79 replies to this topic

[Chryckan]

Just came back from a hiatus of more than a year and there are a lot new things that combines is quite confusing. And I so far haven't found any good places that explains what everything does.
The only tutorials I've found was a couple two hours vids about the new skill system. And frankly if you have to watch a 2 hour lecture to understand the skill system, it is way to complicated for a casual game.

There are also two new armour types, a new engine type and a whole bunch of new weapons.
All I want to know is what a new piece of equipment does and in what way it differs from the old equipment, it's pros and cons.

Anyone care to explain it or can point me in a direction were I can find the information about everything new that doesn't take a whole afternoon to go through?

[Koniving]

UACs, basically what they imply. For the IS UAC/2 and 5 do single shots with double tap. UAC/10 does 2 shots. UAC/20 does 3 shots. All double tap.

RACs... spam lots of bullets. Rev up like miniguns. Generate increasing amounts of heat and eventually jam. Let off of them to let their 'timer' run down. Don't try to keep them revved the jam indicator fills when powering them up even without shooting. IS only.

Light / Heavy Gauss. Exactly what they sound like. IS only.

MRMs.. Long range SRMs. Each successive missile will go to where the reticle points at the time of launch, rather than at the time of trigger pull as SRMs do. IS only.

Many are self explanatory (Light Tag, Light CAP).

ATMs; basically LRMs that don't go up all that well. At certain ranges it does 3, 2 or 1 damage. Has a minimum range. Clan only.

Heavy lasers. Come in small, medium and large. Big punch, big beam time, big delay, big heat, little package. Clan only.

Micro lasers. Exactly what it sounds like. Clan only.

PPCs -- Light, Snub,Heavy. IS only. Light PPC is 3 tons, 5 heat, 5 damage. Snub is 6 tons, 10 heat? not gonna look it up, 10 damage and short range with no minimum. Heavy PPC has a linear decline minimum range rather than straight zero, does 15 damage and I think has like 14.5 heat and is 10 tons. Ghost heat treats them differently, can have 3 LPPCs fire at once. Can have two Heavy PPCs fire at once. Two snubs. Careful mixing and matching.

LMG / HMG. LMGs have longer range and less damage. Weigh the same as standard MGs. HMGs weigh twice as much, have shorter range, and hefty damage. Sound awesome too.

Think that's it on the weapons, IS got more streak launchers and matches on all the old Clan tech. Some superior, some inferior. Slot counts are brutal. LBX has been made to do double crit damage, which translates to double bonus damage potential from the 15% of crit damage to structure damage bonus. (So while an AC/20 might have a maximum potential of 29 damage, the LBX-20 under perfect conditions has a maximum potential of 38 damage.)

Laser AMS: Trade heat for ammo. ~ to turn it off in emergencies. It will shut you down. Or at least it has shut me down. Running four of them...not a good idea.
Far as the armor.

Light Ferro, half the benefits, half the slots of ferro. Bleh. IS only.
Stealth armor: Now this is the cool one. IS only. Takes 2 slots per leg, arm, and ST. Only equippable by ECM users with ECM equipped. Toggle this goody with a keyboard shortcut or by "activating" it on the weapons list like you would enable / disable a weapon in a weapon group. Your heatsinks stop working, but you become invisible to sensors at pretty much all ranges. Has a lot of fun potential. Just remember to turn it off when you start getting warm... or else.

Think that covers it all.

[Rogue Jedi]

Koniving did not mention the Light Fusion Engine or Rocket Launchers
a Light Engine weighs 3/4 the weight of a standard engine, but only uses 2 slots in side torsos, so is a realistic option for IS Mechs for which an XL was too risky ^{(because you can suvive loosing 2 engine slots but not the 3 from an IS XL)}

A Rocket Launcher is a light weight ^{(0.5-1.5 ton)} single shot ^{(as in no reloads in a match)} dumb fire SRM launcher, the number of missiles is the number rating of the launcher, they do no damage inside 50m and have a max range of 360, first thing you want to do with these is make sure they are not in your main fire group if you are bringing them.
they can pack a serious punch with just a few tons available if you have a few spare missile hardpoints

you can find the list of what was added here but basicly IS got pretty much all the tech Clans had but IS did not

you can find a full list of the new stuff here, but basicly IS and Clans both got some extra unique equipment as posted by Koniving and IS also got inferior ^{(heavier, bulkier or less damage)} equivelents of UAC, LB-X AC, SSRM, ER Lasers in all sizes

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 31 March 2018 - 02:51 PM.

[Chryckan]

Cool. Thanks... Think that covers equipment...

Now I just have to figure out how to get the equivalent of the old heat skill and cool running skill using the new skill tree...

Please tell me you can respect if you screw it up somehow...

[MechaBattler]

Skill tree gives you bonuses. Many of them are just the old skills and modules chopped up into smaller points. They're all fairly straightforward. It just looks like a mess, but you quickly realize it's the same thing, just chopped up into many, many, points.

You can take up to 91 skill points. If you had mastered mechs they should have 91 "Historical Skill Points". Plus you have historical XP representative of experience gained after mastering.

Historical XP can be added to that mech as regular XP. XP and GXP can be used to purchase more skills points, but you also have to pay with C-bills. You also have a pool of just Skill points representative of the modules you used to own. You also got a bunch of MC and c-bills for consumables you owned. It's 800 XP and 45,000 c-bills per point. So it gets pricey all at once.

Any skill that you already unlocked, can be removed, then reapplied for free. Before it was half the XP cost to reapply a skill you already unlocked. But now it's free.

[jss78]

Chryckan, on 31 March 2018 - 03:54 AM, said:

Just came back from a hiatus of more than a year and there are a lot new things that combines is quite confusing. And I so far haven't found any good places that explains what everything does.
The only tutorials I've found was a couple two hours vids about the new skill system. And frankly if you have to watch a 2 hour lecture to understand the skill system, it is way to complicated for a casual game.

There are also two new armour types, a new engine type and a whole bunch of new weapons.
All I want to know is what a new piece of equipment does and in what way it differs from the old equipment, it's pros and cons.

Anyone care to explain it or can point me in a direction were I can find the information about everything new that doesn't take a whole afternoon to go through?

Armour types -- Light-Ferro basically occupies a halfway point between Standard and Ferro. It saves half as much weight compared to Ferro, but also takes half as many extra crit slots.

In practice you'll start by adding Endo-Steel skeleton. You will then do your build, and check if Ferro fits (in terms of crit slots). If it doesn't, try if Light-Ferro fits. If it doesn't fit either, you'll stick with Standard.

Light Engines are also a halfway point between Standard and XL. They take some space in side torsos, but less than XL, and can survive the loss of one side torso. They save weight compared to Standard but not as much as an XL.

In practice people almost always run either Light or XL these days. Light if you want to be robust, XL if speed/firepower are paramount. Standard engines are VERY rarely run now, because being able to lose BOTH side torsi just isn't that important. Basically you'll run Standard if you want to put massive weaponry in a single side torso, and they won't fit with an LFE engine occupying two crit slots.

UAC 2/10/20 are to respective AC's as the UAC/5 always was to AC/5. You can fire twice as fast -- but might jam. Acquired taste, but personally I really love the UAC/10 -- it's the perfect IS autocannon for me, able to quickly do 20 damage out to mid range.

All lasers have ER versions now -- use if you are willing to sacrifice heat for range.

MRM's are potentially good, and without any doubt they're hilarious. Those 2xMRM40 salvos don't get old.

There are now different weight LB-X's -- like the LB-10X before, they're pretty awful.

[Rogue Jedi]

Chryckan, on 31 March 2018 - 09:35 AM, said:

Cool. Thanks... Think that covers equipment...

Now I just have to figure out how to get the equivalent of the old heat skill and cool running skill using the new skill tree...

Please tell me you can respect if you screw it up somehow...

I think they are in the mech operations tree, there are literaly "cool run" and "heat containment" nodes, but you need all 5 to get the the full equivelent of what the old skill tree gave, and you will have to unlock some more nodes to unlock all 5 of ether.

there are also weapon heat reduction nodes and jumpjet heat reduction nodes.

the new skill tree can look daunting but is fairly simple, just look at what you want and have a quick look around the tree to see the most efficent way to get there (and which intermediate nodes are most helpfull).

also make sure to use historic SP before purchasing new skill points with Cbills and XP

[Napoleon_Blownapart]

are you aware of the skill system that replaced modules?
and, welcome back

Edited by Gorantir, 31 March 2018 - 12:00 PM.

[Koniving]

Chryckan, on 31 March 2018 - 09:35 AM, said:

Cool. Thanks... Think that covers equipment...

Now I just have to figure out how to get the equivalent of the old heat skill and cool running skill using the new skill tree...

Please tell me you can respect if you screw it up somehow...

Mech Operations has Heat Containment (higher max heat) and Cool Run (faster cooling).

Somewhat more useful through experimentation, is capitalizing on all the "Heat Reduction" nodes under firepower as collectively, even getting just most of them outdoes what the Cool Run and Heat Containment nodes combined seem to be able to do, not to mention the other advantages from the firepower tree collected as you go. If you can get them all, it would be quite advantageous on a hot map.

....If people voted for hot maps besides the two coldest hot maps. (Sometimes you'll see Caustic... but I haven't seen Terra Therma in forever. The remade version is so much better than the original... but it's now one of the hottest maps, rather than all hot maps being the same.)

[blaznee]

Also Looking to return here, but completely overwhelmed. I stopped playing right around the launch of the tourmaline map (spelling?)
I have a few Atlases in my bays. Different builds that I don't remember much of. I seem to remember having an lrm focused build and a brawler build. But also one with a gauss cannon.
Should I try and make one of these work? Or should I sell the lot and start new with a smaller much

[Dragonporn]

Never-ever-sell-anything. A general rule of thumb. If you haven't exhausted cadet bonus yet, you'll have enough cash to buy and fully outfit at least 1 mech (I'd say more, if you don't screw up with builds many times).

I don't know why sell function even exists in this game, pretty much everything I have bough before, or stripped from acquired mechs, I found use for, and it is WAY cheaper, than to re-buy stuff, which was sold with laughable return. Yeah, my hangar is a huge dumpster, and I like it that way.

Been around for 4-5 months or so, have decent collection of mechs and floating around 50 million c-bills, which I have no idea what to spend on. I'm getting really surprised when some folks are making threads like "game ripped me off" or something between those lines. Game literally throws cash at you in heaps.

Edited by Dragonporn, 01 April 2018 - 01:08 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

blaznee, on 01 April 2018 - 12:24 AM, said:

Also Looking to return here, but completely overwhelmed. I stopped playing right around the launch of the tourmaline map (spelling?)
I have a few Atlases in my bays. Different builds that I don't remember much of. I seem to remember having an lrm focused build and a brawler build. But also one with a gauss cannon.
Should I try and make one of these work? Or should I sell the lot and start new with a smaller much

I recomend against selling.

I know you know how to play if you have played before, but I strongly recomend doing the tutorial, that rewards 5 million cbills and has minigames and a variaty of chassis available to test, you should be able to refresh/update much of your knowledge in there.

Also since torumoline launched (I think in 2013) there have been A LOT of changes, this is, other than the basic combat mechanics essentialy a diferant game to what you played then, Atlas is stilll a good Mech but is no longer one of the very best.
an LRM Atlas is a bad idea, mostly because it ignores the chassis strengths ^{(it gets extra durablilty from Mech Quirks which I think give it more hitpoints than any other Mech can have)}.
The Atlas is still one of the best close in brawlers.

One of the biggest game changes for the Atlas is the Light Fusion Engine, 25% lighter than a standard engine and ^{(unlike an XL)} able to suvive loosing a side torso, ^{(and you can fit an AC20 in the same torso as a LFE)}

we have lots more weapons and other equipment availablt now which was not there in 2013, Clan Mechs and equipment are now avaliable but Clan tech can only be used on Clan Mechs, IS Tech can only be used on IS Mechs.

I would recomend having a play arround with the trial Mechs to get a feel for the game again, you will start off in tier 5, and if you are playing solo slow assualt Mechs often get left behind so I would look into getting something slightly faster but again I am not saying the Atlas is bad, or not to use it just bear in mind you will sometimes get left behind.

if you want advice on what to get try a variaty of the trials and let us know what you liked or disliked about each (e.g. speed, handeling, tankyness, weapons) then we can give a few customised sugestions of what we think can work for you

also I strongly advise not going straight into faction play, that is ocupied by many veteran teams, a solo new player is likely to get into serious trouble in there.

[Chryckan]

Okay, started looking at skills and with like half a dozen different variants of so called points it's freaking confusing.

First, what is the cost of respecting a skill tree?

Second, what is the maximum number of skill points you can put in a skill tree? Is it 91? Because you seem to be able to get more skill points than that.

You seem to be able to convert historical experience point into "non-historical" experience points. Is this something you should do?

Most of my mechs have 91 historical skill points and I think that's what I should use to begin with. But what are general skillpoints which I have 445 of.

[Horseman]

Chryckan, on 31 March 2018 - 03:54 AM, said:

There are also two new armour types, a new engine type and a whole bunch of new weapons.
All I want to know is what a new piece of equipment does and in what way it differs from the old equipment, it's pros and cons.

Anyone care to explain it or can point me in a direction were I can find the information about everything new that doesn't take a whole afternoon to go through?

https://mwomercs.com...26-18-jul-2017/

Chryckan, on 01 April 2018 - 02:31 AM, said:

First, what is the cost of respecting a skill tree?

None. Respec here deactivates all nodes but does not refund the SP you used to unlock them. Previously unlocked nodes can be reactivated at will at no cost.

Quote

Second, what is the maximum number of skill points you can put in a skill tree? Is it 91? Because you seem to be able to get more skill points than that.

You can unlock all nodes, but you can only have 91 active at a time (Skill Points are used to unlock a node, not activate it).

Quote

You seem to be able to convert historical experience point into "non-historical" experience points. Is this something you should do?

No. You can purchase SP with HXP directly, and the HXP pool is available to all your mechs.

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Most of my mechs have 91 historical skill points and I think that's what I should use to begin with

Correct.

Quote

But what are general skillpoints which I have 445 of.

GSP are a refund of your owned modules. You can use them on any mech you own or buy in the future.

Edited by Horseman, 01 April 2018 - 02:58 AM.

[Chryckan]

Think I got it...

One more question though. Historical skillpoints you have for a mech can't be used for any other mech right? You won't screw up if you just turn them into skill points at once?

[Horseman]

Chryckan, on 01 April 2018 - 04:27 AM, said:

One more question though. Historical skillpoints you have for a mech can't be used for any other mech right? You won't screw up if you just turn them into skill points at once?

They can be used on any copy of the same variant. The amount of HSP you received was actually multiplied by the number of copies of a given variant that you owned at the point of refund (same with HXP)

Edited by Horseman, 01 April 2018 - 04:41 AM.

[Chryckan]

Horseman, on 01 April 2018 - 04:41 AM, said:

They can be used on any copy of the same variant. The amount of HSP you received was actually multiplied by the number of copies of a given variant that you owned at the point of refund (same with HXP)

Yeah but if I have an Urbie 63 I get 91 HSP for that which can't be used for any other Urbie varaint or do I get 91 points for all urbies to share?

Screw it. Skills are for wimps and ppl who can't manage heat anyhow...

[Koniving]

Chryckan, on 01 April 2018 - 06:37 AM, said:

Yeah but if I have an Urbie 63 I get 91 HSP for that which can't be used for any other Urbie varaint or do I get 91 points for all urbies to share?

Screw it. Skills are for wimps and ppl who can't manage heat anyhow...

It's locked to the variant, but do you have a second one? Or did you use it? You can use HSP on any copy of the variant. Handy when you get, say, 182 points from having both a standard and [S] version.

[Chryckan]

I get it now...

With those 91 is it possible to get all the bonuses that a mastered mech had with the old skills?

[Koniving]

Chryckan, on 01 April 2018 - 10:02 AM, said:

I get it now...

With those 91 is it possible to get all the bonuses that a mastered mech had with the old skills?

In theory, yes for the basics. Am I gonna check it? No.

But note that some of those bonuses are impossible to achieve now. The "elite" status which doubled all your basics... can't be acquired, so you won't get the full 55% acceleration, 50% brake, etc..

The other thing is... why?

Doing so would sacrifice other things that you could acquire, like an even faster than 5% firing rate, or improving your armor and structure health, or having better sensors, or no longer having"Hoverjets™".