16 replies to this topic

[Fnord Asteroid]

Is it viable? Like actual real scouting... Evey time i do what I consider scouting, i never get paid, even on a win. And ALWAYS lose tier ranking.

I have given up running lights because it seems the paradigm is damage centered and I don't play lights to do damage.


Not expecting much here, not even sure why I am wasting my time posting...

[Horseman]

Viable and even critical in organized play - groups, FP, comp.
Usually, though, the scout will double as either a backstabber or sniper to make use of their mobility.

Just because you're playing a light and the game rewards damage does not mean you can't deal plenty in a nominally "scout" mech. Load double strikes against tightly grouped opponents and pick off isolated / damaged mechs. LRM boats are just free match score if you get in close and personal.

Edited by Horseman, 03 December 2020 - 10:56 AM.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Scouting actions do get paid, but the game is designed to expect you to engage the enemy in some way. Check the latest chart of action rewards!

[ImperialKnight]

dedicated Scouting? sorry, such things doesn't exist in MWO. If you're not dealing damage, you're hurting your team. Information is important, but not as important as coring out an unsuspecting Assault mech from the arse.

A good Scout in MWO is one that provides information on enemy position, give a well placed UAV AND does 300-500 damage while securing multiple kills.

There's nothing like the adrenaline rush of playing a 8x HMG Piranha flanking the enemy team, assassinating the enemy's slowest Assault mech, get out, continue to late game, spamming the R button to find that vulnerable enemy, going in for a surgical strike, dodging enemy fire on the way out, and repeating the process until your team wins. But to each his own.

If you just want to sit on the side, relaying info, this is not the game for you, maybe try some mil-sim games.

Edited by ImperialKnight, 04 December 2020 - 06:23 AM.

[Erik Ouzbel]

Thanks for the list, Aiden. Have those rewards or requirements changed since 2015?

[Aidan Crenshaw]

You're most welcome! The requirements should still be as outlined in that 2015 topic where I posted the updated rewards table.

[Ignatius Audene]

Nothing says "there is the red team", like a pair of ppc bolts crossing the map.

[Tarogato]

ChromeDaedalus, on 03 December 2020 - 09:27 AM, said:

Is it viable? Like actual real scouting... Evey time i do what I consider scouting, i never get paid, even on a win. And ALWAYS lose tier ranking.

I have given up running lights because it seems the paradigm is damage centered and I don't play lights to do damage.


Not expecting much here, not even sure why I am wasting my time posting...

This is how you scout in MWO:

Step 1: be the first person on your team to key up VOIP and tell everybody where the enemies are.

... that's it.

You don't need to be a light mech, or even a fast mech. You can be a 50kph assault who just happened to be sitting on a ridge when the enemy comes into view while the lights in your team are busy sneaking around or whatever they think they want to do.


There is a little reward for being the first friendly to press 'R' on each enemy. So if you want a little kick you can rush up real fast and just micro-peek the enemy and press R to get a reward for each one in turn. You can also put up a UAV, but the UAV has to be in range to get a lot of enemies under it, it costs C-bills to use anyways, and it's best to put it up when and where the enemy is least likely to notice it or be able to shoot it down (ideally behind or directly above the enemy, or when they are mega distracted in a firefight). Tagging mechs early with your R key is an easy way for you to take unnecessary return damage, and finding a good time and place a UAV is a good way for you to waste your time when you could be shooting the enemy instead, so don't go out of your way to do these things except when good opportunities present themselves.


To get rewards in lights mechs, in this order:

1: win your games
2: deal more damage
3: collect miscellaneous rewards like staying with your lance and locking onto mechs
(4: use AMS. Note that light mechs often can't afford to both deal damage AND sacrifice tonnage for AMS.)



If you aren't playing lights to do damage, then you aren't playing lights, you're just playing the wrong game.

[Sunshinetrooper]

Horseman, on 03 December 2020 - 10:54 AM, said:

Viable and even critical in organized play - groups, FP, comp.
Usually, though, the scout will double as either a backstabber or sniper to make use of their mobility.

Just because you're playing a light and the game rewards damage does not mean you can't deal plenty in a nominally "scout" mech. Load double strikes against tightly grouped opponents and pick off isolated / damaged mechs. LRM boats are just free match score if you get in close and personal.

How do I know which lurms are safe to engage? I'm not familiar with the weapon systems, so not sure if stuff has a minimum range etc.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

IS LRMs don't deal damage within 180m. Clan LRMs do, but the damage falls rapidly the closer you get. Clan ATMs don't deal damage within 120m, but are most dangerous between 120 to 235m.

[Meep Meep]

I do what the op considers scouting with my light stealth mechs *IF* there are lrm/atm mechs on my team and its a semi open map. I'll ask during the fight and if so then I will do my best to keep the enemy constantly lit from behind them whilst dropping two strikes. To get in additional damage I will backstab as they are getting pummeled since they won't notice it from the cockpit shake and explosion splash all over their paper doll.

[TheCaptainJZ]

If you are playing to be a spotter for an LRM boat, that gameplay won't generally be very effective. There's too many counters to targeting (ECM, cover), plus you'd have to stay undetected by the enemy team. That will almost never happen in reality. You're not going to be able to hold a tag laser on an enemy for long unless the entire enemy team is that oblivious. Narc can be effective, but requires a lot of tonnage. Information is important, but you need a build that you can contribute to the battle in.

[Gagis]

TheCaptainJZ, on 20 December 2020 - 07:37 PM, said:

If you are playing to be a spotter for an LRM boat, that gameplay won't generally be very effective. There's too many counters to targeting (ECM, cover), plus you'd have to stay undetected by the enemy team. That will almost never happen in reality. You're not going to be able to hold a tag laser on an enemy for long unless the entire enemy team is that oblivious. Narc can be effective, but requires a lot of tonnage. Information is important, but you need a build that you can contribute to the battle in.

The exception to this is of course if you are in a group. If you are a NARC raven and your group includes 2 awesomes and a trebuchet, you suddenly turn from dead weight into the most valuable mech in the team.

But this is absolutely not a good idea if you are dropping solo.

[martian]

Sunshinetrooper, on 19 December 2020 - 02:16 PM, said:

How do I know which lurms are safe to engage? I'm not familiar with the weapon systems, so not sure if stuff has a minimum range etc.

1. Press "R" to scan enemy 'Mechs.

2. LRMs have 180m minimum range. Inner Sphere LRMs deal no damage within this range, Clan LRMs do only a small damage within 180m. ATMs have 120m minimum range.

[Horseman]

martian, on 21 December 2020 - 03:57 AM, said:

1. Press "R" to scan enemy 'Mechs.

2. LRMs have 180m minimum range. Inner Sphere LRMs deal no damage within this range, Clan LRMs do only a small damage within 180m. ATMs have 120m minimum range.

And you can also tell which is which by the visual pattern of the salvos. IS LRMs fire in clumps, Clan LRMs in streams, ATMs fire far fewer missiles.

Edited by Horseman, 23 December 2020 - 07:40 AM.

[TheCaptainJZ]

Also IS missiles are yellow, Clan are blue.

[PocketYoda]

Scout mechs in MWO do best as harassers you fight guerrilla warfare as such, you can even bring AMS or ECM to cover your groups and things like Narc missiles or TAG lasers to help lrms as a scout you can be fast or work as a little medium and backup your teams.. Like urbanmechs or Adders etc.

Scouts can make a lot of money and damage a game if played accurately.