27 replies to this topic

[Liam Wolf]

Finally got done with my 25 matches so I can write on the forums, which is kind of a turn off I must say.

So never played Battletech and have no clue about any of the factions, So what should I join?

after 25 matches stats are

kill/death 46-12
win/lose 15/10
kill/death ratio 3.83


Any help would be welcome.

[Aresye]

Stay away from Davion and Wolf if you want to have good solo players on your side.

Your stats aren't going to matter in faction play if that's what you intend to do. There's no matchmaking there, and you're going to be in for a rude awakening if you're going straight from cadet bonus to solo faction play.

Anyways, here's a list of the factions in community warfare and detailed write-ups for each:

Inner Sphere
Davion - http://www.sarna.net.../Federated_Suns
Steiner - http://www.sarna.net...an_Commonwealth
FRR - http://www.sarna.net...lhague_Republic
Kurita - http://www.sarna.net...raconis_Combine
Liao - http://www.sarna.net...n_Confederation
FWL - http://www.sarna.net...e_Worlds_League

Clans
Ghost Bear - http://www.sarna.net...Clan_Ghost_Bear
Jade Falcon - http://www.sarna.net...lan_Jade_Falcon
Smoke Jaguar - http://www.sarna.net...an_Smoke_Jaguar
Wolf - http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Wolf

Edited by Aresye Kerensky, 22 December 2015 - 09:25 AM.

[Tyler Valentine]

There is a brief origin video that gives a little background going around http://steamcommunit...s/?id=573656618

Also, Sarna is a wealth of information http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page

In the most vanilla terms, IS is the 'good guys' and Clans are the 'bad guys' but, like real life, that doesn't even begin to sum it up.

Which 'mechs do you enjoy more?

[Malleus011]

Pick the one you like best. There is minimal information here or in game. Sarna.net has plenty.

In quick play, your faction choice is, sadly, irrelevant. In faction play, you'll only get to use Clan tech if you are Clan, and IS tech if you are IS. Faction choice can also affect who you get to fight in a limited way.

[Bulletsponge0]

remember, you don't have to join a faction to play. Unless you want to play Community Warfare, and I suggest you get more experience and have at least 4 mechs fully mastered before attempting Community Warfare. There is no matchmaking there and it is not for the feint of heart.

[Crazed Marsupial]

Any one you like really. The factions are split into two 'sides' - the Inner Sphere and the Clans (they fight amongst themselves - but mostly it is Spheroids vs Clans).

Both give identical rewards by joining one faction and playing 'Faction Warfare' - you start earning loyalty points and these points reward you with mech bays, credits, etc. You can switch factions at the end of your contract (contracts can be a few days all the way up to 1 month in length) - I wouldn't suggest being a loyalist to one faction in particular since that ties you forever and ever to the same faction. Until the end of recorded time.

I would suggest picking a 'side' - either one of Inner Sphere houses (Davion, Steiner, etc.) or one of the Clans (Wolf, Smoke Jaguar, etc) and begin to collect some mechs for that side by battling away in the regular quick battle queues. That bit is important - since you ideally want to buy at least four mechs (up to a max tonnage to 250-265 tonnes combined) to go into faction warfare with. Grinding in the regular matches will net you credits to buy mechs, to buy bigger and bigger guns to mount on them, and will give you valuable experience that will serve you well in Faction Warfare.

Faction warfare is really tough for new players since you're up against people who have been playing for years and who are all generally packing optimised mechs with some serious firepower. You could take trial mechs into faction warfare - but it's like bringing a spoon to a knife-fight - you will be fighting an unfair battle. Better to bring your own mechs which you enjoy playing, which you can tweak and upgrade as you go along.

If you don't want to bother with faction warfare - it doesn't really matter what side or mechs you pick anyhow.

Hope this helps.

[Liam Wolf]

Ok Thanks, but let me be more clear.

I have used the Artic Cheetah trial and the Enforcer trail only both seemed good to me.

But before I start buying mechs I want to choose which side I will eventually play CW for. I dont want to waste my time buying the wrong side of Mechs.

I will be playing in the Quick Play for awhile.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

I recommend joining one of the mercenary units that travel from faction to faction. That gets you playing with a group (which makes CW a much more enjoyable process), lets you get a feel for all of the other factions, and gets you some easy mech bays from the faction rewards.

[JaxRiot]

Liam Wolf, on 22 December 2015 - 08:56 AM, said:

Finally got done with my 25 matches so I can write on the forums, which is kind of a turn off I must say.

So never played Battletech and have no clue about any of the factions, So what should I join?

after 25 matches stats are

kill/death 46-12
win/lose 15/10
kill/death ratio 3.83


Any help would be welcome.

Welcome to MWO

First you have to decide if you like Clan mechs or Inner Sphere mechs. Then you can decide which Faction to join.

To be honest though, the only reason to join a faction is if you are planning on playing CW.

CW is for the more competitive people and its not very solo or new player friendly, so enter with caution.

If CW is something that you are interested in, I suggest you head over to the Faction forums and see who is recruiting and join a Unit. They will help you out a lot and make your CW experience much more enjoyable.

Personally, whenever I decide to fiddle with CW, I go Clan side because I like the mechs better and usually join the Jade Falcon Faction for no other reason than the Green Bay Packers colors.

Good luck out there and may the Force be with you

[Scyther]

There is a similar thread in New Player Help forum:
http://mwomercs.com/...-an-is-faction/

Basically, at the start, don't perma-join a faction. As Rouken points out, there are good rewards available quickly from every faction (both IS and Clan) quite easily.

You can take a 7-day contract with each faction in turn, learn something about them, and also pick up a decent chunk of C-Bill rewards and mechbays while doing so.

Edited by MadBadger, 22 December 2015 - 09:45 AM.

[0bsidion]

Liam Wolf, on 22 December 2015 - 08:56 AM, said:

Finally got done with my 25 matches so I can write on the forums, which is kind of a turn off I must say.

Notice how there's not tons of ad bots spamming these forums? ^^That's probably why. You're welcome. They have to do something in F2P games to keep abusers and trolls to a minimum, and they figure only those that are serious about the game will stick around for 25 matches.

Anyway, welcome to the game and best of luck.

[pbiggz]

Jade falcon has some of the best pugs in the game if you want to go clan. To my knowledge their faction teamspeak isnt that active but i havent been there in some time. Your best IS option is House Kurita, which has at least a relatively active faction teamspeak, so if you're looking for that slightly higher level of play with others thats definitely your best choice.

TBH, right now I'd recommend Kurita.

[Roadkill]

Liam Wolf, on 22 December 2015 - 09:35 AM, said:

But before I start buying mechs I want to choose which side I will eventually play CW for. I dont want to waste my time buying the wrong side of Mechs.

The two sides are pretty equal, tech-wise. Inner Sphere Mechs tend to be a bit more brawly and buff, while Clan Mechs tend to be a bit better at long range and are more fragile and hot. Overall balance is pretty good, so there's really no "best side" to pick. You should pick the side that suits you.

That said, there are usually more Inner Sphere players than Clan players. That's not counting the big Merc groups, which switch sides based on the most recent patch.

[Tyler Valentine]

pbiggz, on 22 December 2015 - 10:11 AM, said:

Jade falcon has some of the best pugs in the game if you want to go clan. To my knowledge their faction teamspeak isnt that active but i havent been there in some time. Your best IS option is House Kurita, which has at least a relatively active faction teamspeak, so if you're looking for that slightly higher level of play with others thats definitely your best choice.

TBH, right now I'd recommend Kurita.

He's right except for his recommendation. Go with Jade Falcon

[pbiggz]

Tyler Valentine, on 22 December 2015 - 10:15 AM, said:

He's right except for his recommendation. Go with Jade Falcon

If he's looking for the best pug life he can get you can't beat the falcons. Compared to Falcon pugs, kurita pugs are cancerously bad. If he's looking to group up with people though, he'll want kurita, they've always played that game better.

[Leone]

My suggestion would be to chose whichever mech you like best, and go for one of those factions, but just for a week. Grab your free mechbay, and then sign up with another faction. Repeat untill you've hit rank two in all factions for that side. should take a month for clan, or a month an a half for IS. by this point you'll have, at minimum, eight mechbays. While playing CW for one side, you can build a solid drop deck for the other, and once you've run through one, you can run through the other factions.

Finally, after trying them all, and flush with a full 14 mechbays, you can decide who to join for the long haul. Maybe you'll've run into a unit you really like. Who knows.

~Leone.

[sycocys]

FRR and hop on the FRR hub - probably the best solution for players new to CW.

Get on the hub and either room hop until you find a group with an open spot or wait in the CW waiting room until you are summoned. Let them know you are new and they will teach you what you need to do.

[Pathos]

You should join the Wolf Spiders.

If you wish to be a house loyalist, I suggest you do some research and decide who you like. Visit sarna.net and look up the houses and clans of the battletech universe to help you decide. Playing Steiner, FRR or Kurita will give you fights against both clans and the great houses. Davion, Liao and Marik you're more likely to be fighting against other houses primarily.

[Aresye]

I'd recommend going IS.

Their mechs are generally cheaper, and if you decide to fully upgrade them with custom XL engines and such, the overall cost is about the same as a Clan mech. Many IS mechs can run standard engines well, which are way cheaper, so you can amass a larger collection of IS mechs faster than you can with Clan mechs.

The IS side also generally has a better solo player community. Nearly every IS faction has a TS hub, and there's some places like Mercenary Star TS in which you'll find a lot of IS loyalist units who will gladly let you drop with them.

Thunderbolts and Blackjacks are both great mechs to start off buying if you're wanting to play community warfare.

[DjPush]

Don't pick a faction. Pick a team. Find a group of players you get along with and are of equal skill. Teams are recruiting all the time. Learn to play together. Get gud. Develope strategies and teamwork skills. You can change allegiance any time you want. If you are a new player as you say, I advise you cut your teeth in PUG drops for a little longer until you build a decent drop deck. CW is no joke for new players.