As the blue pop-up warns, Faction Play is a "highly-competitive" mode where "experienced players" use "highly-optimised Mechs". There's "no skill-based matchmaking", not even any group size matching. So large groups of the most experienced MWO players get mixed in with every lesser skilled player. Further, in certain match types, there are unique rules about gates, generators and Omega, unique win conditions, and special strategies you need to adopt to manage each of four waves of Mechs.
It's not a place where you learn to play. It's a place to go after you've become good at playing.
Nor is it a place to bring trial Mechs. It's a place to bring leveled, optimised Mechs, with loadouts suitable for the unique maps used in Faction Play.
Why my request...?
Inexperienced players dropping in Faction Play ruin the matches for everyone. Large groups of experienced players, working together on teamspeak, are the dominant force in FP. Beating them requires a lot of skill, and is very rewarding. But even a couple of inexperienced players on your team, doing little damage, burning through their Mechs too quickly, become an impossible burden to carry. Those matches become frustrating, one-sided stomps... certainly not worth the long wait time or match time invested by either team.
If you're doing less than 500 damage in FP matches, you shouldn't be playing FP... yet.
"But how can I learn to be good at Faction Play if I don't play FP...?"
First, concentrate on Quick Play, acquiring strong foundational piloting skills. In particular, focus on:
- accurate aim at exposed torso components, at mid to long range;
- matching your engagement range to your weapon ranges;
- torso twisting to spread damage, using cover that matches weapon locations; and
- effective Mech loadouts (metamechs.com is a good starting point).
As a rough guide, you should be contributing a bare minimum of 1000 damage every FP match. 1500 is a respectable score. 2000 or higher is good. The very best player on the FP leaderboard does 3500. (Incidentally, LRM damage doesn't count because it is so spread out.)
"But it's a game, and I just want to have fun."
We all want to have fun. For some of us, the fun comes in playing against other experienced players, in evenly-based contests of strategy and skill. Faction Play is the mode that was designed for us to have that kind of fun. Inexperienced players, who make the matches lop-sided, deny us that kind of fun. Quick Play is the place for other kinds of fun.
Thank you for taking the time to read this advice.
Edited by Appogee, 08 January 2017 - 11:48 PM.