11 replies to this topic

[Goritude]

Stormcrow is my first mech.

I have bought the prime.

Now I need 2 more variants. Which ones ?

I read C and D are great. Correct ?

[jaxjace]

they are all the same considering omnipods.

personally i like to make 3 dif builds in my omnimechs but if you have a good prime build, you can just rebuy the omnipods and do the exact same thing on the others.

My prime build is a uac 10 with 4 ERmediums

[Leone]

People love the D because it is a light's nightmare with streaks. As for the third, I'd say figure which omnipods you'd use. My guess is folk suggest C for the laser shoulder so you don't hafta buy em separate.

~Leone.

Edited by Leone, 23 December 2015 - 02:34 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

as they are omnimechs and all have an identical CT the main consideration for choosing other variants is the omnipods (hardpoints) included and the quirks for each pod.
check out the pods and hardpoints here:
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab
check the quirks here:
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Because OMNI.

I just bought an A, B, and C, when I got mine a few months ago. Bought a PRIME head omni for all three, because it's the one USEFUL one to have. Picked up the other omnipods that I wanted, as I went. I keep at least two built at any time, each with one ballistic arm for UAC/10 or Gauss, both side torso lasers, head laser, and whatever DOESN'T have negative quirks on the dead side.

That's the one thing to look out for. A few of the arm omnipods have minor negative quirks for laser duration and cooldown, I think. Still buy the mechs, of course, but if you don't need all those E hard points for your build, then find a different omni for that arm. Rogue Jedi has linked a list of quirks above, and that's ALL the real difference there is between Storm Crows.

GOOD LUCK!

[Goritude]

Pods and modules are chinese to a noob like me.

I will go with D then C.

I have some GXP. Should I unlock modules ? Which one first ? Do I have to buy the module with C-bills after unlocking ?

BTW I find Prime much better than the trial version. Double range makes a huge difference.

[Duvanor]

Yes, you have to buy modules with C-Bills after unlocking. So unlocking them now while you are still buying new Mechs will not help much. But they cost a lot of GXP anyway so just save those up for later.

You probably will end up with Radar Depraviation, Advanced Zoom, Seismic Sensor, 360 Degree Target Retention and Weapon Modules for range and cooldown for your favored weapons. Radar Derp, Seismic and 360 cost 6 million each, weapon modules 3 million and the zoom is 2 or 3 million (can not look that up right now).

Pods are parts you can swap in the mechlab. They are there for every seperate part of the mech except the CT and define the weapon slots your Mech has. You can buy, sell and equip them just like regular equipment. Make sure to check all quirks and weapon slots before you start building your new variants.

Edited by Duvanor, 23 December 2015 - 06:00 AM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Goritude, on 23 December 2015 - 05:24 AM, said:

Pods and modules are chinese to a noob like me.

This is as close as I'll ever get to the "GIT GUD" crap you've likely seen in game:

"Learn Chinese, then."

That's what WE are here for, after all! We want to help you transition from new player to confident veteran! Really.

Okay, so do you get the basic concept of omnipods on Clan omnimechs? In case not, here's a ridiculously quick overview:
-Omnimechs' components (arms, legs, head, torsos) have "omnipods".
-Omnipods determine what weapons (including ECM, AMS, etc.) may be mounted in a certain location.
-Each omnimech variant has one omnipod per location, for a total of eight (8), with ONLY the CT omnipod being locked-in to the mech.
-Other omnipods are INTERCHANGEABLE between different variants of the same chassis. For instance, The SCR-A and SCR-PRIME and SCR-C may all use the head omnipod from the SCR-PRIME (and this is highly recommended, actually), but ONLY the SCR-PRIME can have an SCR-PRIME CT omnipod (in MWO, for simplicity, it cannot be removed).
-Omnipods may be purchased individually like any other equipment through the Mech Lab.

SO, if you want an SCR-D LT and SCR-B RT for whatever reason on your SCR-PRIME, go for it. You don't even HAVE to buy the other two mechs, just the omnipods that you want from them.

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I will go with D then C.

I have some GXP. Should I unlock modules ? Which one first ? Do I have to buy the module with C-bills after unlocking ?

Yes. XP is for mech efficiencies, GXP is for modules. I'd recommend saving big chunks of GXP for the pilot modules, like Seismic Sensor and Radar Deprivation. If you come into small chunks (like with the Stocking Stuffer holiday event going on right now), you can use that to slowly unlock the modules for your favorite weapons. But weapon modules are more fine-tuning, really. Since they pretty much all cost like 3,000,000 CBills, they grind up slowly. Sorry. Mech modules run between 2 and 6 million. Consumables run 10-40k, and there are pilot skills that enhance the consumables (Improved UAV/Artillery/Air Strike, CoolShot 9x9, etc). It's a lot to know. Captain Adams conveniently left that out of your training at the academy--there are those who can, and those who teach, and Adams' sorry *** is teaching. You were robbed.

Which module first? Depends on how you play. I wouldn't go with Advanced Zoom (you mentioned liking long-range), because it's not that useful and it REALLY narrows your FoV. Either Seismic Sensor or Radar Deprivation, I think.
-Seismic Sensor is almost a wall hack. When standing still, it shows the whereabouts in 1-second pings of any enemies moving within 180m (advanced skill extends this to 250m, I think) of your mech, REGARDLESS OF line of sight. Excellent for recon, and for close-quarters. Think of it like that motion sensor thing in the movie "Aliens". Pretty much THAT.
-Radar Deprivation causes locked-on enemies to lose their target lock on you IMMEDIATELY once you leave their line-of-sight. Regularly, they get a couple seconds of lock remaining AFTER you break LoS, and that means any LRMs in flight may still hit you. It was less of a priority until the recent ECM nerf, and the minor adjustments to LRM spread also seem to be making them more lethal. If you take a lot of LRM fire, this module is going to carry you HARD.

Don't take:
-Advanced Zoom (Narrow FoV, poor resolution on zoomed image, poor icon/symbology alignment on zoomed image)
-Advanced Sensor Range (Active Probe can do the same thing and more, and sensor data beyond ~800m is usually useless anyhow)
-Capture Accelerator (marginal utility in Conquest and in no other mode at all, and you can't select your game mode any more)
-Gyro somethingorother (Just no. SLIGHTLY reduces cockpit shake when being hit by AC fire, but either you can still hit the rad square on your HUD or you can't)
-Hill Climb (Won't need it in Storm Crows; helps with the deceleration that occurs when encountering too great a slope, but it's kinda minor and only really useful for larger/slower mechs)

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BTW I find Prime much better than the trial version. Double range makes a huge difference.

It does. On the other hand, the lower heat and faster fire rate of the Medium Pulse Lasers makes a difference up-close. At least, grab the right omnipods to move those ER Large Lasers to the shoulders. The arms on the SCR are LOW, as I'm sure you've noticed. You probably can't shoot over a speed bump with those. You get less range of motion with the torso-mounted ERLLs, sure, but you can put the smaller ones on the arm mounts (and the -PRIME head omnipod!) for dealing with closer/faster threats, and need less range of motion for the ERs at range. Also, DEFINITELY invest in the CoolShot 9 consumable modules. And if you're equipped, and in a tough fight that you can't break off right now, and the HEAT WARNING message pops up, then hit the button for that CoolShot and keep right on fighting for a little longer.

Not to tell you what you like and don't, by the way, but the Trial SCR that you're talking about was designed by this community, voted favorite among a few designs also by this community, and is fairly well respected in its range bracket. You might give it another try. The SCR is a FAST medium, with LOTS of armor and good hit boxes and excellent omnipod options for short and medium ranges. Something to try is using that speed to close quickly with an enemy and bringing those many MPLs to bear on him in range. I believe it's 330m optimal range, plus the Targeting Computer bonus? That's a LOT more than an IS medium laser or medium pulse laser, and is fast approaching the range brackets of the IS large laser. On a mech that, when Speed Tweaked, runs over 100 km/h. It's a vicious mech in the right hands.

[Goritude]

Thanks for so detailed explanations !

So the grinding path should be: buy the 3 variants, and only then a module such as radar deprivation. Correct ?

I understand Prime(C) trial is great at short range. But for a beginner it's difficult and risky to go close range. In the same way, I find it easier to have firepower than mobility. Light mechs are IMO the most difficult to play for beginners whereas Assaults are okay.

[Galenit]

About the modules:
Do get more killed by lrms or ambush?
I prefert seismic (but i have not unlocked deprivation until now, other modules gives me more, deprivation is the only module which you can use skill for, maybe this will change if they ever make infowar working).

For a crow with streaks (i prefer 3 6cssrms and 4 mls), i use seismic and sensorrange (i dont take it for the sensorrange, i take it because it also increases the counter-ecm range of cap). Your streaks have more range then the counterability of cap, with the module you can squeeze out some more against ecm mechs.

Edited by Galenit, 23 December 2015 - 06:47 AM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Goritude, on 23 December 2015 - 06:18 AM, said:

Thanks for so detailed explanations !

No worries. We're shut down at work for the holidays, so I have nothing else to do until about 2pm.

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So the grinding path should be: buy the 3 variants, and only then a module such as radar deprivation. Correct ?

Not necessarily. DEFINITELY buy 3 variants, at least so you can MASTER one of them before you ditch the other two. But waiting until you have the three before buying any modules? Not necessary. Depends on how comfortable you are with your C-Bill budget. IIRC, SCRs run around 11,000,000 CB each. Add 6,000,000 for Seismic Sensor (I think?), another 3,000,000 each for Clan ERLL cooldown and Clan ERML range modules, and you're at 45,000,000 CB or more. Without Premium Time (and maybe even WITH it), you probably won't grind up that much cash in the process of at least getting all three through the ELITE skills.

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I understand Prime(C) trial is great at short range. But for a beginner it's difficult and risky to go close range. In the same way, I find it easier to have firepower than mobility. Light mechs are IMO the most difficult to play for beginners whereas Assaults are okay.

I'm gonna go ahead and kinda advocate for the PUG tryhard faction here, so bear with me.

It's possibly better to cut your teeth on the hard stuff, and let that be what you know best about the game, and then toss in the longer-ranged stuff later. Even at 800+ meters (a half-mile!), a good torso twisting habit may make the difference in your match. You'll pick it up more quickly, if only as a HOLY-COW survival tactic, in closer-ranged builds. And, whaddaya know, the shorter-duration pulse lasers lend themselves better to the squirt-twist-squirt laser brawls. The SCR, by the way, is really good at this. So yeah, it seems more difficult and risky to get in close, but it also teaches you the good habits right away (instead of having to break all the bad ones, like I'm struggling with right now). AND you'll net more damage (and likely more kills), and therefore higher match scores and bigger CBill payouts, playing up close with higher DPS.

THAT said, again, play your game player! Especially in public/solo queue drops. Do it YOUR way. For the medium-to-long range, where Clan mechs tend to excel anyhow, you want to learn to hill hump and corner peek. THIS is not entirely new player friendly stuff, but give it a read and think about what's being said in there about the tactics. Also, go down to the Guides & Strategies forum and look at Kanajashi's (did I spell the name correctly?) cadet tutorial videos. But the Hill Humper is a great tactic if you shoulder-mount the ERLLs, and Corner Peeking for if you keep them on the arms (which I do not recommend).

And if you need some help learning these things before going live with it, feel free to look up one of us in-game and we may be able to take some time to work with you more directly. And you can practice the hill humping and corner peeking in Testing Grounds, and maybe even to some extent in the Mechwarrior Academy.

[Goritude]

Where can I find a tutorial on hill humping and corner peeking ?