourself up before the match do a few pushups, throw a few punches; whatever gets your blood pumping cause you will need all the twitch you can muster

[Spleenslitta]

Venom Turtle, on 25 September 2015 - 11:43 PM, said:

I've been trying to do what most of the Locust guides I can find tell me. Stick to the flank, never poke out in the same place twice, when in doubt flee to the friendlies.

I know I am not supposed to take on other lights in a stand up fight, but sometimes I get pegged before I can even flee due to the low armor of the mech. Are there any tricks to escaping enemy lights that anyone can share?

I swear i put a link to my guide in my earliest posts, but apparently i didn't. Anyhow I got a possible solution to that in my guide.
It's best covered in post 2# of the guide. It explains how far you need to relocate after taking a shot.
It's extremely important to take notice of how many enemies can see your laser hitting the target and that staying in one area for a long amount of time is a bad idea.
Non Meta Light Mech Tactics Guide.

Damn....you tempted me. I'll buy a Locust. Never tried them before.

[Tarl Cabot]

Just have to reiterate, have fun.

Winning is great but do not worry about that atm, since majority of the time it is dependent on all 12 working as as closing as a unit as possible, or the other side working less as a unit. But that is okay. It is being satisfied with what you did, looking at what you could do differently next time, what you saw other do, both the good and the bad, and taking things in stride. And how did you hurt your opponents.

And if you get a few mouthers, do not react since if you do you no longer control. Just think to yourself, "wow, did he eat some tainted cereal?" and amuse yourself that maybe he should take the stairs out of the basement to see some sunlight while you are peering out of the attic window...

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 26 September 2015 - 06:27 AM.

[Mazzyplz]

if someone calls you a newb or something - just realize that this person is probably mad at the game for some reason.
maybe he is a good player and his team is all fresh cadets - or maybe it is a less valid reason and he was one shot one match and blown away by LRMs another.

it usually has nothing to do with you.

and if somebody says HA i wreckt u!!! you say - nice shot man!
and you will clear all the bad airs i guarantee

[IraqiWalker]

Spleenslitta, on 26 September 2015 - 06:24 AM, said:

Damn....you tempted me. I'll buy a Locust. Never tried them before.

Welcome to the club http://mwomercs.com/...errated-locust/ we have straitjackets XD

[T0rmented]

looking at the locust score you got it seems to me you are familiar with video games, this puts you ahead of 99% of MWO playerbase. You will only need advice on specifics of MWO and builds now, flee new player help b4 those that think they are helping suggest things like LRM

[IraqiWalker]

T0rmented, on 26 September 2015 - 08:31 AM, said:

looking at the locust score you got it seems to me you are familiar with video games, this puts you ahead of 99% of MWO playerbase. You will only need advice on specifics of MWO and builds now, flee new player help b4 those that think they are helping suggest things like LRM

1- Lrms on a locust? That's a thing that we do as a joke, and I know only one pilot who would run it seriously, and they do amazingly well in that set up, but that's them.

2- New player help tends to have advice to actually /help/ new players. Not stuff them in a LRM locust.

3- There's nothing wrong with trying out all the weapon systems. Telling someone that X doesn't work, won't make them understand WHY it doesn't work. So you show them. Plus, individual experience matters.

[T0rmented]

but ive actually seen people advise others to start learning to play, by using LRMs
Thats like, "here soldier i want you to learn how to fight, have a childs toy gun and charge that fortified position"
When a brand new guy starts in a locust and puts out 800 dmg, he is already well ahead of some of those offering advice

[IraqiWalker]

T0rmented, on 26 September 2015 - 08:38 AM, said:

but ive actually seen people advise others to start learning to play, by using LRMs
Thats like, "here soldier i want you to learn how to fight, have a childs toy gun and charge that fortified position"
When a brand new guy starts in a locust and puts out 800 dmg, he is already well ahead of some of those offering advice

That's not bad advice though.

You gotta understand the game from a new player's perspective.

They are overwhelmed by a bajillion things, and still can't move their mech right after 30+ drops. You give them LRMs as a starter weapon (pretty much the only role the weapon serves, right now), and they can learn how to move around, and walk, and breathe, without 100% handicapping their team.

Add to it the fact that new players are placed in upper tier 4, and they are guaranteed those LRMs will have an impact on the match.

There's nothing wrong with letting new players use LRMs. At the very least, they need to learn how the weapon system works, because you can bet your bottom dollar they will have to face it.

I think this is more a problem of you not realize WHY this advice is given, than whether or not it's good advice.

[T0rmented]

i understand why the advise is given but in this case, someone who shows competency, the best advice there, is avoid the nub cannon, its a trap that will keep you in a spiral of mediocrity

[Nik Reaper]

I don't know all the info you looked up, but at higher levels of players almost all of them mount seismic sensor on mechs they play, meaning that if they are doing cover shooting and they stop behind something to take cover they will detect red blips of moving enemy mechs, so it becomes much harder for medium laser and small pulse laser mechs to close and back stab mechs.

At that point you will need to expect them knowing that you are there and only close to give them a stab when you can see that they are engaged or moving.

Edited by Nik Reaper, 26 September 2015 - 12:47 PM.

[Rhavin]

If in a light mech you find yourself behind an unaware enemy, particularly a solo one, get a target lock and wait for LRM spam to start hitting before lighting them up with an alpha strike. Many times pilots will attribute your pin point damage to the missiles and will not notice you carving them up like a monty Python knight until it's to late. Use your speed to flee, flee around the corner and attack from behind again and again until all their flesh wounds and scratches are terminal in nature and they lie broken amongst the shrubbery. Having ECM helps do this but it isn't mandatory. If you believe they have seismic modules you can wait outside of its range and wait for them to run from the LRM spam before darting in range and lighting them up.

[Venom Turtle]

Nik Reaper, on 26 September 2015 - 12:46 PM, said:

I don't know all the info you looked up, but at higher levels of players almost all of them mount seismic sensor on mechs they play, meaning that if they are doing cover shooting and they stop behind something to take cover they will detect red blips of moving enemy mechs, so it becomes much harder for medium laser and small pulse laser mechs to close and back stab mechs.

At that point you will need to expect them knowing that you are there and only close to give them a stab when you can see that they are engaged or moving.

Is there a way to fool the Seismic sensor by traveling below a certain speed or something?