228 replies to this topic

[martian]

Dee Eight, on 21 January 2020 - 10:07 PM, said:

Its meant to counter teams that would use camping the base as the primary tactic. Its most useful to kill disconnects and afk's, especially during faction matches when you get multiple mech drops from folks who disco instead of playing.

As I said, I have never observed in QP any team attempt of camping in the base.

And in higher tiers there are not too many AFKs and DCs anyway - not that many to warrant spending fuel cell on ATC just in case that somebody in the enemy team is AFK. I would say that it is better to power Radar tower as it offers tangible battlefield-wide and team-wide benefits.

[Brauer]

martian, on 21 January 2020 - 11:31 PM, said:

As I said, I have never observed in QP any team attempt of camping in the base.

And in higher tiers there are not too many AFKs and DCs anyway - not that many to warrant spending fuel cell on ATC just in case that somebody in the enemy team is AFK. I would say that it is better to power Radar tower as it offers tangible battlefield-wide and team-wide benefits.

There are lots of afks and DCs in tier 1.

Also, again keep in mind that teams outside of QP are more likely to hide in their base. It happens with some frequency in FW for example.

[Ssamout]

martian, on 21 January 2020 - 11:25 PM, said:

I have always wanted to ask: How can Flea or Locust grab a fuel cell?

It is easy with 'Mechs like Spider, Hankyu or Koshi that either have hand actuators or can equip them. But I guess that UrbanMech would have a problem with picking up that battery ...

Thats easy and no need for hands. Just use electromagnets, its quicker like that..

[Vxheous]

BLOODWOLF333, on 23 January 2020 - 07:37 PM, said:

How are people able to quick-fire gauss rifles? I seen it last match, a guy in a Cataphract was able to instant fire his two gauss rifles. I always have to charge them. Looked in the store and didnt see any quirks for the Cata that got rid of the charge-up so....what gives?

spectate doesn't show the charge up

[Prototelis]

You can't trust a lot of what you see in spectator view, there's quite a bit of desync.

[martian]

Brauer, on 21 January 2020 - 02:41 PM, said:

Right, I agreed radar and jammer are the most useful. Just keep in mind there are modes outside of QP, like FW, GQ, and comp, where you'd be more likely to see teams hide in their base.

Overall though shooting other mechs is OP, so a light should typically run 1 battery max, otherwise you are a net impediment to your team's success imo. I don't know where you stand in that Martian, I am just adding it here for completeness.

Usually I bring one battery, if the fuel cell supply point is reasonably close and I am in a light and fast 'Mech (Locust, Flea, etc).

In one or two games I retrieved two batteries, but only because the situation was very stale and the map was small. The problem was that I actually did not know what to do with that battery:

• Radar was not needed because both teams knew exactly where the other team was camping.
  
• Jamming was not needed because both teams were in the center of the map and thus outside the range of the jamming tower.
  
• ATC was not needed because the enemy team was not hiding in their base.

My only thought was: "Hell, why can I not keep the picked-up fuel cell and sell it for C-Bills after the mission?"

Well, it was a strange moment ...

On some very big maps such as Polar Highlands I usually do not bother with fuel cells. I went for it once and I realized that before I get to the fuel point and back to our base, half of the game would pass.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Fuel cell pickups, and fuel cell drop-offs even more so, reward nicely in cbills and exp.

https://mwomercs.com...ost__p__6266075

So, even in heavier chassis, when I happen to get near a fuel cell site, I'll always get one if possible.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

Aidan Crenshaw, on 23 January 2020 - 11:43 PM, said:

Fuel cell pickups, and fuel cell drop-offs even more so, reward nicely in cbills and exp.

https://mwomercs.com...ost__p__6266075

So, even in heavier chassis, when I happen to get near a fuel cell site, I'll always get one if possible.

^
that. if you're still leveling a mech, pick up a cell as you walk by. extra xp for 0 work. other than that, it really has next to no use at all;
in FW, people just wanna get over with that mode instead of playing it "as meant" (and who can blame them?), so no fuel cell needed; in QP .. .. let's just say it's a waste of time for way too many reasons and you'd rather shoot team-red instead some more.

Edited by Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, 24 January 2020 - 05:11 AM.

[lazorbeamz]

BLOODWOLF333, on 04 January 2020 - 11:52 AM, said:

Been playing for just a week now and had some questions/is this mechanic broken?

1. So you get almost 50k worth of GXP after your first 25 matches and completing all the tutorials but, with it costing 45k to use every 800 for a skill point....I don't find this resource very practical and would rather have c-bills which are the much harder to come-by resource. Gettin' gud is not an instantaneous process so, c-bills seem to be the rarest and most useful resource for me. I've read on a few other forum posts that others have 1M+ gxp they wish they could load into an AC and just fire off so, if the players cant effectively use a resource does that not indicate a broken mechanic?

2. Also after the first 25 matches the game and monetary progression seems to take a nose dive off a cliff and you begin the slow grind. Grinding to get XP for your mech makes sense and many other games do this as well for your character so that is not a problem. But, Im not happy with the monetary pay-out. Many times people are sitting in their heavy and assaults waiting for usually lights or mediums to round out the company so the match can begin so, your funneled into playing as lighter mechs and serving in the scout role if you want to participate. But, your not going to be getting the most kills or the team MVP so <150k per match. If players are not rewarded for playing roles that most players dont want to play as(from what I have observed rarely is a qp game waiting for heavy or assault players to join) then why should anyone ever play as a light or medium?

3. I dont think a team payout pool would be better, nobody likes sharing and people will resent freeloaders who died right off the bat so, idk maybe weight class payment multipliers to reward the player a little more for fielding lighter mechs? Or bump the payout across the board. IMO c-bills should be the more common and easy to generate resource with the high c-bill cost of everything in the game. GXP I would have no problem with it being a rare resource with it being able to be used on any mech and having to grind for it. Or maybe let us covert GXP to c-bills at 1GXP : 56.25 c-bills and that would make my life easier I think.

Just things I have been seeing and opinions, still playing everyday and trying to get gud reading everything and watching YT videos (learned about the bonuses recently and how staying with the group is beneficial).

The game is pretty bad and grindy for a new player.
You only get a couple of BAD mechs to play with (since you dont have the money to buy the new ones and you lack experience to make good builds with existing ones). This is discouraging becuse not only you are bad at the game but also because you have to play the same crap builds over and over again to progress.
That+ you probably cant use expendables because you need money for the new mechs and skills for the old ones.

You will only enjoy this game after a couple of years of playtime when you have ~20 good mechs or so. 20 is probbaly too low also. maybe neeed like 40 at least to have some room and be able to switch between them.

Edited by lazorbeamz, 24 January 2020 - 06:07 AM.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

lazorbeamz, on 24 January 2020 - 06:00 AM, said:

The game is pretty bad and grindy for a new player.
You only get a couple of BAD mechs to play with (since you dont have the money to buy the new ones and you lack experience to make good builds with existing ones). This is discouraging becuse not only you are bad at the game but also because you have to play the same crap builds over and over again to progress.
You will only enjoy this game after a couple of years of playtime when you have ~20 good mechs or so.

sorry, but that's just plain wrong;
the cadet-bonus plus the events practically throw free 'money' at you. that and the frequent sales means you can get good mechs in good time; even the mechbays are relatively easy to come by now.

is it grindy? yeah. there has to be a 'reason' to sink money in it (less grind -> faster/more mechbays).
does it take years? hellno. quite sure that you can have a lance full of good mechs within a week or less, without sinking too much time -and no real money at all- into this game.*

*if only there was a reason to play it, but that's another matter entirely

Edited by Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, 24 January 2020 - 06:09 AM.

[lazorbeamz]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, on 24 January 2020 - 06:08 AM, said:

sorry, but that's just plain wrong;
the cadet-bonus plus the events practically throw free 'money' at you. that and the frequent sales means you can get good mechs in good time; even the mechbays are relatively easy to come by now.

is it grindy? yeah. there has to be a 'reason' to sink money in it (less grind -> faster/more mechbays).
does it take years? hellno. quite sure that you can have a lance full of good mechs within a week or less, without sinking too much time -and no real money at all- into this game.*

*if only there was a reason to play it, but that's another matter entirely

Sorry its just not plain wrong. I ve been thought it myself and i think i ve played since like 2015. I ve started really enjoying the game maybe in 2018 to some degree and today its even better.
It all boils down to the fact that you only have few mechs and they suck. Additionnaly you cant really have the consumables. Until you have multiple good ones there s nothing that can help.

In real world you also get burned out and stop playing and you miss the events and the rewards. Im not going to sugar coat it.

Edited by lazorbeamz, 24 January 2020 - 06:16 AM.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

then you're doing it wrong.

[Dimento Graven]

Here's my advice for earning money in this game:

1. Heroes, loyalty, and other cash boosting 'mechs are best to pilot for earning cash.
2. Take advantage of any premium time you earn through events. Play as much as you can while it's active, you CAN purchase it too, but I admit that at this stage of the game, it's kind of silly to do so. Those of us who have been loyal players, winning 'mech/booster packs from streamer give aways and the like probably have YEARS worth of premium time stockpiled, so I realize it's way too easy for us to say this, still, when you have it, USE it!
3. NEVER.SELL.ANYTHING!!! Or, at the very least, NEVER.SELL.MECHS.OR.ENGINES, and maintain a stockpile of at least of 10 every other component. You sell things at 50% of their purchase value. Do a lot of 'mech configuration and you're spending a LOT of money VERY fast. When I joined 228 and started participating in competetive matches I probably burned through three quarters of a BILLION credits purchasing and outfitting upwards of a hundred different 'mechs (I wanted to make sure I could step in to any role if necessary, no matter how poorly I would perform in it ). It would have easily been double that without my LARGE stockpile of engines and weapons.
4. UAVs, 40k cbill investments in winning. Winning pays more.
5. Strikes, 40k cbill investments in winning. Winning pays more.
6. Shoot as many of the enemy as possible. 12 assists per game equals more money.
7. ALWAYS PRESS "R" to target the enemy you're shooting at. Again, it results in higher cbill awards.
8. During events, ALWAYS.EQUIP.AMS, you're paid for every enemy missile shot down, and during events, ALL the potatoes come out with their missile 'mechs as apparently, having the computer doing their aiming for them is the ONLY way they're capable of completing it, and for those carrying AMS at least you're getting some monetary compensation for the inconvenience.

These are more or less the steps I've utilized to earn the stack o' cbills I have (over a billion cbills stockpiled).

The game is OH SO much more enjoyable not having to worry about whether or not I'll be able to swap engines/weapons/etc. out. When you can just "do it" whenever you want, it's a great sense of freedom to enjoy the game!

[Horseman]

lazorbeamz, on 24 January 2020 - 06:11 AM, said:

Sorry its just not plain wrong. I ve been thought it myself and i think i ve played since like 2015. I ve started really enjoying the game maybe in 2018 to some degree and today its even better.
It all boils down to the fact that you only have few mechs and they suck. Additionnaly you cant really have the consumables. Until you have multiple good ones there s nothing that can help.

In real world you also get burned out and stop playing and you miss the events and the rewards. Im not going to sugar coat it.

I've played since late 2015 with a break for... about three to five months in early 2016. Haven't made a break since and I've actually started a fully F2P alt account in 2018.
I only really play that alt (Horseman IIC) for the events, but by now I have 44 mechs on it, majority fully kitted out and mastered.
Consumables are not a problem, player performance and poor judgement in consumable use is. I've seen twits who believed that if you took four consumables into a match then BY GOD you should use them all - and that's exactly the wrong way to approach it.

Dimento Graven, on 24 January 2020 - 06:44 AM, said:

3. NEVER.SELL.ANYTHING!!! Or, at the very least, NEVER.SELL.MECHS.OR.ENGINES, and maintain a stockpile of at least of 10 every other component. You sell things at 50% of their purchase value. Do a lot of 'mech configuration and you're spending a LOT of money VERY fast. When I joined 228 and started participating in competetive matches I probably burned through three quarters of a BILLION credits purchasing and outfitting upwards of a hundred different 'mechs (I wanted to make sure I could step in to any role if necessary, no matter how poorly I would perform in it ). It would have easily been double that without my LARGE stockpile of engines and weapons.

Never sell mechs, yes.
Engines? Mileage varies, if you purchase a lot of IS mechs then you're going to have a giant pile of STD engines (or XL sizes you don't really use) hanging around. If you have more than 3 of a given engine sitting unused in your inventory, it might be time to sell off the excess and get C-Bills that are actually going to be useful.
At least 10 of every component... again, not really. Keep enough to outfit 1-2 assault mechs. Your use-case of suddenly outfitting 100 mechs at once isn't typical for most players.

Quote

4. UAVs, 40k cbill investments in winning. Winning pays more.

UAVs can be helpful in the right place, but I'd say cool shots are the most versatile consumable and more directly contribute to the match than UAVs. There are mechs on which I'd take a UAV over a cool shot, but only a handful.

Quote

5. Strikes, 40k cbill investments in winning. Winning pays more.

True. Mind you that strikes also take some practice to get the hang of. Generally use them to punish bunched up groups of heavier enemies - bottlenecks, static positions, murderballs - rather than wasting them on single mechs or trying to hit mechs that are fast enough to outrun the bombardment.

Edited by Horseman, 24 January 2020 - 07:46 AM.

[Dimento Graven]

Horseman, on 24 January 2020 - 07:43 AM, said:

Consumables are not a problem, player performance and poor judgement in consumable use is. I've seen twits who believed that if you took four consumables into a match then BY GOD you should use them all - and that's exactly the wrong way to approach it.

Definitely truth to that, but if you're not bringing them, you're losing out on opportunities for easy cash, or to help ensure a win.

Quote

Engines? Mileage varies, if you purchase a lot of IS mechs then you're going to have a giant pile of STD engines (or XL sizes you don't really use) hanging around. If you have more than 3 of a given engine sitting unused in your inventory, it might be time to sell off the excess and get C-Bills that are actually going to be useful.

Suprisingly though, since the advent of the heavy gauss, a lot of those stagnating IS standard engines have been used, so in my experience, never sell 'em.

But yeah, what works for you is what works for you.

Quote

At least 10 of every component... again, not really. Keep enough to outfit 1-2 assault mechs. Your use-case of suddenly outfitting 100 mechs at once isn't typical for most players.

Again, yes and no. I've played with people who modify their 'mechs after EVERY.SINGLE.F'ING.MATCH (after a while those people get on my nerves, slowing down the pace of game play), and because they were ALWAYS selling any extras off to pay for equipment they'd PREVIOUSLY sold to do the modification they're now changing from... It was stupid.

Then there are those folks who do those 'mech challenges, "Play every 'mech in inventory, by playing a 'mech until you win, then switching to the next..."

Those people can be burning through cash.

PLUS, it's a waste of premium time spending time searching through all your 'mechs for that ONE component you need, de-equip it, save the 'mech, load the intended 'mech equip it, so on and so forth. For group play that kind of crap is also annoying.

Quote

UAVs can be helpful in the right place, but I'd say cool shots are the most versatile consumable and more directly contribute to the match than UAVs. There are mechs on which I'd take a UAV over a cool shot, but only a handful.
True. Mind you that strikes also take some practice to get the hang of. Generally use them to punish bunched up groups of heavier enemies - bottlenecks, static positions, murderballs - rather than wasting them on single mechs or trying to hit mechs that are fast enough to outrun the bombardment.

Yep, placement of strikes and UAVs is key to making them pay off well, totally agree there, but again, if you're not bringing them...

Cool shots? That's dependent on the 'mech and your ability to manage heat, though yeah, in major scrum they're extremely convenient to have around.

Definitely a case of YMMV.

[Horseman]

Dimento Graven, on 24 January 2020 - 08:20 AM, said:

Definitely truth to that, but if you're not bringing them, you're losing out on opportunities for easy cash, or to help ensure a win.

Agreed.

Quote

Again, yes and no. I've played with people who modify their 'mechs after EVERY.SINGLE.F'ING.MATCH (after a while those people get on my nerves, slowing down the pace of game play), and because they were ALWAYS selling any extras off to pay for equipment they'd PREVIOUSLY sold to do the modification they're now changing from... It was stupid.

We both agree on the point that some surplus should be kept, what we disagree on is how much.

For me, if I somehow end up with 40 CERMLs (that happened!), it's clear I'm not using them often enough to keep all of them - but this is when most of my mechs are fully kitted out and ready to go without having to juggle inventory spares.

Edited by Horseman, 24 January 2020 - 10:26 AM.

[Dimento Graven]

Horseman, on 24 January 2020 - 10:26 AM, said:

...

We both agree on the point that some surplus should be kept, what we disagree on is how much.

For me, if I somehow end up with 40 CERMLs (that happened!), it's clear I'm not using them often enough to keep all of them - but this is when most of my mechs are fully kitted out and ready to go without having to juggle inventory spares.

Yeah, that's why I mentioned keeping a stockpile of 10 of everything is a good point, vs. everything.

10 of everything is enough for most contingencies (unless you're like one of those people I mentioned before always changing your configurations on your 'mechs from match to match).

[killzone1]

lazorbeamz, on 24 January 2020 - 06:11 AM, said:

Sorry its just not plain wrong. I ve been thought it myself and i think i ve played since like 2015. I ve started really enjoying the game maybe in 2018 to some degree and today its even better.
It all boils down to the fact that you only have few mechs and they suck. Additionnaly you cant really have the consumables. Until you have multiple good ones there s nothing that can help.

In real world you also get burned out and stop playing and you miss the events and the rewards. Im not going to sugar coat it.

That's not true. I just started about 4 weeks ago and have 16 mechs and still have 120M cbills. I did get a lot of free stuff from 3 events that were running over that period.

I will say the game was a LOT more fun before I hit tier 2. I just don't like the play style of T2. I get that those builds and the strategies are king, but I just don't enjoy playing like that.

[VonBruinwald]

killzone1, on 24 January 2020 - 12:36 PM, said:

I will say the game was a LOT more fun before I hit tier 2. I just don't like the play style of T2. I get that those builds and the strategies are king, but I just don't enjoy playing like that.

Play your way, there's plenty of us in Tier-1 who don't follow the builds and strategies. Being the underdog is great fun as long as you don't fixate on the leader board/stats.

[killzone1]

VonBruinwald, on 24 January 2020 - 12:54 PM, said:

Play your way, there's plenty of us in Tier-1 who don't follow the builds and strategies. Being the underdog is great fun as long as you don't fixate on the leader board/stats.

The problem is it becomes a game of peek and poke so you need high damage accurate quick weapons, and doesn't matter about the heat generated since you poke real quick and then hide. I get why it works so well, but if you don't adapt and go with it you get cored in like 2 seconds.