That said, I remember as I started, I tended to load up on weapons that worked really well, and have a lot of one sided builds. For example, missile boats, laser boats, Ballistic boats..etc. Never much variation. As I progress as a player, I notice that I am mixing weapons more... for example,. most of my mechs have a short range series of weapons, medium range (usually an Autocannon) or 4) and a long range missile of some sort. Instead of carrying 10 tons of ammo for my missiles, I carry 3 or 4. I have learned instead of firing and forgetting, I only fire when I can see my target (even with LRMs ) and be sure that I am going to hit. My accuracy overall has jumped from about 40% to over 80% and a similar boost for missile accuracy.
My advice for new players is to play with all the weapons out there, don't get discouraged if you die a lot, and find the ones you like working with. For me, I prefer a big LRM launcher, SRM 6 (or 2...they are the best bang for the buck for short range damage) A few small lasers or small pulse lasers, a nice autocannon or 2 for medium range. I personally cannot get Gauss rifles to work well for me to save my life...and am just learning the PPC. Don't boat. Use a mix of weapons and learn how to use them together effectively. Every weapon has a drawback, the key to winning in this game is to balance your loadouts so that you can be effective in any situation. I no longer care what map I am on because by tailoring my weapon use, any mech I use will be effective there.
I think this is the reason I had so much trouble with the whammies... I had to learn to use a weapon I hated for long range...the PPC. Once I learned how to use it, I had much better luck with them. I still consider them sub par, but have a lot of fun in the black widow.
My last advice is to have fun. Don't get caught up in drama. Just focus on having fun whether you win or lose and everything else will come in time.
Edited by Malachy Karrde, 04 February 2016 - 07:45 PM.