MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
Pugging in FW is hard. I've pugged many hundreds of FW matches as IS and Clan. Balance is currently closer than it's ever been - CXL is still an advantage but not as huge as it used to be. Hence the tonnage mismatch.
I agree, it IS hard. All I do is PUG, unless there's some tournament that requires me to group up and I only play Clan. With all the new toys the IS got in comparison to the garbage we got, even regular ISXLs aren't at near a disadvantage they were before. RACs and MRMs are definitely putting a hurting on any Clan mechs that don't simply try to outrange it. Brawling is nonexistent in Clan PUG mechs.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
The biggest problem you'll have is people trying to play FW like it's QP. That's going to doom you before the first shot is fired. MWO is a team v team game - in QP there's so many potatoes on both sides you can just wing it and do passable well. In FW there's a bigger premium on teamwork and teamwork is OP as **** in MWO in general, even more so in the respawn environment of FW.
Which makes you wonder why PGI opened FW up to anyone without any sort of prerequisite, not even making that joke of a tutorial mandatory before entering. I mean, they have to be aware that the gameplay experience for potatoes being harvested 4 times in 15 minutes is minimal at best, right? Still, they have to keep practice dummies in the game for the groups to practice on, I guess. I don't mind being OPFOR. I make lots of cbills off the PUGS when I drop with NARC.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
Which is awesome, it adds a dynamic that you won't really find in other games and can be a huge amount of fun. However it does leave you with 3 viable choices:
1. Pugbossing. Start the match with a "Hey team, does someone want to call the drop?" Promote teamwork and see if you've got a skilled drop caller on the team who's staying quiet cuz pugs. If not you need to learn to be one which is hard. You'll want to take option 2 until you can consistently do option 1.
No point, but keep believing it. To even have a chance of having a PUG team that will follow your directions, they have to a ) speak the same language you are, b ) actually be able to understand your instructions and c ) actually give a crap about winning or losing.
You also have to keep in mind that a lot of the basic skills things we all take for granted are actually fairly rare in PUG groups. Remember learning to unzoom when you move because you will get stuck or trip on everything out there? Yeah...PUGlandia is constantly working on that. Seems there's a fresh crop of stumblers every match. Same with the "I saw a red target and fired, I didn't notice you were in front of me" wizards.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
2. TS Slumming. Did this for a long time. Look on the faction boards, get the TS info for the Davion/Marik/FRR/Steiner hubs and go find groups to join with. Be polite, stay quiet, never argue and change your loadout to match what's called. this is the best way to learn the game.
I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't group up.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
3. Lose a lot. If you don't care about winning and you're unwilling to put in the effort to do what the people trouncing you are doing (which is one or both of the above) you're going to get stomped a lot. This isn't some cruel twist, this is an example of effort = reward. The scale of effort required to win consistently in FW is higher than QP.
Not exactly a profound statement for those of us that play in PUGlandia. You're gonna lose. A lot. The matchmaker makes sure it happens. A lot. For what it's worth, trying (or hoping) to win in a PUG group in FW is going to burn you out fast. Win or lose, there's always cbills. And it's not hard to maximize earnings if you understand the bonuses.
It doesn't take long to tell whether your team is going to win or lose...normally, you'll know when the first respawn rushes back to the front lines all by himself to get eaten alive again. Or your team has it's first permadead before the end of the second wave (seen it happen before the end of the first once...that's dedication, right there). Or a gate opens and....everyone waits for someone to go facetank damage and give them locks.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
The last option, #4, is a matter of taste and it's join a unit. In reality it's just option 2 but always having a single place and consistent people to go play with.
Nope.
MischiefSC, on 12 August 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:
However teamwork is OP and it's what wins. Create it with pugs or go find a premade group to create it with. Any option that isn't that is going to involve losing to those who do.
It's not OP, it's what's expected. Individuals that can communicate in combat tend to do better, on average. Even in video games. I've seen a PUG team with small groups actually destroy 12 man premades. It's rare, but it happens. Most of the time, however, it's a potato harvest.
Not that that's a bad thing. Personally, I prefer to "out-potato the potatoes." I'm not arguing that LRMs aren't a low-skill weapon...but in the hands of a creative *******, they're lethal. I just wish they had the same trajectory as ATMs.