30 replies to this topic

[GaoLiangJoe]

OK Ladies and Gentlemen,

I love the Mechwariror theme, I played MW2 on PC back in the very early 90ies, won all the falcon, wolf and ghost bear content back then (PvE of course)... well that's for the love of the game you all share... but how about the current game for seriously bad new players ?

I downloaded this nice looking, fun and cool game, I do not mind at all how long it could take to be half in, considering unlocking mechs, bays and all that jazz, this post is about something way more simple.

(I did try to search but nobody had posted a 'you are new and this is why you suck big time' thread and this is what I need.)

TLDR I suck and can't get why I suck so hard !

(a bit would be OK, but completely useless = I almost don't want to join a game because I feel sad for my team beforehand. That bad ? YES! Even worse...far worse, useless so that I am a danger to my team)

I unlocked the typical 25 missions, decided to run with a few lights first to get to see the maps which a Marauder woldn't I guess...
Now I try to level/tune up some ravens...

The games I do not get wrecked inside 3 minutes are when I am on my centurion, hiding behind other players, otherwise it is 2 minutes boom all the way ! Some very rare games we win so hard that I can actually contributem but 99% are me = roflstomped before the game starts (you suck nubcake yada, I said so before....)

How can a new player in a light mech make any contribution to the match at all ? I try to scout and mark, which gets me killed, I try to help other mechs and do 1 damage and die, I am doing 150 damage a game if I am lucky and don't ask about cbills. When I check about youtube the better guys will make tons of excuses, saying 'really bad team roll, let's do another (700 damage lolpwnage raven game)' if they ever get a game like mine - and for me it is standard, no other thing known.

I was at pilot rank 4 after the first 3 matches, since then I go down, down dooooooown, and lv 5 forever. I wished there was a level 6 x 10 to the power of -10x32 (1/32 grillion minus) where I could play with fools as dumb as me but there are only qick matches and I am at a point where I feel bad joining one because I am an immediate loss to my team - if you have me you go in 12-11, period. Seems like the matchmaker is happy to throw me in (as level 5 and declining steadily) with poor guys who have no need for a clueless noob on board, sucks to be them I guess, there is NO low level.

WTF is one supposed to do trying out new mechs and fighting people who are obviously in the game for years (looking at mechs and gear and stuff they sport) ? Can I find a playstyle to learn before being a 2 min. practice target, being a disadvantage for my team ?

Is it even fun for a player to be in a match where fools like me, not knowing maps and gamemodes, simply suicide into enemy columns to learn ?

I guess there is no beginner bracket, just feed for a year until you learn....


If you are a Dev, make a bloody idiots tier already, I need it and others I see too !


If you are a player - what can I possibly do to not suck big time ? ( and I mean it. If you see me on your match, go afk. I will do more bad than good because I stink at the game big time)

I understand that being awful at piloting and shooting is happening to every newcomer, but what is left there other than ragequit for me and other well-meaning but seriously bad players ???

Ruining your personal game next time I log in and not even noticing - HD (and yeah I watched 19 hours of help on youtube and I got slightly worse by it )

TLDR again - what can a clueless Nab do to not lose any game after 2 min,. Why is every heavy faster than a trial light and how do I get the money for a respec when I am dead after 2 min. 99% of the time ?

Any hint other than Quit ? (please also say quit if you think it is hopeless, if I get enough I will). I read/watched any guide I could get, i am half-decent at aiming FPS and tank games, but this mix of outgunned, outplayed and outscouted is new to me in its order of magnitude - is this really my first game in 30 years I cannot play ???

suckingly yours,
Joe

*end whine but maybe this will help me and other hopeless newcomers

[Xaat Xuun]

starting in mediums or heavies are less frustrating

be mindful of the rest of the team, some of them actually know what they are doing, possibly emulate what they do.

some things do get better, over time.

[Insanity09]

I apologize if some of this sounds remedial. Some general guidelines (in no particular order, except 7 is crucial)...

First. Know the mech you are in, know where your weapons are located, ie. where they fire from. For peeking, that will tell you where you need to fire from (hill hump = high mounts, left side peek if your main weapons in left arm or left side, reversed for right (more common))

Second. As a follow on to the first, know the maps, know the best spots to be in to use your mech. At times, this can be as simple as following the main group (mostly a good idea anyhow), but, especially in a light, you need to know when to break off and roam a bit. Pay attention to your team and your surroundings. Remember if you can see the enemy, they can probably see you (a little less true if you have ecm, but still...).

Third. Please be aware of your weapon ranges. Most of the time, optimum range is shown on your display, while the maximum range is twice what is listed. The main exception is missiles, both SRMs and LRMs, where the maximum distance is exactly what is listed and no further. Pay attention to what distance your target is at (easiest to do if you use 'r' to lock whomever you are shooting at), and try not to fire if you are too far away. (when you are in the mech lab, mousing over a weapon will show the power/damage drop off for a weapon, maximum range = minimal damage)

Fourth. Be aware of how the different weapons work. Lasers hit instantly, but deliver their damage over their whole beam duration. If you fan a laser over an enemy mech during the burn time, you'll do a little damage to a bunch of components, not particularly effective (but better than not hitting at all). PPC's and ballistic weapons deliver chunks of damage, but have travel times, so you need to lead moving targets (it takes some practice). Missiles also have travel times, and deliver their damage in chunks (sorta), but they also have spread, so you'll hit an area of the target, and some missiles might not hit. Your target reticle will turn red when you hit.

Fifth. Generally, you want to keep moving as much as possible. If taking return fire, you want to duck behind cover or twist your torso when you aren't firing (the latter so the enemy hits only on one side, preferably the side you aren't carrying as many weapons on). (note the challenge to balance laser fire and dodging, not to mention missile locks where needed)

Sixth. Learn your style. Striker, sniper, support (iffy), tank, harasser/scout: those are a few of the possible play styles that you might find suit you. Once you've found what you prefer, then you know what kind of mechs you need to go with. Many of those roles have mechs that suit them in several weight classes (ok, I'm not aware of an assault harrasser/scout), you just need to get used to each weight class' capabilities (a tanky medium mech, while durable, is still a medium, be aware when you're in one)

Seventh. Be patient with yourself as your skills develop, and most importantly in the game. Rushing in to the fight is (usually) not the right answer. Don't be too timid or aggressive; that balance is not easy to find, as it will vary from match to match and mech to mech. Sadly, many folks in game will likely be intolerant of mistakes you may make in game (real or just perceived); try to pay no attention to the angry ones, and let the constructive ones guide you.

So much more....

[Lances107]

Some of the advice above gets into advance aspects of the game. So I will keep this simple and to the point. Light mechs are probably the most difficult in the game to master. Mainly because they are responsible for two aspects of the game, supporting the assaults, and scouting. Also when the main push starts getting behind the enemy and killing them. So yea really three aspects. I have to agree with the above posters start with a heavy mech. You will learn so much in that bracket, but if you feel that is to much go for the medium. I would strongly advise staying away from assaults/lights.

Now comes to the basic weapon payload. For you since you are starting go with a medium laser weapon load out, with large pulse lasers. This is the basic of basic recorded at metamechs.com. Its simple, boring, bland, but it will get you started on learning the game.

Second thing to remember this game is a game of patience, and this aspect can be trying at times, meaning you can not rush in. If your in a heavy support your assaults but remain behind them in close support. If your in a medium same rule applies. Use a base defensive/offensive movement called poking. It is where you find cover, with a good angle on your enemy, get behind said cover, and move a tad off just enough to open fire on the enemy and then get back behind cover. Doing these two basic things should help you allot.

Now comes the where to shoot 99 percent of all weapons fire on a enemy mech hits the center torso, so aim for the ct. If you find yourself in a disadvantage the next best slot to shoot for is the legs.

The person above me touched on this. High torso weapon mounts on a mech are golden, because they will allow you to poke without exposing your entire mech. Getting mech with most of its weapon mounts in the arms is not good mech to pick to up. You want to make sure it has a decent amount of firepower in the right/left torsos.

Lastly stay away from the ease of LRMS, they will not help you learn this game. Instead they will hamper your ability to grow as a player. When you can start pulling 800 damage or more a match, then if you want to give LRMS a try go for it, because by then you should have a basic understanding of the game.

What is above is a basic outline. Always remember this game is a game of patience, timing, and not freezing up those few seconds of heated battle when they come your way. I hope that helps.

I tried to keep this very simple for you because you are starting out and I am sure others will be along with there pointers. Your statement is long, and does not speak specifics. I would suggest you put down some specifics in regards to your problem areas.

[Rogue Jedi]

the number 1 piece of advice I can give for a beginner, start in a 50 or 55 ton Meduim (so you are a low priority target but can take a few hits) and stick with the team, slightly behind the front line.

pick a big Mech something like a Timber Wolf, Night Gyr, Dire Wolf, Kodiak, Marauder, Marauder IIC, Atlas, Warhammer, King Crab or Stalker and stay with it, shoot at what it shoots at. The reason for this is if you are a Medium standing next to one of those it is highly unlikely someone will shoot at you.

unfortunately a Light just cannot take much damage, to do well in Light Mechs (or Assualt) takes a lot more skill than Mediums or Heavies because 1 good hit and your Light is dead, in an assualt if you walk around the wrong corner and the enemy team can all shoot you, you are too slow to escape, so you will go down inside 5 seconds, also if a Light gets behind any Mech where the pilot is not paying attention it can go down in 5 seconds.

to do better in a light here are a few sugestions, as you gain experiance you will learn when to break them;

1) ^{(general hint, not just for Lights)} if possible always have something targeted, when you target a Mech you get a damage readout so you know where to shoot, you also get a list of installed weapons. Knowing your targets loadout means you know how dangerous it is to you, if it is something with all long range weapons and you can get in close you can kill it, conversly if it has small or medium pulse lasers, SRMs, SSRMs, AC10s or AC20s there is a good chance it will be able to hit you, and you should stay away.
Press R to target, it sounds silly but a lot of people fail to do this most basic thing which can massivly improve their chances of winning

2) do not stop moving, a stationary Light is a dead light, as if the enemy can line up a good shot they can often kill or cripple you with 1 hit, there are times when stopping can help but you need experiance to figure them out

3) do not move predictably, that means vary your speed and do not run in a straight line

4) speed is your armor, use a big XL engine, perhaps not the max but you want to be moving at minimum 120 if possible.

5) Lights are not cheep ^{(except the Light Omnimechs Arctic Cheetah, Mist Lynx, Adder, Kit Fox, they are more expensive to buy but cheep to outfit with the engine and upgrades being locked)}, if the Mechs pricetag says 3 million it will probably end up costing 10mil to buy and outfit, if it is a Raven 3L expect to spend 13 million total to get it battle ready, in most Lights you need to budget 4-5 million for an XL engine, 1.5 for Double Heat Sinks, you will probably also want Endo Steel Internals and Fero Fibrus Armor ^{(in that order, both use 14 slots for weight savings but Endo gives a bigger weight saving)} you can save money by moving the engine between Mechs

6) do not move in the open, and always have an escape plan, move from cover to cover, hit and run do not try to brawl unless the enemy are distracted, e.g. you opening up their backs while the rest of your team are attacking from the front

7) do not get into a fair fight, even if you "win" a fair fight you are likely to loose, end up crippled or loose weapons/armor ^{(this goes for any Mech)} for this reason unless you can give yourself an advantage never engague another Light 1v1, if you are targeting a Mech with a loadout which cannot hit you e.g. a LRM boat with no backup weapons, you can easily kill an assualt 1v1

8) take a UAV, I know 40k looks expensive, but the UAV can turn the tide of battle, if you find 4 enemy Mechs and pop a UAV over them your team can go murder them, and a team rarely comes back from a 4 Mech disadvantage. the UAV also makes a great distress signal.

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 16 April 2017 - 11:08 PM.

[TheFourthAlly]

If it helps, I felt about the same a year ago, when I started out. You're asking questions, so +1 and you're on the forum, with plenty good tips to read. +2. You're two points ahead of a lot of people and considering how I see some playing this game, that could be a lot.

There's an awful lot going on in a match, it will simply take time to get used to that part. But, with regards to what you are writing:

Lights are fast, but quite vulnerable. Wandering off on your own can be very deadly in this game and that is even easier to do in a light. Once the enemy is shooting at you, a light goes down very quick too. So yeah, 3 minute games are not that odd then.

Should you die early in, hang around and make use of the spectating options. I tend to pick up plenty from watching others, either doing well or mucking up.

Try mediums. They can take a bit more punishment and can dish out a bit more too. On heavies you can usually mount a few more weapons, but on mediums you get the time to learn and work with what's on them. You'll also be still quick enough to get out of wrong situations and survive a few shots in your direction.

Whatever you drop on, stick with the big kids in the group for now. They attract more of the incoming fire, appreciate the side kick watching their back and you can help out by shooting what they're shooting. Added bonus that the enemies being shot tend to be a bit more nervous, so you get less well aimed shots thrown at you too.

I don't mean stay hundreds of metres behind your buddies or snuggle up to them for a hug of course. You're in a combat game, leave room to manoeuvre and stay close enough to be able to shoot nearby baddies.

Know what your weapons do. Optimal range means the max amount of damage output. Shooting stuff out of range is pretty useless, but even close to max range you'll do a lot less damage. I tend to pay attention to this stuff, but I see lots of players blast away at stuff well outside their range or at least too far for any real damage.

Try to learn not to overheat sooner, rather than later. I got pretty trigger-happy initially and spent plenty time standing still, shut down, watching the enemy ******* to bits.

Use that R button. Target the enemy. It shows your team mates where they are and you'll be getting info on damaged bits. Why waste shots on a solid centre torso, while that have a half rotten shoulder or leg? Besides, you get space bucks for spotting them first or spotting while missiles rain in. Nothing worth taking risks for, but it does add up. Same goes for doing damage and earning kill assists. You don't have to be the most bad arse mech driver out there to earn some points. Staying alive and hitting the enemy is a good way of doing just that.

Hope that helps.

[Leone]

Piloting like a light. Can be tough, and it takes a while to learn. This trial took many takes and a year of MWO afore I even gave it a go. Minimal armour, solid damage, kills even, all in a locust without ecm on polar highlands of all maps.

First things first, don't compare it to Mechwarrior Two, or anything First Person Shooter. Play it like a Battletech sim. Think RTS and and positioning, not FPS and aiming. You want high speed penalties for getting shot at and terrain blocking the enemies view. You want to be hitting them in the flank, and turning the flank when your team is able to take advantage of it. Troop movements, not individual mech placement.

I offer Heavy mech tactics and advice here, that can also help with lights, in a general idea sorta way.

Here I offer movement and positioning advice. Not a full on look at light tactics, but an indepth view of the tanking and distraction capacity of a light. The important part is to observe the third match and the continual disengagement and limiting of engagements to short bursts, which allowed the light to continue to influence the match, whilst surviving. Notice when the light messes up, and the costs.

Good luck out there, Mechwarrior.

~Leone.

Edited by Leone, 16 April 2017 - 11:12 PM.

[GaoLiangJoe]

Thank you all guys, so much help and advice in return for my rant gives me hope ! I'll try and get better while keeping a punching bag nearby for frustration... eventually I will be useful - patience seems to be the ticket, so I'll try that.

[Its my first day]

Watch some youtube videos. Moltenmetal is pretty good, though his "HELLOO MECHWARRIORS!!" does start to get on your nerves after a while. I'm not a very good player, and just starting too, but his stuff has helped me live a lot longer.

Edited by Its my first day, 17 April 2017 - 03:46 AM.

[General Solo]

Its easy
Follow the team shoot what they shoot

[Deeber]

Don't give up hope. Everyone is different, and there are some people out there who have become very good at MWO very quickly, but there are also plenty of people who have not. I'm a mediocre player, but even I am starting to improve after a while. Apart from the many good suggestions above, one practical tip that hasn't been mentioned yet (as far as I can see) is to turn your mouse sensitivity down significantly. I've also put some advice for new light mech pilots into a video, which might be of help. Be patient and don't put too much pressure on yourself to do well ... I think most people will agree that it takes a while to 'learn' this game.

[Koniving]

There is a crap load of advice here and all of it is long winded, which makes me self conscious because I like to read my own text (I'm long winded too). So I will try to keep this as brief and as useful as possible.


As you've said, patience seems to be the ticket.

In a light... wait 20 seconds to a minute before moving. Make sure your team has decided on a direction and most of them are headed in it, then you can get a little ahead to scout. Don't scout just anywhere -- you might find the enemy and have no help. You want to be able to reach your team within 30 seconds or less, preferably much less, in case of any trouble.

Never, ever, run away from a fight in a straight line. And if possible, make sure to be twisted toward the enemy to try and fire so that the attacks can't hit your rear. (The exception is as a Commando, where you are better off Turtling with significantly higher rear armor and only looking at the enemy to squeeze off some missiles. We'll see if the upcoming Jackal is in a similar boat).

Standard lasers have nice range. They also take pretty long to do decent damage during which you need to keep as focused on one spot as you can. If this is difficult, go with pulse lasers.

Go for legs. The slower your enemies are, the better off you are. Unless their body is open or you have a lot of allies helping you, fry those legs and do your best to NOT be in front of the enemy.

----

Mech health is divided into many sections. Legs, arms, six torso sections (3 front 3 rear) and finally a cockpit which is a heck of a lot harder to hit than you might think.

Typically, the pelvis counts as the middle section and it's the one spot that they cannot protect by twisting away. So go for the groin if you have help that is also shooting them. In this way you just might net the kill before your help does, too.

Attacking arms is about pointless. There are few exceptions, Any non CN9-A Centurion (as in the AH, Wang, AL, D), Dragons (shred that right arm or DIE), Wolverines, Griffins and apparently Line Backers (though most just go for the legs as slowing them down seems more important than stopping their nasty firepower; whichever helps you deal with them better I say).

Every mech has two layers of health. (3 technically but the third you can't quantify so it doesn't matter; the third being equipment health). The first being armor and the second being structure. When the solid sections of a mech's target doll start turning colors you need to focus on them. The redder the better until they turn black, then change where you are attacking (even if it still appears to be there such as legs and STs.)

[Koniving]

I know you've already watched 19 hours of videos... And that suggestion to watch more videos is uh... yeah.

But if there is a singular video that might help you out, it may be this one. Though it's a 40 ton medium, it moves like a light. It is a trial Cicada. But more importantly, in addition to my own comments, there is commentary added by two past Mechwarrior computer voices (MW3 and MWO-CB). Both of these come together to help you know what is happening as it happens.

"Targeting system online" means I'm about to aim.
"Target (Section)" tells you where I am aiming. "Damage" or "Destroyed" tells you whether I hurt it or destroyed it.

At one point where another trial Cicada and a Jenner are ganging up on me, it tells you "Warning: Left leg targeted." They are focusing my leg. It also tells when I lose body parts, when I'm about to overheat and when I override the shutdown. It also tells when I change fire modes and purposely shutdown.

In the end, I survive, killed everyone that attacked me and then some, and it managed to come out very well. So if there is a single video, a single match worth watching that could truly help you... this would be it.

1:50 is where it will start being useful.
The map is old Caustic Valley.

[Koniving]

A separate Raven tip.
Suitable for XL or high STD engines (except 3L, always run an XL). But, make sure to have 2 rear armor on all 3 rear torsos. The front torsos are huge, HUGE, HUGE! And as such you want to have as much armor as you can to the front to tank like a bowse!

Mkay, that's it. Good luck!

[mailin]

There are a lot of tips here, so I will add some more, but I will try to be brief. A lot of these are mentioned before, and for good reason.

1) ALWAYS lock your current target. ALWAYS
2) Initially longer range weapons may be better. They don't do as much damage necessarily, but they can keep you at a distance and receiving less damage while you inflict damage on the enemy.
3) Stay with your team. If you want to stick with lights, don't wander too far from your team.
4) Check your minimap frequently.
5) Do NOT chase the enemy. Let them come to you and your team.
6) If your team has an ECM mech try to stay somewhat close to him. It may help keep enemy lrms off of you as well as hiding you from the enemy.
7) Frequently check for UAVs.

There are A LOT more tips, but I think those are the basics. Also, get on comms if you can. When a team has several people using comms the chance of victory increases dramatically.

[Joe Decker]

Let me tell you that once I had a Player in my Team who could barely get over 50 damage a Drop. Quite often his Results were 0 or 1 Damage. But after constant Practice and after a couple of Months he did alright, scoring between 200 and 350 damage with Light Mechs. So nothing is impossible if you keep going

To really figure out what is causing you Problems is hard to say without having seen you playing. So I would offer running light Mechs with you to really understand your Issues and to help you out with important Details. Just add me to your Friendslist and contact me when you see me online. Or shoot me a PM and which Times you play. cu

[CraneArmy]

GaoLiangJoe, on 17 April 2017 - 03:37 AM, said:

Thank you all guys, so much help and advice in return for my rant gives me hope ! I'll try and get better while keeping a punching bag nearby for frustration... eventually I will be useful - patience seems to be the ticket, so I'll try that.

find a team to play with.
You need decent equipment to be highly competitive in any game, but there is so much to basic tactics and situational awareness that can be taught QUICKLY, beyond just "w-button will move you forward, and left mouse button fires the lazors".
That might take months for you to learn on your own, only weeks if you are given proven strategies to practice.

Edited by CraneArmy, 17 April 2017 - 12:42 PM.

[Rogue Jedi]

While Crane Army is correct that finding a team will help you learn a lot quicker it will also realy drop you in the deep end, in my experiance in group queue the red team seem a lot tougher than in solo queue.

Coordination is the most overpowered thing you can have in this game, it is common for groups to be on voice comms, coordinating, stratagising, calling targets for focus fire or just chatting
Oponants will seem much tougher in group queue, even if they are the exact same people you would be facing in solo queue this is because the vast majority of groups are on voice comms, and each team is made up of between 1 and 6 such groups, if there is a big group and a few smalls making up the team the big group is a major force multiplier, especialy if they comunicate their stratagies with the rest of the groups making up the team.

[Alexander of Macedon]

Its my first day, on 17 April 2017 - 03:45 AM, said:

Watch some youtube videos. Moltenmetal is pretty good, though his "HELLOO MECHWARRIORS!!" does start to get on your nerves after a while. I'm not a very good player, and just starting too, but his stuff has helped me live a lot longer.

This, so much. Watch MoltenMetal, SideStrafe, Snuggles Time, Sean Lang/NGNG, TheB33f-anyone who is a good player and uploads/streams a lot. Pay close attention to the minutiae of how they position, react to fire, engage targets, &c. I watched a bunch before I ever started playing and I never had that bad early run specifically because I already knew most of the general rules for building and piloting 'mechs before I even downloaded the client.

It's also a good way to get a look at how a ton of different 'mechs play, so you'll have an easier time deciding which you want to buy and how you want to build them.

[GargoyleVine]

use a mic, talk to your team, a lot of pilots will help you